To be honest, I hadn't been in the mood to blog for a while. The hurricane was a great reason for me to take what was a much-needed pause. I was always go, go, go..with a full calendar. So I stopped. And embraced it. Even now, I'm a little reticent, but gradually coming out of my cave.
I thought it was important to peep my head out for a bit to make this post. And then I'll stick my head back in. Thanksgiving is around the corner! Yes, folks. Is it just me, or has the Hurricane Sandy haze distracted us from the fact that the holiday is near? Well it is! And in the last few years, I've formed some traditions around it. One is that I host a vegan Thanksgiving feast for my friends every year. The other is that I sponsor a turkey. Yup!
Hosting my first vegan Thanksgiving in 2010
Now, I'm not one to vegangelize, but...I don't know. I guess turkeys have a particular place in my heart? They're kind of funny-looking, it's true-but in such an adorable way! And I love how they coo!
Also, I read these excerpts from 'Eating Animals' by Johnathan Safran Foer, and they left an impression on me:
"Today's turkeys are natural insectavores fed a grossly unnatural diet, which can include 'meat, sawdust, leather tannery by-products', and other things whose mention, while widely documented, would probably push your belief too far. Given their vulnerability to disease, turkeys are perhaps the worst fit of any animal for the factory model. So they are given more antibiotics than any other farmed animals. Which encourages antibiotic resistance. Which makes these indispensable drugs less effective for humans. In a perfectly direct way, the turkeys on our tables are making it harder to cure human illness..."
" 'Not a single turkey you can buy in a supermarket could walk normally, much less fly. Did you know that? They can't even have sex. Not the antibiotic-free, or organic, or free-range, or anything. They all have the same foolish genetics, and their bodies won't allow for it anymore. Every turkey sold in every store in every restaurant was the product of artificial insemination. If it were only for efficiency, that would be one thing, but these animals literally can't reproduce naturally. Tell me what could be sustainable about that?' "
Farm Sanctuary has an annual Adopt-A-Turkey Project, where one could sponsor a turkey of their choice. In 2010, I allowed the sanctuary to choose a turkey for me and I sponsored Kima, who likes cherries and chard, according to her bio. Last year I chose Elizabeth, because we share the same name and she was described as shy-like me! Although, some would say that's not true...This year, I'm sponsoring Victoria, pictured below...
Victoria.
How noble she looks!
Every year I request an Adoption Certificate from the sanctuary. It displays a bio of the turkey, and I proudly post it on my fridge. It's a tradition that I've come to enjoy and prefer.
So, um, I'm posting about my tradition in the hopes that you will consider doing the same (in case you don't already!). It's such a joyous way to celebrate the holiday. As my girl Michelle said during last year's dinner, "No animals were harmed in the making of this feast!". And how satisfying is that?! So satisfying! And trust me. Delicious.
Last year's vegan Thanksgiving. A potluck of fun and amazing food.
If you'd like to read more on this topic, I'd strongly recommend checking out this excellent blog post by Joshua Katcher of The Discerning Brute: Thanks, But No Thanksgiving.
To "adopt" a turkey, please go to this site: http://www.farmsanctuary.org/giving/adopt-a-turkey/
With gratitude and love...
xo,
Ellie
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