Getting Ready for a "Happy Thanksgiving!"

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I heard some talking heads on TV discussing alternatives to the traditional turkey dinner to save money in this inflation-ravaged year.

They mainly focused on how foul-tasting --- not in a good way --- "tofurkey" seems to them and questioned why if someone doesn't want to eat meat that they would try to make vegetables and less natural ingredients look like the real thing?  Why not just eat the alternative in its natural form? The fact is that alternatives are all much more expensive than a real turkey.

In most American communities, shoppers can find frozen turkey for under $1 a pound if they make any search effort at all.

If you're like most suburban households, you can score a free turkey or some absurdly discounted price because of buying enough groceries in one pre-holiday shopping order or cumulatively throughout the year.

While food prices are undoubtedly higher than they were a couple of years ago, you should NOT let that curtail you from enjoying a wonderful Thanksgiving meal with your family and/or friends.

A bag of potatoes may cost $6.99 instead of $2.99, but that still will make enough mashed potatoes to accompany a turkey dinner.

You may no longer find dinner rolls on sale for 99 cents, but $10 will buy more bread than most increasingly gluten-free families will eat.  Splurge for Kerry Gold Butter, and all bread is delicious.

If each guest brings one pre-made veggie in a glass dish --- no extra work for the hostess! --- then you've got a bountiful meal, even for vegetarians.

And on this day, unless you have an actual medical condition like diabetes or celiacs, it won't hurt to relax your dietary standards a bit for the sake of sharing a family meal together, as has been an American tradition for most of our lifetimes.

Almost forgot dessert!  (Words never spoken on a cruise ship.)

Most grocery stores have surprisingly tasty pumpkin pies on sale in their bakeries.  A couple of those and a can of Cool Whip will allow you to dole out a small slice, if not as much as the most gluttonous among us would eat.  You don't need to spend a fortune or hours on this.

Remember the story from the Sermon on the Mount about the loaves and fishes.  When everyone opened to the reality that there was plenty to share, there was indeed plenty.

Pizza or any other take-out meal costs much more than a good-old fashioned American Thanksgiving meal.

May God bless you and yours on this wonderful holiday!

When you drink wine (or whatever beverage you choose to imbibe) and eat bread (or whatever chip you choose to eat instead, remember that God is with you and in you on this day.  Thank Him for the blessings in your life on Thanksgiving Day and throughout the year.

Remember, Thanksgiving is about giving thanks.

Wes

P.S. Every family these days seems to need an alternative conversation topic instead of politic, so take the initiative to introduce the topic of travel.  You can get the ball rolling by pointing out that Royal Caribbean has a "Kids Sail Free" promo.

By the way, while food prices and gas prices have jumped sharply higher, cruises have remained shockingly affordable, so this is a great time to book your next dream cruise, where delicious, healthy meals are abundant.