Thanksgiving Traditions

What do you do for Thanksgiving? Many people have their traditions set in making a big meal with family around. That doesn’t work for everyone though. Perhaps you don’t have much family or they are far away. Maybe you hate to cook or don’t have the time to spend two days
cooking. Whatever your situation, you need to design a plan that works for you and not feel guilty about it.

Here are some ideas that might work for you:

Heat and Serve:

If you aren’t in to cooking, go for the easy route and pick-up a dinner or order in. Several restaurants will prepare your meal for you to heat up and enjoy. Look at your local BBQ restaurants, Cafeterias like Luby’s, and even Cracker Barrel for options. Most grocery stores offer Holiday meal packages as well. You’ll pick up the meal the day before, then just heat it up the day of. Voila! Dinner is served.

Invite Friends for a Potluck:

If you live away from family, but still like the idea of a social gathering, invite your friends over for a potluck. The host generally prepares the meat then directs others on what to bring. It’s a bit less stressful than having to prepare the entire meal, but you still get the warm fuzzies of having people that you care about around for the day to give Thanks.

Try Something New:

Maybe traditional turkey or ham don’t do it for you. Come up with something creative or theme it. Perhaps you go with a Southern theme this year and do a pork roast with sweet potato pie, or completely change it up and go with a seafood boil of shrimp, crab legs, sausage, corn and potatoes boiled with some Old Bay seasonings and sprinkled with Batch 9. Or just try out some new recipes like this pistachio stuffed acorn squash recipe.

Go Out To Eat:

Search out a local resort as they often do great Thanksgiving spreads. Or change it up and look for an Asian restaurant that is open on Thanksgiving and order a family meal to share. No fuss, no mess to clean up!

Skip It and Travel:

November is a great time to travel and go exploring. Pick your international destination and head out. Thanksgiving is uniquely American, so you won’t be slapped in the face with the traditions on your journey. Try out new foods, check out the sights and embrace the culture. In the words of Mark Twain, “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness”.

Exercise:

Most towns have some sort of a Turkey Trot benefiting an organization. Get out with your partner or friends and enjoy the day. If that’s not your thing, how about a round of golf? Don’t live where you can play golf in November? Head to Arizona, Nevada, California or Florida for the holidays.

Give Back:

Head over to your local soup kitchen and serve up a Thanksgiving dinner to people that are less fortunate. Or get involved with an organization that assembles and delivers Thanksgiving baskets to Veterans or Families in need. It does the heart good to do things for others and expect nothing in return.

If you decide to cook, try out some pistachio recipes found on the Heart of the Desert Pinterest page. Or you can always pop a bottle of Heart of the Desert wine to go with your meal. Check out these suggested holiday wine pairings.

Enjoy your Thanksgiving, whatever you decide to do!

Heart of the Desert is a working pistachio ranch and vineyard with four retail establishments in New Mexico. They are best known for their farm fresh pistachios and Award-Winning New Mexico wines. Each store offers wine and pistachio tastings. They offer worldwide shipping and produce attractive gourmet baskets that make great corporate and family gifts. The main store, on the ranch in Alamogordo, offers farm tours that showcases how pistachios are grown and processed as well as a stunning Tuscany themed patio that overlooks the groves and is available for weddings, private parties or enjoying a relaxing glass of wine.