#foodthanks

I’m up to my elbows in holiday food preparation.  Literally!

As I stir and mix and bake, considerations and questions abound. 

Have I allowed enough time to get all the food prep done?  Should I use more chocolate chips?  Will I run out of cream cheese?  Where is that new recipe I wanted to try? Why isn’t my cranberry sauce jelling like it should?  Will the roast and chicken thaw in time? 

What do I do with this enormous sweet potato?

a gift from a market vendor
it looks like it should feed us all winter!
Thanks, Rachel

After a while, I start thinking a little more philosophically.  Does it matter that the cinnamon is from Vietnam?  The vanilla (and some of the chocolate) from Mexico?  Did you know that the cranberries are from Canada?  …and then should I consider HOW all this stuff was grown and/or transported?

We grow most of our own food.  We sell all our products locally. While this works great for us…I’m really thankful that I am not solely dependent on local/homegrown goods for our holiday celebration.  Without the option to have food from elsewhere, we’d be without cinnamon and vanilla (not to mention sugar/spices and tea) …and the cranberry sauce (that still doesn’t want to jell) wouldn’t add color and flavor to our holiday table. …and the cake mix is necessary to my favorite Pumpkin Pie Squares.

Personally, while I prepare the food that my family will enjoy for the Thanksgiving feast, I’m thankful that I have the choices and the options. I have the luxury to pick any of those mouth-watering entries that are all over my newsfeed and cover pages of magazines and account for countless of entries on Pinterest.  There are some limiting factors, but for the most part…I can serve anything I want. …and that is not a privilege that should be taken lightly. 

All this bounty is a gift, a luxury, something that far too many do not have.    I can't get Danny Gokey's song "It's Only" out of my mind. Here...watch it.

So, while I’m headed back to the kitchen and my stirring and baking…here’s a big THANK YOU to all those other farmers (wherever they may be) who worked so hard to produce the food products for our table.

…and a special prayer (and a promise to help) for those in need.

Want to help?  Want to say THANK YOU? Check out http://www.foodthanks.com

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