Truly Giving Thanks this Thanksgiving

While the majority of the nation will celebrate Thanksgiving by feasting on birds, there are those who will take the opportunity to inspire harmony. To illustrate this potential for enjoying a truly fulfilling holiday, we can look to what one Hawaiian family does to give thanks.

Each year the Agarano family on Maui has a Thanksgiving pastime they are proud to celebrate. Mom makes a large batch of wheat gluten spiced with poultry seasoning, and rolls it out on the table. Then she prepares the stuffing. Meanwhile, dad and the kids spend quality time together in the mood of giving thanks. Mom finishes the stuffing, places it in the center of the flattened gluten, covers it, and shapes it to look like a turkey. Accompanied by Mom’s Mock Turkey Gravy, there is no way to miss the meat. For any holiday this scrumptious feast is a definite hit.

You and your family and friends may also enjoy a new Thanksgiving Day tradition, one that is centered on saving turkeys, not eating them. After all, Thanksgiving is about being thankful, not only for what we have, but for the world we live in.

Here are some great and honorable ideas on how to celebrate Thanksgiving:

1. Adopt a Turkey
Each year, Farm Sanctuary rescues turkeys from the slaughterhouse. They provide them life-long homes at shelters where they can run and play. For more information on adopting a turkey, log on to the Adopt-a-Turkey Project Web site.

2. Buy Tofurkey or Unturkey instead of turkey
If you do not want to make a wheat-meat turkey then you can stop by your local Down to Earth store and buy one of our meatless turkeys.

3. Make some Healthier Holiday Dishes
Of course, no Thanksgiving meal would be complete without all the delicious and familiar side dishes and desserts. The Down to Earth Web site has several holiday recipes. Here are some to get you started:

Mock Turkey Cutlets
Greenbean Stovetop Casserole
Healthy Holiday Mock Turkey
Thanksgiving Stuffing
Pumpkin Bars
Mock Turkey Gravy
Savory Gravy

Also, go to our Holiday recipes section on our Web site: Holiday Recipes

Please join us at Down to Earth in making this Thanksgiving a day to celebrate life and be thankful for all that we are given.

~Wishing you and yours a Happy, Healthy Thanksgiving.