Loudouners Provide Meals to Needy

Good Shepherd Alliance, Loudoun Interfaith organize meals for Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving dinner will be a reality for hundreds of local families who are in need. Loudoun Interfaith Relief started distributing meals over the past weekend, according to Bonnie Inman, Executive Director of Loudoun Interfaith Relief. The organization collected enough Thanksgiving baskets for 2,000 dinners, which included everything to prepare a meal.  In addition, they collected gift cards so families could go out and purchase additional food for the meals, especially turkeys, which are more difficult to distribute due to space. “So far, we have distributed 1,100 meals and we will continue to distribute them until Wednesday afternoon,” Inman said. "We are meeting the current need, thanks to the generosity of the community.  We will be …

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Holiday Moderation Tips from Sport & Health

The senior vice president for the club, which has a location in Brambleton, offers advice to readers.

by Mitch Batkin Sport & Health Clubs’ Senior Vice President As the temperatures begin to drop and the snowfall piles, people tend to lose all motivation to eat healthy and keep their bodies moving. With Thanksgiving right around the corner, the holiday season is in full swing, which means we are hearing more, “Pass the mashed potatoes,” than, “I had the best workout today.” As anyone can tell you, people tend to gain weight around the holiday season. There is nothing wrong with enjoying oneself while celebrating this special season with loved ones, but there are steps that can be taken to avoid winter weight gain. I want to share these tips with readers in order to keep the holidays happy and healthy: Mind the food on your plate: …

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Happy Thanksgiving, Ashburn!

A bit of history and trivia about one of the nation's biggest holidays.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of our readers. Please enjoy some information and fun facts about Thanksgiving from the U.S. Census Bureau: In the fall of 1621, the Pilgrims, early settlers of Plymouth Colony, held a three-day feast to celebrate a bountiful harvest, an event many regard as the nation’s first Thanksgiving. Historians have also recorded ceremonies of thanks among other groups of European settlers in North America, including British colonists in Virginia in 1619. The legacy of thanks and the feast have survived the centuries and the event became a national holiday in 1863 when President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday of November as a national day of thanksgiving. Later, President Franklin Roosevelt clarified that …

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Mike's Musings

The Wondrous Cranberry Blob

Sometimes pleasing our children requires lowering our standards.

To me, Thanksgiving has always been a sumptuous feast. We always have the traditional turkey (as opposed to the turducken, which I refuse to eat on moral grounds) and an ample selection of sides to go along with it. We are not chefs, but my wife and I can cobble together a decent feast from Food Network recipes and the Betty Crocker cookbook. We like variety, albeit of a traditional sort. My daughter doesn’t care about variety. She likes cranberries. Recently we went online to find some cranberry recipes. “Perhaps you’d like to try Cranberry, Apple and Fresh Ginger Chutney?” we offered. “Or maybe a Cranberry-Pomegranate Terrine?” “That’s OK,” she responded. “I just want cranberries.” Of course, cranberries to her aren’t a thought-out …

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Happy Thanksgiving from Ashburn Patch!

'Turkey Day' by the numbers: The U.S. Census Bureau provides tidbits about the traditional feast

In the fall of 1621, the Pilgrims, early settlers of Plymouth Colony, held a three-day feast to celebrate a bountiful harvest, an event many regard as the nation's first Thanksgiving. Historians have also recorded ceremonies of thanks among other groups of European settlers in North America, including British colonists in Virginia in 1619. The legacy of thanks and the feast have survived the centuries, as the event became a national holiday in 1863 when President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday of November as a national day of thanksgiving. Later, President Franklin Roosevelt clarified that Thanksgiving should always be celebrated on the fourth Thursday of the month. 242 million The number of turkeys expected to be raised in …

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Thanksgiving Week: Get Out and Move Your Feet

Plan Ahead and Burn Some Pre-Feast Calories in a Local Charity Race; Lansdowne Race Registration Ends Today

The long weekend known as Thanksgiving may be better called the yearly calorie overindulgence. It begins with an all-day eating affair that revolves around mashed potatoes, stuffing, turkey and pie. From this point forward, the calories continue to flourish, with leftovers of cranberry sauce, green beans and desserts becoming a staple in lunches and snacks. It is difficult to avoid the dreaded weight gain during this season. No one wants to deprive themselves from the beloved family recipes, and guess what? You shouldn't have to. Moderation and movement is key to Thanksgiving week. Get yourself up and moving, try to make healthy choices and stick to proper portion sizes when it comes to leftovers. If you follow these suggestions, come Dec…

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Getting Out of the House

Thanksgiving Week: Keeping the Kids Entertained

Starting Friday, Numerous Family-Friendly Events In Ashburn to Keep the Young Ones Happy and Your Stress Levels Low

With the kids off from school all next week, you may be concerned about how to keep them entertained while getting yourself prepared for the Thanksgiving feast. Businesses around Loudoun County are aware of your apprehension and there are several events, beginning Friday, to keep kids entertained throughout the next week.

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