Giving thanks always a good thing — giving even better
Thanksgiving is upon us, ushering in the year-end holiday calendar with Hannukah beginning on Dec. 6, followed by Christmas, Kwanzaa and celebrating the New Year. It can be a hectic, stressful time of year. As a way to help alleviate some of that stress for you, we offer recipes both classic and with a twist on tradition — and even how to pull together an entire Thanksgiving dinner in an hour.
I love Thanksgiving for it's American origins and inherent reason to give thanks. I love the cooking, enjoying everyone's best dish, the reason for getting together with family and friends and the whole feeling of abundance. In this health-conscience society that can be a dirty word meaning greedy overindulgence. But I see it as being thankful for what I've got and sharing it with others.
And there is a great need for such sharing. Food drives to stock local pantry shelves, holiday basket campaigns and community dinners are in full force. One such campaign in the Fox Valley is the result of a unique partnership. Blue Goose Market in St. Charles and Fox Valley Food for Health are providing fresh produce for healthy Thanksgiving meals for Fox Valley families in need. The 2nd annual holiday food drive continues through Tuesday, Nov. 24, at Blue Goose Market in St. Charles.
“It is an incredibly rewarding experience to collaborate with such a great organization that contributes to members of our community who are greatly in need,” said Paul Lencioni, president and owner of Blue Goose Market. “Last year our customers helped to raise thousands of dollars and feed scores of Fox Valley families. It's a perfect example of what makes our community so special.”
Blue Goose customers will be able to purchase preselected bags of food for $10, $25 or $50. Local student and adult volunteers, coordinated by Fox Valley Food For Health, will collect the bags to prepare healthy meals for individuals and families in Kane County who are battling serious illnesses. Volunteers will deliver the meals to those in need this Thanksgiving.
“It's so great to see a local business and the younger generation of the community get involved to support a program that benefits the families of our neighbors,” said Susan Leigh, Program Co-Founder and Director at FVFFH. Learn more about FVFFH and other ways to volunteer at www.foxvalleyfoodforhealth.org.
So this year, I give thanks for being able to give back to my community and I wish you a Happy Thanksgiving.
Pasta is healthy, really: Look for more here and in our Health & Fitness section soon about the finding of an international committee of scientists and food authorities that met recently in Milan, Italy. This panel concluded that, contrary to fad diet thinking, pasta should be characterized as a healthy complex carbohydrate-containing food suitable to most diets. For the first time since the original Consensus Statement was introduced in 2004, scientists addressed topics including gluten-free trends, sports nutrition and sustainability. Scientists on the panel represented: Argentina, Brazil, France, Greece, Italy, Mexico, Portugal, Spain, and the U.S.
Going natural: After reading our recent story about locally sourced holiday dinners. One reader wrote in to tell us of two more local farms selling free-range turkeys, other meats as well as fresh produce. Both in the Barrington area, The Gentleman Farmer and Barrington Natural Farms. If it's too late for Thursday, remember locally sourced works for every day of the year. For more information, visit gentleman-farmer.com or barrington-natural-farms.com.
Instant replay: In the Nov. 18 print edition, our Cook of the Week Steven Holben shared his award-winning recipe for Salty Bacon Chewy Chip Cookies. See the recipe reprinted here today. A printing error left out the amount of brown sugar. Enjoy.
• Contact Food Editor Susan Stark at sstark@dailyherald.com or (847) 427-4586. Be her friend on Facebook.com/SusanStarkDailyHerald or follow her on Twitter.