OAF is thankful!

[00:00:10] Speaker A: Hi and welcome back to this month's episode. We're so glad to have you, our listeners, joining us again. Whether you're here for fun or just looking to get into the holiday spirit, we're glad you're tuning in. Today we're kicking things off with a fun filled Thanksgiving themed episode. We've asked our office some questions that'll make you smile or maybe even have you reminiscing about your own Thanksgiving traditions. From favorite dishes to unique traditions, we're diving into all things turkey today. Our first guest is Grace Wagner. She is the director of health initiatives here at the association. Grace, what is your favorite Thanksgiving food? [00:00:54] Speaker B: My family does a sweet potato casserole that I love. It's mashed sweet potatoes with walnuts on top. Love that. [00:01:02] Speaker A: Oh, my gosh, that sounds so good. Mashed potatoes are my favorite. And then what is your favorite Thanksgiving tradition? [00:01:09] Speaker B: My favorite tradition. So my siblings and I live across the country from each other now. We're all spread out and every year after, you know, on that Friday after Thanksgiving, we get together because we're still in town and we make all of our holiday cookies for the year. So we do. [00:01:25] Speaker A: Oh, my gosh. [00:01:27] Speaker B: I am Italian and Norwegian. So we have a blend. We do Pizzells, which are Italian. We make Berlin crancers, which are Norwegian. Then we freeze them. And then when we come back together closer to the holidays, we get those out and enjoy them. [00:01:41] Speaker A: That's awesome. And what are you thankful for this year? [00:01:46] Speaker B: I'm very thankful for my family, my husband and my son Ben. It's his first Thanksgiving this year, so it's very. Yeah, it's been nice to see him grow up and experience all these first holidays. [00:02:01] Speaker A: Senior director of Strategic initiatives here at the association. Welcome, Zach. Thank you. [00:02:05] Speaker C: Thanks. [00:02:05] Speaker A: If you could be any Thanksgiving side dish, what would you be and why? [00:02:10] Speaker D: If I could be any Thanksgiving side dish, what would I be and why? [00:02:16] Speaker A: Starting with the hard questions. [00:02:20] Speaker D: Oh, geez, I think I would be. The gravy, you know, goes great with everything else and makes everything taste better. [00:02:30] Speaker A: I like that response. And what does Thanksgiving mean to you? [00:02:35] Speaker D: Thanksgiving is. Is one of those times where you just take a minute to sit back, relax, if you're blessed, be with family and just, just enjoy yourself. I feel like there's so few times where we actually get to just sit down, enjoy ourselves, have a nice meal, enjoy our company, and that's really what it means to me and what it's all about. [00:03:02] Speaker E: I like that. [00:03:03] Speaker A: And what is your favorite Thanksgiving tradition? [00:03:07] Speaker D: You Know, I was thinking about this, and I don't think we really have a lot of Thanksgiving traditions, but I can remember some times growing up where things didn't go as they were planned. And I think that's kind of our tradition is to just go with the flow. I do remember growing up making a tradition of inviting people who maybe were not with their friends or family for the holiday or were maybe new to the country or new to the state and didn't really have a place to be. And that was a. That was a nice tradition, you know, not always a traditional, like, whole family thing, but it was nice having new people around. [00:03:58] Speaker A: That's awesome. You know, friendsgiving is a thing, too, so thank you. Our next guest is Maureen Allen, the Ohio association of Food Banks Holiday Bake off champion for the last three years in a row and the director of community services here at the association. Maureen, what is your favorite thing to bake for Thanksgiving? [00:04:27] Speaker F: Well, I will say that Audrey actually usurped me two years ago and made a wonderful cheesecake. [00:04:33] Speaker A: But, yes, she did just pop in and tell me that. But she said, give her the three years. [00:04:37] Speaker F: Oh, hers is so good. I don't even like cheesecake. And I voted for it. [00:04:41] Speaker B: It was wonderful. [00:04:42] Speaker F: Pie is kind of my white whale, which is kind of typical for Thanksgiving. So I have not really conquered a pie successfully yet. But I love to bake. Pumpkin oatmeal, brown butter cookies. [00:04:55] Speaker C: Ooh. [00:04:55] Speaker A: Oh, my gosh. Those sound really good. And then what is your favorite Thanksgiving. [00:04:59] Speaker F: Memory from the ages of, like, I would say 8 to 10 or 11? I found stuffing the turkey to be a really interesting and fun task. So my mom was very delighted. Every morning on Thanksgiving, I would wake up and stuff the turkey for her. [00:05:16] Speaker A: Oh, my gosh. [00:05:17] Speaker F: So there's pictures of me every year doing that, and one year also coincided with my Chicago Bulls Dennis Rodman phase. So I'm wearing my Dennis Rodman jersey and stuffing a turkey for Thanksgiving. [00:05:31] Speaker A: I love that. Thank you. Our next guest is Sarah Coons, the external affairs manager here at the association. Welcome, Sarah. If you could be any Thanksgiving side dish, what would you be and why? [00:05:46] Speaker G: Oh, my gosh. I knew you would ask me this. I was actually in the car trying to think of my response, because I knew this would be the question you would ask. [00:05:57] Speaker A: It's a tough question. It's a tough question. I don't blame you. I don't even know what I would be. [00:06:03] Speaker G: I immediately thought mashed potatoes because it is my favorite, and I don't know it's a fan favorite. [00:06:12] Speaker A: No, I second that. I second that. [00:06:14] Speaker G: Kind of plain, but you can dress it up. [00:06:17] Speaker A: Yes, that's my response. All right, and then what does Thanksgiving mean to you? [00:06:25] Speaker G: Oh, I think it really means family and sharing food with one another, sharing traditions and. Yeah, just being. Being around one another and reflecting on the year. [00:06:38] Speaker A: And then, last question. What is your favorite Thanksgiving memory? [00:06:43] Speaker G: Favorite Thanksgiving memory? That's a good question. Actually, I think it was last year. So all of my grandparents have passed, and my grandma used to make, like, the best Thanksgiving meal for everyone. And, you know, since they have passed, we really haven't had, like, a full, like, from scratch Thanksgiving meal. And so I told my parents, I'm like, we need to make a full Thanksgiving meal. I haven't had it in so long. I want that. And so me and my dad, like, cooked a full meal together, like, from scratch. And I made my grandma's pies. And so I'm still working on those pies, perfecting them for this year, but that's definitely my favorite. [00:07:42] Speaker A: That's so sweet. All right, thank you. Our next guest is Jory Novotny, the executive director here at the association. Welcome. [00:08:01] Speaker H: Thank you. [00:08:01] Speaker A: Jorie, what is your favorite Thanksgiving food? [00:08:05] Speaker H: It's a tough call, but I'm gonna have to go with stuffing now. It's gotta be, like, from the bird, ideally. Yeah. And, you know, you can get it wrong, so it's gotta be good stuffing. I agree. [00:08:20] Speaker A: And then what is your favorite Thanksgiving tradition? [00:08:23] Speaker H: You know, it's evolved as I've become a parent, so I have a second grader now, and we've kind of created our own traditions. One thing that I love that we've done a few times is had. [00:08:36] Speaker I: Kind. [00:08:37] Speaker H: Of more intimate gathering with some friends locally. My husband's a pharmacist, and so for a long time, he worked kind of non traditional hours, like many folks in healthcare, meaning that we couldn't easily travel to visit family. So we have, you know, little gatherings with folks who are also in that same position. And that's been really fun. [00:08:54] Speaker A: I love that. And then what does Thanksgiving mean to you? [00:08:58] Speaker C: Hmm. [00:08:59] Speaker H: I think that because we work in food security and hunger relief, that I think a lot about this throughout the year, not just at the Thanksgiving season. But I think that food is about nourishing your body and your mind and your soul. And it's often about bringing people together for celebration as well as for nourishment. So Thanksgiving is really a time for reflection and for immense gratitude for all of the people. That work hard every day to make that food available to grow and produce that food. I try to make that part of our discussions around the Thanksgiving table. My son loves deviled eggs maybe the most, and so I talk with him a lot about how wonderful our egg producers are. So he's learned about gratitude for farmers as well as the Bounty nutrition programs. [00:09:56] Speaker A: Coordinator here at the usa. A little education while you eat. Eliza. [00:09:59] Speaker H: Thank you. [00:10:00] Speaker B: Thank you. [00:10:01] Speaker A: If you could be egg any Thanksgiving side dish, what would you be and why? [00:10:05] Speaker C: Hmm. [00:10:07] Speaker J: I think. Well, my favorite Thanksgiving side dish is also what I would be. It's my mom's homemade stuffing. It is a, like, recipe that she has made since I was little, but it has, like, a little bit of, like, sweetness. It has some fresh Granny Smith apples in it. Gives it a little freshness, a little crunch, a little sweet. So I think I would say say that. Reliable, but a little sweet too. [00:10:33] Speaker A: I love that. And what does Thanksgiving mean to you? [00:10:38] Speaker J: Thanksgiving to me means family, spending time with family and friends. I love the traditions my family has for Thanksgiving and just getting all together with my family from all across the state and just really having some dedicated time with the ones I love. [00:10:57] Speaker A: And what is your favorite Thanksgiving tradition? [00:11:00] Speaker J: H. My. [00:11:02] Speaker I: Okay. [00:11:02] Speaker J: My favorite Thanksgiving tradition people are. They're parade people or they're turkey trot people. I'm a parade person, but then specifically after the parade, we watch the dog show. The Westminster dog Show. [00:11:13] Speaker A: Yes. [00:11:14] Speaker J: So I don't know if anyone else does that, but my family loves to watch the dog show in the afternoon. Always rooting for our favorites. [00:11:24] Speaker A: Thank you so much. [00:11:25] Speaker I: Thanks, Lily. [00:11:37] Speaker A: Our next guest is Kerry Harshberger, senior director of food supply chain here at the association. Welcome, Kerri. [00:11:45] Speaker E: Great to be here. [00:11:46] Speaker A: And, Carrie, what is your favorite Thanksgiving memory? [00:11:50] Speaker E: That is a really good question. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, so I have a lot of memories that I cherish from Thanksgiving. Probably one of my favorite Thanksgivings was when my friend's brother was sick and staying at Nationwide Children's Hospital, so we decided to cook. Cook his family Thanksgiving. And we wheeled it up on a wagon that would all enjoyable. At the time, I was vegetarian, so we enjoyed a homemade tofurkey. [00:12:28] Speaker A: Oh, my gosh. [00:12:30] Speaker E: With his very Russian family that actually did enjoy it. [00:12:35] Speaker A: I've never had tofurkey. [00:12:37] Speaker E: That's weird. It's been years since I made my. [00:12:40] Speaker J: Back in the day. [00:12:41] Speaker E: I could make a pretty good tofurkey. [00:12:43] Speaker A: All right, and then what is your favorite Thanksgiving food? [00:12:48] Speaker E: Not tofurkey anymore. I love stuffing. [00:12:52] Speaker A: We've got so many stuffing answers. I 100% agree with that. And then last question. What is your favorite Thanksgiving tradition? [00:13:02] Speaker H: Yeah. [00:13:03] Speaker E: Well, my partner Dave and I have recently just taken over hosting for our family, and this is going to be our third year, and we love hosting. The last few years, we've just opened up our home to family, friends, and whoever comes, comes. So that's been a really fun tradition to. To. To make our own of really just cooking everything from scratch. [00:13:27] Speaker A: The national service program manager here at the association. Welcome. Kerry, what is one thing you're thankful for? For this year, I'm really grateful for. [00:13:38] Speaker B: Learning how to knit. That's been a super fun hobby. [00:13:41] Speaker A: Wait, that's so cool. And then what is your favorite Thanksgiving food? [00:13:45] Speaker B: Probably Mac and cheese. Although I did not grow up having Mac and cheese at Thanksgiving, but now I have a Mac and cheese recipe that I always bring. [00:13:56] Speaker J: Mm. [00:13:57] Speaker A: And then what does Thanksgiving mean to you? [00:14:01] Speaker B: I think Thanksgiving is really a time where I can reconnect with my family members. I grew up going to my grandpa's, and I've learned a lot from him. Just his experience and wisdom. [00:14:15] Speaker A: Thank you. Our next guest is Hope Lane Gavin, the director of nutrition policy and programs here at the association. Welcome. Hope, what is your favorite Thanksgiving tradition? [00:14:36] Speaker C: Ooh, Lily, that's a tough one. Oh, I don't know. I try every year to make, like, a new recipe, which is, like. A lot of people have strong feelings about, like, making new stuff. Yeah, exactly, exactly, exactly. Like, making new stuff for such an important day. But, like. And I've had mixed success, but I don't know, it's just fun because, like, you know, like, during the work week and, like, the rest of the year, it's like, you know, cooking in itself is hard. Like, you're exhausted after work and stuff. So, like, cooking something new is, like, a crazy thing to do when you have a couple days off work and, like, you know, the capacity to go to the store and buy all the stuff, you know, it's. It is. I agree with you. Brave, but it's fun. It's. [00:15:21] Speaker A: No, I like that tradition. I like that tradition. And if you could be any Thanksgiving side dish, what would you be and why? [00:15:30] Speaker C: Oh, okay. [00:15:32] Speaker F: Okay. [00:15:32] Speaker C: All right, I'm gonna go. Oh, I'm gonna go. Stuffing. [00:15:40] Speaker A: That's a good one. [00:15:41] Speaker C: I feel like it's. It's. It's really, like, a lot of flavors. Complex flavors. I'm complex, but it's reliable. Like, it's gonna be good. It's gonna be good if you, you know, as long as you give it everything it needs. Kind of like me. Like, as long as I have water and I'm fed and, like, you know, then I can. I can do what I need to do. So it's. It's. Yeah, I like stuffing. I like stuffing, and maybe that's just my favorite one. And that's. I'm trying to make work, but, yeah, I'm gonna go. Stuffing. [00:16:12] Speaker A: That's, like, my comfort meal. And I feel like you're just, like, the comfort person. I don't know the go to person, so. I agree with that. [00:16:19] Speaker C: I honestly feel like we need more stuffing throughout the year. Like, I think we need to stop relegating stuffing to just this one day. Like, what's stopping us from having stuffing in April? [00:16:31] Speaker A: And so if I. [00:16:33] Speaker C: People need to talk about that. [00:16:35] Speaker A: If I could, I'd have it literally every day. [00:16:37] Speaker C: Yeah, I'm with you. I'm. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, we need to talk about that. [00:16:40] Speaker A: Last question. What is your favorite Thanksgiving memory? [00:16:44] Speaker C: Ooh, okay. Ooh. These are tough questions. Favorite Thanksgiving memory. So one year, and I. It was a couple years. It was recently, in the past five years or so, it was, like, so warm that my husband and I decided to just grill. Like, we, like, turned Thanksgiving into, like, Fourth of July. And so we, like, grilled, like, our food, and we were outside, like, with music, like, and it was pretty. It was, like, in the 60s, sunny, and we were hanging out on our deck as if, like, you know, it was the 4th of July, and that was. That was. I really liked that. That was a good time. But from, like, childhood, you know, just, like, you know, the classic of being able to, like, convene with your family at grandma's house and, like, you know, everyone coming together and there's, you know, a kids table, and, you know, those days. I definitely miss those days. You know, the. The being relegated to, like, a card. [00:17:39] Speaker A: Table that somebody, like, pulled out of there at 22. But it's okay. [00:17:46] Speaker J: But. [00:17:46] Speaker C: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I just, like, appreciate, you know, convening with family, having time off work, being able to just. My husband and I have this, like, I guess, tradition. I should have talked about this earlier, but, like, we, like, love watching, like, Thanksgiving TV episodes. [00:18:03] Speaker A: Yes. Oh, my gosh. [00:18:04] Speaker H: Yes. [00:18:05] Speaker C: Every classic show, any show with a couple of seasons starts to have, like, holiday episodes. So we'll pull those out and, like, watch them. My favorite is Life in Pieces, which used to be a, like, sitcom, I guess, comedy, sitcom, anyway, on CBS, like, maybe, like, 10 years ago @ this point. But like, it's a really funny show, first and foremost, but they have a really funny Thanksgiving episode, so we love to pull that out. But also, like, Bob's Burgers and like, King of the Hill and like the Rugrats. Like, we're all across the board, the Peanuts. [00:18:39] Speaker A: Gang. Oh. [00:18:40] Speaker C: Yeah. We always watch their Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving. So we love to just, like, pull out the Thanksgiving shows, if that makes. [00:18:47] Speaker A: Sense. No, I agree with. [00:18:48] Speaker E: That. I agree with. [00:18:49] Speaker A: That. And I think one of the main things that we did, we. I agree with you with the Peanuts, Charlie Brown was like, we watched the Thanksgiving, we watched the Halloween, we watched the Christmas, literally every single holiday. So I love. [00:19:02] Speaker C: That. It's so. [00:19:03] Speaker I: Cute. And it never gets. [00:19:04] Speaker C: Old. Every year I'm like, how do these people invite themselves to his Thanksgiving? And then they're mad at the spread. Like, they got the nerve to be mad, as if they didn't invite themselves. It's just funny every year and they. [00:19:17] Speaker E: Never. I love. [00:19:18] Speaker F: That. [00:19:18] Speaker A: Yeah. Well, thank. [00:19:19] Speaker C: You. Absolutely. Thank. [00:19:21] Speaker A: You. Our next guest is Audrey Van Zant, the director of communications here at the association. Welcome. [00:19:28] Speaker I: Audrey. Hi. [00:19:29] Speaker A: Lily. Audrey, if you could be any Thanksgiving side dish, what would you be and. [00:19:34] Speaker I: Why? That's a really hard question that I feel like needs thought, but the first thing that comes to my brain is mashed. [00:19:49] Speaker A: Potatoes. That's what I. [00:19:51] Speaker I: Said. Simply because I've never met a potato I don't like. You know, facts. So no matter if the Thanksgiving is good or bad, the mashed potatoes will probably be. [00:20:06] Speaker A: Good. I agree with. [00:20:07] Speaker I: That. So I think I'd be some mashed. [00:20:09] Speaker A: Potatoes. Good. [00:20:10] Speaker I: Answer. What did you. [00:20:12] Speaker A: Say? I said I also thought mashed potatoes, but that was just because I like mashed potatoes. They're easy to make, and I just feel like I'm an easy person to talk to. I don't know. Or just have an easy personality. Laid back. Potato gives laid back. I get laid. [00:20:27] Speaker I: Back. I got interviewed for a job one time, and they asked me if I could be any you tinsel what I would. [00:20:33] Speaker A: Be. Oh, that's. [00:20:34] Speaker I: Interesting. And I don't know where she was. [00:20:36] Speaker A: Going. I'd say. [00:20:37] Speaker I: Spork. [00:20:39] Speaker A: Why? Because you're a fork and a spoon. Like, you can't choose in between. You know what I mean? It's not a knife, but it's a spork. At least it's two out of the three. [00:20:49] Speaker I: Utensils. It's a valid. [00:20:51] Speaker A: Response. All right. And what is your favorite Thanksgiving. [00:20:55] Speaker I: Tradition? I was so excited to know this was going to be one of the questions Because I actually don't have that many Thanksgiving traditions. Like, we're a pretty, in my opinion, a relatively laxed family. I don't know if any of our listeners or any of the colleagues on the podcast can relate to this, but all of my grandparents are passed both on my mom's side and my dad's side. And holidays were just more. They were just larger and more of an event, I would say, when my grandparents were alive. And I feel like I hear that in conversations with people. And it was just a typically, just like everyone else, you know, they're kind of like the glue of the. [00:21:42] Speaker F: Family, and we don't really have that. [00:21:43] Speaker I: Anymore. So Thanksgiving isn't really a big thing in my family. It's really just an opportunity for us to come together and have a meal together, which is lovely in its own sense. And so I have a bunch of sticky notes in front of me that I'm going to read. So last year we were at Thanksgiving and I was like, what are we doing right? Like, the, the Slushers were with the Slushers, the Wheelers were with the Wheelers, the Van Zantz were with the Van Zantz. And I was like, like, we're family, you know, like, let's, let's do something. We're here all together. And so I pulled out sticky notes and I said, I gave one to everyone and I said, please write down what you're thankful for and put it on the wall. And I did it last year and I have some in front of me that I'm going to read. But little does my family know, unless they're listening to this podcast, that I am going to make this an annual tradition. And I'm really excited to bring some sticky notes to Thanksgiving again this year and see what, what they have. So I will just read a couple of them. This one is definitely my dad's handwriting and it says, my family, the good times and the lessons from the bad times. I wrote last year, good health for those I love. Me and the doggos, doll babies and doll houses, I would say was probably from my three year old niece. And then I also have a drawing of a cat or a Pokemon that I would say is probably from one of my, like, preteen boy cousins, if I had to guess. But then I have some other, other ones on here that I thought were really lovely. My cousin Stacy said, my health, family and home. Another cousin said, the home we've made with each other. A cousin who works from home said, work from home days with the Family. And then these two are actually my favorite. I don't know if they're Nolan or Joseph's, but Nolan and Joseph are 16, 17ish. They're my cousins and they're both standoffish. They're both introverts. They both have had some troubles with like bullying and things in their life, but they're lovely. And I don't know whose is who, but one of these says, oh, I might cry, says I'm thankful for my friends, friends that stuck around. And then this other one says, I'm thankful for being able to get a college education to further progress into a career I want to pursue in my life. And I know for a fact, actually now that I'm reading this out loud, that this is my cousin Josh, who has since enlisted in the army. So that's awesome. And I'm excited. I'm to going crying, but I'm excited about that. I'm excited to do this again this. [00:25:00] Speaker A: Year. I love that you kept. [00:25:03] Speaker I: Them. Yeah, well, I, I'm a scrapbooker and so I have this. I'm behind on the scrapbook, hence why they're still in my hands and not in my scrapbook. But I have this, this like vision right. Of this, this scrapbook page whenever I get around to, to it year after year. That'll have all. [00:25:24] Speaker A: That. That is such a cute. [00:25:25] Speaker I: Tradition. Yeah. Someone wrote, I'm thankful for turn off water, empty water, disconnect water supply. So I think he started and then maybe started talking to someone else and started taking. [00:25:39] Speaker A: Notes. That is so. [00:25:42] Speaker I: Funny. So that's a funny one. This is also my dad's handwriting. He said dessert. That's a good. [00:25:49] Speaker A: One. That's what I would say. Specifically, ice. [00:25:52] Speaker I: Cream. My 15 year old cousin said, I'm thankful for my amazing, loving, caring girlfriend, Jayla. We love young love. Another cat. [00:26:04] Speaker A: Drawing. I love the drawings. That's so. [00:26:07] Speaker I: Cute. A little toddler drawing from one of the younger kids. So yeah, I don't have many traditions, but I love traditions and I'm, I'm the person in the family that makes the traditions and like makes people do the. [00:26:24] Speaker A: Things. You're forcing a tradition. I like. [00:26:25] Speaker B: That. [00:26:25] Speaker A: Yeah. So your tradition, your favorite tradition is forcing. [00:26:29] Speaker I: Tradition. Exactly, exactly. And I'm gonna do it again. [00:26:33] Speaker A: Soon. And then last question. What is one thing you're thankful for this. [00:26:37] Speaker I: Year? That's a tough one because I'm emotional person so I'm going to cry. I would say I'm just really grateful for my colleagues this year. It's been a very hard year. And it's been a very hard year for our organization. And I have colleagues, including you, and really incredible leaders and coworkers that I get to call friends and understand the taxation that is our work, what a privilege it is, but equally how exhausting that is. So I am incredibly grateful this year for my colleagues for seeing me and holding space for. [00:27:20] Speaker A: Me. And I'm glad you're here, too. I'm thankful for you as. [00:27:23] Speaker I: Well. Oh, I this is not the first podcast I've cried on. It won't be the last. Yeah, I'm very grateful this. [00:27:33] Speaker A: Year. Thank you. And that wraps up this month's Thanksgiving episode. We hope these stories, traditions and tasty favorites brought a little extra holiday joy to your day. Whether you're celebrating with family, friends, co workers, or creating new traditions of your own, we're grateful you chose to spend part of your holiday season with us. From all of us here at the office, thank you for listening, thank you for supporting our work, and thank you for being part of this community. We'll be back next month with another exciting episode, but until then, we wish you a warm, safe and delicious Thanksgiving. Take care, enjoy the holiday, and we'll talk to you. [00:28:21] Speaker C: Soon. Sam.