decorating

The holidays are the time of year we really want to dig in, cozy up, and enjoy home life. The good news is that Thanksgiving is an easy holiday to green, thanks to its emphasis on the rustic and bountiful. Decorating with organic gourds and corn, for instance. If you're planning on entertaining more people than you currently have forks for, try using biodegradeable party plates and cutlery, or if you have a good eye, comb the local thrift stores and create a table full of mis-matched, folksy charm, as Martha recommends. If you want to indulge yourself, or need a cool hostess gift, how about some organic table linens?

What to eat is the big question. Writing for Grist, sustainable farmer Tom Philpott has a few entertaining words to say on whether it's best to channel Alice Waters or be an Angry Vegan. You could join Treehugger's 100-Mile Thanksgiving Challenge, and compose your meal out of ingredients sourced within a hundred miles of your home. If you're stumped as to how to find a local bird, try EatWild, which can help you find grass-fed meats wherever you live. For recipes and more, Epicurious has a guide to thanksgiving dinner that includes wisdom from Gourmet and Bon Appetit, rivalled only by the Cook's Illustrated Thanksgiving Survival Guide.

And while you're giving thanks, consider giving as well to America's Second Harvest, the national food bank network.