Watching the Macy’s Day Parade. Gearing up for Black Friday shopping. And gorging on too much turkey and pumpkin pie.

With these descriptors, you automatically know Thanksgiving is being referenced. However if you said these phrases to someone Down Under, then they wouldn’t have a clue which holiday was being illustrated. Our Marketing and Communications Manager Eleanor, pictured right, certainly found this to be true last week.

Eleanor gives us some insight into hosting her first Thanksgiving feast Down Under:

As I started my Thanksgiving dinner preparations, I quickly became disenchanted with hosting it Down Under. The 88 degrees Fahrenheit summer heat in Brisbane meant no fall sweater dress could be donned. Plus, none of the grocery store clerks even knew what I meant when I asked for pumpkin puree, fresh cranberries and corn meal.

In my never-ending search for pumpkin puree, I was almost ready to give in and commit the three or more hours necessary to make my own. But at last, I found it at Rosalie Gourmet Market. And do you dare take a guess at the cost of a mere 540 gram (19 ounces) can of pumpkin puree?

That key ingredient needed for my pumpkin cupcakes cost a whopping AUD$15.20! Given they’re the only place I know that sells in it Brisbane, I suppose they can charge whatever they want and Americans here, including me, will buy it.

With my pumpkin puree in hand, I could focus my time on other dishes and decorating.

Luckily, I had expected some difficulty in locating my decorative items for a festive table. So, on my last trip Stateside, I purchased Thanksgiving decor of a table runner, cupcake liners and turkey-emblazoned napkins, pictured left.

The feast turned out well with a menu of honey-baked ham, dressing, sweet potato casserole, squash casserole, green bean casserole and pumpkin cupcakes with orange cream cheese frosting.

Regardless of the struggles in locating my ingredients, the best part was having a table full of Aussie friends enjoying the American holiday with me. With all their ravings over the delectable taste of everything, I’ll happily go through the ordeal of buying my ingredients again next year, $15.20 pumpkin puree included.

News Brief: Fiji field guide instrumental in Fiji Shark Sanctuary Campaign
What Next: Embassy of Australia needs marketing intern