My first Thanksgiving that I cooked was a holiday disaster all around.  My upset stomach started hours before the guests arrived…and only got worse with the ‘helpful’ tips and suggestions from the guests who showed up two hours late. I darn near burned the turkey, forgot the giblets in the bird, and the stuffing went straight to the trash. It’s funny now but I was devastated! The leftovers were still amazing the rest of the weekend, especially without the family drama included after the guests left.  

Thankfully, I’ve had lots more practice cooking larger meals and have gotten pretty good at turkey roasting. (I won’t lie, the convection oven helps immensely with that!) But I have this tendency to overcook.  And over cook.  By over cook, I mean too much food for how many are at our table. Some part of me seems to think that since I descend from William Bradford (Mayflower genealogy, anyone?) that I need to prepare enough for all of the American Indians and Pilgrims plus their friends.  The difference for my foods is that I have more modern dishes and, well, my guests don’t stay for more than a day. I’ve done a twist on a well-known Apple Sage Stuffing for a while and everyone who eats it complains they eat too much of it…because they go back again and again. It’s just that good.  But it pairs really well with the turkey and the potatoes and the veggies and oh, gravy… so many things to enjoy for our bellies. We just can’t help but overindulge.

If you can’t make it through the daylong celebration of food, football and family- be thankful that you weren’t around for the first Thanksgiving. It lasted for three days. Three.  Full. Days. That celebration took place in the fall of 1621 in Plymouth Colony between European settlers and the Wampanoag Indians and it lasted three days. Talk about a food coma. (Livescience.com) Can I just say that again?  Three full days.  Of all the people in your house eating all of the things.

According to the National Turkey Federation, 88 percent of Americans have turkey on Thanksgiving. (Livescience.com)  (I know many folks in the other 12%, oddly). Many like ham instead!! Or a tofurkey. Or a roast.

 

Turkey consumption has increased 104% since 1970. (University of Illinois Extension)

 

Research has shown that people tend to gain about a pound each holiday season. (TIME)

You never know when something will taste so good you can’t put it down. And you KNOW Uncle Bob can’t stop once he starts eating Aunt Betty’s sweet potato casserole! Better be safe than sorry, so why not pack a bottle of Pepto Liquid with you when you attend Thanksgiving this year!?  You’ll be the most popular person there.

You never know when something will taste so good you can’t put it down. And you KNOW Uncle Bob can’t stop once he starts eating Aunt Betty’s sweet potato casserole! Better be safe than sorry, so why not pack a bottle of Pepto Liquid with you when you attend Thanksgiving this year!?  You’ll be the most popular person there.

I have some other Holiday Emergency Kit Essentials to avoid a holiday disaster for you today:

Deck of cards to keep the younger folks occupied? Check.

Pain reliever? Check.

Phone chargers? Check- for all kinds of phones and devices, of course.

Stain remover? Check.

Air Freshener for the bathroom? Check.  Twice. Don’t take risks unless you have to, my friends.

Gum? Mouthwash? Check, check.

Pepto-Bismol? Check. Bring it on Thanksgiving.

Listen, friends, if you’re dealing with any nausea, heartburn, indigestion, upset stomach, or diarrhea this Thanksgiving be sure to grab a bottle of Pepto Liquid. Symptoms caused by overly dramatic relatives
· Nausea
· Heartburn
· Indigestion
· Upset Stomach
· Diarrhea

Visit Pepto on Twitter for #PinkRelief tips! Pepto-Bismol is the only leading brand that can provide soothing relief for five different stomach symptoms: heartburn, indigestion, nausea, upset stomach and diarrhea.  Grab your $1 off Pepto-Bismol coupon here! 

Thanks to Pepto-Bismol for sponsoring today’s post on how to avoid a holiday disaster with a Holiday Emergency Kit!  Opinions are my own.