Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Thanksgiving and a Salad

Thanksgiving dinner, salads, dietary restrictions, guests

In all your plans for Thanksgiving tomorrow, I'm sure you've put a lot of thought into what to serve for dinner. Some of you probably even planned your summer garden around the holidays, being sure to have lots of cucumbers to pickle, or squash to bake. Are you having a salad too? There are so many seasonal favorites that our families come to expect: turkey, mashed potatoes, green beans, stuffing, pumpkin pie. . . you get the idea. I'm asking if you've thought about a salad because I know A LOT of you are having guests. 

Salads are good for a lot of people. Besides the usual use of keeping you from overeating fats, and keeping your digestive tract moving, salads are a lifesaver. In a day when it's hard to keep track of everybody's dietary choices and restrictions, salads are a great bet. If your cousin brings his girlfriend and she's a vegetarian - no problem, have a salad. If your niece just got put on a gluten-free diet- salad is a safe option. If your newest neighbors are of Jewish decent, salads can be a great go-to.

Here's how to make a great salad. Wash the lettuce and put it in a bowl. That's almost it. Now, because some people might be allergic to nuts, or pork, or gluten . . . put all the toppings in small bowls on the side, each with its own spoon, and place the dressings nearby. Let your guests decide what to add (if anything) to their salads. Some suggestions: sliced boiled eggs, raisins or chopped grapes, sunflower seeds, croutons, shredded cheese, tomatoes. . . the list could go on and on. Some guests may want to put their turkey in their salad, others just want a safe food to eat while they're trying to learn everybody's names. Make their day a little brighter, serve a salad!

What? You say you have extra salad left over? That's ok, after a day of being thankful for food, you'll probably want to eat it yourself on Friday!

Have a great Thanksgiving - and don't forget the salad!


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