Happy Happy Thanksgiving

Macy's Thanksgiving Parade

Looking for easy ways to update Thanksgiving traditions so that it’s truly a happy holiday for everyone — including the turkeys?

Alternatives to Cooking a Bird
If you really want to stick as close to the original tradition as possible, there are a few mock turkey options, most notably the Tofurky that comes complete with stuffing. Newer to the scene: the Celebration Roast by Field Roast. A couple behind me in line at Whole Foods last weekend was buying one, trying it for the first time. Each roast is made by hand, wrapped in a cotton netting and simmered to bring out all the flavors of the sausage-style stuffing (made of butternut squash, apples, and mushrooms).

However, there’s nothing stopping any of us from creating an altogether new tradition of a favorite dish we reserve especially for this Thanksgiving Day. Last year, I shared a recipe for Polenta Stuffing that we just love, and I watched as some of my favorite restaurants, like NYC’s  Candle 79, promoted their vegan holiday dinner menus — all kinds of creative dishes! So, whether you’re at home exploring new recipes or dining out at a restaurant’s vegan feast, deciding to eschew the turkey actually opens wide the possibilities for all kinds of delectables on the Thanksgiving table.

Adopt A Turkey!
Farm Sanctuary has an awesome program where you can sponsor a turkey (for only $30). Last year, we adopted turkey Kima at the Farm Sanctuary in New York. This year, we’ve continued this new family tradition by adopting Raphael, who lives at Farm Sanctuary’s California shelter. He loves peaches, just like I do!

Sanctuary Celebrations

• Farm Sanctuary
  FS has two locations — one in New York and one in California. Celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, Farm Sanctuary rescues farmed animals and gives them a place to live the remainder of their lives in peace. Each year, they hold Celebrations FOR the Turkeys in both California and New York. Although I haven’t attended myself yet, I’m planning to make it to one in NY once we’re back on the east coast again.
• Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary
  Woodstock hosts a ThanksLiving celebration each year in October (mark your calendar for next year!). This event is a more formal affair — 250 people gather for an elegant dinner under a heated tent, enjoying the serenity of the sanctuary in all its autumn-leaves glory. FYI: The sanctuary just finished renovating a pre-Civil War farmhouse into a lovely bed & breakfast, the Guesthouse at Woodstock Sanctuary.

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