
Thanksgiving, year by year, is rising in the ranks as my #1 favorite holiday. There are a number of reasons for this:
- Aside from some serious grocery shopping, the spirit of Thanksgiving hasn’t been diluted with consumerist hype they way some other holidays have.
- It’s a holiday with no dividing lines, at least within the U.S., it’s a holiday everyone can celebrate.
- It’s all about food. On Thanksgiving, we unite around the table to do two things: give thanks for our bounty, and EAT! We fill our bellies together, and appreciate the blessing of fullness.
- It’s simple, it’s beautiful, it’s delicious, and it’s all about the most transformative force in the Universe: Gratitude. We each have things to be thankful for, and somehow, reflecting on them inspires generosity. Gratitude, I’ve found, works like that every single day of the year.
- And of course there’s my newest reason, which I’ll present to you in just a moment.
Last Thanksgiving I shared a story with you called, “Spirit of the Raisin,” about bringing deep presence to the ritual of eating. It’s one of my all time favorite posts, but this Thanksgiving, I offer you a different flavor of holiday spirit:
Enjoy! But please, not if you are driving. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving dear SDR readers. I will be counting you on my gratitude list in a very big way tomorrow.

Recipe : The Turkeytini
This Thanksgiving-inspired cosmo is a festive, rosy-hued cocktail. Some very good friends gave us a beautiful bottle of Yazi Ginger Flavored Vodka from Hood River Distillers, which I highly recommend if you can find it. If not, use plain vodka, and toss a few coins of freshly sliced ginger root into your cocktail shaker. Hubs and I really enjoyed the uh, “recipe testing” for this one. ; )
INGREDIENTS
- 4 ounces Ginger Flavored Vodka (or substitute plain and toss in a few slices of fresh ginger root)
- 2 ounces cranberry juice
- Juice from 1 freshly squeezed grapefruit
- Juice from 1 freshly squeezed lime
- A twist of grapefruit peel, a slice of lime, OR a thin slice of fresh ginger
In a cocktail shaker combine the first 4 ingredients. Add plenty of ice, shake well, and pour into martini glasses. Garnish with a twist of grapefruit peel, a slice of lime, or a thin slice of fresh ginger.
