Thanksgiving Thoughts
"We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures." Thornton Wilder
On October 3, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed that the last Thursday in November would be officially declared Thanksgiving Day. Since then most Americans have celebrated the day with friends and family giving thanks at a traditional meal of turkey, stuffing, pumpkin pie, cranberry sauce, and mashed potatoes.
Interested in adding some variation to your feast? Try stuffed onions, grilled oysters, or vegetarian bake. For recipes for these dishes, click here. Foodservice Warehouse.com also offers many suggestions for non-traditional foods.
For a greener Thanksgiving, show your gratitude for the many ways the natural environment sustains and enriches our lives by implementing these "green" suggestionsfound at About.com:
- Shop at famers' markets
- Start a compost pile with all your leftovers
- Recycle paper, and all plastic, glass, and aluminum container
- Make your own eco-friendly decorations
Giving Back Thanksgiving is a perfect time to share our blessings with those less fortunate than we are and to spread the spirit of friendship and community. Opportunities for helping others during this season are many and can involve one individual or the entire family. Some ways to foster goodwill and embrace the idea of sharing include:
- Collecting and contributing non-perishable foodstuffs for a local food bank.
- Giving money to local agencies who feed the hungry.
- Volunteering your time to sort supplies, set up and/or clean up, or serve meals on Thanksgiving Day.
- Inviting a neighbor who lives alone to join you for dinner.
- Taking a warm plate of Thanksgiving food--and a big smile--to a shut-in.
- Contributing to holiday food collection bins in grocery stores.
- Purchasing pre-packaged boxes of food (generally under $10.00) to be distributed by local grocers.
- Checking with your local place of worship to see where your help is most needed.
"Thanksgiving, after all, is a word of action."
William Jennings Bryant