New Zealand Family Celebrates THANKSGIVING For the First Time! (Never tried turkey or pumpkin pie) 

Y’all captured Thanksgiving perfectly - from the hours spent in the kitchen preparing, to the food, to the expressions of gratitude and thanks, all around the table with family and loved ones. Spot on! Happy Thanksgiving from Dallas!

Has anyone else fallen in love with this adorable family? The Happiest Thanksgiving, from California!

All from scratch. Impressive. Y'all do it better than most Americans. We are thankful for you as well. Great channel.

The fact you guys made an entire American Holiday feast from scratch with out ever having it before was amazing! Looked absolutely perfect!

Most people use canned pumpkin so I am impressed you used a fresh pumpkin. This was thrillingly delightful. I teared up.

The only thing missing is the crazy aunt, the weird uncle, niece/nephew/cousins and the feeble grandparents. The whole sharing of the spirit which you just enjoyed (thanking God for your bounty) and sharing it with extended family. On that note, thank you all sharing with your you tube family!

The turkey the next day when it becomes a sandwich is next level. I can literally imagine my grandpa's house. Happy turkey day.

I was born in America but I'm a child immigrants & did not grow up eating a lot of American foods. So when I tried pumpkin pie I had the SAME reaction! I did not think I was gonna love it as much as I did. It truly is the star of Thanksgiving for me too!

"Oh, my god! We need to tell the world!" is, in fact, an appropriate response to pumpkin pie. Well done.

Speaking as an American who cooks from scratch, I am very impressed with your research, and your cooking! I am also glad that you gave thanks to God, and I'm glad to hear that his protection has been on you.

The great thing about Thanksgiving food is you can eat each item separately or combine items. Here in the States, we tend to cook a larger than needed turkey. This is because we love left-overs! Next day turkey sandwiches, turkey casseroles, turkey soup, BBQ turkey, the same as the day before, whatever - everything is fair game and very tasty.

This is wonderful! Captured the spirit of our holiday! As an American I was at one point living abroad in Moscow, and I invited a large group of my friends and neighbors to a thanksgiving dinner. Somehow managed to find a Turkey in Russia, made some mashed potatoes with gravy, some salad, pie etc. essentially I had the whole neighborhood in my small apartment and everyone got to enjoy their first Thanksgiving. With so much hatred in the world, that thanksgiving was the most special of them all for me.

This family seems to love America more than half the people that live here. You guys are awesome!

Wow. Nicely done! So glad to see how much you all enjoyed the pumpkin pie. It is a staple in our house. And yes, there are no rules when mixing food on a Thanksgiving plate. Just give me a mixture of turkey, stuffing, and mashed potatoes all covered in gravy and I am happy.

that is so cool! I think all country should be thankful for what God has given us!

Another thing about Thanksgiving--It's very much a "family" holiday, but it's also uniquely expansive. Most people wouldn't, say, invite an acquaintance from work to spend Christmas Eve with them, but at Thanksgiving it's not at all uncommon to invite people to join you if you find out that they don't have plans of their own. I've had college professors invite students who aren't going home, and I've tagged along to the houses of my friends' families' friends because that's where they were meeting that year. You just ask, "what can I bring," show up, get to work, and enjoy. It's a marvelous holiday!

I wasn't raised in a loving home. You are all so blessed to have each other. The warmth and love you show us brings a tear to my eyes .

Sam, this is my 3rd time watching this reaction. I spent 3 yrs as a chef, so I fancy myself a foodie. I'm terminally and don't know how many of these I have left, I'm already unable to stand in the kitchen for very long. Having said that, your family's Thanksgiving and their generosity letting us see in, let's me know I can watch videos of Nadine or Atlant9a whip up something to try. Atlanta amazes me with her level of skill and her willingness to pitch in. I love that you are encouraging her to appreciate homemaking. You are blessed with a beautiful, capable wife. She is Heaven sent, bur the blessings of your smart, beautiful children was created by you and Nadine and the time and effort you guys spend, pouring out your wisdom and values to them. Hey, it's August, but it's Thanksgiving for me. BTW I understand wanting to visit Cali and Texas. Just know every state has wonderful attractions, but are much more affordable. I'm in Ohio, the rollercoaster capitol of the world, we have state and federal parks professional sports teams (BENGALS), beaches and great restaurants, the Air Force museum, which is enormous AND free! Ohio would love to have you. Big fan of your channel, John

The Thanks you all gave before feasting on that wonderful dinner is the real reason for thanksgiving. The blessings the pilgrims had to the native Indians was amazing. We also thank them for helping the early founders of our country.

This was so sweet! It really puts things into perspective as an American who can sometimes take thanksgiving for granted or get caught up in the stress of it all. It truly is an amazing holiday

What shocked me was you made a pumpkin pie from an real pumpkin. My mom has been making Thanksgiving dinner for decades and she doesn’t use a real pumpkin. She just gets the pie filling. You made sausage stuffing? You guys are awesome. 😊👍🏼 🇳🇿🇺🇸

YA, Pumpkin pie is the star of Thanksgiving, your daughter looks so proud of it too as she helped make it .

Thanksgiving is just as much about being with and thankful for your family and friends then it is about the meal. Your kids are awesome for being willing to try foods from another country and they are a direct result and mirror image of the parents who raised them, Well done guys. Alaska Paul

As a 55 year old ex-Army paratrooper I have to tell you NZ Family, you brought tears to my eyes. You did it right!!

OH wow! Here it is near Thanksgiving a year later and this popped up on my page.That is exactly how we do it in America.Spending the day as family,making dinner together then sitting and giving thanks for it.That food and the table setting is just like what you see here.Great job.Absolutely beautiful.

"People need to know. New Zealanders need to know." GREAT LINE, Nadine!

Teamwork among the family is awesome

As usual the ladies cook amazing food. It is our job to clean up afterwards and to be sure to let them know how much we absolutely loved it, it was amazing, and they are amazing for putting in the effort for cooking. Do something special for them the day after or the week after. Their effort needs to be acknowledged and reciprocated. Do some chores!!!!

This was so fun to watch! Our family makes Vietnamese food for thanksgiving. I married into a traditional American family and we combine everything in a potluck thanksgiving. It’s all about making it your own and being grateful for the family ❤️❤️❤️

I am blessed that my husband went to culinary school and LOVES doing the cooking so he takes care of everything on the holidays!

The best part of roast turkey are the leftovers! The bigger the bird, the more leftovers to enjoy on sandwiches, soup, pot pies and creamed over toast.

I've watched a few of your videos and y'all are awesome, I'm from Tennessee and y'all nailed Thanksgiving dinner! I was glad to hear you thank God for all you have because we would not have anything without Him. Keep making great videos!

One of the most perfect things about this vid is that it landed nearly a full day before Thanksgiving in the U.S. Thankyou for reminding us crazy Americans what Thanksgiving is all about.

Thanksgiving is a national holiday in the U.S.A. Happy Thanksgiving! You guys nailed it! You are honorary Americans❣️

Y’all, Martha Stewart recipes are an undertaking because they are authentic and traditional, but never the easiest way! We Americans over here with our boxed stuffing and store-bought pie are so impressed with your dedication hahaha Your pie looked so good! Your turkey looked perfect! I could practically smell your stuffing! Your table was beautiful!

Another tradition is to give thanks for what you have

Loved it!!! In Texas we mostly make the stuffing from cornbread with sage. We use the giblets to make the gravy. Different areas of the US make it differently depending on what they prefer but it's all delicious and a very special day in the US. Thank you for becoming a part of that special day!

So impressed with how y’all pulled through. You could literally pass as an American today that’s how authentic it looked. From the turkey to the stuffing, pumpkin pie, all of it. Shoutout to the ladies for their labor of love in the kitchen. Seriously, I thought I was watching an American family prepare this for a minute. Glad y’all enjoyed everything. Happy Thanksgiving!

Yum! This made me hungry for a thanksgiving dinner lol. Next year y’all should definitely do green bean casserole, deviled eggs and sweet potato casserole. Blessings from Colorado 💗💗

Wow, you did it all from scratch, too. Kudos to the girls for all their hard work! So glad you enjoyed the food. My favorite is sausage stuffing and mince pie. I will be alone tomorrow, since I lost my brother to Covid back at the beginning of the year, and my husband passed away ten years ago. But I'm not sad about the holiday. I've so many good memories. And I really felt part of your celebration today. Thank you! I've been enjoying your videos very much. It is so lovely to have you as family. God bless you.

This is embarrassing but I was literally in tears watching you prepare all of our dishes and enjoy them so much. I'm glad you're going to do it every year and invite friends

I officially love you guys now. I live about 20 minutes from the town of Plymouth Massachusetts where the pilgrims landed . To see you all enjoy something so wonderful that is such an important part of our lives living so close to the original place where Thanksgiving took place

I’m a turkatarian, great job all of you!

As an American, I am touched and proud of your amazing family for embracing Thanksgiving. Y'all did an incredible job making the meal. God bless!!!

You set a lovely Thanksgiving table. As someone who has cooked a 17lbs Turkey with all the trimmings, I am truly impressed with the meal. Many families start preparing the night before, and serve the meal around 2 or 3. There are no rules to how you eat everything, and you will be eating Turkey for a few days. Boiling down the carcass will make a great soup stock. Tryptophan from the Turkey will make you sleepy, and Pecan Pie is a Must make, it's one of my specialties. Thank you for sharing this with us. Great Job. BTW Take left over stuffing, Turkey, Cranberry sauce and Gravy, and make a leftovers Sandwich.

It's almost that time of year! Having mass friends over is the reason for thanksgiving. It's your friends and family you are most thankful for.

Thanksgiving cooking is a 2-day cooking extravaganza. Pies the night before. In addition to turkey and all the normal staples, we also make kugalis which is an ethnic dish passed through our family over generations. Kugalis takes several hours of preparation and cooking.

Honestly props to y’all for doing everything from scratch! Here in the US they make a lot of products to take shortcuts for making your thanksgiving meal. Such as pumpkin stuff, some people buy pre-made turkeys etc. so you truly went all out in true American style. Love the vid, really enjoyed it

As an American that's used to hearing Americans complain about America, it's so fascinating to see your guys' fascination with and appreciation of America. I'm definitely thankful I live here. Now I want to learn more about New Zealand traditions. I've wanted to visit there since the first LOTR movie came out lol. Also, you guys nailed it. That looked better than any Thanksgiving dinner I've ever done.

Day two with Turkey sandwiches. one way is open face, bread butter, turkey, Stuffing and gravy poured on top. this is why we make so much extra gravy. 2nd way is bread, thinly sliced onion, stuffing, lettuce and mayo (I prefer Miracle Whip) slathered on both sides, then salt and pepper. In my family, we looked forward to the sandwiches next day almost as much as the dinner itself. On the third day, I take all the leftover turkey, pick the carcass clean, put the meat aside and boil, for at least an hour, the fat, cartilage, bones and other pieces in water just up to the tallest thing in the pot. Mix the meat, leftover veggies, gravy, stuffing, add new cooked veggies, cooked cubed potatoes together, add the stock you just boiled, add in a little more seasoning. mix together, and simmer for a half hour. Freeze it away, and in a month or so, after everyone has forgotten, you can serve for dinner Thanksgiving Stew! you will be a hero for this!. Like making BBQ hotdogs and hamburgers in the dead of winter!

Another great thing about this, is that y'all made it yourselves and now can do it whenever you want

Your sweet daughter is eating Thanksgiving the correct way, not much talking just a lot of eating!! Love your family!❤️ 🦃

Fun fact: When stuffing is not stuffed into a bird it's called dressing.

If I were living in NZ. I would be honored to be invited to your house for Thanksgiving Dinner. Well done my American family.

My son (7) and I just found y’all’s page and we love watching you guys! Such a wholesome family and we just have so much fun watching your videos together! I’m so happy I found your family on here! I’m so glad y’all love the thanksgiving food. It was so cool seeing the reactions to something we have every year and don’t really think twice about, as it’s just tradition for us.. it’s so crazy to think about the different foods that y’all have and we don’t, and vise versa! Definitely show your friends and see how they react, I hope they love it just as much! God bless you all. Love from Texas💕

I just have to say, because I have had to watch this more than once because it's so cute - I personally have never see anybody (and I'm a baker) actually bake the pumpkin - clean it out and make a pumpkin pie. Here in the U.S. apparently we are quite spoiled - all we do is buy a can of Libby's Pumpkin Pie. Pure pumpkin already all cleaned and blended with only a few spices to add. But it's important to add, that from Halloween thru New Year's Day - anything pumpkin is always on the menu. From ice cream, cookies, brownies - you name it - we love our pumpkin here in the states. ♥ You guys would love pumpkin brownies. :) And pumpkin ice cream is amazing.

You did a fabulous job and I am both a cook and an American. You did such a good job it literally made me feel so proud a tear came to my eye! Bravo, bravo, bravo!

3:19 No, shout out to YOU guys!! I started this video assuming you have had turkey before! I also figured you would be making pumpkin pie from canned pumpkin. I’m guessing you don’t have canned pumpkin in NZ, so you have to make it from scratch, (and hunt down all of the other food and ingredients)!! We can purchase everything for Thanksgiving already prepped here in The States, although there are people who like to cook from scratch. At least we can buy whatever we need at any grocery store!!! I appreciate the hard work and time you put in to this video, and all of your videos, as a matter of fact!! I thought this would be more like a video where you would be just trying the food, not doing the whole thing!! I can’t wait to see how you enjoy the food!!! ✌🏼💚🦃

Thanks giving should be celebrated EVERYWHERE just like this… let people know what you are thankful for. Share love and great food through the world

I love your family. I loved this video. You table presentation was spot on. I am 67 and having a new family so far away is something I never imagined. . The joy I feel is difficult to express.

👏👏👏 Round of applause to Mom and daughter for making the whole meal from scratch! You have bragging rights over many Americans (many order in catered food or use convenience foods) - and it looked amazing! 👏👏👏

I love this family and their channel has grown so much! Love this 🫶🇵🇷🇺🇸 God bless 🙌

It is our custom before we eat our Thanksgiving meal to hold hands and to have one of the family members voice the prayer of thanksgiving and gratitude for our many blessings we have received and for the wonderful meal that we are about to eat. As the words of the Doxology declares, "Praise God from whom all blessings flow." God bless this dear family and all the very special people of New Zealand.

The nap was hilarious! A classic Thanksgiving experience.

Wow! a pumpkin from scratch! Ya know most Americans buy canned pumpkin and still call it scratch. 😂

Your family would make very good Americans. It’s good to see the love you have for America and things American.

Give Thanks for all that God provides for us!

Your family is so amazing and loving! Daughter is a miniature Mom, and Son is a miniature of Dad! I'm pleased to see you made a traditional Thanksgiving that is authentic. Usually here, families come together at one house with everybody bringing a favorite dish to add to the table. You may get a lot out of your extensive American family...but I doubt you realize how much you touch our hearts as well! Happy Thanksgiving, and may God Bless you all, and keep you in the palm of His hand!

That was a perfectly executed Americanized Thanksgiving dinner. Later on this evening we usually have a cold turkey sandwich with mayo, salt and pepper. Pumpkin pie is a must at Thanksgiving. You guys rock.

Kudos to doing everything from scratch. In the US, we typically make things like the pie, mashed potatoes, and vegetables the day before and just warm them up. Makes the day a little less stressful.

There are delicious ways to use the leftovers! You can make a turkey sandwich with cranberry, stuffing, and potatoes. I recommend toasting the bread or dinner roll used for the sandwich. Whatever tickles your fancy. In my family, we cover the top of the turkey with bacon to add flavor and help keep the turkey moist. So that of course makes it on my sandwich. My favorite leftover turkey day leftover creation is soup! Take the turkey, gravy, potatoes, and some chicken stock. You can add the green beans too. Sometime I add a bit of poultry seasoning. It’s always fun to experiment with this creamy soup. One years we added the leftover wild rice and nearly died of happiness. Love your channel! Love from N. Dakota! Fun fact: Dakota is a Sioux word for “friend” or “ally”.

I'm shocked Turkeys are so scarce in NZ! I just assumed they were prevalent worldwide haha! Fun fact, Benjamin Franklin actually wanted the Turkey to be the national bird of America rather than the Bald Eagle! I'm so glad you all enjoyed the meal and I hope you share the recipes with your friends! Happy Thanksgiving from Pennsylvania!

You ladies did a fantastic job. I'm humbled by your kindness and warm embrace of our culture.

Hello guys, The pie looked great. Canadians also have a similar feast for their thanksgiving which is in October. I have a general tip for all the meat dishes you may prepare. Julia Child (american chef who studied in france 1912-2004, She was one of the first to introduce a very young Martha Stewart on TV), Julia recommends marinating one's meat dishes to impart flavor. you either put a dry salt pepper herb and spice rub , or a wet marinade of wine (or beer etc) spices onions garlic and herbs. you can leave it a few hours or up to 5 days...the longer the further into the meat the flavors penetrate. It's great for beef, Pork, Lamb, and all birds. to cut down on cooking time you can also debone the bird. It cuts the time in half and the stuffing touches the breast meat directly, no drying out. The upsidedown tip is what I always do now with roasting fowl. It all looks yummy When I eat a big feast like this I make varying bites, mixing and matching. you'll have lots of leftover turkey for sandwiches with the rolls (hot turkey with gravy on rolls and with a bit of stuffing is the bomb)...and then the bones make a great stock for turkey soup. Space out your turkey consumption ...One turkey for 4 people will dominate a month for at least HALF the time. You can freeze it as you would cooked chicken. We have turkey every other month. There's also pumpkin bread (like banana bread) and cookies. cooked pumpkin wrapped well freezes perfectly.. There are also pumpkin soup and savory pumpkin dishes.

Your family is lovely! It's all about giving thanks to God! May God bless your family.

One of my favorite Thanksgiving foods isn't actually served on Thanksgiving... It's hot turkey sandwiches made with the leftovers! I'm sure there are fancier variations, but we just warm up some of the leftover turkey, put it between two slices of white bread and pour reheated gravy over the whole thing. Obviously with all the gravy, you can't pick it up like a normal sandwich, so you have to cut it up and use a fork. It's so good!

So cute! From a Texan -- baked mac and cheese & deviled eggs would have definitely been on the table. Thank y'all for trying some of our cuisine to celebrate one of our holidays. GOD BLESS!

We have Christmas Ham and Turkey. The men go hunting early in the day & bring the bird and rabbit , home to cook & eat. A major tradition. It gives young folks the retaliation where their meal comes from. More girls are included in this every year.

Amazing. My mom made everything from scratch. Now a days it's not the same thanksgiving. Boxed potatoes, Jared gravy, boxed stuffing, canned cranberries, store bought rolls, store made pies. And even store bought cooked whole turkeys. Thumbs up to you guys. Not every American. Sorry to the traditional Americans. Just stating a fact.

NOT GONNA LIE, I CRIED A LITTLE AS YOU ALL SAID WHAT YOU WERE THANKFUL FOR. I KNEW YOU GUYS WERE BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN GOD!

WOW I am impressed with how everything turned out, luckily it only happens once a year with all the work and effort, you made an amazing effort. Enjoy your Thanksgiving!

You need to add the pecan pie to the mix guys ... do it next year. Keep doing thanksgiving as a tradition because we are always have things to be thankful for.

We used to have Thanksgiving every year at my Great Grandmother’s house. There would be so many family members there that we’d have three separate seatings with people in the kitchen constantly refilling the dishes. The children ate in the kitchen at the “kiddie table.” Turkey, gravy, dressing/stuffing, cranberry sauce (homemade with whole berries simmered in orange juice and orange zest), mashed/whipped potatoes, bread rolls with real butter, sweet potatoes cooked with marshmallow, a few hot vegetables…green beans or peas & carrots, cauliflower with white sauce or broccoli with cheese sauce. So many deserts-pumpkin pie, pecan pie, chocolate cream pie, and several coffee cakes. We were used to bread stuffing but in the South they like the cornbread stuffing, of which I’m not a fan. I don’t think Martha Stewart sausage dressing is considered as traditional. Ours used chicken broth and poultry seasoning. I do not like green bean casserole.

These are such nice people. Every time I watch one of these videos they give me an uplifting, good feeling. Thank you for being you New Zealand family!

I'm sitting here watching with a big smile, seeing you all enjoying a feast as a family. I had said this earlier today, food and music bring people together. And when we share foods from different parts of our country or the world, we sometimes find we have a love of the very same thing. Cheers from America.

Pumpkin and pecan pies are my absolute favorite in the colder seasons! Green bean casserole is my favorite side, and candied yams/sweet potato are simply decadent! Well done on your first Thanksgiving. We do need more inter-cultural sharing of favorite things!

The thing about thanksgiving is the giving everyone brings over their fav dishes and we all share.

Amazing how you did everything from scratch and came out so well for your first time. Your family is adorable. Next year don’t forget to invite the whole extended family and friends! That’s the spirit of Thanksgiving 🧡🦃 P.S I LOVE pumpkin pie too 😂 I will never get enough of it.

Just started the episode, and immediately, I want to say how incredibly touching it is that you are celebrating one of our holidays, which truthfully could, and should, be celebrated by any person across the globe, because despite the Thanksgiving stories about Pilgrims and Indians, it's really just a day of being grateful for all the good in your life, and you can celebrate that as a family, with friends, or even by yourself, and you can eat whatever foods you prefer because it's about being thankful, not a turkey.

Your holiday spread is beautiful! I am watching this after Christmas but the Thanksgiving flavors are fresh in my taste buds and mind! This is the most time spent on any meal preparation in America but doing it with your family is fun! Sir, you truly are the richest man in the world! Blessings...

As an American thank you 🥰 I never really thought we have a “culture” I always thought our traditions were so boring compared to the rest of the world, your videos make me appreciate it more. ❤️

EVERYONE needs a day to stop and reflect and give thanks for our bounty, our family, and our good friends. Good for you!

Texan here. First, I absolutely LOVE that you made a full Thanksgiving meal. I'm incredibly touched that you went through the effort to understand one of our biggest holiday's, it's not an easy meal to make and can be incredibly daunting your first time. I commend you greatly and you looked like you had been doing it forever. Great Job! I am also HIGHLY impressed with your daughter. I can't simply say she "helped", because she did as much work as mom. I have a 12 year old daughter, and she's just learned how to make grilled cheese. She is still too scared to even touch a knife, much less doing half of the cooking and prep for me. I feel like I want to show her this, and then say "now why can't you do that?" *laughs*. Second, you kept asking how we are "supposed" to eat things, like the stuffing with the turkey, turkey with the cranberry sauce, bread roll with the mashed potatoes.....and I was like what? People do that??? I have always eaten each side by itself, and have never given thought to how other people eat it. I mean, everyone eats it their own way, there is no right or wrong way to eat your turkey and side dishes. Having said that, learning how others have told you they eat it, I actually plan on trying some of these methods this upcoming Thanksgiving. Your family might have just taught this 40 year old American a new way to enjoy my Thanksgiving meal! As a side note, here in the south, no turkey day meal is complete without Sweet Potato Casserole, Green Bean Casserole, and Pecan Pie. We tend to have both Pumpkin and Pecan Pie, with a dollop of whipped cream on top!

Never seen a pumpkin pie made like that. The definition of "From Scratch." You're amazing!

The men mostly stood around and sat Idle by, while the Womens folk did most of the work! ....This Truly WAS an American Thanksgiving!

Wow! You made me cry! You’ve absolutely captured the spirit and essence of Thanksgiving. You are a wonderfully amazing family. I can’t wait to watch your Thanksgiving video for this year.

First of all...you NAILED it! You really made a feast that looks just like the way we do it in the USA. Second - This entire effort is a massive act of respect and friendship towards Americans. Thank you very much for honoring us this way.

Best part of the video... Denz says "Can this be every night?"

I love your videos. As a mom of 6 and grandmother of over 20, your videos help me smile now that all my kids are grown. Most families do potluck Thanksgiving dinner. One member of each family brings a food dish and a dessert or drink. And we start cooking the night before.

The love and support you all have as a family in these times gives me hope in the human race! I can say that pumpkin pie, sweet potato pie, mincemeat pie (Not what you call Mince) Pecan pie, coconut cream pie and others were found around my childhood home and we had turkey, duck, pheasant, wild boar, venison and all the fixens! Thank you for your first time reactions to Thanksgiving!