Turkey Day!

I’m sitting here, pumpkin spice coffee in my hand.  Complete with a festive Christmas mug, my fair share of cream (by the way, I take my coffee almost white with creamer, the powdered kind, not something I’m proud of with all those transfats in it), sugar and a little bit of stevia in the raw.  I know, why do I even bother with the stevia when it’s chock full of other baddies?  But it makes me feel better, and I’ve grown accustomed to the extra sweetness it adds without all the sugar I would normally have to add.  It’s turkey day – aka Thanksgiving, and boy am I excited to chow down on all the comfort food that will be set before me today.

My husband and I are headed to Pennsylvania, where his mom’s family resides, for our Thanksgiving feast.  It’s about an hour and half drive from where we live here in Ohio, so it’s not too bad, although we hate paying the almost ten dollars in collective road tolls that we end up getting squeezed for by the end of the trip.  We usually just let the whole diet idea go out the window on turkey day, because after all, it only comes once a year, and when else are you faced with that many delicious temptations all in one place?

It’s the one time of year when you get your choice of  vegetable casseroles, stuffing, various side dishes that Aunt Betty and your cousin Susie make the best, and those sins of all sins, the mashed potatoes and gravy. Of course, what would mashed potatoes be without massive amounts of real butter and sour cream be?  And what of the desserts?  Pumpkin pies, pumpkin rolls, cookies, cakes, some ridiculously rich chocolate dessert, creams, sugar, heavy sauces, butter, breads, it’s all on the absolute no no list on normal days. But on Thanksgiving, it’s all fair game, and I think that’s why everyone looks forward to it so much.

It fills the heart with warmth knowing that you are going to be comforted by all those good home cooked dishes, and then tired enough to crash around the people that are you family.  Sure, you may feel lethargic and huge when you’re done, but it’s that one day that there’s no guilt about pigging out, because, hey, everyone else is doing it too, and they’re feeling pretty darn good about it too!

Here’s wishing you an awesome Thanksgiving.  And remember, as long as your massive pig out doesn’t last the next month into Christmas and into the new year, then you are fully entitled to put on your best stretch pants and go to town today. That’s what today is all about, eating, thanks and gratitude for what you have and your family, and falling asleep at five PM at the TV watching football.  Love it!