Every year the holiday for giving thanks and celebrating by gorging out on food comes around with excitement and a bit of dread. Some of the negatives include- fixing a lot of food, spending time with boring or obnoxious relatives, driving long distances, and suffering from bloated drowsiness syndrome. This year, however, I am going to offer you some alternative activities that will hopefully provide you with even more excitement and a positive experience.

  • Instead of dealing with a big turkey that is usually dry and better on leftover sandwiches, you need to go to Costco and buy their pre-cooked boneless turkey breast. Not only does the preparation require little work, but it is the best tasting bird that you will ever eat. Also, Costco has fantastic pumpkin pies.
  • If you are inviting relatives over for the Thanksgiving feast, then instead of doing all of the work yourself make sure to have your visiting families bring over a dish or two as to supplement your dinner. This tactic will allow you not to be so stressed, and you can request from them one of those recipes that they are well known for preparing. Does Aunt Mary make the best stuffing or Uncle Billy Bob make the most mouthwatering fall off the bone ribs? Then encourage them to bring their specialties to make it the best smorgasbord of Thanksgiving fun you can imagine.
  • Avoid the Pre-Black Friday sales. Do not fall into the marketing trap that now begins on Thanksgiving evening. Most of the sales are not worth it if you really analyze the price differences and then you don’t have to fight the crazy people. Sit back and relax and let the suckers get pushed around.
  • Go out to eat. Sometimes it is best to avoid the entire preparation and clean up process altogether. When you figure out the amount of time you spend in the kitchen, it actually will save time and allow you more time with your guests or family by finding a local restaurant that is open on Thanksgiving.
  • Celebrate the Pilgrims by sharing your food and time with the less fortunate. The Native Americans were not necessarily less fortunate, but there was an effort made by both the Pilgrims and the Native Americans to be friendly to strangers. (note- most of what you read on the internet is not accurate or distorted. If you want to find out more about the Pilgrims and the first Thanksgiving, then read primary sources from that period and Scholarly secondary sources published by credible universities or academic publishers. There is probably more fake news about this event than any contemporary event. Here is a good start that is commended by professors from Stanford and Notre Dame, among others.)