Despite the fact that 29 percent of Americans say they’re seriously trying to lose weight, there are few signs that people are actually cutting back on their annual Thanksgiving feasts.
This year, the National Turkey Federation estimated that 46 million turkeys would be consumed on Thanksgiving — that’s almost 3 pounds of turkey per person, given the average weight of 16 pounds per bird.
Did you indulge in a big Thanksgiving meal, or did you try to cut back this year?
Whether you’re celebrating the holiday in Arlington or out of town, ARLnow.com wishes you and your family a very happy, abundant and safe Thanksgiving.
We’ll be back on Friday with a special Black Friday edition of the Morning Notes, followed by normal coverage on Monday. And, of course, we’ll be here should any significant breaking news happen over the holiday weekend.
According to AAA and the Associated Press, Thanksgiving airfare and the cost of filling a tank of gas are both up 20 percent this year.
Nonetheless, 42.5 million people nationwide are expected to hit the roads, rails and airways for Thanksgiving — the highest number since the beginning of the recession. Here in the Washington region, more than 1 million people are expected to travel for the holiday, and the vast majority of them will be getting to their destination via highways, according to AAA Mid-Atlantic.
Are you among the intrepid Thanksgiving travelers?
The Arlington County Fire Department has issued a list of six simple tips for keeping safe while cooking your Thanksgiving dinner.
Spokesman Lt. Gregg Karl says these tips are in response to calls the department receives on a regular basis around this time of year.
Thanksgiving Cooking Safety Tips
- Be alert when cooking. Do not allow yourself to be distracted or walk away from food on the stove. Stove top fires can spread quickly to cabinets and areas surrounding the stove.
- Turn pot and pan handles inward so children and pets cannot pull these items from the stove.
- Wear clothing that has fitted or short sleeves. Loose fitting sleeves can contact hot surfaces and begin to burn.
- Use caution with open flame cooking devices. Follow manufacturer’s recommendations for use of the device. Check county and state fire codes for safe distances and areas the devices can be used.
- Have a UL (Underwriters Laboratories) listed fire extinguisher and be familiar with the operation of the extinguisher in the event of a fire.
- Be certain all smoke alarms are tested and functioning properly.
The Arlington County Fire Department wishes everyone a safe and Happy Thanksgiving.
Washingtonian’s Best Arlington Bars — Washingtonian magazine is out with its list of the best bars and nightlife in Arlington. The list includes old favorites like Whitlow’s on Wilson (2854 Wilson Blvd) and CarPool (4000 Fairfax Drive) and newcomers like Mad Rose Tavern (3100 Clarendon Blvd) and Rustico (4075 Wilson Blvd). [Washingtonian]
Bill to Consider Life at Conception — The first bill pre-filed for the 2012 legislative session of the Virginia General Assembly would establish that, under Virginia law, human life begins at conception. The bill will be considered by what is now an all-Republican legislature. [Virginia LIS]
Turkey Trot Race Sold Out — The 6th annual Arlington Turkey Trot 5K race is sold out, but organizers are still seeking volunteers. The race, meanwhile, kicks off at 8:00 a.m. on Thanksgiving morning (Nov. 24), and a number of road closures are planned in the Lyon Park and Ashton Heights neighborhoods.
Editor’s Note: This column is the first in a series of sponsored articles written by Doug Rosen, owner of long-time Arlington wine store Arrowine (4508 Lee Highway).
Every year around late November, the phrase “Okay, you bring the wine for Thanksgiving” strikes fear into the hearts of millions of Americans. Thanksgiving dinner is the culinary equivalent to Dante’s Inferno and poses a distinct pairing challenge.
Why is Thanksgiving dinner so difficult? Well, let’s face it — turkey is pretty bland. We brine it, marinate it, stuff it, spice it, and perhaps even deep-fry it. Then we throw the entire kitchen pantry at it in an effort to add some flavor to the Thanksgiving meal.
To further complicate the Thanksgiving conundrum, the meal can be completely different in every home. It’s not easy to try to find the right wine for the hodgepodge that is each of our Thanksgiving dinners. Like a favorite pair of jeans, each of us has familiar and comfortable “traditional family” dishes, without which Thanksgiving just wouldn’t be the same.
From my experience, most Thanksgiving meals are distinctively sweet. Adding sweetness in any form — cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, marshmallows — changes the wine equation.
So here’s the vinous equivalent of a “Get Out Of Jail Free” card: If anything, and I mean anything, on your Thanksgiving table is sweet then you can’t serve a bone-dry wine. It doesn’t matter whether it’s red or white, if there’s anything sweet on the plate, a bone-dry wine will clash with the food.
A great wine selection would be a fruit-focused or fruit-forward California or Oregon pinot noir that is not oaky, like the 2010 Angeline (California) or 2009 Artisanal (Oregon). If you want a little wood, try a California zinfandel like the 2009 Quivira, which has lots of fruit.
If your Thanksgiving dinner is truly savory, then I would opt for a delicious glass of food-friendly Beaujolais like 2009 Chateau Prety, or Red Burgundy (Bourgogne) like 2009 Jean Michel et Laurent Pillot. Another delicious French pinot noir is the 2009 Grosbot-Barbara Chambre d’Edouard from the Loire Valley. Overall 2009 was an outstanding vintage throughout France.
Be sure to stay away from reds with aggressive grape tannins such as young red Bordeaux, Argentine malbecs or most California cabernets. The tannins make turkey taste metallic.
Looking for a way to give back this holiday season?
The county’s Volunteer Arlington program lists several holiday-related volunteer and donation opportunities that are open to interested members of the public.
The Thanksgiving holiday travel rush — an 11-day stretch that’s considered one of the busiest times for air travel around the county — will begin on Friday, according to Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority.
If you’re flying out of Reagan National Airport this weekend, however, plan on the trip taking a bit longer than usual. Scheduled track work on the Blue and Yellow Lines will close the Crystal City, Reagan National Airport and Braddock Road Metro stations from 10:00 Friday night through the end of Sunday.
To help accommodate DCA passengers during that time, Metro will run three different airport bus routes. One route includes stops at Pentagon City station, Crystal City station and the airport. Another runs between King Street and the airport. And the third runs from the airport the Metro Center station. There will also be a bus route between the Pentagon City, Crystal City, Braddock Road and King Street stations for local, non-airport riders.
Metro customers are asked to anticipate about 30 minutes of extra travel time.
“Historically, the weekend of November 18-20 is not an especially busy weekend for Metrorail ridership at Reagan National,” Metro said in a press release. “Metrorail service at the airport will operate normally with no scheduled track work throughout the busy Thanksgiving week, beginning Monday, November 21, and continuing through Sunday, November 27.”
Once you get to the airport, MWAA has a comprehensive list of travel tips to help get you through the crowds and security checkpoints smoothly.
Flickr pool photo by BrianMKA
The Arlington Food Assistance Center has begun its annual distribution of Thanksgiving dinners to needy families.
AFAC expects to distribute some 1,800 frozen turkeys between today and Saturday, when the distribution ends. The organization is also distributing stuffing and mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving, in addition to its normal weekly food distribution (eggs, milk, pasta, canned goods, etc.).
Rep. Jim Moran joined volunteers at AFAC’s Shirlington distribution site this afternoon. The 66-year-old congressman helped to distribute food to AFAC clients, in an effort to draw more attention to the group’s mission.
“I’m hoping to bring a little extra visibility to what AFAC does so that more people will support it financially and through volunteerism,” Moran told ARLnow.com. “This is the best, most extensive feeding program for Arlington residents… who don’t have the material resources to adequately feed their family. [AFAC] uses the least public money, has the most volunteers and is run the most efficiently.”
AFAC is handing out Thanksgiving dinners at all 12 of the group’s distribution sites in Arlington. Executive Director Charles Meng says this week is typically the busiest time of the year for the organization. Since AFAC recently set an all-time high for the number of families it served in a week, Meng expects it may set another record this week.
“Our demand is still increasing and the growth has not yet stopped,” Meng said. “So something’s happening in the community that’s still driving people to us.”
Meng says he believes “underemployment” is a problem for a significant number of AFAC clients — many who were formerly unemployed have found jobs, but the jobs they’ve found aren’t paying enough (often minimum wage) to allow them to buy all the food they need for their families.
“The bottom line is that people don’t really want to come here,” Meng said. “Yes, we’re giving out food — it’s free — but you really don’t want to come here. You’d prefer to go to a local grocery store, get your own food, select what you want.”
New AFAC clients must first be referred to the organization by Arlington’s Department of Human Services, Arlington Public Schools, churches or some other social service agency.
Despite worries about long lines and delays, catching a flight at Reagan National Airport was a relative breeze this morning. Parking at the Clarendon Whole Foods, on the other hand, is a disaster zone.
The heavy volume of shoppers stocking up for Thanksgiving dinner is overwhelming the five (count ’em) neon-vested parking attendants who are currently working the lot.
So far it looks like smooth sailing at Reagan National Airport.
Currently, the FAA is not reporting any significant arrival or departure delays at the airport. As of about 9:00 this morning, the security lines at Terminal B were virtually non-existent.
In fact, the only thing crowded at the airport was the media truck parking area. We spotted at least 10 media vehicles parked on either side of the terminal.
