First Time Hosting Thanksgiving Dinner

Nearly every Thanksgiving or Christmas I go to someone else’s home for dinner. I can usually be found at my mother’s house, but this Thanksgiving we are overseas in Algiers. We arrived in March 2012 and even then I was anticipating where we would celebrate the holidays. After a few months in country I pretty much decided that I would host our holiday dinner. It wouldn't be just Douglas and me though; it would be for all the Marines. I absolutely love doing anything that may help Marines be reminded of their homes in the states. They really appreciate the generosity and I certainly enjoy doing it. It’s a win-win situation!

A few weeks prior to Thanksgiving I started planning the menu. My girlfriend, also named Nicole, said she would help by fixing a few dishes too. We both enjoy cooking so this was right up our alley; however, she has hosted several Thanksgiving dinners in the past. This was a walk in the park for her. As for me, I was treading water very lightly, a bit nervous to jump right in and swim. But once I got into the groove of things, I felt like a natural! It quickly became fun and never once felt like a task. I didn’t just want the dishes to taste good, I wanted them to taste great!

For my first Thanksgiving I can say I did awesome! I’m generally very organized and love to plan things. One thing I dread in the states is grocery shopping for holiday dinners. The stores are tightly packed and bring about many frustrated emotions. And if you have the misfortune of going to the store just a couple days prior or the night before the big day, you typically find bare shelves, emptied by the previous shoppers. It was quite the opposite in Algiers. Shopping for Thanksgiving was no different than any other day. Thanksgiving is not celebrated in this country. They do have similar holidays. At that time the stores and markets here are also crowded with hoards of people. My Thanksgiving shopping experience was painless and enjoyable.

I stared prepping food two days prior by cleaning, peeling, and chopping several items. I got my baking out of the way the day before. I made a carrot cake, cream cheese frosting, sweet potato pies, and homemade rolls. Unfortunately I didn’t make the rolls gluten-free so I can’t comment on their taste. Everyone else spoke up for me and said they were delicious! Dinner was set for 2:00 pm. I was up bright and early like every other cook on that day. I made macaroni and cheese, green bean casserole, candied carrots, corn pudding, apple crisp, pot roast, and of course the turkey. Nicole made corn bread stuffing, sweet potato casserole, potatoes au gratin, cranberry sauce, red velvet cupcakes, lemon meringue pie, and vanilla ice cream. We had more than enough food! The best part of this dinner was that no dish was off limits to either Nicole or me. We are both gluten-free and prepared the majority of food with that in mind.

Since pork is not sold in this country I selected roast beef as the second meat. My husband is a pot roast lover, but I am not. I rarely eat beef. I opted to cook the roast in my slow cooker to avoid occupying my oven more than necessary. My husband and I have a rule we follow. He must be 100% honest about my cooking and I must not take his criticism negatively. In order to have outstanding dishes we adhere to this rule strictly. So when he told me this was one of the best pot roasts he has ever eaten, I knew it was good to go. I couldn’t taste the dish because I seared the meat with regular flour and added regular flour to make the gravy too. But it looked absolutely perfect!

In addition to the roast, I was extremely proud of myself for cooking my first large turkey, an 18 pounder to be exact. Thankfully we got our hands on an American Butterball turkey. The turkeys were flown in from the states. They do have turkeys in Algiers, but there is nothing like an American one. I looked up several recipes, compared them, and then took the best ingredients and tips from my top choices and made it my own. I love how juicy my chicken comes out when cooked in an oven bag, so I opted to do the turkey the same way. Two days before Thanksgiving I rubbed the turkey down with my basic seasonings and then gave it a second rub down with herb butter I made. The morning I went to cook it, I sprinkled paprika all over the skin to ensure it turned golden brown. I placed it in the oven bag (breast side down) with some dry white wine and 3 hours later my 18 pound bird was glowing! When Douglas cut into the turkey the juices were flowing out. I took the advice from a few reviews and placed the breast down instead of up. They all said the breast would be juicer than ever and it was! Even after four days that turkey was still mouthwatering. Everyone enjoyed all the dishes that both Nicole and I made.  

I was most grateful for having the opportunity to share my first holiday hosting experience with our Marines, good friends, and my wonderful husband. While Douglas could have been deployed by himself during this time, God blessed us to have this experience together. It was such a pleasure for Douglas and me to use the blessings God has given us in money, food, and cooking skills, and share that with others. Talk about a Thanksgiving to remember!

Macaroni and Cheese

Candied Carrots, Corn Bread Stuffing, and Rolls

Green Bean Casserole

Corn Pudding

Potatoes Au Gratin

Slow Cooker Roast Beef

Apple Crisp

Carrot Cake and Red Velvet Cupcakes

Marine Corps Birthday Ball in Algiers

The Marine Corps Birthday Ball is the most anticipated annual event for every Marine and spouse. I have had the honor of attending two birthday balls prior to this one. Douglas and I are still in the newly married phase. If you speak with a seasoned Marine Corps spouse, he or she will tell you they have attended so many birthday balls they have lost count. I do look forward to saying that one day.

Since Douglas is in the Marine Corps band, he works at different birthday balls every year. Band members often miss their own birthday ball because they have to play at others. The birthday ball is usually put together by a specific person assigned to the event. He or she works with various people to put it all together. Douglas would now become that person in charge of coordinating his own birthday ball with the help of the Marines at post. Douglas got to have his hand on every single detail of the event from start until finish. The weeks leading up to the ball are usually stressful for anyone involved. It was no different for Douglas and his fellow Marines. The most difficult task was probably working through the language barrier and cultural differences. 

I quickly got adjusted to Douglas working very late hours, long days and many weekends all for the ball. It wasn’t just work without play though. The Marines held a couple parties and a Happy Hour to assist in raising money for the event. That was the fun part! Often times a detachment will have to hold many events and sell lots of their products to raise enough money to pay for the expenses of their ball. Fortunately, this detachment did not have that problem. This meant they could enjoy fundraising without much concern over their profit. And it was one less thing to stress about.  

The biggest items on a woman’s to-do-list in preparing for a ball are purchasing a new dress, getting her nails done, and deciding how she will style her hair. I planned to wear a dress already in my closet I wore on a cruise last year, but this would my first time flaunting it at the ball.  Many women steer away from wearing a ball gown more than once. This is mainly because a photo is typically taken of the spouse and their Marine at the ball. Not many spouses wish to see themselves in a dress they wore the year before. I say whatever works for you and your budget, go with it! You and your Marine may be able to take a nicer vacation next year simply because you saved money on purchasing another new dress this year. Something to think about!

I also saved money on my nails because I decided to do them myself. My bigger reason for not getting them done professionally is because I always worry about the cleanliness of all tools used in the process. About five years ago I caught a foot fungus from a nail salon I went to in Studio City, California. This was posh salon in an excellent neighborhood and that clearly didn’t mean a thing. I do miss the pampering experience, but I did as good a job as anyone else has previously done on my nails. 

The last item on my list was my hair. Now, this is an area that I would have opted to have professionally done if a stylist were available. They do have hair salons in Algiers, but I can’t imagine they have ever put a comb or brush through anyone with my hair texture. I surely was not about to be their first. I wanted to wear my hair down. I typically do not blow dry or straighten my hair, but thought it would be a nice change for such a special occasion. I knew it would take a lot of time so I planned for that. 

The Marine driver was scheduled to pick me up at 6:30 p.m. to leave for the ball. I started my hair at 2:00 p.m. that afternoon in order to give myself plenty of time. I never like to feel rushed. Douglas and the other Marines had already at the venue since 11:00 that morning. I had the house to myself with no interruptions. But sometimes plans just don’t work out like you would want. At 6:30 p.m. I was flat ironing my hair for a second time with no end in sight. My hair experience went wrong in so many ways. I washed it, conditioned it, blow dried it, and all was great. Then I flat ironed it and each section I finished looked like I never did anything to it. When I was done my hair looked like I spent the day outside in extreme humid weather. I thought by flat ironing my hair a second time it might look better. No such luck! I really wanted to laugh, but simultaneously I needed to figure out what I was going to do with my hair. There was no way I would enter the ball looking like a troll struck by lightning! By the time 7:00 p.m. rolled around I decided to go with something that might display elegance. I pulled out my brush, a large jar of soft gel, a hair tie, and began to slick my hair back like my life depended on it. I tossed the back of my hair into a quick bun and that was a wrap. I hurriedly got the rest of my accessories together, put on my shoes, and sped out the door. 

All the vehicles were already at the venue. I was now over an hour late and the ball was scheduled to start in thirty minutes. One thing I hate is being late. I couldn’t believe this was happening, but I knew at the same time I would just laugh at it later, which I did! I made it to the venue with just enough time help the Marines put the finishing touches on the room and mingle with guests. The first thing Douglas said when he laid eyes on me was, “Wow, you look beautiful!” I thought to myself, “If only you knew what it took for me to put this together.” 

The event was held on November 9, 2012 at a hotel in downtown Algiers. It was a gorgeous venue, fitting for such a formal event. Apparently it was also one of the best locations and balls that has been held at this post in years. That was a huge compliment to Douglas and his Marines. There were over 200 people in attendance, including several people from the many different embassies and companies in Algiers. It was one of the most diverse groups I’ve ever been around. The Marines did an excellent job executing the ceremony, with just a few hiccups regarding the DJ playing specific tunes at the appropriate time. It proved there is absolutely nothing like having your fellow Marines from the band play at your ball. They never miss a cue, at least not one that is noticeable to anyone else. I danced until my feet hurt and my dress felt like it was about to pop. If men only knew the amount of discomfort we women go through for a dress to look perfect! For Marines it must be nice to wear the same comfortable uniform every year for their birthday ball. Overall, everyone had a blast! It was a successful and quite memorable event. Douglas and the Marines could hold their heads high for a job well done.

Douglas and Ambassador Henry Ensher

Douglas introducing Guest of Honor

Cake Cutting Ceremony

Passing first slice from oldest Marine to youngest Marine

MSG Driver "New York"

Large Sheet Cake

All service members in uniform present

Douglas with former Marines

Presidential Election 2012

I have always been in the United States on Election Day. However, this time I was in North Africa. I don’t know that I missed the great intensity from individuals that strongly support their political party. Many people become rude, inconsiderate and disrespectful to those who speak against their political beliefs. Some of the arguments are very informative, but much of it is done so distastefully it becomes hard to pick up any good points .

Thanks to AFN (American Forces Network) and YouTube, I was able to watch all of the debates. Oddly enough, there were several Algerians that also watched the debates and followed along with the campaigns. Most of them were very strong supporters of President Obama. I’m not just saying that because I am too.

Over the past several years, U.S. Embassies all across the world throw a large bash to celebrate the election. This would give Americans the opportunity to watch the election live as it was happening in the United States. Since Algiers is 6 to 9 hours ahead of the United States, we were due to be awake for a very long time on election night.

The party began at 11:00 p.m. Tuesday, November 6^th. Douglas and I assumed it was a casual party for the Americans. To our surprise, the party was for Americans as well as our neighboring embassies. Also, it was far from casual. We found that out after arriving in our comfortable sneakers, jeans and casual sweaters. Thankfully, we live very close to the embassy so it was not a problem to return home and change clothes. Everyone was dressed in semi-formal attire. The normal embassy was turned into what resembled an upscale night club. They brought in white sofas and chairs, tables, and set up several TV’s throughout the main lobby, all on different stations. To top it off, the event was catered and fully staffed. They served appetizers, dinner, and a full bar was readily available. The event was posh!

We had a wonderful time celebrating with fellow Americans and individuals from other embassies. Douglas and I called it a night around 2:30 a.m. We had no intention of going home and falling asleep, but we did intend on going home and getting comfortable on our sofa - and that we did until 8:00 a.m. when it was all over.

Congratulations to our re-elected President Barack Obama and his entire family. Although this was my first time living overseas for a presidential election, I am so grateful to be a proud American living overseas. It was a great campaign, a wonderful night, an outstanding win, and a superb victory speech. "Yes we can" do anything in our great land of opportunity. This was 100% worth staying up the whole night to watch live. God Bless America and four more years.

Secretary of State in Algiers

On October 29, we got the priviledge of meeting Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Along with the Ambassador and Deputy Chief of Mission, Douglas had the honor of greeting her at the entrance of the embassy. Douglas then introduced Secretary Clinton to his entire detachment of Marines.

I too had the pleasure of shaking hands with Secretary Clinton. Douglas informed her that I was his wife and she kindly said, "Well then we must get a picture." I happily obliged. That was a memorable moment I shall treasure forever. Such an honor!