Weekend of Food, Family, and Fall Weather

Hey everyone!

I hope everyone is enjoying this chilly Thanksgiving weekend!

I only had one class on Wednesday, and came home to finish up my bio lab report and help my mom prep for Hanukkah/Thanksgiving dinner.

We had Hanukkah dinner Wednesday night. Here is a photo of Richard looking adorable with the menorah and some delicious pastries.

We had yellow rice (topped with hard boiled eggs) and chicken.

I always admire my mom around the holidays. She puts so much effort into creating awesome food for the family. We ended up making three different salads for Thanksgiving. (Actually, four. The fourth one is a tomato and cucumber salad which is not pictured):

We also had half a turkey (a whole turkey is just too much for 4 people :p), levangee (an awesome Azeri walnut paste), rice with chicken, french fries, pickled vegetables, and zebra cake (basically, marble cake). As you can see, we didn't have a traditional "American" Thanksgiving. (I actually had a traditional Thanksgiving dinner  Monday night at Hunter. USG provided a free dinner for us. I came home super stuffed.) We kind of do a blend of Azeri, Russian, and American. That's one of the reasons that I love Thanksgiving. There are no rules. Each family is welcome to cook whatever makes them happy. We also ended up having Thanksgiving dinner at 2 PM because my dad had to work last night. We had a great time. It just goes to show that the specific details don't matter as much as enjoying some great food with your family.

Today is Black Friday, and there was a crazy amount of people at the stores. Not that I would know. I hardly ever go shopping on Black Friday. I can't make smart consumer decisions when everyone is on top of each other and products (especially clothes) are strewn everywhere. haha. I know everyone loves a great deal, but as a society, we are too obsessed  with just having things. I think it's a lot more fun to use this weekend to spend time with family. Watch TV, catch a movie, or go out to eat. There are a million options besides spending your day in a store. We have the entire month of December to shop so just enjoy this last mini-vacation before the new year.

One last thing. The AMA's were last weekend, and one of my favorite parts was watching Imagine Dragons sing two songs. The drumming was awesome! Enjoy. :)

Poem of the Week

A Warmth Known Only to Me

I see a tundra filled with sparkling white.
I squint my eyes at it's dazzling allure.
And I wonder if it would be alright
If I were to hope to see it once more.

It is snow that causes swells in her chest
And her smile is what always stirs mine.
A flower at worst, an angel at best,
She stands, warm in winter, frozen in time.

Maybe one day I could summon the strength
To confess to her in the Winter heat
That one day we could, together, at length
Enjoy long moments where our eyes would meet.

And should I gaze upon her face again,
I would hope to feel snow upon my skin.

~ William Blake Beckett