Happy Friday, and almost Thanksgiving week! For anyone new here: this is The Skinny, where we serve up curated, need-to-know lifestyle news designed to entertain and save you time, which is everyone’s most valuable resource. It will take you less than 2 minutes to read and you’ll definitely learn something worth sharing that will make your morning/day/week/year/life just a little bit better.

Digging in: first, because we love Goldbelly, this week’s poll is inspired by their newsletter today (titled “the 12 Wackiest Thanksgiving Pies”).

What we’re covering today: 

• How a zero-waste island in Greece can inspire you to reduce Thanksgiving food waste 

• How to up your game when it comes to Ugly Sweaters 

• Postcard from Portugal: the allure of sardines & the most magical Lisbon day trip 

• Plus: a luxury sleeper train in CA, the best barefoot shoes, Turduckens & our new ‘Deal of the Day’ feature

💡Did you know: all The Skinny editions are online and searchable—so you can easily find topics, links, recipes and items to shop that we have written about in the past. Bookmark for easy reference.

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Less than zero

…from trash-free Tilos to your Thanksgiving table  

The Skinny: Tilos, a picturesque Greek island in the Dodecanese, has become the first certified zero-waste city in Greece. (Editor’s note: the image above may or may not actually be Tilos, we’re not sure.) The island has made truly incredible strides (watch this short video from the World Economic Forum) including a 90% recycling rate, and hopes to be a model proving that any city, island, country or state can do the same. While this is a feat of human innovation and determination, it’s hard to imagine that Poseidon – who had a temple on the island – didn’t bestow this eco-fate upon Tilos. Surely the God of the Sea would have been displeased to see excess trash, picked up from the powerful Meltemi winds, blowing into the ocean.

If this Greek island can achieve this incredible statistic, surely we can reduce our Thanksgiving food waste this year. According to reports, 316 million pounds of food, MILLIONS, will be wasted next week. Let’s reduce that number by looking at these tips: the first one being to simply cook less, and try using this “Guest-Imator” to actually calculate exactly how much you need. Oh, and so you’re prepared and motivated to store leftovers, not toss, you might need these glass leftover storage containers.  

PS - we would like to personally thank the WaPo article linked above for reminding us about the “grandma concerned about dinner roll count” (via The Onion).

Ugly Sweaters: part 1

It’s the most, ugliest time of the year

The Skinny: First off, we texted with a Gen Z family member to make sure we weren’t missing a whole anti-ugly sweater movement we didn’t know about.

Q: “Hey there, just checking in for the fam Christmas party, are ugly sweaters still a thing and OK? Just making sure.”

A: “There is still nothing beyond ugly sweaters.” 

Clearance to get ugly—alive and kicking. And while we don’t necessarily want to shove it down your throat before Thanksgiving, a lot of these could sell out and we want our readers to get first crack at the bestest and most ugliest ones.

First, ugly sweaters for the cat lover (if this is you, no introduction needed, you get it. If you haven’t yet entered the cat portal, well, we’re sorry):

• Maybe the best/worst cat sweater of all time (IF YOU CLICK ONE THING, IT’S THIS) 

• Light up Cat Sweater for Men

• And one more pawesome cat sweater, just because   

• The ugliest “Dad Bod” sweater on the market

And for the general public: 

• Jill is personally enjoying this amazing “impending holiday dread” sweater

• This Interactive Ugly Sweater is a great ice-breaker 

• We like it when food brands make amusing non-food items, so we present you with Danish Creamery’s ugly sweater (and look at that butter dish cozy!) 

• And here is an uber personalized ugly sweater for your whole family, and all the pets

Free the sardines

Culinary travel: All about this celebrated tinned fish

The Skinny: We are lucky to have one of our alert readers reporting from Portugal this week, so this is the perfect time to discuss sardines. As jam-packed in their tin as they are with nutrients, these silvery delights boast a high level of omega-3s and vitamin D – which is especially important for supporting a robust immune system during winter/the holidays. For more sardine love, unpack this NPR story, aptly titled “sardines to the rescue!”

On the menu: Grilled sardines, ofc, but also marinated (with heads), sardine sushi. Finally, per the locals, those touristy sardine tins are going to run you like $10 for a product that normally costs $2. But because they’re so f–ing cute, resistance is likely futile.  

We digress. Now, how do you eat tinned sardines? When we last bought some, they remained nestled in their beautifully designed tin, together but alone (on our pantry shelf), for a while until we had the courage to confront their quiet intimidation. While we love them, our usual/preferred preparation is grilled, marinated (in Spain) or fried. But while this extensive Martha Stewart-approved list of all the ways to make/eat sardines provided confidence, we’ll first try Alison Roman’s Crushed Baby Potatoes, with Sardines, Celery and Dill. Or do as the Portuguese do, and eat them simply in salads, with crusty bread or with pasta. 

And yes, Portugal is the sardine capital of the world. If you like them, and cultural/culinary history, your 10 minutes watching this video – taking viewers through a Portuguese sardine cannery’s 100-year-old method – is well spent. 

Travel tip: From Lisbon, our intrepid correspondent suggested heading up the coast to Sintra: a coastal town punctuated with palaces and castles described as both whimsical and elegant, and reportedly steeped in magical powers. And that, framed with a dramatic coastline overlooking some of the country’s most glorious beaches, is the perfect recipe for a day trip. However, as his reporting unfolded, it appears that the magical forces led him astray and – after getting lost – he didn’t make it to Sintra until the way back. BUT, along the “wander way,” he discovered the town of Colares and the gorgeous Praia da Ursa beach that feels like the “edge of the world.” Bookmark all this for your upcoming Portugal trip – you’re welcome! 

Add to cart: 

• This Clare V sardine necklace (on our Christmas list) and a darling sardine kitchen towel. 

• These Portuguese sardines that are actually tinned in the cannery linked above (so you know they’re going to be chef’s kiss). 

• Last but not least, a sardine Christmas tree ornament if you find yourself obsessed, or have a family member who won’t shut up about their trip to Portugal.

Giveaway alert

Own pizza night with an Ooni oven

The Skinny: Last chance to enter (and you can enter more than once)! We love writing The Skinny, and we’re so glad you love reading it. So since your word of mouth is our best asset, we would be forever grateful if you could please take a second and send this link to at least one like-minded friend & family who would also love this newsletter. Then simply reply “DONE” to this email to be entered into a drawing for this awesome Ooni Pizza Oven. No joke! We’ll announce the winner in a The Skinny edition during the last week of November.

OHM, there’s more

This week’s newsfeed

• All aboard, lights out: a luxury sleeper train, set to launch in spring of 2025, will connect SF and LA.

• Because we like to talk about the benefits of going barefoot, but given that it’s winter, here is your “barefoot shoe guide.”

• To ‘skiplag’ or not to skiplag, that is the question (and, why airlines are trying to stop it).

• Last licks with some quick holiday shopping picks for the chef in your family:  

  • Friday Deal of the Day: if you’ve been pining for the iconic workhorse, aka the Kitchen Aid stand mixer, it’s 38% off for $299 (normally $479).

  • If we didn’t direct you to the nearest Turducken, would we even be a resource? Also here is what a Turducken is (with illustration), accompanied by its wild history, as well as instructions to make your own if you’re an adventurous DIY type.

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