My 27th Thanksgiving!
As winter is quickly approaching, we’ve begun hibernating a bit to stay out of the cold. But for my birthday and the beginning of the holiday season, we made sure to celebrate with some friends.
My 27th Birthday 🎈
Luke made a delicious breakfast casserole, then he and some coworkers did a wonderful job surprising me with a decorated desk and gifts when I walked into school! Luke kept asking me what I wanted to do for my birthday and naturally, everything I could think of was food related. So that evening, our coworker Alex came over and we ate pizza and chicken wings, then we played a couple board games and drank wine. It was a perfect, low-key 27th birthday celebration.
Friday after work, Luke, Alex and I met up with another friend, Caity, to get a pajeon and makgeolli. A Korean savory vegetable pancake and Korean rice wine. The perfect pairing. Saturday, we went into Seoul to get me a birthday milkshake! I had been craving a good milkshake for a while and Caity recommended “Brooklyn The Burger Joint” and boy was she right! Luke got an Oreo milkshake, I got a Reese’s Peanut Butter milkshake, and we split some very indulgent chili cheese fries.
Once our stomachs were happy and our cravings were satisfied, we walked around a giant electronics store called Electroland before heading to our friend’s apartment for Friendsgiving! There were about eight of us and they had ALL the goods. There were chickens, green bean casserole, spaghetti, two salads, three pies, wine, sangria, and I’m sure I’m forgetting something but it was delicious! We were very appreciative that they let us barge in on their dinner! It was a great, relaxing night spent with good food and great people. We even ran into some unexpected Christmas lights on the way back home…so much to be thankful for!
Sunday, we took it easy and stayed in town. Luke and I went to check out a viewpoint inside one of Songdo’s tallest buildings - The Oakwood - but we discovered the top floor is actually a bar that opens at 6 PM. So instead, we met a friend at Triple Street for nachos and margaritas…albeit pricey, they were mighty delicious and a birthday treat! 😊
Just one of many photo zones at the top of Triple Street.
Later that week, I received a package from Luke’s parents. I opened it at work as soon as I got it and discovered tons of cute little Christmas toys and decorations! There were some spices and Ranch Dressing, as well as some cute wearables! The decorations went up immediately - they were perfect additions to our apartment in making it more festive. The spices have made all the difference. The Ranch - duh - we always appreciate. And the wearables have been worn numerous times already! Shout out to Jeanne for putting it all together and thinking of me half way across the globe! ❤️
Thanks, Jeanne! :)
My 27th Thanksgiving 🦃
Fast forward to the next week and actual Thanksgiving was upon us. With only one stove burner and a tiny toaster oven, we were lucky to have a slow cooker to help out with our meal. Before work we threw a whole chicken with veggies into the crockpot. When we got home, I made baked broccoli mac and cheese while Luke made mashed potatoes. We also found a million rolls at Costco for just 3,000 won so we couldn’t pass that up. Along with a glass of wine, everything turned out delicious! I planned on making apple crisp that evening but our bellies were more than full and we had leftovers for days so I opted to spread out the goodness and make it that weekend. I was pretty impressed with our food finds and preparation skills as it truly felt like we accomplished making a Thanksgiving meal. And for that, I’m very thankful!
