Day 9: Thankful for a Bounty of Fresh Food

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Originally published November 9, 2019. Updated on November 9, 2022.

Thanks for joining us on Day 9 of the 30 Thankful Days Challenge. Today, we’ll ponder the wonder of food, glorious food!

Have you ever considered how far humans have come with food, and how truly awe-inspiring that is?

We started with ordinary plants and animals. Then came fire. Fire-grilled meats, vegetables, and fruits too! Something for everyone!

Science and Food?

Today, food is both a science and an art form.

How did humans instinctively know that certain food combinations just go together, not only for taste but to facilitate digestion and absorption of nutrients?

Did you know that when you cook spinach and serve it with olive oil and a splash of lemon, the fat from the oil, the minerals in the spinach, and the acid of the lemon all work in concert to help deliver nutrition, strength, and immune-boosting power to your body?

Bet your grandma didn’t know the science behind making a big pot of chicken soup, but she sure knew that it would help you get over your cold faster.

Culture and Food

How is it that cultures around the world, who were once separated by oceans from each other with the truly rare opportunity to venture to different continents, managed to create such similar types of foods as each other?

Think about it! Take pasta, for example. The Italian people created the ravioli. The Chinese people made the wonton. The Polish people claim the pierogi. And Jewish cooking boasts the kreplach. All very similar – a small pillow of smooth pasta, stuffed with savory meat or other delicious fillings. Yet, all slightly different from the next, with its own unique texture and contents of stuffing.

Here in America, we gather around the Thanksgiving table to celebrate the harvest, just as our ancient forefathers did.

This and every Thanksgiving, be thankful for the bounty of fresh food on your plate!

Day 9 JOURNAL EXERCISE: Give thanks for the food on your table.

Do you live to eat, or eat to live? Opinions on food can vary widely, but one thing is certain. On the whole, humans love to make food and eat it.

Write down your relationship with food. Is it love/hate? Do you eat when emotionally triggered?

What foods bring you comfort, and why?

If so, explore your feelings about food through writing.

Does food equate love for you? Living things nurture one another through feeding. Mothers nourish their young to sustain life.

Is there a certain special dish that evokes memories for you? What types of memories are they? Describe.

This Thanksgiving, if you plan to cook for your family… will food preparation be your drudgery? Or will you revel in it?

Remember all of the people whose lives are made happier when they eat the meals that you lovingly prepare especially for them.

Give thanks for the opportunity to pass on your legacy through treasured family recipes.

Give thanks for the chance to share special moments with loved ones, through the carefully prepared foods you serve each year at Thanksgiving dinner.

Free Journal

This is the free Workbook that goes along with the posts that you can download. It’s a perfect time to look at all the things we should be grateful for. Click below for the free journal..