Let us Give Thanks Every Day
“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.” ~ JFK
Contrary to what many seem to think, Thanksgiving Day was not invented solely for the purpose of pigging out and watching football all day. Neither was it a tradition repeated every year by early American columnists as is frequently claimed.
After Plymouth colonists gathered the first harvest, Governor William Bradford proclaimed a day of thanksgiving and prayer to be shared by all the colonists and neighboring Indians. They did celebrate a successful harvest in1621 but it is highly unlikely that they called it Thanksgiving.
To them, a thanksgiving was a religious holiday they observed by going to church to give thanks for specific things like winning a battle. Also, the types of activities they and the Wampanoag Indians participated in during the harvest feast would not have had a place in a religious holiday. The dancing, singing secular songs and playing games made it a temporal celebration in their eyes and would have never been considered what they observed as a thanksgiving.
Another myth is that the original Thanksgiving feast took place on the fourth Thursday of November as it does today. It was based on English harvest festivals that occurred around September 29 and actually occurred between September 21 and November 11, lasting three days as did those in England.
Another day of thanksgiving and prayer was changed to one of thanksgiving in 1623 when drought-breaking rain came during the prayers. The custom of celebrating thanksgiving after the harvest gradually prevailed in New England and the Continental Congress suggested an annual day of thanksgiving during the American Revolution.
In 1817, New York adopted Thanksgiving Day a yearly custom and by mid-nineteenth century, several other states had followed suit. President Abraham Lincoln appointed a day of thanksgiving as the last Thursday in November, perhaps correlating it with the anchoring of the Mayflower at Cape Cod on November 21, 1621.
Subsequent presidents continued the custom, each issuing a Thanksgiving Day proclamation, until President Franklin D. Roosevelt officially set the date as the fourth Thursday in November 1939. Congress officially approved it in 1941.
Another myth is the type food served at the first harvest. They didn’t have ham or sweet potatoes or fresh corn. Waterfowl was plentiful as were mussels and other seafood and the Indians hunted squirrel, turkey and deer. Likely, the main entrée was a combination of these choices. There is a record of Chief Massasoit bringing five deer to Governor Bradford so it’s probably safe to assume there was venison on the menu.
They may have served nuts, grapes, peas, beans, onions, and/or radishes but if if pumpkin was present, it would have been stewed as sugar was too scarce to use in pies. If they had cheese, it would have been goat cheese because they brought neither cows nor pigs with them on their journey over.
The roast turkey we have come to expect has given way in recent years to smoked turkey, grilled turkey or deep-fried turkey. Another non-traditional Thanksgiving entrée that has come into favor in recent years is Turducken. It takes a lot of time to prepare but if you like turkey, duck and chicken, it may be worth your time. It’s sure to be interesting at the very least.
Turducken
Ingredients:
2-3/4 c. prepared savory bread stuffing, divided
2 c. prepared cornbread stuffing, divided
1/4 c. chopped pecans
1/2 c. whole berry cranberry sauce
1 (10 to 12-pound) turkey, deboned
1 (4 to 5-pound) duck, deboned
1 (3 to 4 pound) chicken, deboned
4 T. butter
3 cloves garlic, quartered
6 fresh sage leaves
2 T. fresh thyme leaves
1 T. browning sauce like Kitchen Bouquet®
1 T. olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preparation:
Have the turkey, duck and chicken deboned before you begin to assemble the turducken. Keep poultry refrigerated until you are ready to use it. Do not assemble turducken ahead of time in order to avoid food borne illnesses. Measure out 2-1/4 cups of bread stuffing and set aside. Place remaining 1/2 cup of bread stuffing in another bowl and add 1/2 cup of the cornbread stuffing, cranberry sauce and pecans. Toss gently to combine. Set remaining 1-1/2 cups cornbread stuffing aside. You should have 3 separate stuffings.
Using the metal blade of your food processor, to finely chop butter, garlic, sage and thyme together. Run your hand under turkey skin to separate and make a pocket, but do not separate skin completely from the meat. Distribute the butter herb mixture evenly under the skin.
Rub turkey skin first with the browning sauce, then with the olive oil. Sprinkle generously with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Flip turkey over so it is open with skin side down. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. At this point, turn the oven to 300° to preheat.
Spread bread stuffing evenly over turkey cavity and place duce on top of bread stuffing, skin-side down. Spread cranberry nut stuffing on top of open duck cavity and top with chicken, skin-side down.
Spread cornbread stuffing on top of open chicken cavity and skewer the back of the chicken closed. Bring up the sides of the duck to cover the chicken and skewer the back of the duck closed. Repeat process with the turkey. Carefully turn turducken over, leaving seam-side down and breast-side up. Remove all skewers except the last one holding the turkey together.
Place turducken in a heavy roaster and roast 3-4 hours or until meat thermometer inserted in the center of chicken stuffing reaches 165° F. Baste once per hour with pan juices. If turducken begins to get too brown, tent loosely with heavy-duty aluminum foil that has been coated with vegetable spray.
Let turducken rest 30 minutes before carving. When ready to serve, slice turducken across the breast to show off each layer. Yield: 12 to 14 servings
Pumpkin Bourbon Pie
1 stick of butter
1-1/2 c. sugar
1-1/2 c. prepared pumpkin
1 T. flour
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/4 t. salt
3 T. bourbon
1 t. allspice
1 unbaked 9" pie shell
Mix butter and sugar. Stir in flour, then add remaining ingredients. Mix well and pour into pie shell. Bake @ 450 for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 and bake for 50 additional minutes. Cool on rack.I enjoy this slightly different take on pumpkin pie more than the original type. It’s better made in advance to allow flavors to meld.
Pumpkin Squares
Bottom layer:
1 18.25 oz-box yellow cake mix
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 c. butter, melted
Top layer:
1 8-oz.package cream cheese, softened
1 15-oz. can pumpkin
3 large eggs
2 t. vanilla extract
1/2 c. butter, melted
1 t. ground cinnamon
1 t. ground nutmeg
Pinch of salt
1-lb. box powdered sugar
Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and set aside. In the mixing bowl of a heavy-duty stand mixer, combine cake mix, egg and melted butter, and beat with the flat beater until the mixture forms a ball. Press mixture evenly into the bottom of prepared baking dish and set aside.
In the mixing bowl of the heavy-duty stand mixer, combine the cream cheese and pumpkin and beat with the flat beater until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla extract, butter, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt, beating well to incorporate. Slowly add the powdered sugar and beat until combined.
Spoon the batter over the cake mix crust and bake for 35-45 minutes.
This is very much like a cheesecake, which will not look completely set in the center when the mixture is done. The center will still be a little soft and wiggly, but will firm up as it cools. Remove to a wire rack to cool and refrigerate until completely chilled. Serve with whipped cream and a sprinkle of ground cinnamon.
This is a good alternative for those who do not care for pumpkin pie or just for something a little different for the holidays.
My Favorite Cranberry Sauce
1-1/2 c. sugar
3/4 c. water
3 c. (appr. 12 oz.) fresh cranberries
1/4 c. Grand Marnier
Rinse and clean berries and drain in colander. Combine water and sugar in saucepan. Add berries and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer gently until berries pop and sauce thickens, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in Grand Marnier. Cool at room temperature and store in refrigerator. I think this is the absolute best cranberry sauce you can make. I’ve had people who swore they didn't like cranberry sauce eat this and rave over it.
*****
A little Thanksgiving humor (with apologies to Clement Moore):'Twas the night of Thanksgiving,
but I just couldn't sleep.
I tried counting backwards,
I tried counting sheep.
The leftovers beckoned -
the dark meat and white
but I fought the temptation
with all of my might.
Tossing and turning
with anticipation,
the thought of a snack
became infatuation.
So, I raced to the kitchen,
flung open the door
and gazed at the fridge
full of goodies galore.
I gobbled up turkey
and buttered potatoes,
pickles and beets,
beans and tomatoes.
I felt myself swelling
so plump and so round,
'til all of a sudden
I rose off the ground.
I crashed through the ceiling,
floating into the sky
with a mouthful of pudding
and a handful of pie.
But, I managed to yell
as I soared past the trees...
happy eating to all -
pass the cranberries, please.
May your stuffing be tasty.
May your turkey be plump.
May your potatoes 'n gravy
have nary a lump.
May your yams be delicious.
May your pies take the prize.
May your Thanksgiving dinner
stay off your thighs!
~ Author unknown
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