Have you ever thought about where your Thanksgiving meal comes from? I mean
really comes from? I'm not talking about mom or grandma's house or even the grocery store.
Last night I was watching
"Alaska: The Last Frontier" a Discovery Channel reality show of sorts. (It's true, I get into weird shows, not to mention it was a boring Sunday night of cable tv.) The Kilcher's, who are the homesteading family, were celebrating Thanksgiving. As they sat around the Thanksgiving table with their family they told the story of where each of their dishes came from. They knew where exactly where each ingredient came from because they either raised it or hunted for it. Not many of us can have that same discussion. When someone asks for our recipe we generally give solid directions to the exact location we found the ingredient in a specific grocery store.
For just a moment think beyond the grocery store, and the brand name label that packaged it. Think about the hands that raised each ingredient in your famous Thanksgiving recipe. It was a farmer that spent hours on end caring for the produce and animals that they raised for you to enjoy during this holiday meal.
Let me connect the dots for you and bring this to life.
My blogging friend Katie who writes over at
On The Banks of Squaw Creek raises Turkey's with her family. She and her husband spend countless hours caring for these birds no matter the blazing heat or the bitter cold.
The cranberries in your cranberry sauce were more than likely raised by a farmer in 1 of only 5 cranberry producing states in the United States. Did you know the cranberry is native to North America?
The corn meal in your cornbread may have been raised by my husband. He spent the last two months harvesting a corn crop, and preparing for next years crop, working from the time the sun came up until long after dark. (It's nice to spend time with him again.)
When I was in high school I worked for our family friends who are dairy farmers. The milk on your table could be from their dairy farm. Their cows come first, they know each one by name or number and spend countless hours with them caring for the health and well-being of their herd.
Let's not forget about dessert! I have a friend who used to raise pumpkins in college - many of those pumpkins more than likely made their way into a pumpkin pie.
So you see, there is a name and a face behind the deliciousness we are filling our bellies with this holiday. These people, known as farmers, care tremendously. On Thursday take a step back, if only for a brief instant, to think about the hands that raised this incredible food you are so blessed to have on your table.
While I love sharing decorating and fashion ideas with you all, my mission is to also inspire you to lead a beautiful life. Thus the reason for this post - there is more to life than beautiful homes and the perfect outfit. It's about being thankful for all that we are provided and being thankful to those who have done so much for us.
Happy Thanksgiving my friends!
