Anyone having a "traditional" Thanksgiving this year?

[KansDem]

Several years ago I convinced my family to have a Thanksgiving meal more along the lines of the first feast. They agree...reluctantly.

What Was on the Menu at the First Thanksgiving?

I research and found many accounts of the first dinner. What I found included:
1. Presence of fish, including clams and oysters
2. No potatoes. Not yet introduced to the New World (And they were originally considered toxic!)
3. Only meat pies. No pumpkin pie.
4. Turkey was not the main course. Also included duck and goose.
5. Sides were squash, onions, and the like.

So I took what I'd learned and created the KansDem family Thanksgiving Dinner!
Clam chowder
Turkey
Squash
Onions
Pumpkin Pudding


But the family wasn't impressed!


We've had "Norman Rockwell Thanksgivings" ever since...

[CountAllVotes]

1. No

I really cannot afford to pay up to $50.00 for a damn turkey so I bought a chicken instead.

To hell w/it. NOT a good time of the year for me at all ... to say the very least.

[alc]

14. guess they're cheaper in the south

Not sure where you are but I got a 14lb for $0.69/lb (under $10). Walmart has them for $0.65/lb but I didn't think it was worth the fifty cent savings.

[CountAllVotes]

15. Walmart

No thanks.

I was at Costco yesterday and the average one they had that was not a Foster Farm's special was $2.79 a lb.

[Arcanetrance]

2. Actually this won't be traditional for me atleast

I won't be spending it with my moms side who are all conservative and like to play lets gang up on the liberal.

[lillypaddle]

3. I go pretty traditional

Turkey with stuffing (no cornbread stuffing!), mashed potatoes, giblet gravy, homemade cranberry sauce, and a green vegetable. An autumn cheesecake (with apples and walnuts) for dessert. That usually does it, and is plenty without going overboard.

But I think your menu looks delicious, too!

[KansDem]

8. Thanks!

But I think your menu looks delicious, too!

I really enjoyed it and I didn't feel stuffed afterward.

But my family had different opinions...

[TlalocW]

4. What about popcorn

Didn't the Natives bring popcorn, or is that just a children's myth?

TlalocW

[JustAnotherGen]

6. I don't know if it's a myth

But the great Chef Snoopy serves it at his dinner!

[LuvNewcastle]

5. I don't know if we'll have a turkey.

It all depends on what my mother feels like cooking, because she does pretty much all of it. She cooked a tasty ham last year. She always makes her chicken dressing, which is just like my grandma's and it is superb. Everybody loves her dressing, probably because she puts some chicken broth in it. It's never too dry.

Another thing we always have is sweet potato pie. She always cooks a few of those. Other than that and the dressing and the ham or turkey, we'll have some vegetables on the table. So we won't really have a large variety of dishes, but they'll all be very good and there will be a lot of them. I don't think we've ever had a truly traditional Thanksgiving. Southerners don't do that very much, it seems.

[trumad]

7. yep...

Every year since I was born.

[unionthug777]

9. thankstaking

one of my grandsons brags at school that he gets to enjoy the holiday with a real native american (me).

but, to answer the question, just ham and a potato dish and dutch apple pie this year. nothing too exciting.

[snooper2]

10. I was thinking about doing a turkey in the fryer this year, and smoke a duck

Threw a duck in the smoker a couple years ago and it came out awesome!


Helps to have a good smoker though


new braunfels smoker

[ladyVet]

11. Well, it's traditional for us!

Turkey (a little tipsy to ease his transition to the hot oven)
dressing (with cranberries, raisins and walnuts)
fresh cranberry sauce
deviled eggs
mashed potatoes
gravy (Aldi has great turkey gravy)
green beans
couple of pies (hopefully pumpkin and apple)

I figure about $25 for everything that isn't a normal dinner staple, which with all the leftovers will come to about $5 per meal. The turkey is the biggest thing, and I think I can get one for about $21.

I'm making up a plate of turkey and dressing for my folks, in return for a couple of pies. That way Mama won't have to cook something that will go to waste. They don't like leftovers. I can't believe I came from that family!

I may or may not make mac 'n' cheese and a low-carb cheesecake, or other desserts. Depends on how well I feel next week.

Luckily, I don't have to put up with repuke relatives during the holidays (though I have some). We're usually too busy cooking and eating to make much of a fuss about anything but the menu, and what game to watch (if we're home, which we usually are, nobody is watching TV but me, and I'll find something good to watch).

[Xipe Totec]

12. Potatoes not yet introduced to the New World?

The Andes is where the species is indigenous. Potatoes were introduced outside the Andes region four centuries ago, and have become an integral part of much of the world's food supply.

The New World is far-far larger than the United States, let alone New England.

[rock]

13. No thanks

We're having a traditional Thanksgiving.

[IrishAyes]

16. I enjoy a Norman Rockwell Thanksgiving - at church with others.

I'm a sociable hermit, but who wants to eat a holiday dinner alone? The beautiful thing, too, is that I don't have to put up with antagonistic relatives. These people are 99% RW but they behave better when the pastor's around, and besides they're too busy stuffing their faces (just like me!) to argue about anything. When the meal's over, I smile at everybody and waddle home. I help with the preparations so that I can gracefully excuse myself as early as possible. Sign on for cleanup and you're stuck. I'm home sleeping the meal off before they're halfway finished.

[eissa]

17. Yup, can't wait!

I love hosting, and even though I don't think I'm an exceptional chef in any way, I do enjoy cooking. Having said that, my brother and cousin are getting the turkey ready this year. It's $50 from Marie Callender's and they said it would be a time-saver for me, plus it makes them feel like they're contributing something. Have never tried a ready-made turkey, so this will be a first. It also leaves me lots of time to make the sides, which will be:

Stuffed pumpkin (roast pumpkin, scoop out the interior and mix with rice, mushrooms, asparagus and onions and place back into the pumpkin -- looks wonderful on the table!)
Assyrian eggrolls
Whipped sweet potatoes
Roasted cauliflower sprinkled with pancetta and parmesan
Salad (which no one will touch, but for some reason is expected on the table)

Dessert: Pumpkin cheesecake, and will try making Baked Indian Pudding (http://www.democraticunderground.com/115734587)