Remember my post from the other day about the holiday season starting too soon? Well, apparently, I’m not the only one who feels like Thanksgiving doesn’t get enough attention:
A national survey from Allrecipes found 82% of Americans think Christmas is marketed too early. Moreover, 42% admit being frustrated by Christmas shopping sales that begin before Thanksgiving while 39% just try to ignore them.
To commit myself to fully enjoying the Thanksgiving holiday, I recently took a pledge to Respect the Bird. The mission of this grassroots movement is to โrestore Thanksgiving to its rightful place as a meaningful, respected American holiday, not one that’s merely a one-day delicious afterthought between Halloween and Christmas.โย Obviously, I was on board immediately.
As part of the pledge to Respect the Bird, I promise to savor the true meaning of Thanksgiving and not begin shopping for the December holidays until after November 24th. It’s that simple. Of course, there aren’t many retailers that feel the same way, but kudos to those, like Nordstrom, who do!
If you love Thanksgiving as much as I do, please take the pledge to Respect the Bird!
Breakfast
This morning’s breakfast was a toasted whole wheat Bagel Thin with peanut butter and banana slices on top. I also drank a glass of iced coffee with coconut milk and a splash of vanilla-flavored creamer.
Workout
As I mentioned in my previous post, the weather here has been amazing lately, so I took advantage of it by running outside. I planned a 5-mile run, so I grabbed my Spibelt, Garmin, iPhone, and headphones. For shorter runs (less than 5 miles), I only take my iPod shuffle and (sometimes) Garmin. For the longer runs, I like listening to Pandora because it has a better variety of music than my shuffle.
Even though it was pretty warm this morning, I still wanted to test out my new New York City Marathon long-sleeve tech shirt. Unfortunately, the expo ran out of my size, so my shirt is a little too big, but it’s still awesome!
I rule at the self-timer on my camera. Derp. (I know I could have easily taken a better photo, but this one crack me up!)
I ended up enjoying my run so much, I ran an extra mile. Who am I?! I’m not going to lie, that hasn’t happened in months!
- Mile 1: 9:00
- Mile 2: 8:46
- Mile 3: 8:43
- Mile 4: 8:36
- Mile 5: 8:38
- Mile 6: 8:19
Total: 52:02 (8:41 pace)
After my run, I headed to the gym for a 30-minute TRX class. It’s Member Appreciation Week at my gym, so I signed up for a free class. Sweet. I love free!
The class ended up being mostly an intro session, so it wasn’t super tough, but I know I’ll still be sore tomorrow. When you do TRX, you use only your body weight and suspension bands to do the exercises, so you can’t cheat!
Lunch
Lunch was loaded with veggies today!
Salad with roasted broccoli, avocado, carrots, and balsamic vinegar.
On the side: Lemon-Glazed Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Bananas. Mmmmm! I can’t take full credit for this recipe as it was inspired by one from the Dole Healthy Lifestyles Blogger Summit for Lime-Glazed Roasted Yams and Bananas. Honestly, the only reason for the variation is because I didn’t have lime juice or yams.
Ok, are you ready for this thing? If you love sweet potatoes and bananas, this recipe is for you! Trust me, you’ll love it!
Lemon-Glazed Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Bananas
Ingredients:
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces (you can peel them if you want; I didn’t bother)
- 2 bananas, sliced
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350*F. Spray 9X13 baking dish with nonstick spray. Add sweet potatoes and butter to baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes, turning once after 10 minutes to coat sweet potatoes in butter.
Meanwhile, mix together the brown sugar, lemon juice, and salt in a small bowl. Remove sweet potatoes from oven, top with banana slices, and drizzle with brown sugar-lemon juice mixture.
Return baking dish to oven and bake for another 20-25 minutes, until lightly browned.
This recipe is so delicious! MAKE IT!!
P.S. I updated my Workout page! Lots of new cardio and strength workouts there!
93 Comments
November 27th is a Sunday, not a Friday. So unless this photo is two years old, they’re a little mistaken.
Other than that, way to go Nordstroms!
@Jennifer: I’m pretty sure it says Nov 25th. ๐
@Gina @ Running to the Kitchen: The picture just changed! haha but I’m glad Nordstrom isn’t crazy. Tina, back me up here!
Haha! Yes, I changed it. Someone sent me a pic the other day, so I assumed it was taken recently. Turns out it was a couple of years old!
I would never think to roast bananas! I’m going to have to try this recipe for roasted sweet potatoes and bananas! It sounds and looks amazing. ๐
I love that Nordstorm is doing that! I think other stores should too. I feel like holidays and life in general is so rushed lately.
Just curious about what you are looking at in that picture… something on your shoe?
Haha! I have no idea!
I’m absolutely in love with fall, but even moreso with Christmas (more specifically, Christmas shopping!!!!) I get so caught up in Christmas that I fail at enjoying Thanksgiving. Definitely love the movement to slow down and enjoy it – after all, what other holiday is pretty much just an excuse to eat as many potatoes as humanly possible?
I’ve been drastically neglecting sweet potatoes lately too – I’m excited to give this a whirl!
I took the pledge! Totally agree and respect Nordstrom’s sentiment in this regard.
I think it is funny how obsessed people get about dates and times of when to do what. I say just let people celebrate how they want to celebrate! Besides, isn’t that what holidays are about–family, fun, relaxation, and spending quality time away from our usual stressors?? Sounds to me like this initiative and others are just stressing more people out. <–I don't mean this in a mean way but it has just always astounded me how people become so grouchy about certain holiday traditions.
Nice job on the fast run! It feels good to just run and love it ๐
@Annette @ EnjoyYourHealthyLife: I don’t think it’s grouchy at all. I think people are just trying to have fun with Turkey Day!
I don’t get what the big deal is about getting ready for Christmas before thanksgiving. I do not discount Thanksgiving in anyway but I like to be prepared when it comes to Christmas because I make a lot of gifts, so I tend to get my shopping out of the way early… Thats just me though.
Love that recipe! I need to make it, sweet potatoes are my favorite and with bananas – even better ๐
I love Thanksgiving, but I definitely start shopping for Christmas gifts before then. I start buying gifts in August. Of course, I also used to panic if a paper wasn’t finished three weeks before it was due, so I’m pretty sure my problem is more that I’m a nerd than that I don’t respect Thanksgiving ๐
I love the “Respect the Bird” pledge! I definitely plan on joining in.
As for that glazed sweet potato and banana recipe – holy yum!!! Sweet potatoes and bananas are probably two of my top favorite foods, so it sounds amazing to me.
mmmmm baked bananas sound so amazing. Genius idea for a recipe! And nice work on 2 workouts today, that’s great!
What a fantastic recipe!! I’m going to have to try that!
RESPECT THE BIRD
I’ve never heard of the sweet potato and banana combo but it sounds amazing.
TRX sounds so awesome. I’ve always wanted to try a class but they don’t offer them in my area. ๐
I respect the bird, but I think it’s silly not to shop for Christmas until after Thanksgiving. I spread my purchases out so the credit card doesn’t take a huge hit all in one month!
That lunch looks delicious. I’m craving a huge bowl of veggies myself right now…which means that will probably be dinner!
Also? I totally appreciate the “blooper” picture over a good one. Haha. That just made me laugh.
yum! i would never have put sweet potatoes and bananas together, but it certainly looks delicious ๐
uh-oh. i was planning on posting my candy cane rice krispie treats this week… too soon?!
I <3 the bird. But I don't mind celebrating more than one holdiay at a time. I have a lot of festivity to go around. Great run though. Love your pic! ๐
sounds – and looks – DELISH!
I kinda just love the slogan “respect the bird.” Does anyone else find that funny? ๐
Haha! Yes!
I’m definitely respecting the bird this season! I almost freaked out when I heard one of my fave Christmas songs on at the mall the other day!! Too soon, J Crew, too soon!
Do you think the sweet potato banana recipe could replace sweet potato casserole at Thanksgiving?
Just trying to clean up the menu a bit without sacrificing all the taste of old favorites.
Sure! ๐
Hey Tina! What station(s) do you listen to on Pandora when you are running?
Thanks!
Kim
Usually, Today’s Hits or the Lady Gaga station.
I did TRX the other day. I haven’t been able to move correctly since. Needless to say it kicked my ass.
@Whitney: Nice! I want to start doing it more regularly!
Hahahaha I love the respect the bird pledge! And, um, sweet potatoes and bananas!?!?!? That sounds delicious!!!
I love Thanksgiving! It’s by far my favorite holiday. I really like the mission of the organization you linked to. The branding is kind of funny to me, though, because if we actually respected the bird we probably wouldn’t eat it, right? ๐
@Candice @ Sailing on Paper: HA! Great point.
I am so jealous of that picture of you in the yard with all the leaves. It is gorgeous! I love living in San Francisco, but we don’t really have backyards like that :).
As if I needed another reason to be a Nordstrom fan!
Haha. Don’t worry, Tina, I fail at self-timed photos too! Great run, by the way!
Bananas on top? Would never have thunk. Love it!
I’m all for respecting the bird. T-day is my favorite holiday!
I never thought of combining sweet potatoes and bananas together, that sounds delicious I’ll have to give it a try!
Oh, wow. I saw “Respect the Bird” and got excited for something about turkeys and treating them humanely. Not what I was expecting. : )
@Mel: Exactly what I was thinking. I like the sentiment behind the movement, but it’s a really dumb name, and makes vegetarians (and non vegetarians who are still concerned about humane treatment) do a double take.
@Tara: I’m glad I’m not the only one who noticed this… I’m not sure that slapping the words “Respect the Bird” on a picture of a dead turkey is the best branding decision!
That looks delicious! Christmas starts WAY too early. I also agree with respecting the bird. ๐
How cool! I would have never thought of the sweet potato/banana combo! Love ๐
I’m so excited to try this tonight! I love sweet potatoes and bananas and never would’ve thought to put them together!
@Laura Dickerson: Nice! Let me know what you think! ๐
Out of all the causes in the world this may be the silliest I have ever encountered.
#firstworldproblems
@lindsay: It’s not really a cause. It’s just some people trying to have fun. It’s a HOLIDAY after all! ๐
@Tina: I have to agree with this comment. It’s a holiday, but there are a lot of people out there who don’t have a bird on their Thanksgiving table to respect. Highlighting charities like the Greater Boston Food Bank and others who provide meals for the less fortunate deserve recognition and our thanks. Not retail stores.
@MelissaNibbles: I’ve blogged about the Greater Boston Food Bank’s โTurkey Tickerโย in the past, and I plan to mention it again this year. I was just trying to have some fun with this post.
@Tina: You’re not allowed to have fun, Tina.
I thought the Garmin picture was insensitive because not everyone can afford a Garmin.
@Tina: Note: That was a joke.
@Tina: I think the reason people are confused is that you sounded genuine in the post, not like you were making a joke or being sarcastic.
How about respecting the bird by not eating one for Thanksgiving? Seems to be a more worthy cause.
@tanya: Glad I wasn’t the only one who was thinking this.
I agree that the Christmas promotion does seem to happen earlier and earlier, however, no one is forcing anyone to start their shopping early. I am always on the hunt for a good Christmas present (I’ve been known to buy stuff in the summer and save it until December). However, I do NOT do my home decorating or cookie baking etc. until after Thanksgiving; I don’t want to get burnt out. I feel badly for the sales people–I was in Macy’s the other day and they already had the Christmas music on…I could leave the store, those poor sales people have to listen to that for the next month.
I definitely get sad when Christmas decorations start popping up in September/October. I do like getting into the spirit a little early, but definitely not while the summer is practically still ending!
While I love that Nordstrom is taking that stance, I kind of think that’s how it should be, period. It shouldn’t be unusual for a store to hold off on Xmas decorations until the end of November! I swear I’m not a Grinch; it just drives me nutty when there are decorations up in October!
The Lemon-Glazed Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Bananas sound great! I bet the sweet and tart combo is fab!
I’d love to support your thanksgiving campaign but we don’t have it over here in England ๐ The only “holiday” we have after Halloween and before Christmas is Fireworks Nights, but it’s really more of a one night celebration than anything else. I do love getting ready for Christmas though!!
Yes!!!! I’m so glad there are people out there that still want to celebrate (and seriously celebrate) Thanksgiving! Christmas is my all-time favorite holiday. I love it. I play Christmas music 24-7. All day every day. Nothing else. BUT I only start it (and decorations) the day after Thanksgiving. I refuse to give in to the mass-marketed commercialism of Christmas before Turkey day. Thanks for posting about Respect the bird – I will def check it out!
Ah, a fellow vinegar-as-dressing woman! When I was younger, I’d order oil & vinegar as salad dressing at restaurants and always put on very little oil and a lot of vinegar. Now, I often just do vinegar alone!
And I DO love bananas & sweet potatoes, so I’m bookmarking that recipe!
Yeah I’m glad you’re writing about this. I was wondering if it was my imagination that Christmas seemed so early this year!! When I showed up at the grocery store on November 7th and there were huge racks of Christmas wreaths outside, I felt confused and disoriented. I love Thanksgiving more and more the older I get.
I have to admit, I am probably the odd one out but I LOVE Christmas so as soon as Halloween has cleared I’m cranking up my holiday Pandora station and daydreaming about what kind of apps and cookies I want to make. Other times I definitely hate the season creep in stores (like seeing back to school stuff in June) but this is one holiday I don’t mind coming early.
I don’t start shopping until a week into December and do most of my shopping online. I think waiting in line for hours and fighting other people for product, does not sound like the Christmas spirit. I think it’s more about being with family and friends.
Totally agree! I don’ listen to Christmas music until our shopping trip the Friday after Thanksgiving. I find it very hard to think about Christmas until after Thanksgiving.
I’m a little sad that we already had our Thanksgiving, but one thing I like about having it early here in Canada is that it doesn’t have to compete with Christmas! It must get so confusing for you guys to have two big holidays so close together!
Love TRX! I don’t like how gyms charge more for it though…