I must declare that Thanksgiving endures as my cherished holiday. I like the atmosphere and the sound of the football game echoing throughout the house. Thanksgiving is a lackadaisical day for the family, and a day to give thanks for all our blessings. We have continually held Thanksgiving in our home and we are encircled by close family members. My husband would invite a few of his business staff that had no family, I would have both our mothers over–in which case, we would have to lock up all alcoholic beverages. When those two would get together anything could occur. Nevertheless, I have a recipe for the best method to roast the choicest, most moist and appetizing turkey in the world. Along with everyone’s everyone favorite, fried corn.
.jpg)
Holiday wreath, picture from flickr
While thinking about how to approach this article about Thanksgiving, I really stopped and started laughing when I thought of those first pilgrims, in their bizarre hats and long clothes, pursuing a wild turkey around the yard. The thought of that comedy just popped into my head. And, there I was thinking what was it really like. I never knew the chronicle of Thanksgiving–oh I am certain they educated us that in grade school, although the single date I remember from all that education is 1492.
The first Thanksgiving was in 1621. Along with the pilgrims, the native Indians, set upon their initial feast. The most interesting part about all these stories, to me, was that obtaining the best part of the meal depended on how influential you were in the colony; the best foods were laid out in before those persons. Everyone else devoured the more basic foods that were not as good; it was based on a caste system. The group would never sample different portions on the table like we do today, they would eat what was closest to them. Outlandish, right? Additionally, they had no folks, only spoons and knifes; they would use their hands or to pick up hot foods, with a white cloth. They did have salt on the table, but pepper was only applied to cooking.
On this exceptional holiday, it is the time to bring out your best serving flatware and dishes. Cloth napkins and table cloth; centerpieces, candles, and even flowers. Delicious smells are part of the atmosphere Everyone dresses cozy to consume as much cuisine as they can. Deal with the guilt later, and enjoy the taste of your holiday essences, sights and sounds.
Nice Table setting, pictures from flickr
My family narrative for cooking the turkey was passed down to me. The first and most important is to prepare and execute: to brine your turkey. Place your Turkey in a large pot that would completely cover your turkey in water, and add into this water the following ingredients:
- Orange juice, about two cups.
- A full cup of kosher salt
- Brown sugar, one cup
- Chopped ginger
- Black pepper corns
- Bay leaves
- Fresh thyme
Yummy Turkey; however, this is a dry turkey and after this recipe you will never again have a dry turkey. Picture from flickr
Any patch that is not covered with this mixture will dry up. Place in the refrigerator and leave in there for 24 or 40 hours. Now, Early on Thanksgiving day pull your turkey out of the brine, raise well, dump out all your brine, then all you need to do is stuff your turkey. Many people don’t stuff their turkeys in fear of getting sick. Nevertheless, we consistently have done so. After your turkey is stuffed, place it breast down in a turkey roasting pan, pat dry with paper towels, then rub vegetable oil all over your turkey and season, place it in the oven to bake.
Throughout the day you want to glaze your turkey, I would execute it all day long:
- Fresh bag of cranberries
- Chopped ginger
- Orange zest, which is simply to shred the outside of the orange peel.
- Sugar, one cup
- Orange juice
- Water
Cook all these ingredients together until the cranberries pop, allow this mixture to cool, then with your basting brush, glaze your turkey periodically all day.
For the next family favorite is fried corn. This should be prepared after your turkey is done. Take a frying pan and add butter and a whole onion chopped into small diced pieces; cook until the onions are tender. Add about two cans of sweet corn and fry until the corn looks done. The final touch, add a container full of sour cream and mix in. Salt and pepper and serve this right away.
You will want to have some desert, and pies seem to be a Thanksgiving staple, but don’t forget the cookies–make leaf cookies and dye them different colors for fall.
Delightful dish of cookies, picture from flickr
We sure have come a long way since 1621, and after your meal is over and when everyone can relax, have the children do a skit about the first Thanksgiving, you can get the true facts on history.com, and learning is an ongoing process and the children can have fun showing a drama to the whole family. Of course this must be done after the football game. VERY important, one last thing, don’t forget your pets, dress them up and give them a meal to remember. Bon Appetite to all and Happy Thanksgiving.
