Basketball Update

This is for my uncle Jim who wants stats at the end of the week!!
We had a very successful weekend of basketball. Both Pablo's and my team won their games. This is the first game Pablo has won being a part of the team. Ha.
Pablo's game on Saturday was against a team of young kids and a team they could actually beat and they did just that- the score 65- 24.
Pablo had 17 points and a dunk! Little showboater. I believe he had 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals.
My game was a little more difficult than the boys as these girls looked like they could play but luckily for us we are better and we made our shots and they didn't!
I had 5 points and probably a lot of rebounds but Pablo didn't keep track. It was a pretty physical game and I had fun throwing elbows and listening to the other team cry about it!

Thanksgiving

I celebrated my third Thanksgiving in Spain and I have to say, in my opinion, which is the only one that matters since I'm the only American, it was an success! This year I made the executive decision to celebrate Thanksgiving on Friday instead of Thursday because now I have english classes and didn't want to cancel 5 hours worth! It turned out a to be a good decision because this way I had all day Friday to cook everything and I was so busy the week before with english classes and editing I prepared nothing for Thanksgiving before Friday and only had time to go grocery shopping. 

Pablo's parents arrived Thursday to celebrate with us and 4 of Pablo's friends also came to try out the authentic American food. Friday I felt very spanish because I was taking my time and not very stressed, which is very unlike me! I guess I didn't realize how long everything would take even though its relatively easy to cook.
Pablo left around 11am to pick up the turkey from the butcher and I entered into the kitchen around the same time and started cooking the menu:
14 lb turkey
mashed potatoes with gravy
green bean casserole
stuffing
fruit salad
cranberry sauce
apple pie
pumpkin pie
appetizers:
deviled eggs
olives
pickles
cheese

We celebrated spanish style as dinner was served at 9:30 pm. Not the best time to eat such a huge meal but when most of your guests work until 8 or so, you have to change the hours a bit! This year the turkey was cooked through and took exactly 4 hours, just as I timed out. Last year I took it out to early and had to put it back in the oven because it was raw inside. Our new meat thermometer we received as a wedding gift worked just the way I needed it to!

Pablo got the turkey

Turkey man cleaning the bird

My table

Appetizers

The guests

Turkey man carving the bird

Our "family"

When dinner was served I dished up first since the Spanish wanted to see how it was done. Putting everything on the same plate is weird to them since they usually have first course and then second course so I educated them how the Americans do it. To me, everything tasted authentic and therefore I call it a success. I had a few stressful moments and was exhausted but it was fun. Next year I'm going to start prepping days before if possible so I don't spend the whole day in the kitchen. I basically was in there from 11 am until dinner was served.

My plate showing how to do it

Jose dishing up some turkey

Pumpkin and apple pies

Doña Manolita- Spanish Lottery Mecca

Yesterday, Pablo bought Christmas lottery tickets at the famous Casa Manolita in the Gran Via. Spanish people love the lottery and buy tickets all year long but the Christmas lottery is the most famous and most popular. It is a televised event and goes on for hours. I'm still not exactly sure how it all works but I do know that Casa Manolita is the most famous place to buy your lottery tickets for Christmas because the most people have won when buying their tickets here. (Not sure they realize the fact that the more people that buy from one place the more chances are someone will win but none the less its very, very popular.) People wait in lines that stretch for blocks to buy the famous tickets. We were downtown and Pablo noticed that the line wasn't very long so he decided he must buy his family their lotto tickets. (Last year he spent an hour waiting in line).

Christmas lottery for sale

Inside the Mecca

Mrs. Manolita

Pablo buying the tickets- 20 euros a pop!

Outside and all the people waiting

The winning tickets!