I know there are some Thanksgiving gatherings without a vegan or a vegetarian at the table, but these days that seems like more of an anomaly than the norm.

We have had vegetarians at our Thanksgiving table my entire life. My sister, Lizzie, and her daughters are vegetarian and now vegan, and my mother became a vegetarian later in life. There are plenty of folks at the table who want to enjoy the turkey and all those trimmings, but a significant number of others are interested only in the vegetarian or vegan sides.

And there is no way anyone leaves a Workman family Thanksgiving anything less than full and happy, so we Bring It for everyone.

But cooking for a crowd on Thanksgiving is already challenging enough, and no one wants to make a whole lot of extra dishes. So, the name of the game is adaptability and streamlining.

The short of it is that we make plenty of meat-free sides, including some that are substantial enough to feel entrée-like for the non-meat eaters. And then we make modifications to certain dishes to make them vegan if possible.

Some ideas for making sure vegetarians and vegans have plenty of choices:

STUFFING

I make the base of the stuffing vegetarian, with vegetable broth. Then I separate part of it out into a smaller baking pan for the vegetarians, and drizzle some of the turkey pan juices over the larger pan of stuffing. If you want to make the smaller pan of stuffing vegan, use vegan butter to saute the vegetables.

You also might consider using vegan sausage or other crumbled meat substitute in the stuffing. Seitan, a wheat gluten-based product, is also a good addition to vegan stuffings.

MASHED POTATOES

We boil up a whole lot of potatoes, and mash them or put them through a ricer or food mill. Then, as we did with the stuffing, we separate the potatoes into two pots. One gets blended up with milk, cream, butter, etc., and one gets whipped to fluffiness with plant-based milk, olive oil and vegan butter. My sister skips the olive oil, but adds some vegan sour cream. Options!

SALAD

While a pile of leafy greens is fine, you can make salad a much more robust part of the menu. Consider adding some roasted vegetables, pumpkin or sunflower seeds, nuts (providing there are no nut allergies!), legumes (chickpeas are nice), and fresh or dried fruit. Adding some cooked whole grains like farro or bulgur wheat also boosts the nutritional value, and adds heft. Homemade croutons crisped up in the oven with olive oil are another good addition.

SOUPS

We usually make a vegan soup for lunch to inhale while we are cooking for dinner, but you might think about offering soup as part of the main event. Soups are so easy to make vegetarian or vegan. Think about mushroom barley (our favorite), split pea, lentil tomato, curried pumpkin soup, or butternut squash soup. Just remember to keep the broth vegetarian and sub in vegan products for any dairy ingredients. Offer any non-vegan garnishes on the side.

ROASTED AND BAKED VEGETABLES

Roasted vegetables are the perfect crossover side, and if you roast them with olive oil or another cooking oil, they are naturally vegan. Make sure to season well with salt and pepper, and add springs of fresh herbs like rosemary, thyme or sage.

Also consider baked stuffed vegetables, such as acorn squash with a vegan stuffing or rice or grain mixture.

GRAIN SALADS

I love a side-dish-main-dish hybrid, and grain- and veggie-based one-dish recipes are Thanksgiving heros. The basic idea is to blend up some whole grains with some cooked vegetables and/or legumes, and add an olive oil based dressing. These types of dishes are often great either warm or at room temperature. Think about wild rice, cranberries, scallions, and an orange juice and balsamic vinaigrette. Mushrooms and barley are a hearty combo, as are diced cooked sweet potatoes and quinoa. Vegan Parmesan, cheddar and feta are good cheese choices to add.

DESSERTS

For the vegetarians, dessert is usually not an issue, but for vegans, it’s tough. You’ll want to make sure to make, purchase or ask someone to bring a vegan option. My sister says the ingredient offerings and recipes for making vegan desserts improve all the time, a marked improvement from even a couple of years ago. Lizzie has been working on her vegan cheesecake for a few years now, and I think this is the year she’s going to perfect it.

I hope your Thanksgiving is warm, abundant and lovely!

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San Jacinto Unified School District was able to distribute vouchers to 800 families at its school sites as well as Betty Gibbel Regional Learning Center, St. Hyacinth Academy, San Jacinto Valley Academy and 65 for the Valley Community Pantry. Hemet Unified was able to give 1,000 families the opportunity to enjoy this generous donation and included sites in outlying areas such as Anza and Idyllwild. About 200 meal boxes were provided to various nonprofits.

On Nov. 17, close to 100 volunteers spent the afternoon distributing food to voucher holders who drove through the San Jacinto Unified School District’s main parking lot, as well as directing traffic and checking in each vehicle. All food items were delivered on pallets by the district’s nutrition services personnel. Each food box was filled with a 20-plus pound frozen Butterball turkey, six-pound cans of corn and green beans, cranberry sauce, four pounds of frozen mashed potatoes, stuffing mix and a three-pound can of turkey gravy. A 12-count package of fresh dinner rolls and a frozen pumpkin pie rounded out the meal fixings.

SJUSD’s Family & Community Engagement Specialist Carla Adame trains and supports the family liaisons at most of the school sites. They are the ones responsible for identifying and selecting the neediest of families to receive one of the Thanksgiving dinner donations.

“We definitely saw an increase in requests this year. We try to be sensitive to the demographics in determining who gets served,” Adame said. “My favorite part of this event is looking inside the cars and seeing if there are kids that I can say hi too since that is who this is for.”

Each box carries an approximate value of $120 had the families purchased the items outright and Soboba Foundation Coordinator Andrew Vallejos said it was important to help out this year due to inflation affecting everyone. He said he was happy that Sysco was still able to provide a good price on everything and that the Soboba Foundation was able to come together and make this happen again this year.

“The Tribe is fortunate to be in a position to give back at a time when there is so much uncertainty in the economy,” Soboba Tribal Council Chairman Isaiah Vivanco said. “Even now when food prices are up, we are happy that we are able to provide Thanksgiving dinners so families can enjoy this special time together and not have to worry about the cost of the meal.”

Soboba Tribal Council Vice-Chairwoman Geneva Mojado stayed busy at the pallet of pumpkin pies, making sure each roll cart that made its way down the assembly line of food items got what was needed. After all items were placed into one large box marked with a Happy Thanksgiving sticker, other volunteers hoisted them into waiting vehicles.

“I enjoy seeing everyone come together for this event each year,” Mojado said. “We are grateful that we can help the community and students and their families are grateful, too. You can hear it in their voices when they thank us as they drive up.”

Soboba Tribal Council Secretary Monica Herrera said, “During this time of reflection as we prepare for the holiday, our Soboba family wants to provide other local families with a full meal to enjoy, despite these hard economic times.”

“It warms my heart to see all these families smiling and saying thank you as they receive their box of food,” Soboba Foundation President Dondi Silvas said.

SJUSD Superintendent David Pyle volunteered to help fill the food boxes that were loaded into trunks and back seats of vehicles that drove through the District Office parking lot in two lanes.

“An incredible tradition has continued for yet another year,” Pyle said. “The support our families receive throughout the year on behalf of Soboba is unmatched year-round and truly magnified during the holiday season. Providing over 800 Thanksgiving meals to many of our neediest families is yet another example of Soboba’s above and beyond service to the San Jacinto Unified School District. We are hopeful this tradition will continue for many years to come.”

The following day, Hemet Unified School District’s main office set up a distribution center so chosen families could drive through and receive their boxes, which were prepackaged by HUSD nutrition services employees. The Business Services department was highly involved in the entire process, including creating different signage and banners to remind families that Soboba was behind the turkey meals they were receiving.

Soboba Tribal Council Treasurer Daniel Valdez pitched in to help for a second day. “It’s great to be back again this year. I always love contributing when I can,” he said.

Catie Stanley, who is the marketing director for Soboba Casino Resort and a Hemet-San Jacinto Chamber of Commerce board member, recruited a dozen volunteers for the first day of distribution and at least 10 for the second day at HUSD. All sported turkey drumstick headbands and special Thanksgiving tee shirts.

“As a community member myself, I love this event,” Stanley said. “It is so much fun being able to see the people we are giving back to and we get to work together with our team members.”

Soboba Casino Assistant General Manager Jason Cozart was one of those that volunteered his time both days. Also a Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians Tribal member, he enjoys being able to help out each year.

“Our doing this brings a lot of relief to families who are struggling,” he said. “Anything we can do to help is a blessing. It also gives our team a chance to work together with the Foundation, it’s a team effort.”

As the Coordinator of School, Family & Community Partnerships, Miriam Ortiz said she feels everyone at HUSD who was involved with the event helped refine the processes so things were running smoother this year.

Emily Shaw, who is HUSD’s Director of Wellness and Community Outreach, said, “I think the support that Soboba provides to our community is immeasurable. We are so grateful for their partnership because without them, we wouldn’t be able to do this. They always go over and beyond.”

Soboba Foundation Treasurer Julie Arrietta-Parcero said she likes the fact that they are always able to help someone else out. Foundation Secretary Antonia Briones-Venegas worked alongside Julie to keep the line of cars moving as items were placed in the vehicles, two at a time on each side of the canopy-covered pallets of food items.

“I like knowing that there will be kids that won’t go without because we are able to give them this food,” Antonia said. “To me, family gatherings for whatever reason mean a lot. I’m glad we do this.”

Another benefit to SJUSD recipients was the inclusion of a care bag that included hand sanitizer, COVID-19 test kits and other items for a safe gathering. Those items tied into a door hanger that was put in each box, reminding parents and guardians that “Attendance Matters” and the importance of keeping children home if they are sick but verifying all absences for possible follow-up by the District Nurse or school health office staff. HUSD also offered at-home COVID-19 test kits to each family as they checked in upon arrival.

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Kindergarten students met family members at the Soboba Sports Complex on the first day, Pre-K boys and girls celebrated second and the final day was reserved for the Preschool and Jr. Preschool kids and their family members.

Each family got a table with at least six chairs to enjoy the individually boxed turkey lunch with all the fixings. Tables filled with sweet treats such as pumpkin pies, cookies and cupcakes were available for anyone that wanted to top off their filling meal.

“We set up 25 tables about 10-feet apart each day, for safety reasons,” Post said. “We went with pre-packaged meals instead of a buffet that included everything, right down to the cranberry sauce.”

Aside from the tasty lunch and spending time together, the students treated guests to seasonal songs they had learned. On Nov. 16, the pre-kindergartners sang, “Thanksgiving Time is Here,” “Hello, Mr. Turkey, How Are You?” and more. The songs incorporated their classroom lessons about fall colors of red, yellow and brown. Each of the children had made a turkey hat in class and many wore them to the event. They also created a colorful turkey art project using their own handprint. Photo opportunities were offered with a fall-themed background set up in the lobby.

The Nevarez family got to enjoy the fun twice as five-year-old Charlie Mae Hunter had her special day on Nov. 16 and her sister, Penny Jo Hunter, 3, was invited the next day. Charlie Mae’s favorite part of the day was singing. Their mother, Emma Nevarez, said last year she had three children attending the preschool but her eldest daughter, Betsy Lou, graduated from kindergarten in June.

“I love our preschool,” Emma said. “I think the staff is great; they always go over and beyond.”

The girls’ grandfather, Mike Nevarez, said. “I love that in these times when we still need to be able to celebrate, we are given this opportunity to do so. It was also nice being served lunch by the preschool’s director, Mr. Post.” Brooklyn Goseyun, 5, started at the school this year. Her mom, Jaymie, said she loves the school because it’s culturally appropriate and teaches the students many different things. “The events they plan are good for the kids,” she said.

Yolanda Valdez was enjoying spending time with her grandsons. Luciano Marquez, 5 is a pre-kindergartner and his four-year-old brother Eric was set to attend the event the next day. Younger brother, Malakai, 2, hasn’t started at the preschool yet.

Their mother, Daylena Bentiste, said she likes the teachers and the fact the school helps the kids get involved with their tribe. “They need to know about their heritage, it’s important for them to know,” she said. Bentiste said she knew the words to all the songs her children performed because the boys practiced all the time at home. She said they enjoyed that part the most.

Jena Davis, 4, has been at the preschool for two years. Her mother, Julie Resvaloso, said attending class online during the pandemic was difficult and this is her daughter’s first year of physically being in a classroom. “I’m always excited for her school events,” she said. “And I thought the food was delicious, especially the turkey.” Students will be out of school an entire week for the Thanksgiving holiday and will get a two-week break starting on Dec. 20. The school is planning a similar three-day Christmas celebration for its 65 students prior to their winter vacation.

Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians

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SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom has left the state with his family for a trip to Mexico during Thanksgiving.

The Governor’s Office announced the trip on Monday hours after Newsom held a news conference at a vaccine clinic in San Francisco.

Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis will act as governor while Newsom is out of the state, as required by the state constitution. This is why the Governor’s Office usually announces anytime Newsom leaves the state, even if just for a few hours.

That’s one reason why Newsom was widely criticized earlier this month for not disclosing his whereabouts for more than a week. Newsom had been scheduled to attend an international climate conference in Scotland. But he withdrew at the last minute, citing “family obligations.”

That marked a 12-day stretch where Newsom held no public events. His office would not say where he was or what he was doing for most of that time.

Newsom later said he had canceled his trip so he could take his four young children trick or treating on Halloween. He said he worked in his office at the Capitol during that time, expressing surprise that critics had wondered where he was.

The Governor’s Office said Newsom will return to California on Sunday.

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Americans returning from Thanksgiving break faced strict new coronavirus measures around the country Monday as health officials brace for a disastrous worsening of the nationwide surge because of holiday gatherings over the long weekend.

Los Angeles County imposed a stay-at-home order for its 10 million residents, and Santa Clara County, in the heart of Silicon Valley, banned high school, college and professional sports and decreed a quarantine for those who have traveled more than 150 miles outside the county.

In Hawaii, the mayor of Hawaii County said trans-Pacific travelers arriving without a negative COVID-19 test must quarantine for 14 days, and even those who have tested virus-free may be randomly selected for another test upon arrival. New Jersey is suspending all youth sports.

“The red flags are flying in terms of the trajectory in our projections of growth,” said California Gov. Gavin Newsom. “If these trends continue, we’re going to have to take much more dramatic, arguably drastic, action.”

Health experts had pleaded with Americans to stay home over Thanksgiving and not gather with anyone who didn’t live with them. Nevertheless, almost 1.2 million people passed through U.S. airports Sunday, the most since the pandemic gripped the country in March, and others took to the highways to be with family and friends.

Now they’re being urged to watch for any signs of illness and get tested right away if they experience symptoms.

Some families are already seeing the fallout from Thanksgiving gatherings.

Jonathan Eshnaur lugged his 32-inch TV to a Thanksgiving Day family gathering at his sister’s home in Olathe, Kansas, so he could watch football outside. He wore a mask and only went into her house for the prayer and to use the bathroom.

His father began feeling terrible that day and tested positive the next. His mother now is showing symptoms, and six others were exposed.

“I think we all have a tendency to think it won’t happen to me,” said Eshnaur, a 34-year-old special education teacher. “But that is kind of the issue with these kinds of viruses is it does happen, especially when we have widespread community spread that is going on.”

Priya Patel, 24, is isolating at her parents’ home in San Antonio after visiting friends over the weekend and coming down with a sore throat.

Patel, who works in public health in New York City, said she had been careful, wearing masks in public and staying out of restaurants and bars. But she spent time at a friend’s home in Texas over Thanksgiving.

“I’m an extremely extroverted person, and there is just so much time I can spend with my parents at home,” said Patel, who will stay away from her parents, both of whom have preexisting medical conditions, and wear a mask inside their home for the next 14 days.

Health officials are urging people to remain vigilant until a vaccine becomes widely available, which is not expected to happen for at least a few months.

On Monday, Moderna Inc. said it will ask U.S. and European regulators to allow emergency use of its COVID-19 vaccine as new study results confirm the shots offer strong protection. Pfizer is also seeking approval for its vaccine and hopes to begin administering shots in the U.S. in December.

The virus is blamed for over 267,000 deaths and more than 13.4 million confirmed infections in the U.S. The country on average is seeing more than 160,000 new cases per day and over 1,400 deaths — a toll on par with what the nation witnessed in mid-May, when New York City was the epicenter.

A record 90,000 people were in the hospital with the virus in the U.S. as of Sunday, pushing many medical institutions to the limit.

West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice said hospitals across the state will reduce elective surgeries to ensure there is room for coronavirus patients. The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 jumped 29% in the past week. In Kansas City, Kansas, hospital and nursing officials said they fear there will not be enough nurses to staff new hospital beds in the metro area if COVID-19 cases continue unchecked. Health officials on Monday added 4,425 confirmed infections and 87 hospitalizations to the state’s pandemic tally since Friday.

Rhode Island’s hospitals reached their COVID-19 capacity on Monday, the same day the state’s two-week pause took effect. Under restrictions announced by Gov. Gina Raimondo, some businesses will be required to shut down, while others are restricted. Residents are also asked to limit their social circles to people in their household.

“This will not be easy, but I am pleading with you to take it seriously,” Raimondo said in a statement.

In suburban St. Louis, a hospital official warned that hospitalizations could double in two to three weeks if people don’t quarantine after Thanksgiving gatherings. SSM Health DePaul Hospital in Bridgeton, Missouri, last week brought in a morgue trailer to store the dead, canceled elective surgeries and doubled up patients in rooms.

“We will be absolutely overwhelmed,” said Shelly Cordum, vice president of patient care services and chief nursing officer. “I can’t even imagine what we are going to be facing in three weeks if we stay on this path.”

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the government’s foremost infectious-disease expert, warned on ABC over the weekend that the country could see a “surge upon surge” of infections tied to Thanksgiving. And White House corononavirus task force coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx told CBS that people who traveled should “assume that you were exposed and you became infected,” and get tested if they experience symptoms.

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Soboba Foundation President Dondi Silvas was one of many volunteers at the two events, held on Nov. 20 and Nov. 21. She was thankful for all the other volunteers that showed up to help make both days a huge success.

“For me personally, being able to hand out Thanksgiving dinners to families in our valley has truly been a humbling experience,” she said. “2020 has been crazy and everyone has experienced difficult times but seeing the gratitude on the faces of families receiving these Thanksgiving dinners was such a blessing. I want to give a special thank you to Soboba’s Sponsorship Coordinator Andrew Vallejos and the Food and Beverage team at the Soboba Casino Resort plus a huge shoutout to Sysco Foods for working diligently on our request to help make Soboba Foundation’s dream a reality.”

The meal box pickups began at 1 p.m. on Nov. 20 at the Hemet Unified School District office as previously identified families who were given vouchers lined up to drive through and receive their meal boxes that contained cans of yams, cranberry sauce, corn, green beans and gravy. Dinner rolls and bags of cornbread stuffing mix filled out the pre-packaged boxes. Frozen items were delivered to pallets as the event began so that each family also received a 22-pound turkey, a bag of seasoned mashed potatoes and a pumpkin pie.

Soboba Tribal Council Sergeant at arms Daniel Valdez stayed busy loading meal boxes into trunks and trucks for Hemet families during the four-hour giveaway.

“I love that Soboba gives back as much as it does – it’s great to help out the community,” he said.

Although Vince Record works at SJUSD, he volunteered to work traffic control during HUSD’s drive-thru event. He is the current chairman of Hemet San Jacinto Chamber of Commerce, which supports both districts and businesses within both cities. About five other chamber board members volunteered at both events.

“We appreciate the generosity of Soboba and we are happy to do what we can to help – it’s a worthy cause,” he said.

Miriam Ortiz, a Parent Engagement Specialist at HUSD, said most school sites have parent liaisons who were able to identify their neediest families. Despite distance learning being in place, staff has done what it can to stay in touch with students.

“For people in my type of role, it’s heartbreaking not to be able to connect families to resources,” she said. “That’s why today is so important. We have had to say ‘no’ so many times this year it’s exciting to be able to say ‘yes’ to something for them.”

Ortiz said more than 900 turkey meal boxes were prepared to give out to families with students at the Hemet-area schools and that HUSD’s nutrition services staff delivered 50 meal boxes to outlying schools in Idyllwild and Anza.

“We are extremely grateful for the generous donation that we received from the Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians Foundation, our community partners that served as volunteers, and all of the HUSD staff that made this joyful event possible,” she said.

Working with local agencies, the Soboba Foundation was also able to donate meal boxes to needy families that don’t have children attending schools in either district. Churches and other nonprofits were able to identify people who are struggling and were grateful to be included. Valley Community Pantry Executive Director Jim Lineberger said he was surprised and excited to receive the complete meal boxes. He said that because of COVID his agency did not receive an expected 175 turkeys, so this donation was a real blessing. He said the 250 meals were primarily given to people whose businesses were affected by COVID, such as cooks, waitresses and waiters currently not able to work.

“Soboba has always been one of the largest supporters of our organization,” Lineberger said. “They always seem to come through when sometimes we feel nothing will happen this year. We love the long partnership and not just what they do for us, but for this entire valley.”

The following day, a drive-thru event was held at San Jacinto High School. Cars were greeted by SJUSD staff with festive signs as they drove in front of the Soboba Aquatic Center to redeem vouchers provided to the students’ families. The parking lot was set up in an assembly line fashion, starting with an empty box that was wheeled on a cart to each stop to have one of the “trimmings” added. About 150 volunteers turned out to assist in the process and greet families as they drove through the line while upbeat music played from loudspeakers.

Riverside County Sheriff’s Captain Leonard Purvis said he felt the giveaways were an excellent way for the communities to come together for something positive.

“I’m so happy to see all the smiles as the vehicles pull up,” he said. “This is the real deal. Soboba doesn’t just donate – they are not shy about getting in and digging deep with everyone chipping in. There are Tribal Council members here and some from the Soboba Foundation – it’s amazing.”

Soboba Tribal Council Chairman Isaiah Vivanco said last year only turkeys were given away.

“We had this idea that with everything going on this year, we wanted to make a bigger difference in the community and provide entire Thanksgiving meals,” he said. “We worked in partnership with the cities and school districts like we’ve done in the past – it’s just bigger than before. It’s awesome that we have all this support here.”

Tribal Council Secretary Monica Herrera said she was happy to help out for such a good cause and felt the logistics were well thought out, allowing hundreds of vehicles to move through the lines quickly and efficiently.

“Soboba is always there to help out the community – it’s great,” San Jacinto Deputy City Manager Tom Prill said as he added dinner rolls to the passing meal boxes.

A mom whose child attends an SJUSD school contacted school board member Jasmin Rubio to share her gratitude.

“I was so beyond touched by this act of kindness,” the young mother wrote. “I was in tears by the time they were loading up my car. I was truly blessed, as was my family. I felt so loved; it made my heart so glad. I can’t thank Soboba and the school district for everything they did. It truly meant the world to us. We all miss normal, but my heart was filled today.”

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From California to Pennsylvania, governors and mayors across the U.S. are ratcheting up COVID-19 restrictions amid the record-shattering resurgence of the virus that is all but certain to get worse because of holiday travel and family gatherings over Thanksgiving.

Leaders are closing businesses or curtailing hours and other operations, and they are ordering or imploring people to stay home and keep their distance from others to help stem a rising tide of infections that threatens to overwhelm the health care system.

“I must again pull back the reins,” New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said Monday as he restricted indoor gatherings to 10 people, down from 25. “It gives me no joy.”

California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced he is pulling the “emergency brake” on efforts to reopen the economy, saying the state is experiencing the fastest growth in cases yet, and if left unchecked, it will lead to “catastrophic outcomes.” The move closes many nonessential indoor businesses and requires the wearing of masks outside homes, with limited exceptions.

The tightening came as Moderna Inc. announced that its experimental coronavirus vaccine appears to be over 94% effective, based on early results. A week ago Pfizer disclosed similar findings with its own formula.

The news raised hopes that at least two vaccines against the scourge could win emergency authorization and become available in the U.S. before the end of 2020.

A record-breaking nearly 70,000 people were hospitalized with the coronavirus in the U.S. as of Sunday, 13,000 more than a week earlier, according to the COVID Tracking Project. Deaths in the U.S. are running at more than 1,100 per day on average, an increase of over 50% from early October.

The virus is blamed for more than 246,000 deaths and over 11 million confirmed infections in the the U.S.

Thanksgiving was on the minds of leaders nationwide as they enacted tougher restrictions amid fears that the holiday will lead to more infections.

“We don’t really want to see mamaw at Thanksgiving and bury her by Christmas,” Dr. Mark Horne, president of the Mississippi State Medical Association, said as the governor expanded a mask mandate to more counties Monday. “It’s going to happen. You’re going to say ‘Hi’ at Thanksgiving, ‘It was so great to see you,’ and you’re going to either be visiting by FaceTime in the ICU or planning a small funeral before Christmas.”

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s stay-at-home order went into effect Monday. Only essential businesses, including grocery stores and pharmacies, will be open.

Washington’s Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee ordered gyms, bowling alleys, movie theaters, museums and zoos to shut down indoor operations. Stores must limit capacity to 25%.

People from different households will be barred in Washington from gathering indoors unless they have quarantined. There is no enforcement mechanism. Inslee said he hopes people obey anyway.

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot called on residents in the nation’s third-largest city to restrict social gatherings to 10 people starting Monday. In instructions that were advisory, not mandatory, she urged residents to stay home except for essential activities, like going to work or grocery shopping.

Philadelphia banned all indoor dining at restaurants and indoor gatherings of any size, public or private, of people from different households, starting this Friday.

In Michigan, Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer warned she has the authority to issue a second stay-at-home order to curb the spiking coronavirus if necessary and said it was “incredibly reckless” for President Donald Trump’s science adviser Scott Atlas to urge people to “rise up” against Michigan’s latest restrictions.

Over the weekend, Whitmer announced that Michigan high schools and colleges must halt in-person classes, restaurants must stop indoor dining and entertainment businesses must close for three weeks. Gathering sizes also will be tightened.

Fourteen men were charged earlier this fall in an alleged plot to kidnap the governor in anger over her COVID-19 restrictions.

Atlas later tweeted that he “NEVER” would endorse or incite violence.

Even North Dakota Republican Gov. Doug Burgum, who has resisted a mask mandate for months, put one in place over the weekend, amid a severe outbreak in the state.

Still, several other GOP governors were taking incremental steps, or resisting even those — continuing to emphasize “personal responsibility” rather than government edicts. Oklahoma’s Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt announced bars and restaurants must space tables 6 feet apart and end in-person service at 11 p.m.

In hard-hit South Dakota, Gov. Kristi Noem continued her hands-off approach and resisted a mask mandate or other restrictions.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott in recent days has been emphasizing that new treatments and vaccines are expected to become available soon.

Vice President Mike Pence sounded an upbeat tone Monday on a call with governors, saying that the government is ready to help states where hospitals are nearing capacity and emphasizing that vaccines are coming.

“America has never been more prepared to combat this virus,” he said.

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Thanksgiving is nearly here and I must say, it’s my favorite time of year. There is something really special about dedicating a day to giving thanks,  getting together and dining with your nearest and dearest. 

My family has some really unique traditions, started by my mom when I was a child.  I will definitely pass them on to my daughter. The first is that our place card is a small gift bag with our name on it. The contents of the bag are the same every year: a Christmas ornament for the tree. My mother goes to great lengths to sum up the entire year in a single, perfect ornament. I have some ornaments that are cats, some that are artist pallets…baked goods, suitcases from traveling etc. 

Essentially, whatever I was interested in that year was memorialized in an ornament. When I was younger, I thought it was cute and sweet but other than that, I never really thought much of it. 

When I moved out on my own, and celebrated my first Christmas in our new house, my mom showed up with a box. It had 26 Christmas ornaments at the time, chronicling my entire life, and it was the best housewarming gift I received.  I was so excited to get a tree and hang all my ornaments that first Christmas. I have already started doing this for my daughter, and one day, I will show up at her house with a box just like my mom did for me. 

After we open our ornaments, we take turns telling each other what we are grateful for, and then we dive into the traditional meal with all the sides.  Yours truly makes the dessert. This year I am making my mom her own mince meat pie; a pumpkin-custard pie for my sister and myself, and an apple pie for Jake, my other half. 

There’s really something magical about a room full of loved ones getting together and eating together, and, if you are anything like me,  you eat one or two plates too many.  If you need it, I have a fabulous remedy to settle your tummy after a big meal. 

Turkey day Tonic:

Brew your favorite chamomile tea

Add a squeeze of lemon 

Add a pinch of ground ginger  (Fresh ginger is an amazing touch)

A little bit of sugar to taste                                                                                                                                                                      
Add the sugar, lemon and ginger to taste.  Slowly sip and enjoy your settled stomach, then go for a nice evening stroll and you should digest your meal.  Then you’ll have room for dessert!

Do you have any unique Thanksgiving traditions? Email them to me; I would love to read about your own family traditions, recipes…and remedies!

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We who enjoy the right to live in freedom in the greatest state of the greatest country in the world, sometimes believe that if it isn’t happening to us, it just isn’t happening. Yes, we know all about the Pilgrims and Plymouth Rock…but just once maybe we might consider what the rest of the world finds worthy of being thankful for. Times change. Wars and political settlements change borders.  Let us not forget historical and generational changes as well. The latter is something of which my son constantly keeps me informed.

The where, what and why of holidays and the reasons for which we celebrate them also change. For instance, our Thanksgiving Day has basically been celebrated on the fourth Thursday of the November. Now it is situated so the country can take an extra day off. Friday after Thanksgiving used to be the day we recovered from the over-stuffing we did the day before.. Today that Friday is called, “Black Friday,” which has nothing to do with boiling cauldrons or witches. Instead, it becomes a time for folks to abandon home and hearth to do their discount Christmas Shopping. Black is hardly the color of the event. Stores are stacked from floor to ceiling with bright blinking lights. Folks prod and shove, while carelessly knocking over other shoppers to get their hands on that last television that is priced 50% off “for today only!!”

We are like herds of disoriented bison racing across the prairies, destroying everything in sight. Racing to where? Just to get “there.” We have been led to believe that nobody in the world has anything to be thankful for except us, but hold on a second or two.. Thanksgiving is celebrated around the world for various reasons, so let’s take a look.

According to Wikipedia, a dozen other countries celebrate some type of “Thanksgiving Day.”
AUSTRALIA: : American sailing ships brought the holiday to Norfolk Island where it is celebrated the day before the last Thursday in October, or a month before our observance.
UNITED KINGDOM: Unlike the United States, there is no set date. Traditionally held on or near the Sunday of the harvest moon that occurs nearest to the autumnal equinox, where it has roots going back to the Saxons where wheat and other grains were offered to fertility gods. At reaping time communities came together to celebrate with a harvest supper. When Christianity came to the country, the observance was continued. Today it is celebrated in churches and schools from late September into early October, where food is collected and donated to local charities. 

JAPAN: Labor Thanksgiving Day is a national holiday, celebrated on November 23rd. Again, American influence during the occupation, following World War II, encouraged the holiday, although it has roots in an ancient Shinto ceremony.
JUDAISM: Reform Judaism does not ban Thanksgiving because it is considered secular, not religious.

SAINT LUCIA: Celebrated on the first Monday in October, it has no known foundation.
PHILIPPINES: The Philippines became an American territory following the Spanish/American War of 1898 and continued until 1946 when they were granted autonomy at the end of World War II. During the Japanese occupation both Filipinos and Americans there celebrated Thanksgiving secretly. During the years of martial law it was also secretly observed. It returned during the presidency of Ferdinand Marcos. After his ouster in 1986, the tradition disappeared. Since 2001 it has been revived among workers employed by American employers.

THE NETHERLANDS: A non-denominational Thanksgiving Day service is held each year on the morning of the American Thanksgiving Day at a Gothic church in Leiden, noting the hospitality the Pilgrims received in Leiden on their way to the New World. 
Orthodox Protestant churches celebrate it on the first Wednesday in November, although it is not a public holiday.

LIBERIA: Thanksgiving occurs on the first Thursday in November, celebrating the 1820 colonization of freed black slaves from the United States.
GRENADA: Celebrated on October 25th, this holiday has no relationship to the Canadian and American traditions, although it is celebrated during the same time period. It actually marks the anniversary of the U.S. invasion of the island in 1983.
CANADA: Celebrated on the second Monday in October to give thanks to the end of harvesting. There are some religious ceremonies but mostly this is a secular event and is a statutory holiday throughout the country with the exception of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. 

CHINA: In China they celebrate an “August Moon” festival, which falls on the 15th day of 8th lunar month of the Chinese Calendar. It is traditionally believed that when the moon is brightest, lovers speak out their heart to each other, and that women are similes to warm and compassionate virtues and own the gift of fertility, the same as mother earth.
BRAZIL: Quite similar to the American Thanksgiving. An Ambassador of Brazil, on a visit to the United States, was taken by the humbleness of our Thanksgiving and took it back to his country where it is celebrated as an expression of gratitude to Almighty for an enormous harvest.

(Thanksgiving around the world)

SOUTH KOREA: Their Thanksgiving, known as Chu-Sok begins on the 14th night of August and continues for 3 days. Prior to the evening meal, the family gathers in moonlight in remembrance of ancestors and forefathers. Children are garbed in long-prescribed dress, dancing a circle with the inherent desire of being blessed.

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Now to the Thanksgiving roots we so delightfully celebrate as though our world was discovered in tact, with Macy’s and Saks Fifth Avenue sitting down there on Manhattan Island waiting for our business. That’s no where near what happened and all the happy greeting at Plymouth Rock did not exactly happen that way.
The Indians were not down at the docks welcoming the straggling mess of civilization that came ashore near Plymouth Rock. Most passengers and crew were suffering from exposure, malnutrition, scurvy and numerous other contagious diseases. Only half of the original crew that boarded the Mayflower in England actually reached the New World. The rest died at sea where there remains were fed to the depths of the Atlantic Ocean.

The passengers and crew aboard the Mayflower were mostly members of the English Separatist Church who took shelter in the Netherlands. Their adventure into the New World was designed to seek a better future. They were destined from the beginning to encounter failure. The weather only worsened the disaster-in-the-making. That anyone survived was a miracle. One Abenaki Indian greeted the Pilgrims in English (much to the surprise of everyone involved).
He then departed , returning several days later with Squanto, from the Pawtuxet Tribe who was later sold in slavery to an English sea captain: some reward to the man who saved the straggling adventurers.

Despite his own situation, Squanto became a teacher to these strangers from across the water. He taught them much about their new habitat: how to cultivate corn, make syrup from the sap of maple trees, fish the Massachusetts rivers, and avoid poisonous plants.
Squanto became a mediator between the various tribes and their new visitors, uniting them with the native Americans. Of the various tribes in the area, the Wampanoags tribe is one of only a few who kept a peaceful relationship with their European invaders over the years.
So how did our Thanksgiving come about? We probably learned the basics in kindergarten, but today most have only a general idea. 
In November 1621, the colonial Governor William Bradford organized a feast to thank the Native American hosts for their kindness. Ninety-one Native Americans joined them for the occasion.

We know, from historical documents, that it was a three-day celebration that featured fowl (probably wild turkeys) and five deer that were brought to the feast by the Wampanoags.
They were celebrating the first year of survival with their benefactors. There is no place that I can find where pumpkin pie was part of the deal, nor cranberries-both of which are now a necessary part of the feast.

Thanksgiving in America became an irregular event, randomly celebrated. It was not until Franklin Roosevelt became president that it became a national holiday. He declared that it should be celebrated one week prior to the next to last Thursday in November. There was an uproar in political circles. In 1941, sanctioned as a legal holiday by Congress, it was passed that Thanksgiving would be a legal holiday on the fourth Thursday in November. A tradition was born.

I have also come upon something else about Thanksgiving, generally not known: we believe that the first Thanksgiving was the one that was celebrated by the Mayflower survivors. Not true. Thanksgiving Day was celebrated on September 8, 1565 in St. Augustine, Florida, the oldest permanent settlement in North America, when Pedro Menendez de Aviles and his men shared a feast with the natives, more than fifty years before Plymouth Rock. 

At the beginning of this story I spoke of changes. Over the years, our traditional Thanksgiving has taken on additional reasons for its existence. Today, Thanksgiving isn’t just about turkey and all the trimmings: charity and giving has emerged as a cause. Football games and parades have become focused on pretty much everything but the Mayflower crowd. Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, with all its Disney balloon characters and other commercial floats, is an introduction to Christmas shopping. Turkey Day has become a celebration of commercialism just like every other American holiday. The Mayflower and its sickly passengers have passed into oblivion. Yes, time changes things. Yes, time marches on…but has it ever occurred to us that maybe we are out of step with the music that time plays? Just sayin’
rustystrait@gmail.com

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Greetings From The Hemet Car Guy!

At some point we’ve all been tasked with the thankless Thanksgiving job of holding a hot casserole dish on our laps while the family drives to Grandmother’s house. And how about getting all those leftovers home after Thanksgiving dinner? While Auntie May’s pumpkin pie may seem perfectly pleasant perched atop a lace doily on the dining-room table, it can become a dangerous projectile if not secured properly in the car.

A study of children involved in car crashes conducted by Intel Corp. and the University of California-Irvine revealed some alarming statistics:

• Of the more than 12,500 children injured by an item inside the car during a crash, at least 3,000 collided with unrestrained objects, a passenger or both.

• “Unrestrained cargo may even cause death in a frontal crash by striking an occupant’s seatback.”

• “Loose objects [in the car] can become lethal … even in emergency braking.”

• To help out you and your family this Thanksgiving, I selflessly volunteered to indulge in some early holiday grub and experiment to find the best techniques to safely and cleanly transport your holiday feast favorites in the car.  You can thank me later.

Casserole Dishes:

Piping-hot casserole dishes can literally be a pain to the person in the car holding them in their lap. The heat from the dish itself can burn your spouse’s lap—not to mention the damage that could occur if it spills and your hubby is left with 350-degree green-bean casserole drippings on his, well, lap. Placing the casserole dish on the floor rather than on someone’s lap isn’t much better. Do you really want to be cleaning oyster stuffing out of your car’s carpet and floormats for the next three months?

Instead, invest in a travel casserole dish. I purchased one from Target recently for just $14. It comes with a Pyrex casserole dish, a rubber lid, a microwaveable gel pouch to help keep the goodies hot on the road, and an insulated carrying case. If you’re doing double duty and bringing the sweet potatoes as well as the stuffing, this double-decker expandable casserole hauler from Rachael Ray might work wonders for you.

You don’t, however, want your travel casserole dish to be sitting loose on the car’s floor. If you have to brake quickly to avoid another holiday road warrior, the casserole dish could become a danger to your passengers.

Instead, try securing your travel casserole dish in your car’s trunk, safely away from the passenger compartment. You can borrow a grippy drawer liner from your silverware drawer to help keep the travel casserole dish from sliding around.

If you don’t have a travel casserole dish and don’t want to invest in one, you can use a casserole dish with a lid and secure the lid with two rubber bands. This can then be secured inside a tote basket or laundry basket lined with towels. The basket can be stashed snugly on the floor behind the driver’s seat or better yet, secured in your car’s cargo space using a few bungee cords and the tie-down anchor points in the cargo floor. If the dish happens to leak during transport, the towels will soak up any messes. If you don’t have a leak, your kids can roll the towels up after dinner and use them as pillows on the drive home to sleep off that turkey-induced fog.

Slow Cookers:

By some estimates, something weighing just 20 pounds (read: a fully loaded slow cooker) can hit a person with 600 pounds of force if involved in a crash while the car is moving at just 35 mph. Slow cookers with locking lids are the surefire option for transporting food in the car and will help keep any leaks or spills from getting on your car’s upholstery. Try this one, which has the added benefit of a travel temperature gauge.

Again, you ideally want to keep slow cookers out of the passenger compartment. If that’s not feasible, use the laundry basket technique described above.

Portable 12-Volt Heater/Coolers:

If you’re serious about keeping your sweet potatoes at the perfect temperature while on the road, a portable 12-volt heater/cooler is the way to go. This plugs into the 12-volt outlet in your car, can be switched to heat or cool, and keeps your marshmallow-crusted sweet-potato puree inside it at a consistent 140 degrees. While you’re limited as to where you can secure it in the car based on where the outlet is located, you still want to secure it safely. Again, getting creative with bungee cords is a great option.

Pies:

If I had my way, we’d skip right to the pumpkin pie at any family celebration. I’ve inherited the role of pie baker from my late father, and nothing but the best will do for transporting the star of the holiday show to my brother’s house for our family dinner. Give this insulated pie carrier from eBags a go. Bonus: It comes in several cute prints and colors to liven things up. To transport multiple pies, try stacking your pies on the tiers of a bamboo steamer as suggested by Bon Appetit.

Just to reiterate: You don’t want a pie to hit you in the back of the head if you get in a crash, so secure it in the trunk. Use the grippy-drawer-liner technique to keep your pie carrier from sliding around, or better yet, stash it in the laundry basket next to your casserole.

All Those Yummy Leftovers:

If you’re going to take some goodies home, come prepared and arrive with your own plastic storage containers and zippered plastic bags. Pack a load of disposable plastic containers in a reusable waterproof shopping tote. Then you can pack the containers to the brim and have a convenient tote at the ready to carry them to the car.

Use the bungee-secured laundry basket you used earlier to transport your pie and casserole dish to dinner to get your leftovers home.

If you have any additional tips or suggestions for keeping your car clean and your passengers safe while transporting Thanksgiving Day food on the road, share them with us in the comment section below. If we don’t reply right away, we’re stuffing our faces (in the name of journalistic integrity) with pumpkin pie.

Have a Happy and safe Thanksgiving,

•The Hemet Car Guy

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