I remember my first Christmas away from home and first time I cooked. I had been overseas for 9 mos and my folks sent me two care packages with all the fixings for what was traditionally a Thanksgiving meal but for Christmas. The one box had a dry iced small turkey, peas, green beans, butter, and a pumpkin pie. The other had candied yams, potatoes, stuffing, french's onions and soup for green bean casserole, cranberries, seasonings, a browning bag, a turkey pan, a baster, stock, a meat thermometer, and recipes for each thing specifically because up until that point I had never made any of these things; they always had. All I needed to get was cream. The turkey still was too big for the oven I had, so I had to borrow the neighbor's. I invited them plus some others over for dinner that night as I had enough food for 8.

Thank goodness it actually came out as it was supposed to and didn't kill anyone either. There were still leftovers that enjoyed until New Year's. It was so nice having a touch of home in that moment being so far away and feeling so isolated. The comfort of the food and new company was just amazing, and also how food brings people together.