Thanksgiving Brazialian Style

I figure I had better write about Thanksgiving since Christmas is almost upon us. The North American missionary couples usually get together and have a Thanksgiving dinner. This year it was held the Monday after the traditional holiday. Due to circumstances that got really out of control we went from six couples to 17 couples. We had Brazilians, Portuguese and Americans. It truly was an international affair. Mike and I were in charge of organizing the dinner. We took on the meat assignment. We found turkeys are very expensive. They are smaller than what I am used to and according to the locals are dry. They ran about $3.50 a pound.

It was recommended that we use Chester. What the heck is a Chester? After a little research I learned that a Chester is a carefully bred type of chicken that has a very large breast and large thighs. These are available around Christmas and they are more expensive than turkey. We found we could buy roasted chickens for the same price as frozen turkey, but all the work was done. So we used those.

The tables were decorated in a fall theme. It is hard to see the chili plant in the center with folded napkin turkeys and some nut cups.

Everyone brought a dish to share. We had the usual mashed potatoes, gravy, dressing, sweet potato casserole, homemade rolls, and of course pumpkin pie. The sweet potato casserole was a big hit with the Brazilians. They wanted to know how it was made. We had empanades, a strawberry/chocolate pudding, and a chocolate cake. No one went away hungry.

It really was a fun evening. I met new people and connected with others who I don't see often.

It was a lot of work as all big dinners are but it was a success. Everyone visited with each other and a good time was had by all.