This year, our kids came to visit the 1st week of December, so again we were on our own for Thanksgiving, which is probably my favorite holiday. Last year, we tried going out, but that wasn’t much fun. So this year I decided to cook, and so we invited some friends for Thanksgiving dinner. We also spent a wonderful day on Isla Mujeres with friends.
Invitations for Thanksgiving
We decided to invite our Canadian friends who live nearby, and our Italian chef friend and his wife. Nothing like a little pressure, inviting a wonderful cook to your house for dinner.
In previous years, I have failed with some of my traditional dishes because the ingredients were just not available, and the substitutions didn’t work. This year, I made sure to get what I needed while we were in the US in October. Some of the ingredients are easy to come by in Playa, like whole turkey, and others I stash in my freezer. One year I brought back fresh cranberries from the US, but we have since been able to find them in town occasionally. When we do, I buy a few bags and freeze them (for cranberry emergencies).
The Menu
This year, I made many of the dishes that I usually make. We start with my sweet and spicy pecans. They go so well with champagne. I also decided to make a baked brie with caramelized onions. Our chef friend brought some homemade sourdough bread to go with the brie.
For dinner, we had roast turkey, which came out good this year. We also had my personal dressing. I make it every year by combining several recipes I have used for years. This year, it came out just right. I also make a wine-based fresh cranberry sauce, another one of my specialties. Even though I continue to try other cranberry sauce recipes, I always come back to this one. The gravy wasn’t my usual, but it turned out ok. I think there was a vegetable too. I wanted Brussels sprouts, but I think we had asparagus. Again, availability is an issue.
I decided to buy a pumpkin pie for dessert, and I made fresh whipped cream. I did learn something important: I’ve been having issues getting the cream to thicken properly, and our friend the chef told me it was because the heavy cream we get in Mexico doesn’t have enough fat. Who knew? I thought I was just out of practice.
It made us really happy to be able to show our friends a traditional American Thanksgiving dinner. Not a big surprise for the Canadians because they do a similar thing a month earlier. I did get lots of compliments on the food and the company, so I would consider dinner a success.
Friends-giving on Short Notice
After we had invited our friends for dinner, we were invited to a Thanksgiving dinner potluck called Friendsgiving. Because I was cooking, I couldn’t go, but Mike went at about 4 in the afternoon. Our dinner was planned for later. Our Playa friends had rented out a local beach club and arranged the potluck.
It seemed to Mike that there were quite a few locals who were looking for something more than an overpriced dinner. They wanted social engagement too. The concept was so successful that the organizers decided to do it again for Christmas.
Visiting Friends and Isla Mujeres
Some good friends of ours in the Bay Area recently bought a condo north of Cancun. They were visiting during November and invited us to come visit for a few nights. They are still busy getting their place in order but the condo is in an up and coming area called Costa Mujeres because it faces Isla Mujeres. The last time they visited, I mentioned that we hadn’t been to Isla Mujeres and would love to go.
The day we got there we decided to check out old town Cancun. After wandering around for a bit among the shops we left and headed to a very nice restaurant in the hotel zone in Cancun. The restaurant is called Tora and the Asian Fusion food was excellent.
The Ferry Ride
I think I have mentioned that boats and I haven’t been getting along too well. Fortunately, I got some prescription patches from my doctor in October, so I figured it was a good time to try them out. I put on a whole patch, and away we went. The ferry terminal is quite close to our friends’ condo, so it took no time to get to the ferry. The ferry ride is also shorter than the trip from Playa to Cozumel, which is also a good thing. The patch seemed to work, which made me very happy. Next time I’ll try 1/2 a patch because I noticed the whole one made me a little sleepy.
Renting a Golf Cart and Touring the Island
Once we got to Isla Mujeres, we walked across the street to pick up the golf cart our friends had reserved. I had done some investigating about things to do on the island, which included Mayan ruins and a few bars.
Mayan Ruins
Our first stop was the ruins at Punta Sur on the southern coast of the island. In the park, there was a beautiful little white lighthouse and a walkway through the ruins. One of the most interesting things was the larger-than-life statues of the Mayans in their daily lives. Also in the park is a plaque marking the easternmost point in Mexico. If you’ve been following us for a while, you know that we get a kick out of visiting the northernmost, southernmost, easternmost, or westernmost point of a country or a continent. We get a chuckle out of it every time.
Stopping for Refreshments
The next stop was a bar that says they have the best frozen mojito anywhere. So, of course, we ordered some mojitos and snacks. I’m not sure if I agree with the mojito assessment, but the food was good, and there was a nice band playing.
After the mojitos, we drove up the east side of the island, heading back to the main part of town. We saw some nice houses and more unusual sculptures. But we weren’t done yet; we had to have some beach time at the famous North Beach. We visited it from the sea on our whale shark tour but we figured we would check out the view from the beach side.
Finally, it was time to return the golf cart and get on the ferry to Cancun. The ride was blessedly uneventful. Then dinner on the beach in Cancun. A good day.
What would you want to do on Thanksgiving if your family isn’t around?
