Thanksgiving

Eight Things I love about Thanksgiving:

8. People coming together to help others that do not have as much (donating food, money, clothes - all are great but just remember to do these things year round, not just when a commercial holiday asks you to)
7. People realizing what they are thankful for
6. Israeli Couscous and Sweet Potatoes (see recipe below)
5. lots and lots of dessert…
4. The occasion to reflect on my family, besheret, and wonderful puppy
3. Arguing politics with my conservative relates
2. The opportunity to openly post a liberal blog in a country of pseudo-free speech
1. Thinking about my parents moving to America and giving up their entire lives for my brother and I to have more opportunities than they did in Russia.

Eight Things about Thanksgiving that I could do Without:

8. Football (if 8 years in marching band didn’t get me into football nothing ever will)
7. Thanksgiving means the start of Christmas carols everywhere you go (although this year I think it started even earlier!… puke)
6. Women spending all day (sometimes longer) in the kitchen preparing underappreciated meals for their families
5. The origin of Thanksgiving itself (taking land from the Native Americans, claiming it as our own, then dressing our kids up in stereotypical costumes to "celebrate")
4. The fact that Native Americans are the most impoverished group of people in the US, have the highest rate of alcohol abuse/dependence of any other group, and are grossly underappreciated and underrepresented
3. Black Friday. Oh lord how I hate Black Friday. How capitalist commercial American of us…
2. Inhumane slaughter of all those turkeys: “Between 250 and 300 million turkeys are raised for slaughter every year in the U.S.- 46 million alone for Thanksgiving in 2006. U.S. turkey consumption, which has increased by 108 percent since 1970, averaged at 16.9 pounds per person last year.” http://www.adoptaturkey.org/industry.htm ... Tofurky anyone?
1. All the food that goes to waste while others don't have anything at all to eat.


Sweet Potatoes and Israeli Couscous
3 tbsp. olive oil
2 shallots (or 1 onion), chopped
2 sweet potatos, peeled and diced
1 cup Israeli couscous
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste

Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook shallots/onions until soft but not browned, about 4 minutes. Add sweet potato and couscous; cook, stirring, until couscous starts to toast, about 2 minutes. Add stock, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low. Cook the couscous for 10 to 12 minutes, or until all the liquid is absorbed and the couscous is al dente. Remove from the heat.
Let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork before serving

Hope everyone has a wonderful holiday! :)