The Best New Thanksgiving Tradition

First and foremost, happy fat turkeys everyone and cheers to the best f*ck my diet holiday!

Every Thanksgiving, my family gathers in the beautiful South Pasadena, California to eat, drink and be merry with family and friends. My wonderful Mom often uses Thanksgiving to prove she does, in fact, know how to cook and has always taken a strong stance that anyone we care about who doesn't have a place to go on this special day will be at our table.
You rock, Mom - I love you!

The result of a table and (mostly) potluck style spread that changes shape every year has resulted in traditions that grow and adapt with each passing turkey day. The most noticeable changes have developed from our family wide adoption of healthier lifestyles. Our food selection has increasingly involved more vegetables and less fatty fillers, more water and iced tea and less soda, and best of all, more activity!

As our family of 4 "little women" started allowing men to enjoy our incredibly desirable company, our traditions were subject to immediately adjustments - watching football, beer in addition to wine, more meat options and sexy school girl outfits in the kitchen were all required.... you guys wish on that last one *wink*

One year after the men started molding themselves into the picture, us busy body women (mostly me) demanded that if there was so much football going on, we better be actually playing some outside instead of just dreaming we were all famous athletes on TV. Sadly, the game ended with a bad knee injury and commitments that future activities would be a little less intense. 

That next year, we began The Best New Thanksgiving Tradition. 

It was so simple, yet so magnificent. It allowed us to talk and laugh and find out things about each other that we never knew before. It made us all feel phenomenally better after stuffing our faces with full plates of deliciousness. It was something we decided we'd keep doing every year that followed, regardless of how many people joined or how much cooking there was to do.

We went on a walk.

Since that year, our walks have changed just like our group and our potluck spread. Some family and friends can or want to join our adventure, some don't... and that's ok. Some years are larger hikes and others are quick walks around the neighborhood... and that's ok. Every year though, the walk is fantastically memorable and provides a much needed breath of fresh air before the holiday festivities officially begin... and that's most certainly ok!

This year, I don't know where our walk will be, or who I'll get to know better along the way, but I do know that it'll be beyond enjoyable, it'll make me feel better, and most importantly... 

it'll be a tradition that I want each and everyone of you to try!

GOBBLE

GOBBLE