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The Origins Of Thanksgiving
In 1621, after a hard and devastating first year in the New World the Pilgrim's fall harvest was very successful and plentiful. There was corn, fruits, vegetables, along with fish which was packed in salt, and meat that was smoke cured over fires. They found they had enough food to put away for the winter.
The Pilgrims had beaten the odds. They built homes in the wilderness, they raised enough crops to keep them alive during the long coming winter, and they were at peace with their Indian neighbors. Their Governor, William Bradford, proclaimed a day of thanksgiving that was to be shared by all the colonists and the neighboring Native American Indians.
The custom of an annually celebrated thanksgiving, held after the harvest, continued through the years. During the American Revolution (late 1770's) a day of national thanksgiving was suggested by the Continental Congress.
In 1817 New York State adopted Thanksgiving Day as an annual custom. By the middle of the 19th century many other states also celebrated a Thanksgiving Day. In 1863 President Abraham Lincoln appointed a national day of thanksgiving. Since then each president has issued a Thanksgiving Day proclamation, usually designating the fourth Thursday of each November as the holiday.
President Bush and Stars (The National Turkey)
PRESIDENT BUSH'S THANKSGIVING PROCLAMATION
Each year on Thanksgiving, we gather with family and friends to thank God for the many blessings He has given us, and we ask God to continue to guide and watch over our country.
Almost 400 years ago, after surviving their first winter at Plymouth, the Pilgrims celebrated a harvest feast to give thanks. George Washington proclaimed the first National Day of Thanksgiving in 1789, and Abraham Lincoln revived the tradition during the Civil War. Since that time, our citizens have paused to express thanks for the bounty of blessings we enjoy and to spend time with family and friends. In want or in plenty, in times of challenge or times of calm, we always have reasons to be thankful.
America is a land of abundance, prosperity, and hope. We must never take for granted the things that make our country great: a firm foundation of freedom, justice, and equality; a belief in democracy and the rule of law; and our fundamental rights to gather, speak, and worship freely.
These liberties do not come without cost. Throughout history, many have sacrificed to preserve our freedoms and to defend peace around the world. Today, the brave men and women of our military continue this noble tradition. These heroes and their loved ones have the gratitude of our Nation.
On this day, we also remember those less fortunate among us. They are our neighbors and our fellow citizens, and we are committed to reaching out to them and to all of those in need in our communities.
This Thanksgiving, we again give thanks for all of our blessings and for the freedoms we enjoy every day. Our Founders thanked the Almighty and humbly sought His wisdom and blessing. May we always live by that same trust, and may God continue to watch over and bless the United States of America.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim Thursday, November 27, 2003, as a National Day of Thanksgiving. I encourage Americans to gather in their homes, places of worship, and community centers to share the spirit of understanding and prayer and to reinforce ties of family and community.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-first day of November, in the year of our Lord two thousand three, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-eighth.
GEORGE W. BUSH
 Was the turkey always the chosen "bird" for Thanksgiving?
The turkey was originally domesticated in Mexico, and was brought into Europe early in the 16th century. Since that time, turkeys have been extensively raised because of the excellent quality of their meat and eggs. Some of the common breeds of turkey in the United States are the Bronze, Narragansett, White Holland, and Bourbon Red.
Though there is no real evidence that turkey was served at the Pilgrim's first thanksgiving, in a book written by the Pilgrim's Governor Bradford he does make mention of wild turkeys. In a letter sent to England, another Pilgrim describes how the governor sent "four men out fowling" returning with turkeys, ducks and geese.
| Benjamin Franklin "I wish the Bald Eagle had not been chosen as the representative of our country: he is a Bird of bad moral character: like those among Men who live by Sharping and Robbing, he is generally poor and very often lousy. The Turkey is a much more respectable Bird and withal a true original Native of North America"
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What do you do with all the turkey leftovers?
Let's ask Auntie Fawnn!
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Olé Mole
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Anyone who's read Like Water for Chocolate (or seen the film) knows that a mole (pronounced "moe-lay") sauce usually requires a gazillion steps and slaving over a simmering sauce all day. |
Not many people want to work at their cooking that hard on any day, let alone over a holiday weekend! You've already put in lots of effort getting the turkey ready for the big day. I decided that disguising the leftovers should be easy! Hence, another Auntie Fawnn adaptation was born! (Naturally, I tested this recipe before Thanksgiving, so I had to cheat and photograph the sauce over a chicken thigh, but you get the idea.) Ingredients: 1 tablespoon peanut oil
1/4 teaspoon coriander seeds
1/4 teaspoon aniseed
1 tablespoon chili powder*
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 (14.5-ounce) can chopped tomatoes
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch ground cloves
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon peanut butter
Optional: 1/2 teaspoon Minor's Low Sodium Chicken Base -or- Turkey Base
Optional: 2 tablespoons raisins softened by letting them soak in boiling water
Optional: Tabasco or other hot sauce to taste**
Instructions:
We'll start the instructions by borrowing from Dolf's recipe from last week. IF you choose to add the optional raisins, you'll want to "plump" them, like this: Take the dried raisins and put them in a mug/large glass of hot (not boiling) water. This’ll make them nice and soft again. They’ll be done by the time you need to add them.
Bring the peanut oil to temperature in a nonstick skillet or saucepan over medium-high heat. While the oil heats, grind the coriander seeds and aniseed with the back of a spoon or a mortar and pestle. Add to the oil and sauté for about 15-30 seconds, or until they just begin to toast. To the sautéed spices, add the chili, onion, and garlic powders along with 2 heaping tablespoons of the chopped tomatoes. Crush the tomatoes with a fork and mix into the spices and powders. Sauté for about 2 minutes, or until the tomatoes begin to caramelize. (This step will help mimic the slow-simmered flavor. Watch carefully and stir often so that you don't burn the chili powder mixture!) Add the remaining chopped tomatoes and juice, sugar, cinnamon, cloves, cocoa, peanut butter, and base and/or raisins, if using them. Allow mixture to come to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to incorporate the peanut butter and base into the sauce. (Note: Instead of the base, you can add 1/2-3/4 cup of turkey broth, if you have it on hand. You'll just need to simmer the sauce for a bit longer to thicken it.)
If you're a stickler for a smooth sauce, feel free to use your favorite method to pulverize it (stick blender, regular blender, or food processor -- or all three if you're really determined to get a smooth sauce!) and then strain the mixture. The rest of us like our sauce chunky. *I use mild Chili Powder from The Spice House. Best I've ever tried! **I use salt-free Mr. Spice Tangy Bang! Hot Sauce. Uses: Serve over leftover warmed turkey and cooked rice. Stir shredded leftover turkey into the sauce and use as a filling for burritos or tacos. Have shredded lettuce, chopped sweet or green onion, sour cream, shredded cheese, and other fixin's on hand to use as fillings or condiments. Add shredded turkey and a can or two of your choice of beans. Serve topped with shredded cheddar cheese. Before continuing with another recipe,
let's pause for this important announcement: 
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Turkey-Cheddar Waffle
 Preheat oven to 350ºF. Place waffle on a nonstick baking sheet.
For each waffle, beat 1 egg together with 1 teaspoon of Hellmann's Real Mayonnaise,
1 tablespoon milk, and a pinch of sea salt. Pour over the
waffle, allowing the egg mixture to "puddle" in the waffle "groves." Arrange thin slices of cooked turkey over the egg and top with grated cheddar cheese. Bake for 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Slide onto a plate and serve.
Turkey Monte Cristo Waffle
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Place waffle on a nonstick baking sheet. For each waffle, beat 1 egg together with 1 teaspoon of Hellmann's Real Mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon milk, a little Dijon mustard, and a pinch of sea salt. Pour over the waffle, allowing the egg mixture to "puddle" in the waffle "groves." Arrange thin slices of turkey (and ham, if you desire) over the egg and top with baby Swiss cheese. Bake for 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Slide onto a plate and serve.
Turkey Casserole Unfortunately, I haven't been able to eat canned soup for years. So, because I haven't made this casserole since before 1990, I don't have a picture to show you. I've made it with canned turkey and with leftover turkey. I'd sometimes substitute broth for some of the milk. Feel free to add in things like mushrooms and baby peas, too, depending on your tastes. Ingredients Optional: Oil and/or butter for sautéing
1 large onion, chopped fine
1 green bell pepper, chopped fine
2 stalks celery, chopped fine
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup Hellmann's Real Mayonnaise
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of celery soup
2 cups milk
2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
Bread* (see Note in the instructions)
2 cups shredded turkey Preheat oven to 350°F. Bring oil or butter (or a combination of the two) to temperature in a nonstick skillet. Add the onion, bell pepper, and celery and saute until onion is transparent and the pepper and celery are tender. Set aside to cool. (Note: Alternatively, you can put the vegetables in a covered, microwave-safe bowl and nuke on high for 5 minutes. Oil or butter are optional if you use this method. There's enough moisture in the vegetables to let them steam.) In a large bowl, combine the eggs, mayonnaise, soup, and milk. Mix well. Tear the bread into small pieces and add to the soup-milk-turkey mixture. (Note: I didn't bother to write down the amount of bread I'd use in this recipe, but if memory serves me correctly, I'd use an entire loaf. I never bothered to let it dry out first.) Add 1 cup of the cheddar cheese and the turkey. Mix well. Transfer to a roasting pan treated with nonstick spray. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes. Sprinkle the remaining cheddar cheese over the top of the casserole, and bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly. One last note: I always used more than 2 cups of cheese! ###
Article, recipes, and photo:
Copyright © 2003 Fawnn/CookingWithPam.com
All Rights Reserved. Used by permission.
For reprint permission or for other writing assignments, contact the author. Fawnn is the author of:
  
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