A Taste of America

Thanksgiving is coming, and for an American living in Madrid, that means one thing- time to start searching for canned pumpkin and marshmallows! There are not many stores that carry items you’ll need to make a traditional Thanksgiving meal, but with a little creativity- and the help of an expensive American store we found last November- you can have an enjoyable, turkey-less Thanksgiving away from home. This year we plan to get two chickens (cheaper and easier to find then turkey) and make green been casserole, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie and sweet potatoes!

This year’s trip to Taste of America left me just as amused as it did the year before. There is such a variety of over-the-top “American” things that I may or may not have ever seen in the US. But for the products I do recognize, I’m reminded of the things that are commonplace back home but that I’ve gotten used to living here without- things such as salad dressings, boxed cake mix, and pretzels. Everything was also ridiculously overpriced so I wasn’t tempted to buy anything but the Thanksgiving essentials. This was fine with me, as I have the rest of my life to eat those things. It was still a fun experience!

Huh? Cheese Zip?

Here’s a list I compiled of some of the items they carry in the store. Some of them are interesting because they’re not commonplace here in Spain. Others are so odd or overpriced I had to include them!

Hershey’s Chocolate Syrup  4,95 €

Raisins, 2 oz box  3 €

Duncan’s Vanilla Cake mix 5,35 €

Cambell’s Tomato Soup 2,30 €

Snyder’s Peanut Butter Pretzels (8 oz bag) 5,35 €

Muffin tin 20 €  (baking is not really a big thing here in Spain)

Donut pan (to bake donuts- have you ever heard of that?)

Brownie pan (I didn’t know you needed a special pan for brownies!)

Corn tortillas! (Not the Spanish egg omellette, which they call “tortillas” here)

Apple Pie-flavored bubble gum?!

Jone’s Bubble gum soda

Giant marshmallows (“Bonfire-sized!”) 3 €

    

Eazee Squeese Cheddar  Cheese Sauce 2,95 €

Mini Rocky Mountain Marshmallows 1,85 €