Thanksgiving Lull and Leftovers Jump Start the Christmas Season

It’s the day after Thanksgiving and all through the house not a person is cooking, not even a roast. Leftovers abound from yesterday’s feast. Stuffing and gravy, crackers and cheese. It’s that time of year where much of America is enjoying the leftover lull of the day after Thanksgiving and filling the stores for the biggest shopping day of the year. No cooking is going on in my house today, by anyone. There are plenty of things left to reheat or just enjoy straight from the fridge.

Of course now that Thanksgiving is behind us the Christmas season starts into full swing. (I am so glad I wasn’t anywhere near a store today to deal with the crowds and people. It was enough just to see the clips of people shopping at 5am this morning trying to scope out the best deals.) Christmas decorations will start to be pulled this week and I have started menu planning for our Christmas Eve Gathering as well as Christmas dinner . We always have friends and family over Christmas Eve for an Open House type deal with an appetizer type spread. It’s nice to just sit back and spend time with each other the night before the big day. My grandparents come over, a friend sating back to elementary school and her husband and kids, as well as other assorted family and friends. Bring on the Christmas season. (Just keep me away from the crowded malls with screaming kids and determined bargain hunters.)

Here’s to hoping the season is grand. Cheers!

Check me out here: http://www.VegSpace.com/greenapple

In the words of Alex Poulos: "I will not eat anything that walks, runs, skips, hops or crawls. God knows that I've crawled on occasion, and I'm glad that no one ate me."

Just A Couple More Days Before Thanksgiving

Overall it has been just another day in just another week of my life. I’m keeping a somewhat busy schedule and am glad to be over the bug that seemed to be going around. (I usually bounce back pretty well.) With keep erratic hours at the theater I am glad to have leftovers frozen from past dinners (potato and mushroom casserole, vegetable lasagna, and black beans and rice). I went out to lunch at this local Italian restaurant for dinner with my family today and had this lovely pesto pizza and a nice green salad. It was even sprinkled with pine nuts to add a nice little texture to the mix. I love finding and trying new things at local restaurants that end up just making me smile. I may enjoy a nice salad (and especially a nice vinaigrette on it), but I need more adventure than just salad in my diet. I do enjoy food… preparing it, eating it, and sharing it.

I got the grocery things needed for Thanksgiving and started discussions about the food for Christmas Eve (we always have a Christmas Eve thing with finger food and lots of people). We have definitely entered that busy season of family, food, and holiday cheer. For me, it means meal planning not just for myself and others like me but helping prepare food that will appease both vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike. Oh, the excitement that is upon is.

Hope ya’all are staying healthy, happy, and warm.

As a pre-holiday extra check out this link for more vegetarian information, recipes, and commentary: http://talkingvegetables.tripod.com/

From Robert Hutchinson, in his address to the British Medical Association, 1930: "Vegetarianism is harmless enough though it is apt to fill a man with wind and self-righteousness."

Just a Video

Thanksgiving Thoughts. (I spent much of my day at the theater with set and costume stuff.)

From Henry David Thoreau: "One farmer says to me, "You cannot live on vegetable food solely, for it furnishes nothing to make the bones with;" and so he religiously devotes a part of his day to supplying himself with the raw material of bones; walking all the while he talks behind his oxen, which, with vegetable-made bones, jerk him and his lumbering plow along in spite of every obstacle."