The Thanksgiving Battle Royale [#SAVETHANKSGIVING]

Thanksgiving is a time for family and friends to come together and give thanks. But we all know most gatherings don't always flow chaos-free. Whether it's pulling the guys' attention from football or preparing your favorite dish, we don't always see eye to eye.

For instance, most families make turkey as the staple meat to fit the occasion, but not everyone wants to be comatose by the end of the night. Some families make ham, unless of course you have the few family members who don't eat red meat. So what would you choose?

Or what about those pumpkin pie eaters that think it tastes the same as sweet potato pie? Take it from me, a consumer of both, sweet potato is definitely the better-tasting pie.

And let's see, all you Buffalonians, do you stick around and help out in the kitchen or get your exercise that morning in the YMCA Turkey Trot? I used to help out until I weighed five pounds more by the end of that night, so instead I decided to get my cardio in early.

We all love to be with our family, but do you prefer to let them cook and reap the benefits or host your own party? Hosting takes a lot of work and preparation, but at the end of the night, you can make someone else clean up. Ha!

And for the anal people like me, do you prefer your gravy or cranberry sauce canned or fresh/homemade (that is, if you can tolerate cranberry sauce at all)?

Do you have a family like mine that sits formally at a table with cloth napkins and china, or are you laid back and less formal with paper plates and napkins?

Dessert eaters, if pie is your thing, do you ever venture to that slice of cake, or even cookies? Or is it better to stick with what you know?

As a kid growing into a young adult, I never had to make such conscious decisions before. What and where I ate didn't matter much as long as I was around people I loved and cared for. But now, I have to choose between sitting at the "kids' table" or with the "adults" and whether my beverage is sparkling or spiked.

Although these decisions don't directly affect how we enjoy our evening, they definitely play a major role. Some people are more picky than others, preferring fresh over frozen, homemade over store bought, and even baked over fried. So when you go to create your menu for this year's feast, keep all your picky complainers in mind. Share with us your likes and dislikes for the holiday season.

You can join Jack FM's Coalition to Save Thanksgiving on Facebook -- a division of the World Turkey Federation (WTF).

Amina Boyd contributed to this article