Happy ThanksLiving!

Our family practices gratitude throughout the year. Just as many of us use New Year's Day to revisit and reinvigorate our life goals, Thanksgiving can be a good time to refresh our commitment to being grateful in our lives.

The intention of Thanksgiving is to give thanks, yet for those of us who care about animals, Thanksgiving can be a sad day. Did you know that 45 million beautiful animals' lives are abruptly ended just for this one day?

To honor their lives, we celebrate with a delectable vegan spread complete with all the trimmings. Another of our beloved traditions is going to Animal Place's Thank the Turkeys where we feed the turkeys instead of eating them. Our family has enjoyed this event for many years and it's a wonderful way to express our compassion and love for animals.

Many other sanctuaries offer festivities for the turkeys too. If you have a farmed animal sanctuary nearby that does, be sure to go—you'll love it! And if not, you can sponsor or "adopt" a turkey at sanctuaries like Animal Place, Blackberry Creek Sanctuary, The Gentle Barn, Farm Sanctuary, and Woodstock Sanctuary.

In preparation for your ThanksLiving feast, here are some of my best holiday recipes that will thrill both vegans and even the most ardent omnivore at your gathering.

Enjoy and Happy ThanksLiving!

Photo credit: Allyson Kramer