The History of Thanksgiving in America

The Pilgrims’ Menu at the first Thanksgiving?
Based on what we know of life at the Plimoth Plantation, we can speculate that the following foods may have been on the menu:
Seafood: Cod, Eel, Clams, Lobster, Whale
Wild Fowl: Wild Turkey, Goose, Duck, Crane, Swan, Partridge, Eagles
Meat: Venison, Seal
Grain: Wheat Flour, Indian Corn
Vegetables: Pumpkin, Peas, Beans, Onions, Lettuce, Radishes, Carrots
Fruit: Plums, Grapes
Nuts: Walnuts, Chestnuts, Acorns
Herbs and Seasonings: Olive Oil, Liverwort, Leeks, Dried Currants, Parsnips

What Was Not on the Menu
Surprisingly, the following foods, all considered staples of the modern Thanksgiving meal, didn’t appear on the pilgrims’ first feast table, for various reasons.
Ham: There is no evidence that the colonists had butchered a pig by this time, though they had brought pigs with them from England.
Sweet Potatoes/Potatoes: These were not common at the time, being more of a South American or African tuber at this period.
Corn on the Cob: Corn was kept dried out at this time of year, not eaten fresh.
Cranberry Sauce: The colonists had cranberries, but no sugar at this time.
Pumpkin Pie: It’s not a recipe that existed at this point, though the pilgrims had recipes for stewed pumpkin.
Chicken/Eggs: We know that the colonists brought hens with them from England, but it’s unknown how many they had left at this point, or whether the hens were still laying.
Milk: No cows had been aboard the Mayflower, though it’s possible that the colonists used goat milk to make cheese.

In addition to being great writers, many of our romance authors are fabulous cooks. So here are some handy hints and tips, just in time for Thanksgiving.

After a big Thanksgiving meal, many people end up with quite a bit of extra turkey. Nibbling on leftovers is fine, but here are some additional healthy ways to use that leftover turkey, so one day of eating excess does not turn into several days of stuffing yourself with stuffing.

First of all, if you are watching your weight, make sure you serve lots of veggies, and eat only the white meat.

Secondly, make sure, if you have guests over, to send the lion’s share of the leftovers home with THEM, so you are not tempted to overeat for several more meals.

But, having said that, if you have cooked a sumptuous turkey breast, it is good lean protein you can enjoy. Here are some ideas:

Sandwiches

This is our family favorite. Simply slather mayonnaise on your favorite bread and add turkey. Enjoy! Of course, you can make this sandwich fancier by using toasted garlic bread, or adding some seasonings to the mayonnaise.

You can quickly whip up some gourmet style mayo by adding some of the packaged ranch dressing mix to it.

Instead of regular sliced bread, make turkey sandwiches with fresh Italian bread, hogies, wraps, or ciabata bread for a different taste.

Open Faced Turkey Sandwich

Start with some really good toast. Rub a little garlic or butter on it if you’d like. Then, lay slices of turkey on it and cover with gravy. Heat up some left over stuffing and stick it in the toaster oven or your regular oven to give it a nice little crust and dinner is ready.

Turkey and Rice Soup

If you cooked a whole turkey, use the leftover bones from the turkey and throw them in a large stock pot. Cover them with plenty of water and add some onion, celery, carrot and salt and pepper. Bring it to a boil and boil for about 45 min.

Strain out the liquid, return it to the pot, add some rice and leftover pieces of turkey. Add any vegetables you like as well and cook until the rice and veggies are tender. Then eat some, and freeze the rest-remember that the dark meat has 3 times more fat per ounce than white meat turkey.

The History of Thanksgiving in America 1

The most familiar story of the first Thanksgiving took place in Plimouth [Plymouth] Colony, in present-day Massachusetts, in 1621.

Sarah Josepha Hale, the enormously influential magazine editor and author who waged a tireless campaign to make Thanksgiving a national holiday in the mid-19th century, was also the author of the classic nursery rhyme “Mary Had a Little Lamb.”

More than 200 years after the first Thanksgiving, in 1863, President Abraham Lincoln declared the final Thursday in November as a national day of thanksgiving.

Congress finally made Thanksgiving Day an official national holiday in 1941.

Many people also get the day after, Thanksgiving Friday, also known as Black Friday, as an additional holiday.

It is called Black Friday because many retailers hope to be out of the red and into the black thanks to consumer shopping on this day.