5 things to try during Thanksgiving Break

You made it! Schoolwork is behind you for the moment, and your short but cherished food-related holiday is commencing. While it’s easy to fall into a state of turkey-induced lethargy, here are some things you can do to make your holiday new, proactive and stretched to its fullest capacity like the loops of your belt.

1. Bring something new to the table. There are usually two kinds of people who participate in Thanksgiving holidays: those who cook and those who sit. If you’re a cooker, try to surprise your dinner eaters with something they’ve never seen on the table before. You could try a vegetarian dish or an ethnic food you usually never tamper with.

Have you ever had beets before? Have you ever tried them braised, baked in dough, sautéed in garlic, blended into soup, anything? They’re great for you, and they turn everything pink, so take it from a recent beet convert and give these roots a chance.

For those of you who are sitters, it’s OK. Your role in this holiday is important, but if you go out of your way to bring a dish to the table when no one expected you to, you’ll turn a lot of heads.

2. Read a book. I hope I don’t offend you when I say that you most likely haven’t finished a novel since the school year started, if not way before that. This year, with your time off, pick up something to talk about at the table or bring into conversation when you come back to school. If you are, however, daunted or swamped, there are easier options that leave you just as fulfilled, such as a book of poetry from someone you’ve never heard of or, of course, a graphic novel. I guarantee you won’t be disappointed.

3. Start thinking about holiday shopping. Whether you like it or not, winter is upon us, and it’s time to buy gifts, start that knitting project or, for goodness’ sake, just start writing some lists. Don’t be caught off guard when festivities approach.

4. Don’t talk about Native Americans unless you know something about Native Americans.There are too many mistakes made, and while your efforts are valiant, you could end up offending someone. Before striking up a conversation about our real founding fathers, take a gander through nativeamericanheritagemonth.gov.

5. Go see “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn — Part 1.” I don’t care if you have seen any of the other movies or have a deep-rooted opinion against the franchise. This is the best and worst movie of 2011, and you will laugh with the spirit of the season.

­— ftirado@indiana.edu