Canadian Thanksgiving...October 10th! Are you ready?

[cleochatra]

Now we are fast approaching on Canadian Thanksgiving, October 10.

Let's help some friends out here and discuss possible menu plans, etc, for this upcoming holiday so our friends can plan ahead! Remember, the key to success is preparedness!

Any discussions, tips, and thoughts are also welcome!

Start out with this thread and links posted by Naja, former ADBB food guru! She posts some recipes, tips, hints and sites to check for information regarding recipes for this very special Holiday!

For recipes I've pulled out of the recipe section here and from other places, click this link

What are some non-food ways or non-hugey food ways we can celebrate Thanksgiving?

1. We can send items to the troops to thank them

2. We can help serve food to the homeless or help in a food bank

3. We can leave pumpkin cookies on the neighbors'/friend's/coworker's doorstep in a 'ding-dong ditch' fashion, along with a card that says, "I'm thankful to have you for my neighbor/friend/coworker"

4. We can visit a retirement home and take some cookies

5. Visit the local VFW hall or Va and take cookies to them saying, "I'm thankful for your service"

6. Plan to take a meal to the local fire station to thank firefighters who are on duty, even on Thanksgiving.

7. Go out for dinner on Thanksgiving. This way, there's no clean-up or temptation, and you can toss out what doesn't get eaten.

8. Invite a bachelor, widower or college student for dinner. You can be their family away from family!

9. Invite someone from a foreign country over to celebrate with you. We have friends from all over the world come have dinner with us! We learn a lot about other cultures, too!

10. Watch a "Charlie Brown Thanksgiving".

11. Make an after-dinner walk a part of the new plan. Go collect leaves on your journey, and make a placemat from them by sandwiching the leaves between 2 clear pieces of Contact-Paper.

12. This year send out Thanksgiving letters instead of Christmas letters. You'll beat the rush, and what fun you can have letting people know you are thankful to know them.



Feel free to add to this thread! It not only helps our Canadian Atkineers, but it helps to prepare us for Thanksgiving next month!

[not2late]

Re: Canadian Thanksgiving...October 10th! Are you ready?

If you're going to 'Grandma's House'---be prepared! Most likely the turkey will be "legal". So you're covered there. You'll have to watch the snacks and the side dishes.

Bring along a dish that's appropriate for your phase of Atkins:

For all phases of Atkins:
1. Veggie platter with dips or a big tossed green salad
2. Veggie side dish like steammed asparagus with a big bowl of real Hollandaise sauce. Or green beans in a creamy low carb alfredo sauce with sauteed mushrooms and crispy fried shallots (100 times tastier than those fried onions in a can).
3. Creamy vegetable soup, like a curried pumpkin soup or a creamy mushroom soup.
4. Dessert--a low carb cheesecake or a low carb panna cotta.

For OWL/Pre-Maintenance/ Maintenance folks, bring something that is appropriate to your phase of the diet. So if you're on the berry rung, bring a berry-based dish---maybe a bowl of low(er) carb cranberry and rhubarb sauce.

Low-carb substitutes:
Rhubarb sauce instead of cranberry sauce
Pumpkin puree instead of mashed sweet potatoes
Cauliflower-turnip puree instead of mashed potatoes

[ttdriver]

Re: Canadian Thanksgiving...October 10th! Are you ready?

Great tips, Cleo!!

Thanksgiving is about being THANKFUL, not about pigging out.

Betty

[cleochatra]

Re: Canadian Thanksgiving...October 10th! Are you ready?

I so agree Betty! Making holidays about the people and not the food is a major shift! We'll all make it through together!

Also, here are some more excellent recipes and menu ideas from our sisterboard

Not all are Atkins-friendly, but many can be adapted!

[Moochiecat]

Re: Canadian Thanksgiving...October 10th! Are you ready?

My bf (how did I get so lucky to get such a great guy...all 113 pounds of him is SO supportive!) was saying we will have to get a small turkey, some brussel sprouts, some canned carrots for him (something his mom used to buy...I can't stand them but he loves'em) and I suggested some pure canned pumpkin with Atkins maple syrup and butter for 'squash'.
I'll make up a package of turkey gravy for him (again, he loves that stuff...I can't stand it...lol) and I'll reduce the pan juices and add a bit of butter.
It's going to be awesome!

We'll probably buy a bunch of stuff and take it to the SPCA and spend some time with the kitties that weekend.

[not2late]

Re: Canadian Thanksgiving...October 10th! Are you ready?

11. Make an after-dinner walk a part of the new plan.

I think this is a great tip! It will prevent people from overeating and it will burn up those calories! You can even schedule the walk before dessert.

[Isabeau]

Re: Canadian Thanksgiving...October 10th! Are you ready?

We always have lots of friends up to our cottage for Thanksgiving. The leaves are usually in their full glory, although Thanksgiving is early this year. Part of our tradition is heading up the the Provincial Park just up the road with all the kids and critters and doing this beautiful 15k hike while bird is in the oven. We look forward to it every year.

[not2late]

Re: Canadian Thanksgiving...October 10th! Are you ready?

Oh yeah and another thing about the holiday season: Every well meaning relative (and not so well meaning relatives) start shoving foods they know you can't eat under your nose. It might be Cousin Marie's homemade candy that she only makes one time a year. It might be grandma's special pie or pasta dish. It might even be a bowl of potato chips with dip.

I won't tell you that you "have" to resist it all and that you "have" to stay on this diet. Nope. That decision is totally up to you. YOU need to decide if your weight loss effort is worth setting back with a bite of that pie or a taste of that pasta dish or a day (or two) off the diet. YOU need to decide if the time you spent following this diet and the time you spent exercising is worth undermining. It's up to you because you are the one who decides what you eat and drink or what you don't eat and don't drink. So before this holiday season begins think about it. How much are you worth to yourself?

[cleochatra]

Re: Canadian Thanksgiving...October 10th! Are you ready?

Amen, not2late!

What great advice!

Advice to add: don't dump Mahetabel's fruitcake into the ficus until you know the ficus is REAL... just sayin'

[sadie147]

Re: Canadian Thanksgiving...October 10th! Are you ready?

We always have lots of friends up to our cottage for Thanksgiving. The leaves are usually in their full glory, although Thanksgiving is early this year. Part of our tradition is heading up the the Provincial Park just up the road with all the kids and critters and doing this beautiful 15k hike while bird is in the oven. We look forward to it every year.

wow that's neat we spend every thanksgiving at our cottage as well in northern ontario..we do pretty much the same thing! we take the kids/dogs on a big hike in the woods while the turkey's cooking.

this year the leaves are a little behind here because of the weather..i was up two weeks ago and they had barely started. i think they'll still be pretty though

[Isabeau]

Re: Canadian Thanksgiving...October 10th! Are you ready?

wow that's neat we spend every thanksgiving at our cottage as well in northern ontario..we do pretty much the same thing! we take the kids/dogs on a big hike in the woods while the turkey's cooking.

this year the leaves are a little behind here because of the weather..i was up two weeks ago and they had barely started. i think they'll still be pretty though

Maybe we're neighbours!