Thanksgiving+Foods

== == ====For many people today, the Thanksgiving Holiday is synonymous with a feast of various foods. In modern times, these foods normally include variations of Turkey, stuffing (or filling), sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, apple and pumpkin pie, and other desserts. For modern recipes and listings of common Thanksgiving foods, take a look at the [|BBC's List of Thanksgiving Recipes]====

====Plimoth Plantation's article on the [|Partakers of Our Plenty] examines many of the contemporary Thanksgiving recipes and whether or not they could have appeared at the original Thanksgiving feast. Turkey was commonly consumed by Colonists and the Wampanoag, but there is some conflict over whether or not turkey made an appearance at the first Thanksgiving. More likely than not meat consisted of a wide array of fowl. Cranberries may have been present in Wampanoag dishes, but potatoes, which originated in South America, had not yet traveled north. Pumpkin and squash are native species in New England, and probably made an appearance in meals (but most likely not as pie!). Corn also most likely played a big role in the feast. Plimoth Plantation notes in their resource that "while many elements of the modern holiday menu are very different from the foods eaten in 1621, the bounty of the New England autumn was clearly the basis for both celebrations. The impulse to share hospitality with others and give thanks for abudance trascends the menu."====

====While perhaps the strongest association of Thanksgiving foods is to turkey, it was not always so! As noted in the History section and Plimoth Plantation's article, the historical day that we think of as the first Thanksgiving occurred in 1621, and many of the foods that Americans eat for Thanksgiving were not available or abundant, or even "invented" nearly four hundred years ago. In fact, as a [|National Geographic Kid's article on the First Thanksgiving] points out, the first Thanksgiving meal probably consisted of deer, shellfish, corn, and and other roasted meat. Scholastic's article also points out that duck and other waterfowl, de-feathered and prepared by pilgrim women, would have been main courses as well. To read more and see Scholastic's slideshow on the Thanksgiving feast, see their web resource at [|Scholastic's Interactive First Thanksgiving].====



====For those who want to know more about the star of the show, please visit the [|Turkey for the Holidays] page from the University of Illinois extension. This educational website, in addition to the National Wild Turkey Federation's pdf document on [|History of the Wild Turkey in North America] can answer any question you could probably ever think of in relation to turkeys! According to Turkey for the Holidays, Americans' consumption of turkey has increased raipidly over the past 20 years. In 1975, Americans ate roughly 8.3 pounds of turkey per year, compared to 1995 when consumption rose to over 18 pounds of turkey per year!====


 * ====Don't forget to decorate your table! Check out some of these awesome ideas from the one and only Martha Stewart -- [|Martha Stewart Thanksgiving Table Settings]====


 * ====If you are culinary-challenged, check out this The Morning News article on how to cook thanksgiving dinner! -- [|How to Cook Thanksgiving Dinner]====


 * ====And finally, if you don't eat meat that's okay too! There are lots of vegetarian-friendly Thanksgiving recipes out there. Check out 101 Cookbook's list of [|Vegetarian Thanksgiving Recipes]====



====[| http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/stories/history/first-thanksgiving/]First Thanksgiving (2011). //National Geographic Kids//. Retrieved November 3, 2011, from====

[]
This page was done by Rebecca.