Tag Archives: Thanksgiving

News Release: gThankYou Announces New Thanksgiving Enclosure Cards

Posted on November 1, 2011 by | Leave a comment

gThankYou announces new Thanksgiving Enclosure Cards.   These new Thanksgiving themed Enclosure Cards are customized with your personal message and Company Logo making your gThankYou! Certificate of Gratitude Gift memorable.

gThankYou! - Handprint Turkey

Turkey Handprint

“It’s the traditional time to give thanks to employees for their hard work and a job well done” says Rick Kiley, Chief ThankYou! Officer of gThankYou.  “American Employers have long celebrated the gratitude of the season by giving Thanksgiving Turkey to Employees and their families.  Employee engagement research has shown us, this makes employees feel valued and helps protect your bottom line”.

gThankYou! Gift Certificates offer company leaders a convenient way to recognize and reward workplace success during the Holiday season, or anytime you want to say “thank you”.   gThankYou! Certificates of Gratitude come in a variety of meaningful yet affordable varieties including: Turkey Gift Certificates, Ham Gift Certificates, Turkey or Ham Gift Certificates, Grocery Gift Certificates as well as other popular varieties.

gThankYou! Enclosure Cards are provided free with purchase of any variety of gThankYou! Gift Certificates.  What’s more, gThankYou! Enclosure Cards can be customized with your personal message and company logo.  And, nearly all orders ship same day.  You’ll find these new Enclosure Card designs plus other Thanksgiving Favorites on the gThankYou! website.

New Thanksgiving Themed Enclosure Cards:

gThankYou! - Autumn Cornucopia Picture

Autumn Cornucopia

gThankYou! - Chef Turkey

Chef Turkey

gThankYou! - Thanksgiving Blocks

Thanksgiving Blocks

gThankYou! - Cornucopia Border

Cornucopia Border

gThankYou! Enclosure Cards are available for all seasons and variety of occasions not just Thanksgiving; gThankYou also offers Winter and Holiday Enclosure Cards, Spring and Summer Enclosure Cards, and many More Enclosure Cards.

gThankYou! Gift Certificates are the ideal workplace gift and appreciated by all.  Share your Thanksgiving gratitude today!

About gThankYou

gThankYou! Turkey Gift Certificates are one of America’s favorite employee gifts.  gThankYou, LLC provides company leaders with easy, meaningful and affordable ways to recognize and reward employees, holiday time or anytime.  gThankYou! Certificates of Gratitude and Enclosure Cards are personalizable including incorporating your company logo, and ship same day.

gThankYou, LLC (www.gthankyou.com) is based in Madison, Wisconsin.  Contact:  Rick Kiley, Chief ThankYou! Officer, gThankYou, LLC at info@gthankyou.com or 888-484-1658.  Follow the Company Blog – “Celebrating Work”.  Watch our gThankYou! YouTube Video – “Learn More About Us”.

“G” logo and “Certificates of Gratitude” are trademarks and “gThankYou” is a registered trademark of gThankYou, LLC.

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Posted in * News Releases - gThankYou!, Autumn - Thanksgiving Cards, Enclosure Cards

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A Lesson in Appreciation

Posted on November 24, 2010 by | Leave a comment

Around Thanksgiving each year, teachers invariably urge students to talk and write about what they are Thankful for. (Insert groan here if you remember this exercise.)

This is not an easy task for child nor adult. So, it’s with utter amazement and heart-melting admiration that I learned this year about one 10-year-old child’s poignant expression of gratitude before his class this Thanksgiving.

When asked by his teacher to share what he appreciates, this kid thought and thought. Finally, he told classmates how he really is grateful for how his mom pours milk on his breakfast cereal every day.

What sounded trivial to him turned into a lengthy classroom discussion about how the little things we do for each other daily really add up to make a big difference. And his simple expression of Thanks became not so little anymore.

The simple truth is that small good things we do in our homes, communities and, yes, workplaces, every day add up in ways we probably don’t realize.

Another truth: Thanks is a powerful tool that pays big dividends when shared. It needn’t be a big gesture, either. (Even though I’m sure things like Snowplow Driver Appreciation Day marked this week in Wisconsin is nice, so is a well-worded note.)

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you from all of us at gThankYou.

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Posted in Fun with Gratitude, Gratitude, Thank You, Thank You Power, The Art of Thank You

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Down to Thanksgiving Details

Posted on November 23, 2010 by | Leave a comment

It can make or break a great Thanksgiving get-together, but often the details I leave to the last minute:  Appetizers and drinks to pair with the meal.

Should it be spiced nuts from my oven or an innovative cheese board? Crunchy crudité with snack mix or crackers with a delectable dip? And what wines and beers will tie the meals together?

For the nibbles, the New York Times’ Well blog once again comes to the rescue! This has become my go-to source for great Thanksgiving ideas this year. For appetizers, they solicited help from America’s Test Kitchen, the Boston media group  and obsessive recipe testers that produce the PBS show “America’s Test Kitchen,” publish cookbooks as well as Cooks Illustrated and Cook’s Country magazines. You may recognize ATC best from the appearances its founder and editor Christopher Kimball makes on National Public Radio and other venues this time of year.

Here’s some of their suggestions:

  • Spiced Almonds
  • Homemade Whole-wheat Pita Chips
  • Green Goddess and Moroccan Carrot dips

In addition, Madame Fromage (who really knows her cheese) offers Two Thanksgiving Cheese Boards.

As for libations, if you don’t have favorites of your own, the Daily Beast’s Hungry Beast offers some good pairing suggestions for various menu types. The Huffington Post also offers another good guide with its Picks from 10 Winemakers and Experts.

I’m going local and  seasonal this year with beer serving  a nice pumpkin ale along side a hard cider. These are beverages that people wouldn’t ordinarily drink at home, and hold up well to the bold flavors and colors of the harvest table If you’re looking for other beer ideas, Serious Eats offers some good tips on Thanksgiving brews.

Like I said, details matter. What will your guests nosh and sip this year?

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Posted in All Recipes

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Turkey Day Lists (and Apps) We Love

Posted on November 18, 2010 by | Leave a comment

At one week to Thanksgiving, I’m all about the list. Every year I rely on them to guide me through the process of planning and implementing our favorite family gathering. I even save them from year to year to help me remember which sides we  switched and how big our turkey was, etc.

Why keep lists? Simple. Thanksgiving done well involves organizational know-how and moxie. This is no time to fly by the seat of your pants, folks. My standard set of checklists: Shopping, guest and menu.

My Thanksgiving list obsession is not that unusual. Consider these list suggestions:

This year, I’m also trying out a few apps, eager to see how they can help. I’ve downloaded iFeast,  and CHOW’s Thanksgiving Coach for starters. I’ll give you my thoughts post Thanksgiving. Meanwhile, here are some reviews on the best Thanksgiving Apps:

And, just for fun, here’s McSweeney’s archived list of Thanksgiving Lists with such favorites as “Unpleasant Questions to be Asked at the End of a Meal,” and, “Reason for Celebrating Every Major Holiday with the In-Laws, According to my Mother-In-Law.”

Enjoy! And please add your best list tips and Thanksgiving app suggestions.

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Posted in Turkey Recipes

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Are you a Turkey Traditionalist?

Posted on November 11, 2010 by | Leave a comment

This year, for no particularly compelling reason, more friends are talking about bucking the traditional Turkey Dinner menu for something completely different. How different? Courses of gumbo and fish have been mentioned.

Guess it depends where you stand on messing with a good thing. But if you’re seeking to put your own signature on this menu or perhaps venture from the hum-drum, I’d argue that you needn’t veer far to add your own splash to a Thanksgiving meal.

As pointed out in this New York Times piece, Chefs’ Tips for the Thanksgiving Meal, “Boredom, in any event, is the enemy of all cooks, and of all successful Thanksgivings. In cooking and serving Thanksgiving meals, restaurant chefs say, they must balance tradition against stasis, their own style of cooking against the desires of the customer.”

Here are some ways how:

1. Take a tip from vegetarians.  Yes. You read that right. And, no, I’m not talking Tofurkey. Vegetarians know how to make the best veg dishes. If that mini-marshmallow crusted sweet potato dish and green bean casserole are not your thing, there are many better ways to serve up your veggie sides. The New York Times’ Well blog offers a Vegetarian Thanksgiving Series with great recipes and tips.

2. Explore your culinary roots, or adopt some with fascinating food history:

  • Again, from the Times’ Well blog, Joan Nathan offers dishes from the Jewish-French tradition perfect for Thanksgiving. I’m tempted to try the Alsatian Pear Kugel with Prunes.

3. Take a tip from Oprah and do Turkey your way.

  • Try Oprah’s Turkey Pot Pie
  • Or if gumbo how about Turkey Gumbo? This version courtesy of Emeril Lagasse.
  • Prepare your turkey on the grill, a great way to add a twist to tradition. And, yes, this is even possible for a Thanksgiving in Minnesota. I’ve seen proof. The National Turkey Federation has a great how-to.

There’s really no end to how you can customize your Thanksgiving Day menu, without veering far from tradition. Share your favorite ways with us here.

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Posted in Turkey Recipes

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Buying the Best Thanksgiving Turkey

Posted on October 29, 2010 by | Leave a comment

I heard a radio piece a while back on Radio Lab about  making choices. In it, I recall there being scientific evidence presented about how the human brain could only handle so many options before self-destructing.

Which brings me to the topic of Turkey. There are many, many options out there. So many, that (thankfully!) there are good choices at a wide variety of price points. Depending on your preference – fresh or frozen, conventional or organic, kosher, heritage, self-basting (get the picture?) – you can get a great bird for a good price.

The Associated Press has already put out good information on this topic. It’s a nice starting point, and reminds that Turkey prices at many grocery stores do not go up around Thanksgiving:

“The average retail price was $1.16 per pound for a conventionally raised turkey, $7 to $10 per pound for a heritage bird and a range of prices in between for free-range and organic turkey, according to the National Turkey Federation, which says Americans consumed some 45 million turkeys last Thanksgiving.”

Figure out how big your bird needs to be and then if price is top-of-mind this year, wait for those deals to appear in the upcoming weeks.

If you choose to spend more, there are plenty of options there, too. But cost is in the eye of the spender. Take, for example, this recent Bon Apetit blog entitled, “Making the case for a $140 Turkey.”

In it, Heritage Foods USA co-founder Patrick Martens explains that a happy, family-farm raised heritage Turkey costs less (in Brooklyn, NY) than dining at Applebees or buying a McDonalds value meal, saying, “It ends up coming out to $8 a pound, or $8 per person.”

Those looking for the best for less might like personal finance columnist Michael Koretzky’s take on turkey. In his recent piece, “7Tips to Save on Thanksgiving,” he advocates frozen over fresh saying that even Emeril says there’s no quality difference, despite his new locavore focus.

Generally speaking, Koretzky says this year’s dinner will cost the same or less than last year’s dinner, gauging current inflation and the cost of last year’s Thanksgiving dinner:

“For the past quarter century, the American Farm Bureau has estimated the average cost of a traditional Thanksgiving dinner – with turkey, stuffing, cranberries, pumpkin pie, and all the trimmings. In 2009, the total was $42.91 for a table of 10. That was a $1.70 drop from 2008, and the first time prices have dropped since 2000.”

The bottom line: Decide which kind of turkey you want to serve based on what’s important to you.  Do your homework. Then shop well to get the best turkey for your table to prevent your head from exploding!

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Posted in Preparing Whole Turkey, Trends

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At Newsstands Now: Turkey!

Posted on October 21, 2010 by | Leave a comment

Over the years, I’ve become a collector of holiday-themed food magazines. Only the newest issue of my favorite food pub du jour helps infuse fresh ideas into our menu as we start thinking about Thanksgiving each year. 

From the current look of the newsstands, it’s time to pick an issue for this year as well as  pull out my favorite standbys from years past. In the checkout line yesterday, five brand new editions of food monthlies called out, each one decked out with a tempting image of a gorgeous Holiday Turkey.

I’m not alone in my love of collecting holiday food pubs, as evidenced in reviews by number of bloggers. Here’s a roundup of some favorites.

Like me, the Postmodern Hostess finds it hard to resist Thanksgiving magazines. Her picks for this year’s crop? Based on recipes she flagged, Tanja liked Food & Wine, Food Network Magazine, Taste of Home’s Healthy Cooking and Martha Stewart Living. As she notes of Taste’s Healthy Cooking:

“Another great magazine. I’ve never bought Healthy Cooking before, but I really enjoyed it. See all those flags up top? Lots of great recipes to be found here, including some good non-dairy ideas and recipes that would be tasty year-end. As with most of the magazines above, the Thanksgiving recipes themselves weren’t terribly voluminous, but it’s definitely quality over quantity with this one. And they’re all lower fat than traditional recipes, which just makes their stock rise even more with me.”

The Bitten Word has a handy “recap and roundup” of food magazines. They’ve  cataloged and an astounding 172 recipes from 2009 issues with more from 2008 as well, if you want to access them online. Or, search your local second-hand book shop or eBay for print editions of these back issues.

For even more vintage stock, the Washington Post offers a 2007 Thanksgiving Magazine extravaganza. The Post graded top publications from that year on criteria including theme, cover, recipe count and relevancy, how-to tips, among others. With an overall letter grade of B+, Martha Stewart Living rated the best of that crop, with Gourmet coming in second with a B.

Like the PH, I, too, still lament the demise last year of Gourmet print edition. While the publication lives online now, last year’s holiday issue was the last published for print. But I still have my favorite Gourmet back issues. And judging from newsstands, there are plenty of other options to explore.

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Posted in All Recipes, Trends, Turkey Gift Certificates, Turkey Recipes

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Gifts of Thanksgiving

Posted on November 25, 2009 by | Leave a comment

The emails just kept coming from our local community center, which usually collects food, assembles and distributes 1,000 plus Thanksgiving Baskets a year to needy area families. Last weekend, they were still shy a few items – more like hundreds of tin roasting pans and boxed pie crust mix. This year, demand was higher and more food needed.

It hit home. People this year and are in need of basics. Being able to provide a Turkey Dinner with all the fixings is a real gift. That’s why today I’m thankful for generosity that has filled family’s tables across the country this Thanksgiving. A special Thank You to those who use ingenuity to get Turkeys on tables this year, like one gThankYou customer that used employee cash donations to purchase gThankYou Turkey Gift Certificates for its food drive benefiting families of a local school.

Writes Wendy Stane, Star-Telegram Special Events Coordinator,

“…employees’ generosity in cash donations far exceeded previous year’s contributions.  These turkey certificates will go to all families in need who submitted an application for assistance compliments of YOU, the Star-Telegram employees. Thank you! In the past, actual food donations required a bob tail truck loaded down and several volunteers to load and unload. With fewer resources this year, we were still able to provide 80 families with a turkey certificate and 31 with a complete dinner kit.”

The certificates were a big hit, according to this from Cynthia Monsevalles, a counselor at Hubbard Heights Elementary:

“The Turkey Certificates to be redeemed at any store were a great idea.  Every family got one.  Thanks.  Through our PTO, a special teacher fund and Star-Telegram we were also able to provide a food box for every family.”

The story is the same, I suspect, most every place. When times are tough, people take the opportunity to shine with acts of gratitude. Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at gThankYou!

Lynn Welch is a contributor to gThankYou, LLC, based in Madison, WI.  gThankYou® Certificates of Gratitude™ are one way savvy companies recognize employees’ great work at Holiday Time. The company is best known for its Turkey Gift Certificates, Ham Gift Certificates, and Grocery Gift Cards.

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Posted in Trends, Gratitude, Thank You

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Experts Text Turkey Help

Posted on November 2, 2009 by | Leave a comment

A nip is in the air and leaves are all over the ground. And with three weeks until Thanksgiving, excitement is building for the big feast. Good thing experts have already planned menus and gathered tips and good advice for choosing and preparing your holiday Turkey, with plenty of info on putting together the rest of the meal, too.

thanksgiving

Turkey help is on its way.

This year, there are  more ways to talk turkey. Get Turkey tips throughout the season from Buterball’s Turkey Talk-Line. In addition to phone, Web and email help, you can now text the word “TURKEY” to 36888 and connect with 50 professional turkey experts.

In my mind, you can (almost) never have too many resources to help Thanksgiving go smoothly. So, to help you plan ahead, gThankYou has compiled a few favorite and new Turkey Help resources.

  • Turkey tutorials and more with a gThankYou! to Foodnetwork.com. Here, you’ll find plenty of video plus tools like the Turkey Calculator to help get the cooking time right and buy the right size Turkey, and a plan for putting on a Thanksgiving Potluck.
  • gThankYou! to user-generated recipe site Recipezaar posted its Thanksgiving Headquarters offering the top-rated advice and recipes from the popular site.
  • Turkey Confidential with a gThankYou! to Lynne Rossetto Kasper and the Splendid Table for posting audio of her Thanksgiving triage radio show. This episode includes Lynne’s how-to put on Thanksgiving on a shoestring.
  • Finally, Better Homes & Gardens’ new Recipe.com is worth a look. gThankYou! for lots of proven recipes here from appetizers to Turkey through dessert. Get updates by following them on Twitter at @Recipedotcom.

Aid your planning with menus, recipes and a host of other practical how-to advice in these pages as you approach Thanksgiving.

Lynn Welch is a contributor to gThankYou, LLC, based in Madison, WI.  gThankYou® Certificates of Gratitude™ are one way savvy companies recognize employees’ great work at Holiday Time. The company is best known for its Turkey Gift Certificates, Ham Gift Certificates, and Grocery Gift Cards.

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Posted in Preparing Whole Turkey, Turkey Recipes

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