Thanksgiving Yogurt Adventure

As I sit writing this, I am at Chris' mom's kitchen table trying to get motivated to do homework. Yesterday's celebration at his dad's house was really nice, and afterwards, Chris and I stopped by the house of one of my friends from college. A whole collection of people I know from the Boston poetry scene were there, so it was great to catch up.

This morning involved going to the gym with Chris' mom and then enjoying some hot coffee while looking out over the river. Since she's only been in this apartment for about a week, there wasn't a whole lot in the fridge, but there were a few containers of Stonyfield Farms yogurt she told me to help myself to. There was also a half-finished container of whole milk plain yogurt left by the previous tenant.

I tend to prefer plain yogurt, so I will admit, I actually tasted the leftover stuff. It was still good, but I have to admit, I'm not a big fan of whole milk yogurt. I'm sure if I were used to it, I wouldn't have found the taste so weird, but it was just kind of...funny. So I reached for one of the "berry pomegranate" flavored varieties.

The yogurt was pretty good, if a little sweet. While scanning the ingredients, I noted the organic evaporated cane juice (sugar) and the organic fruit juices and the ubiquitous "natural flavor." I always find it funny how companies try to convince you that their product is somehow healthier because it's sweetened with fruit juice or with evaporated cane juice. I mean, sugar is sugar is sugar, and gram for gram, different varieties have the same nutritional value (nil). This yogurt also had pectin in it, which is a naturally occurring substance (a polysaccharide, which is a sugar) found in fruit peels and skins. It's basically what allows cooking apples to gel, and it's often used as a thickening agent.

While I guess it's better than the gelatin I saw listed in a suspisciously-thick Yoplait Light yogurt I had at a rest stop on Wednesday, it just seems weird that one would want to have their yogurt specially thickened. I mean, what's wrong with regular yogurt? It seems thick enough to me. This stuff felt a bit like eating creamy jello.

I don't think that people who buy pre-sweetened, thickened yogurts are bad or anything. Sometimes it's a better alternative than other offerings, especially if you're traveling. I just think it's annoying that the food companies add such weird stuff to otherwise innocuous products.

Anyway, that's my two cents for the day. Tonight we're going to a dosa restaurant in Central Square and to see some of Chris' high school friends. Hope everyone is having a lovely holiday!

"Food Holidays"

While there are a lot of things to love about this time for year (I, for one, get really excited about all the lights), I get so sick of magazines running the same regurgitated story about how to avoid gaining weight during the holidays. How did Thanksgiving come to be such a drama?

Someone asked me the other day what I see myself doing with my degree, and the first thing that came out of my mouth was that I see myself serving as a sort of marriage counselor for America and Food. Of course, what I learn in school and will continue to learn is how to get both parties on the couch as well as how to facilitate an open, constructive discussion.

I have always gotten annoyed by all the hoopla around "Food Holidays" like Thanksgiving and Christmas. It's not the whole "let's celebrate by slaughtering a big bird and gathering around it" thing that bothers me because I can appreciate the tribal element, even if it's not my scene. What I'm talking about is the emotional stakes and the anxiety surrounding the meal. Dealing with your family is stressful enough for a lot of us!

I am of the belief that a lot of people who feel they have problems "controlling" themselves at such events feel that way because they've been told they have problems with self-control around food and therefore they need to buy this or that magazine so it can tell them how to reign it in and stay in line like a "good" girl (or boy). If a publication tells you you're an emotional eater, you're more likely to subscribe to that idea and incorporate it into your behavior. Power of suggestion.

Of course, this is just a theory. I am one of the (supposedly) freakish few people who are not emotional eaters—I have the opposite issue, which can be just as problematic. For example, I've been told that whenever I'm upset, as a woman, of course I always reach for my pals Ben and Jerry. I do? I mean, is that what I'm supposed to do? Am I somehow less of a woman because I prefer to throw a pillow across the room or go to a yoga class? And I'll admit, at times, I feel a little out of the cultural loop. I can observe and speculate but I don't know if I can ever truly understand. I just see what I see and it makes me crazy.

Whatever happened to just enjoying a meal and the company at the table? Why does food have to be the enemy? We seem to have forgotten that food is nourishment, one the basic things we need to stay alive. I hate hearing people talk about guilty they feel for eating a certain item or how "bad" they are for having a slice of pie or a piece of cake. I'm always tempted to say, "Well, I'm not." Actually, what I'm really tempted to say is, "How guilty you feel is your choice. Spare me."

Don't get me wrong, I do like Thanksgiving food okay, but to me, it's simply a nice meal someone put a lot of care into making, and like at any other meal, the foods I place on my plate are placed there to give me energy and the nutrients I need in balanced proportions, not sabotage my life...

Thanksgiving By the Stars

I found this fun little Gobbling By the Signs list that tells you what your astrological sign's typical Thanksgiving behavior is.

I was amused to see that my sign, Sagittarius, is most likely to just go camping for the long weekend. That sounds about right. Well, maybe not camping—I think a tropical locale would be much more my speed. At least that's what I'd rather be doing. I'm not a big fan of Thanksgiving and other holidays that involve traveling and sitting still for long periods of time being on good behavior. Ideally, I like to be able to work in the kitchen or get out and take a walk at some point for some fresh air and alone time.

This year, my family is going up to Boston to spend Thanksgiving with Chris' family. I'm sure it will be fun, but I'm definitely bringing my yoga pants. It's not quite the same as a long walk on the beach, but I'm sure I'll be needing to take me a few vinyasas.

Feast on some astrological insight into the holiday eating habits of your friends and loved ones.

Aries starts eating before everyone else has been seated.

Taurus accepts only the finest pieces of white meat.

Gemini grabs both turkey wings for themselves.

Cancer spends all day slaving over a hot stove and cries when the meal is over too soon.

Leo sulks that Capricorn is at the head of the table.

Virgo will only accept a minimum helping of the meal.

Libra does their best to make sure everyone gets equal portions.

Scorpio puts extra garlic in the mashed potatoes.

Sagittarius goes camping for the long weekend.

Capricorn sits at the head of the table.

Aquarius makes a meal entirely out of soy products.

Pisces wants to be one with the turkey.