Hello

How was your Thanksgiving Day? Did you have a great time with family, friends and or loved ones?

I hope you did because I was wishing that for you.

I had a great time and my cousin came in from Texas. We had lots of food and fun!

Before I share a bit about what we did, I would ask you; what did you do?

Do share!

Thanksgiving Day for me signifies that Christmas is around the corner. It can be a time to start fretting about what I need to get done for Christmas or what needs to be bought. I have come to learn that, even if I have a full wallet to spend or have nothing with which to buy what I think I want to for Christmas, I will still give thanks 😊

When my cousin arrived on Wednesday, I was still at work- I had not even finished all the cleaning as you’d see in the pics that I had wanted to do (anyone relate?) but I had told myself, this time was about being with family not time to pretend that my house was always spotless! We went out to eat for dinner and then came home and slept.

Thursday Morning, we had breakfast/ brunch and then went to Walmart! Yes, we did.

We needed a few more items for the day.

I want to stop here to say a big Thank You to the people who worked the stores during the Thanksgiving Day- You people are the real deal! I was surprised to say that I had good customer service at the store- I thought I was going to meet people who did not want to work but the people I met at the store were happy to help and answered my questions.

Okay, back to what I was saying; We got what we needed and came home. By the time we got home, the turkey was almost done (thanks Hubs 😍) and BOY! Did it smell great? We then started cooking after the turkey was done.

Sigh! It was 3 pm when we started cooking.

The Menu

Turkey,

Moi Moi

Jollof Rice

Rice and Stew

Fried Plantain aka dodo

Mac & cheese

Mashed Potatoes

Collard Greens

Curried sweet potatoes

Sides: apple pie, Patti LaBelle’s Sweet Potato Pie, Cranberry Jelly, cookies…

We ended up with a few items rather than all that was listed on the menu because we started so late in the day! I baked the moi-moi to save time, my cousin made some delicious jollof rice and some good tomato stew to eat with white rice. For the dishes often seen on TV for thanksgiving, we had the staples; dressing, collard greens (first time on the menu), turkey, cranberry jelly (I had some this time- it should be called Cranberry Wiggle) and I gotta stop! We had a lot of food.

We had food and family and that was enough for me!

Every Thanksgiving, I am blessed to do something different in the kitchen but a few staples remain- turkey, jollof rice and lots of love and gratitude!

I hope you had a great Thanksgiving and I hope that you were able to not only eat too much as I did, but you were also able to rest too!

Until the next episode,

God bless you.

Always,

Ezanya

Ps.

If you want recipes for the Nigerian dishes mentioned, let me know and I will share them with you!

Cheering for the cowboys and eating apple pie. Do you see the dinosaur staring at my pie?

What a year this has been!

It has had quite a few highs, lows, and plateaus but still, I am thankful!

Yes, I am thankful for life; it does not matter sometimes just how short it has been lived, or how much lack it has been shown and many bounties I have had, I am thankful.

Thankful for My Family.

I am blessed to have family in Nigeria and here in the U.S. They have encouraged, listened to me argue or try to make decisions about situations. When I have doubted myself, they have been there to encourage and also to help me remember what I believe in- that with God nothing is impossible.

I have also come to learn that the people who make up a family I have come to realize are not or do not have to be blood relatives. Sometimes, God puts people in your life and around you that become family. Have you ever been through stuff and had no idea what to do? And then discover that you have people around you that care and also help you through what you're going through? Yes, I have been blessed that I friends that have become family to me. I am thankful. I have been living in the U.S miles, hours, time zones away from where my family is and the people I have worked with, work with, attend church with and school with have become family. A friend appropriately called it “doing life together” and I will add that these people end up being family.

Thankful for Working, and The Izora Podcast!

We moved states, started work, school and started new friendships too at work.

I started the podcast this year not being sure how long or where it would take me. Some of you have come with me on this journey and I have come to call you friends. Thank you for being with me on this ride 😊

Thankful for God’s Faithfulness

This year, I'd say again, I am thankful- I have seen and experienced God come through for me and my family in ways that I have not expected or even thought about.

In our losses, God showed Himself strong and has been faithful to us. In our abundance, I have seen that it is the hand of God at work.

Thank you, my friends, in the U.S and around the world and I wish you a Happy Thanksgiving.

I'd love to hear from you and I will ask you; what you are thankful for.

Till the next episode, God bless you.

Always,

Ezanya

Thanksgiving Menu in a Biracial Family

Saying Thanks In Every Circumstance