Drew and Jen go to London » Thanksgiving

Fat and Happy

Jen — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 21:37:03 +0000

We three chefs of London, N1, have forged new Thanksgiving traditions…

Wine is a relatively new addition for me; and you can see that we really don’t need it. We are quite silly already.

First, we start with a big mess. Then we make it an organised mess with too much cream and/or butter while we pretend to look at recipes.

Eventually, it looks like this.

And we are happy.

And then there is pie.

I am not eating ever again until next year.

www.drewandjengotolondon.com

Missing: One Pumpkin

Jen — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 08:06:35 +0000

The days are growing shorter all the time, there are rumors of snow (did I just type that out loud?), and I think the hay-fever has cleared. This can only mean that winter is really here to stay its course this time. And here I am again making the grocery list that has too much butter… Finding the strength to celebrate, despite my mother’s leaving, has not come to me all at once. It has come in waves of responsibility and true thankfulness.

2010 has not been without challenge, but I think it has firmly sunk in how truly rich I am. What I have is miles more than I deserve; it would be nice to know that everyone wakes up to the smile of their best friend (I hope your best friend doesn’t tickle you before you are very awake). I’d like to know that everyone has the means to have big-family-gathering, Thanksgiving-style feasts. It would be great to have Dr Who style transport to all the places I’d like to be, but I’ve got a stable job — these days they both seem equally hard to come by. I have beautiful friends –- here, there, soon-to-be-elsewhere… Just sharing with each one a walk on the same stretch of road in the journey of life is an incredible gift I get to keep opening every day.

That family of mine… Dang, Gina. We cause each other a lot of worry; Drew and I both get that sensitivity honestly. But I do not have a doubt that I am always loved, completely unconditionally. If there is any one of us that doesn’t know that yet, he or she just isn’t ready to hear it, but it is always true.

There is nothing else I need. I’d like some of the green bean casserole that my dad is making, but I will have to wait for Christmas. But there is nothing else I need.

May you have everything you need, too…

www.drewandjengotolondon.com

A Day to be Thankful

Jen — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 09:57:57 +0000

As hard as this week naturally is, for the obvious reasons, I have been met by patience, love, and growing friendships. While Drew was working away in Sweden on Tuesday night, my friend Sarah came ’round for dinner. Auntie Sarah, as I like to call her, never seems to tire of answering my questions about pudding, cream tea, boarding school, television, mortgages, and vests – among other things. She offered a shoulder more than once when I thought I was near falling off the edge of the Earth. And she let me torture her with videos of my Chimeras days. Those kids were in shape – excuse me while I do some crunches… (I still wish I had in my possession all the videos of my students’ performances!! Maybe while I am home, I will beg someone to make me a DVD…)

Auntie Sarah has not been alone in her quest to keep me smiling. And there has been love and support coming from across the ocean, too.

Today there will be too much food. There will be friends. There will be leftovers. And I am thankful for this distraction. It stings and feels strange, but there are still giggles bubbling to the surface. I think it’s all the wiped cream (I dare you to call it this all day) and powdered sugar.

Happy Thanksgiving to you.

When you visit the website it boosts my self-esteem. [insert smiley face here]