Happy Thanksgiving & Ways to Help Feed the World

I want to wish everyone Happy Thanksgiving! Whether or not you are officially celebrating the holiday, I hope your day is a healthy and happy one and that you have a chance to reflect on whatever you are thankful for. I know I have much to be grateful for--a loving and supportive family, wonderful friends--near, far, and virtual, ;-) and the ability to take the time to focus on growing myself, my education and my life over the past year. Finally, I am thankful today for something I often take for granted, the fact that I have more than enough good food to eat. Unfortunately that is not something everyone in the world has the advantage of--in fact, over a billion people will not get enough to eat this year which is more than the populations of the United States, Canada and the European Union. That total includes the 66 million children who go to school hungry everyday. It can be depressing to think about, but empowering too as there are some small, easy things we can all do to help. For me since money isn't coming in quite as much or regularly as when I was working full time, I look for little ways to help that I can spread out over the month.

A Few Ways I Have Found to Help:

• Do a pantry sweep, putting together a bag of canned goods from your pantry to donate to your local food bank. (The top five things they need: canned meats or tuna, canned meals, canned soups, canned vegetables and canned fruits).

• Keep a grocery bag in your car and buy a few cans of on-sale food or non-perishable items each time you go to the store. When the bag is full, take it to your local food bank.

• Donate small amounts, like that spare change that collects in bags and pockets to charities that help provide food and shelter those in need. A few of the stores here have a tag at the register to donate a set amount to the local food bank--an easy way to give. Each time I go to the store I grab a $2.81 tag which feeds a child breakfast for a week, but is a small impact on my grocery bill.

• Volunteer a few hours of your time to help out at the food bank or with local programs that feed the hungry.

• If you know someone who needs help, cook a meal for them or buy them a bag of groceries.

These are things that I have found that don't cost a lot individually but added up, they go a long way and can have a big impact on helping feed those in need.

Another thing you can do to help feed and nourish children around the world--buy a copy (or copies) of "The BloggerAid Cook Book". This terrific cookbook, pulls together the delicious recipes of food bloggers from all over the world (it's about 224 pages with 140 recipes from 60 countries) and 100% of the proceeds target children and education through the World Food Programme: School Meals.

Click here for The BloggerAid Cook Book

The BloggerAid Changing the Face of Famine group that put this awesome book together did a lot of hard work compiling recipes, testing, editing and pulling it all together to offer the book for sale before the holidays which really shows how food and caring for others can unite the world. The book is full of delectable recipes such as Tomato-Cheese Ravioli with Eggplant Sauce, Spicy Serundeng Tuna and Peanuts, Serrano Ham Paella with Oyster Mushrooms, Raspberry Mascarpone Bites and Triple Layer Orange-Passion Fruit Tart, (As well as the recipe for a certain delicious, healthy Curried Quinoa Salad with Cranberries and Toasted Almonds that I am pretty partial to and that wins raves and recipe requests wherever I take it!) ;-)

The cookbook is on sale through Create Space, an offshoot of Amazon.com--so follow the link below the picture of the cover to get there. (you won't be able to find it on Amazon.com itself as the royalties are lower at Create Space which means more money to feed the children). My books are on order and should be arriving soon--I can't wait!

So wherever this Thanksgiving Day finds you, I hope you enjoy it and enjoy the blessings of the season. Mahalo nui loa (thank you very much) for the friendship, fellowship and fun you all give me--I am truly grateful!

Aloha,