We’re a little over a week away from Thanksgiving, and there are (in many cases well-founded) worries about a post-Thanksgiving spike in the COVID-19 case numbers.
An acquaintance of mine has a breakdown of the numbers and has them broken down by region. Louisiana’s numbers are under the “Southern Border” section, and there appears to be a pretty big spike over the last week.
There is very clearly a more dramatic spike than in other states, and it’s not incredibly clear where it came from other than people behaving badly when it comes to safety measures. A handful of schools in the Acadiana region of Louisiana (including my own school) have switched to virtual until after Thanksgiving due to the virus.
That’s not to say that these schools are seeing massive numbers of COVID-19 on campus, nor is it confirming on-campus spread. Rather, we’re seeing a high number of students and teachers who come into contact with someone outside of school who tests positive, and even if those teachers and students test negative, they still have to quarantine for 10-14 days.
The big danger is, of course, that negative doesn’t always mean negative. In the case of this virus, negative appears to be “not positive.” If you are not taking safety precautions (wearing a mask, maintaining a safe distance from others, etc.), then you are increasing the odds you get it, whether people around you are sick or not. We know that the virus is at its most contagious among asymptomatic/non-symptomatic people, so you will never be 100 percent certain that you haven’t gotten it from a large gathering. If you’re going maskless and not maintaining distance, you’re increasing the odds of getting it dramatically.
As a result of all this, people are worried about gathering for Thanksgiving and worried about a post-Thanksgiving spike. My Thanksgiving will look vastly different than in past years, but we will still do something with family (just not as much family). We will be as safe as possible while doing so. My wife, kids, and I have gotten flu shots already. We are going to do this as safely as possible, but not let that ruin the week.
Will there be a spike? Given that these spikes tend to happen when people act irresponsibly, I am sure some families will accidentally get themselves and others infected. Maybe we will see a spike, maybe we won’t. The good news is that vaccines are coming sooner than I think most of us expected (and they are reportedly really, really effective) and we will see the end of this pandemic before too much longer.
Homestyle: Cooking and Crafting on Thanksgiving
On this week’s episode of Homestyle, my co-host Leigh Guidry and I talk about what is personally my favorite holiday, Thanksgiving.
We talk about crafts to do with family, what to cook, and our favorite side dishes. Plus, check out Episode 24 for some cookie-decorating ideas, or check out last year's episode on Thanksgiving.
If you want to hear more, you can always go back and listen to previous episodes, and we’d love to hear your feedback. Subscribe, rate, and review the podcast here, and if you have cooking, crafting, or family activity ideas, you can find us on Facebook and on Instagram (@Homestylepod).
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The Homestyle Podcast is a joint venture between myself and one of my best friends, education reporter Leigh Guidry. Throughout each episode, we discuss cooking, crafting, and other hobbies as well as how we make sure to spend time with our families despite how insanely busy life can be. The goal of the podcast has always been to take a moment to focus on what’s really important because, at the end of the day, family and life is more important than whatever distractions are going on in the world around us.
Recipe of the Week: Smoked Turkey Breast
Here’s one I wanna try sometime since we’re in the Thanksgiving season. I enjoy smoking chicken, so naturally, I want to give the turkey a try. The trick is to make sure that you don’t dry the breast out, so you need to make sure it’s marinated or brined so that the moisture stays with it all through the smoke. In this recipe, we’re using a simple brine, but you can do a marinade such as the one found here if you prefer.
1 5-lb. turkey breast
8 cups water
1/2 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp. ground pepper
2 tsp. paprika
1 lemon, cut into halves
1 stick cinnamon
Heat water in a pot and add the sugar and salt until dissolved.
Squeeze in the juice from the lemon halves, add the pepper, paprika, and cinnamon stick.
Remove brine from heat and let it cool completely.
Put turkey breast into a large Ziplock bag and add the cooled brine. Refrigerate for at least 12 hours.
Get your smoker up to 225 degrees, then add fruit wood chunks (I prefer apple and/or cherry).
Smoke the turkey breast until the thickest part of the breast reaches a temperature of about 165 degrees (takes roughly 3 1/2 to 4 hours). Add more wood chunks about halfway through.
Let the turkey breast rest at least 10-15 minutes before slicing and serving.
Final Thoughts
It is not Christmas yet. It is not Christmas yet. It is not Christmas yet. It is not Christmas yet. It is not Christmas yet. It is not Christmas yet. It is not Christmas yet. It is not Christmas yet. It is not Christmas yet. It is not Christmas yet. It is not Christmas yet. It is not Christmas yet. It is not Christmas yet. It is not Christmas yet.