Do You Have Your Turkey Yet?

Thanksgiving is less than a week away - are you ready? Have you ordered your turkey or are you hoping to just pick it up in a mad dash next Wednesday?

People in the Seattle area might want to plan ahead more than usual because there is a good chance that our grocers will be on strike within the next 72 hours (they're still negotiating, but 94% have voted in favor of striking).

My turkey is already on order with Silvana Meats, but another possibility is to check out your local farmer's market. I've been getting emails from Tiny's Organic recently and their turkeys will be available at five different farmer's markets this weekend. No farmer's markets for me this weekend since I'm juggling 2 swim meets, 3 soccer games, and houseguests. I'm happy to sit at home and wait for my CSA, Klesick Family Farms, to deliver my holiday box on Monday complete with celery, onions, breadcubes, yams, cranberries, and apples.

Not in the Seattle area? Find a local farmer's market here.


Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm Thankful For...

Happy Thanksgiving! Today, I'm reflecting on a few of the many things I have to be thankful for.

• The AWESOME readers who visit this blog. Your comments, suggestions, and encouragement motivate me every week!
• Rainbows in the sky that can even brighten a rainy November day.

• The beauty mother nature gives us - the lakes, oceans, mountains, valleys, sunsets, waterfalls, wetlands, high plains, deserts. All so unique and beautiful.
• Global leaders who are willing to talk about climate change next month in Copenhagen.
• Children who always find the wonder in our Earth and help us see it through their eyes.
• Thanksgiving cards with turkey handprints from my children.
• The Wampanoag Indians who helped the Pilgrims when they were in need in 1621.
• Abraham Lincoln who made Thanksgiving a national holiday in 1863. Setting aside a day to truly think about what you are thankful for is important.
• A husband who loves to cook!

Have a great Thanksgiving!

29 Cent Turkeys

The newspaper inserts this week are full of ads for 29 cent Thanksgiving turkeys. I had already been planning to buy my turkey from Manna Mills, a local organic store and knew that I was paying more, but ten times more?!?

That big of a difference made me stop and pause. Is it worth it? I bought a 16 pound turkey for just under $50. That is definitely a big expense, but I am feeding 12 people a special holiday meal. Less than $4/person for the meat seems reasonable. When you think about it, what are you really getting for 29 cents a pound? Perhaps the stores are using the turkeys as loss leaders, but it also shows how mass-produced turkeys have become.

What do I get for 2.99/pound? A local free-range, antibiotic-free turkey. There are other ways to save money on the holiday and I'll concentrate on those instead. Some suggestions: be realistic in how much food you make (and eat!), send guests home with leftovers, reuse your own in something creative - soup, potato pancakes, sandwiches, etc.

Happy Thanksgiving!