Thanksgiving Recipes

Thanksgiving has been officially celebrated in our country since Governor William Bradford of Plymouth Colony set December 13, 1621, as a holiday for feasting and prayer to show gratitude to the Native Americans for showing the pilgrims how to grow food and survive. The holiday continues to be a significant part of our culture.

I remember Thanksgiving 1975 with fondness. Ione Collett was the Silverdale postmaster. I was writing for the Kitsap Journal. We were lucky to be in on her Thanksgiving celebration. That particular Thanksgiving she decided to host a "Walton" Thanksgiving (the television program, for those too young to remember).

Her menu consisted of:

Cranberry and Apple Salad
Five Cup Salad
Turkey and Stuffing
Sweet Potato Casserole
Oyster Casserole
Italian Zucchini Cheese Pie
Dinner Rolls
Pumpkin Raisin Muffins
Pumpkin Pie Squares
Huckleberry Dessert
Homemade Grape Wine
or Apple Cider

She set card tables up and invited family to play games of court whist, forerunner of bridge, after dinner. Her family always had a really great time because get-togethers not only consisted of good food and visiting, but fun.

I thought I'd share a couple of the recipes she provided:

Cranberry and Apple Salad

2 cups uncooked cranberries
1 large thin-skinned orange
1 red apple
1-1/2 cups sugar
½ cup of walnuts
1 cup chopped celery
1 small pkg. lemon-flavored Jell-O
1-1/2 cups hot water

Chop cranberries, orange and apple with food chopper. Add sugar, nuts and celery. Combine Jell-O and water. Stir until dissolved, then cool. Add fruit mixture and nuts. Pour into mold and chill until firm. Serve on crisp lettuce and garnish with mayonnaise.

Dinner Rolls

Scald:

4 cups milk.

Add:
½ cup shortening
¾ cup sugar
4 tsp. Salt

Cool mixture to lukewarm.

Dissolve:

3 pkgs. active dry yeast in
1 cup warm water.

Add:

3 beaten eggs

Mix the milk and yeast mixtures together. Then add:

14 cups sifted flour, gradually.

Beat with a spoon until thick. Then the fun starts. Knead by hand until you have a smooth, lustrous dough. Butter a large bowl and add kneaded dough. Roll it over in the bowl to cover with butter and then cover the dough with a wet dishtowel. (I place it over hot water in my kitchen sink, which I keep replenishing. If you live in sunny country, you won't have to do that. Just place it in the sun.) Let rise until double.

Knead again and let it rest for 10 minutes. Then break off pieces and form into rolls. (I fold the pieces under until they're smooth.) Place in greased pan and let rise again until light, covered as before.

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