Tis the Season...

To be eatin'! Fortunately those of us living in the U.S. and, more than likely, Canada are not like most of the rest of the world. We work to play for the most part. The rest of the world works to eat, to quote a farmer I know. We are now entering into the largest consumption season on our calendar. We begin the foodfest with Thanksgiving in Cananda then Halloween and then move quickly on to Thanksgiving in the U.S. Followed up closely by Christmas and finishing off with New Year's Eve. The next day we vow to lose a few until, of course, Valentine's Day rolls around.

Most of us are beginning to look forward to that Thanksgiving meal. Meal planning can include your home made dinner or a favorite restaurant meal that has become a family tradition. A few questions prevail:

Turkey: Yes or no? White or dark? Vegetarian?
Stuffing: Yes or no? Corn bread, sgae, or fruited?
Vegetables: Green Bean casserole? Crudite plate? Corn? On the cob?
What must be included on the crudite platter if you have one?
Potatoes: Mashed with butter and cream, baked, mashed with garlic, none at all?
Sweet Potatoes or Yams? Baked and served with syrup and butter or brown sugar; Baked in a dish with sugar and marshmallow?
Gravy: packaged or from the drippings with giblets?
Jello: Cherry or raspberry with bananas and cherries, green with carrots?
Pistachio fluff?
Cranberry sauce: Jellied or crushed berries in jelatin?
Pickels: Dill or Sweet?
Olives: Black or green?
Breads: Rolls, nice and yeasty or store bought heat and serve? Croissants?
Rutabegas?
Turnips, with or without greens?
Desserts: Pies only? Pumpkin, Apple, Chocolate Cream?
Cakes too? Chocolate or Carrot Cake?

I have relatives who will not eat turkey. They opt for Italian on Thanksgiving. Should anything but Turkey be banned from the meal? What else is present at the table that speaks of home?

Most importantly, the meal is an exercise in Thanksgiving and gratitude. How is gratitude shown at your table or in your home throughout these holidays? Is there something specific you do to show your gratitude? And how it best expressed?

Okay, I've started you off. Let's get a real discussion going here and see if we can inspire each other in different ways to begin this season in the right spirit.

I must give pictorial credits to Eleni's Cookies in New York. If I lived there they would definitely be present at the celebration. Hmmm. I may just order some!