Thanksgiving?

Why do we spend so much time obsessing about food at Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter? Is it because we are afraid that our guests are coming for the food rather than our company?

The perfect turkey. Perfect pumpkin pies. Another flavour of stuffing. Creamy mashed potatoes. A new twist on cranberries.

Why?

What do our holidays mean anyway? A chance to "pig out", and then pay the price with extra gym visits during the following week? Not to mention those endless leftovers - turkey sandwiches, tetrazini, a la king, pot pie, and soup. Enough!

And how do you enjoy your guests when you're in the kitchen, cooking? It seems like a lot of work for a very short time as people attack your "perfect" table. Honestly, how can you tell if it was attacked by humans or wild animals?

I'm not opposed to a special meal at Thanksgiving. After all, this year I served boeuf bourguignon, which isn't exactly simple or low cal. It's important to make some meals special. My problem is with our obsessions.

Let's stop making the meal the central part of the celebration. At Thanksgiving, give thanks for your family, your home, your friends, your freedom, your safety, your health, your bounty, and, yes, a wonderful meal.