analysis: Our Thanksgiving Meal – Similar to the Neighbors Next Door

What is being served for Thanksgiving

Notes:

• Thanksgiving is coming up. Time to do the shopping to pick up all of the ingredients you need for your family get together. It’s a holiday full of good eating, football, and enjoying conversation. So what are you serving this Thanksgiving?
• If you are like most families, it will include turkey, mash potatoes, candied yams, green beans and corn, and of course the infamous pumpkin and apple pies.
• That is the traditional menu for the Thanksgiving – given the variations by region and culture.
• Of course, there are others that will buck the trend and serve a menu that is totally different. And then there are those who are vegan and opt instead for the vegetable feast.
• No matter what you serve, it’s a time to celebrate the many blessings we have in the company of friends and family. So Happy Thanksgiving!
• INFO: about thanksgiving day
  INFO: traditional thanksgiving dinner menu

What a traditional Thanksgiving may look like

• Getting the table set

  Thanksgiving originated from the first Thanksgiving feast back in 1621. That is when the newly arrived Pilgrims dined with regional Indians after a successful fall harvest.

• Based upon a written account, the meal consisted of wild foul (most likely wild turkey), deer, fish, corn and other local foods that were indigenous to the area – such as the cranberry. You can appreciate why they celebrated with a feast when the harvest was an important food supply that will kept the pilgrims alive during the winter.
• You can read more information about the first Thanksgiving. Over time, this annual Thanksgiving feast grew into a national holiday where families celebrate the event by mimicking the feast the pilgrims had back in the early 1600’s.
• The traditional Thanksgiving meal would include the following:
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  • Turkey:

    Records show that foul was gathered for the first Thanksgiving – the type of foul that was hunted would likely include wild turkey that was abundant in the Massachusetts area where the Pilgrims established their colony.

  • So the turkey has become the main course for many Thanksgiving tables around the country.
  • INFO: how to brine turkey
    INFO: how to deep fry a turkey
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  • Stuffing:

    Stuffing might have been available during the first Thanksgiving. Stuffing was used in older times to keep the bird or animal soft inside when it was cooked over an open fire. Today, it has become a tasty addition to serve alone side the turkey.

  • There all kinds of stuffing-related recipes. Once such recipe from New England is the oyster stuffing – a pilgrim possibility given that oysters were abundant is the bay waters.
  • INFO: purpose of stuffing
    INFO: history of bird stuffing
  • INFO: old fashion turkey stuffing
    INFO: over 50 turkey stuffing ideas
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  • Potatoes and gravy:

    potatoes were not part of the first pilgrim Thanksgiving – potatoes weren’t introduce to the northern hemisphere until the 1700’s. And we are glad they did. Mashed potatoes with gravy made from the roasted turkey stock is a must for Thanksgiving.

  • INFO: make mashed potatoes
    INFO: make perfect turkey gravy
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  • Yams or sweet potatoes:

    These two food products are mostly a southern tradition that eventually became part of Thanksgiving menu. Similar to the potato, they weren’t part of the colony diet until later.

  • Sweet potatoes are sweeter than yams – so yams are often candied with brown sugar and marshmallows. Candied yams or sweet potato casserole are a favorite for many Thanksgiving gatherings.
  • INFO: sweep potatoes vs yams
    INFO: why sweet potatoes
  • INFO: candied yams | soul styled
    INFO: sweet potatoe casserole
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  • Side Dishes:

    Side dishes include all of the harvested vegetables – green beans, corn, carrots, celery, onions, cauliflower, and other vegetables. And don’t forget the cranberry – a wild fruit that was used by the Indians and introduced to the pilgrims.

  • Raw cranberries are available in grocery stores around the Thanksgiving season. They are used for making cranberry sauce, salads and desserts.
  • INFO: 100+ side dish ideas
    INFO: 36 vegetable side dishes
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  • What about relishes:

    The relish dish is the most favorite part of the menu for kids that just don’t like the traditional Thanksgiving meal. Your relish dish could include cut meats, shell fish, olives, pickles, sliced raw vegetables, fruits and much more.

  • The relishes are also a favorite for those who look forward to Thanksgiving. You have plate full of Thanksgiving stuff, but there is always some room for your favorite relish.
  • INFO: ideas for relish dish
    INFO: fresh cranberry recipes
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  • Pumpkin pie and other desserts:

    Now come the best part of Thanksgiving – pumpkin and apple pies. Both the pumpkin and apple are fall harvest foods. They are the climax of a wonderful Thanksgiving meal enjoyed by everyone – of course served with whipped topping and ice cream.

  • Another fall harvest is the pecan – a tree nut that begins to fall to the ground from September to November. So the pecan pie has likewise become part of the Thanksgiving meal.
  • INFO: best Thanksgiving desserts
    INFO: classic pumpkin pie recipe
  • INFO: double-crust apple pie
    INFO: old-fashioned pecan pie
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  • Final Observation:

    So let’s get the table set with a nice table cloth, fall decorations, and a menu list of everything that will be served that your guests can reference. It is a holiday tradition to enjoy as one of the biggest meals served during the calendar year.

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