STYLE MD

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

|Giving thanks to those that feed us|

BY DAWN HARRIS SHERLING, M.D., F.A.C.P.

Lately, I’ve been spending a great deal of time thinking about food. Essentially, this is because that’s what I do every day, but also because Thanksgiving is approaching. Most of what we know about Thanksgiving is apocryphal. The only thing we can count on as being true is that there was eating. And probably giving thanks. Which actually makes it a pretty good holiday.

While we have plenty to be thankful for, now seems like a good time to be especially grateful for food.

First off, if you didn’t make it yourself, someone else sure as heck did. Thanks to the restaurant workers spending hours behind a hot stove and the servers spending just as many hours running around. And now we have the delivery folks to extend thanks to. These men and women have become the newest addition to front line, essential workers. And thanks to the home cooks (usually the moms, but also some dads) who toil without much in the way of gratitude for most of the year. They might be working for free, but their time is worth something—a lot actually.

Thinking about what to make in the coming week and making sure the ingredients are on hand, requires a great deal of mental energy and also time—let’s estimate this at about ten minutes per dinner per day. If we consider the fact that the clean-up involved in a homecooked meal is often fifteen minutes or more, the dinner that our handy recipe said would take only 20-25 minutes to make, is now pushing up against an hour. Including time spent planning, time spent cooking, and then the clean-up, what’s the real cost of all this? According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average hourly wage of a worker in the U.S. was around $27 in 2019. That means, on average, we value fifteen minutes of an American worker’s time at around $7. If ingredients to prepare a meal at home cost a family $15, but the time required to plan, shop for, make, and clean up the meal takes an hour, the meal really just cost about $42, but was free for you (if you weren’t the one who just fed everyone).

The second group people to thank are the people who grow, harvest, and transport our food. About a year ago, my husband and I decided to plant a garden. Since we are Floridians, we also got a couple of citrus trees, a banana tree, and a mango tree. To date, we have successfully harvested about 2.5 lemons (one had a bad spot that needed to be cut out so we lost a half), a few bunches of green beans, and about five servings of broccoli. The herbs did okay until it got hot.

Now we just have rosemary and okra. And we still can’t get the kids to eat the okra. It turns out that growing stuff is hard. Other things want to eat what you are growing, the plants get sick, and weeds can seem unstoppable. If it were up to me to grow food for my family, I don’t think we’d make it. And yet, I can go to the supermarket and pretty much get whatever produce or meat I want. It took a veritable army of people to get that food there, most of whom work for very little pay. They have now also become essential workers who deserve abundant thanks and probably a raise.

The other people we have to thank are the ones that fed us from the time we were too small to even ask properly. And whether by bottle or breast, feeding babies is hard work. Newborns want to be fed every two hours, which can pretty much feel like constantly. Bottles need to be cleaned and formula is expensive. And contrary to popular opinion, breast feeding is only free if the one who is doing the feeding’s time is worth nothing. Many mothers spend hours directly feeding or expressing milk to be fed to their babies. At $27 an hour? Let’s just say that this coming Mother’s Day, you owe mom. Big time.

So, while your Thanksgiving gathering may be a bit smaller this year or include a few Zoom or FaceTime guests, it doesn’t have to be less meaningful. Give thanks, and if you can, maybe slip the delivery guy an extra twenty.

Dr. Sherling is a general internist and clinical associate professor at Florida Atlantic University Schmidt College of Medicine. She is the author of several academic articles and a medical thriller, Not Quite Dead. Website: dawnharrissherling.com Twitter: @dharrissherling

THE OTHER PEOPLE WE HAVE TO THANK ARE THE ONES THAT FED US FROM THE TIME WE WERE TOO SMALL TO EVEN ASK PROPERLY.

DESIGN TRENDS

A Dash of Inspiration

One thing is for sure: regardless of the season, quotes will never go out of style. Whether you wake up feeling joyful or on the wrong side of the bed, that extra splash of motivation hanging on your bedroom wall will never be too much. Canvas wall quotes are a perfect way to embrace your personality, inner thoughts, and perhaps your most quirkiest details. So go on and shop for a canvas that just screams YOU!

NOVEMBER DECOR: CANDLES

It’s time to light up your season

One of the most exciting things about fall is deciding which fragrances will take center stage inside of your home. Scents like apple, cinnamon, and pumpkin are November classics - perfect for sparking warm, cozy aromas in the bedroom or kitchen. While burning scented candles year-round is enjoyable, there’s something about picking out autumn aromas. Fall scents are atmosphere-shifters and ooze complete relaxation. It’s time to fill your home with pleasant fragrances that will make your space more inviting this season. Here are our top three favorites from Yankee Candle.

1. Spiced Pumpkin

This warm, comforting fragrance makes everyone hungry for mom’s recipe of pumpkin pie! With vanilla, cinnamon, and sweet sugar, this scent mixes sweet and spice just to have everything nice.

2. Sparkling Cinnamon

Your room will be filled with a stellar cinnamon aroma within minutes of lighting the candle!

3. Honeycrisp Apple Cider

This fragrance just oozes that sweet apple scent you’ve always desired.

BRIGHT AND ALL WHITE

Achieve a trendy minimalist look

An interior design trend that was predicted would go away this year is still sticking around. This season, it continues to be all about white. White countertops, white cabinets, white walls. There’s no denying that this minimalist trend ensures a light, airy feel inside of the home. Add personality to your space by throwing in some distinct wood pieces, plants, or cozy textures. Gravitate toward bright and white (spaces) and give your home a rich, sophisticated, and clean look.

By Riesa Pascal

International Style on Display at FusionFest

FusionFest is a free two-day celebration in Downtown Orlando, held each year on the Saturday and Sunday after Thanksgiving Day, featuring a kaleidoscopic fusion of aromas, sights, sounds, tastes, textures, and fascinating short films that represent the many diverse origins and heritages of our community. Now in its fourth year, and already a Thanksgiving weekend tradition in Orlando, for two days the front lawn of the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts comes alive with a Diversitastic! display of art, fashion, film, music, dance, and food – representing more than 100 cultures found throughout Greater Orlando.

This diversity-minded festival has ballooned into a year-round program of in-person and online gatherings that are strengthening the connections between Central Florida’s many heritage communities. FusionFest is the signature event of the nonprofit organization by the same name. In its inaugural edition, the event received the Award of Excellence in the Downtown Orlando Partnership’s Golden Brick Awards and took first place in the “Community Outreach Program” and “Sponsor Partnership” categories of the Florida Festivals and Events Association’s SunSational Awards. In addition to honoring traditions, FusionFest also encourages collaboration and innovation through fusion contests offering up to $1,000 in cash prizes for participants who will combine elements from different cultures into a new and exciting original. Music, dance, fashion, spoken word, visual arts, film, and food all offer contests and each area is judged by a different diverse panel of judges.

The runway at FusionFest will come alive with a kaleidoscopic of fashion from around the world, reflecting the diverse origins and heritages of our community. There are two ways to wear your culture and share your fashion story at FusionFest 2021. You can walk the runway in an outfit representing your heritage for the Heritage Runway Showcase. Or if you are a fashion designer, you can enter your original design for a chance to win $1,000 in the Fusion Fashion Design Contest.

For more information about FusionFest fashion, music, visual arts, dance or film competition, visit FusionFest.org.

VACATIONLAND

Home for the Holidays

Embrace all the festivities of the holiday season through music this year with The Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra! Albert George Schram creates a musical celebration that the whole family can enjoy, featuring the Holiday Singers and Opera Orlando Youth Chorus. Located at the beautiful Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts in Downtown Orlando, Home for the Holidays is the perfect way to welcome the most wonderful time of the year.

Holidays at the Hotel

Top Hotels for a Staycation for Thanksgiving

Looking to get away without going far? Search no further than The Ritz-Carlton at Grande Lakes. One thing to be grateful for during the season of thanks is the beautiful weather it welcomes. The Ritz-Carlton at Grande Lakes is ideally located between the Everglades and Orlando’s worldclass theme parks. The hotel provides all kinds of outdoor activities such as sunrise safaris, kayaking, fishing expeditions, and their championshiplevel golf course. Not to mention the on-site farm Whisper Creek Farm that provides fresh ingredients for their restaurants. You won’t miss Grandma’s stuffing this thanksgiving with 11 toprated restaurants and dining experiences available to you at the Ritz-Carlton. Have yourself a Caribbean-inspired Thanksgiving at the luxurious Caribe Royale resort this year! The Tropicale at Caribe Royale holds a buffet of traditional Thanksgiving favorites and made-from-scratch desserts that you can enjoy with the sweet sound of live jazz music! When you’re done indulging in a lavish buffet, you can relax at one of their three outdoor swimming pools or even take a trip to the spa for a massage!

Festival of Trees

Sparkling Holiday Traditions

An Orlando favorite for more than thirty years, the Festival of Trees is a tradition that showcases holiday spirit like no other. The Orlando Museum of Art displays designer Christmas trees, custom hand-designed wreaths, a gingerbread village, holiday vignettes, and much more on November 13th. They even start off the festival with an elegant gala night that features live music, food, and VIP access to view the designer trees. You will feel as if you’ve left Orlando and entered a dazzling, holiday wonderland.