by April Corey
I have a confession. I don’t like turkey. I never have. My mom used to make a side dish of ham for my dad and I (the apple didn’t fall far from the tree on the turkey dislike) alongside the turkey. Occasionally I would just eat the side dishes and skip the meat all together. Then I stopped eating meat all together and my husband now grills a tuna steak for me. My favorite side dishes are homemade macaroni and cheese, sweet potato casserole (the kind with the crunchy nut topping, not the marshmallows) and kicked-up mashed potatoes. For dessert, I make an apple pie for the adults and brownies for the kiddos. Mmmm…is it turkey day yet?
Food aside, a fun way to celebrate turkey day with your family and friends, is to either register for a local Turkey Trot or do your own by taking a stroll, run, crawl, ride or whatever around the neighborhood. Sometimes driving to an event, racing and then driving home eats into more time than you have available, so map out a route near you, grab some family and friends and get moving. I am always a big fan of dressing up for a Turkey Trot and just having fun, but I understand that some people like to actually race that day. Turkey Trots come in all distances but the most popular is the 5k and 10k. The Turkey Trots that are around me support either a food pantry or the humane society by the athletes bringing items to donate.
The holidays can be stressful. Cooking, visiting with family and friends (and possibly unexpected visitors) and traveling can add to that stress. Waking up early, before the chaos commences, is a great way to get the day off on the right foot. It is a way to clear your mind, prepare yourself for the feast of the day and enjoy some time in the fresh air. For those of you that live in a colder climate than South Mississippi, you may have to bundle up. Although I went on neighborhood Turkey Trot one year with a friend and it was 25 degrees out. In South Mississippi. But we had a great time catching up and burned a few calories.
Most people tend to overindulge in their food intake during the turkey day feast. I fully admit to being one of those people. If you don’t have the time or inclination to get up early and do your own Turkey Trot, there isn’t anywhere that says that you can’t take an evening stroll once the food settles. Running may not be an option, but a nice walk is always a fantastic way to end the day.
Happy Thanksgiving!