Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving-day again is here,
And turkey is the leading question;
I wish, with heartiness sincere,
That you may have a good digestion.

Album Verses, J. S. Ogilvie (editor), 1884





I love Thanksgiving. Turkey, friends, triptifan, all the usual suspects. In doing some research, I found a few interesting tidbits about Thanksgiving which I may or may not force feed to my family tomorrow. My intentions are good. This culturally exclusive piece I discovered at http://http//barbarah.wordpress.com. It says author unknown, but it reeks of Jeff Foxworthy.

You Might be a Redneck this Thanksgiving if...

-you’ve ever had Thanksgiving dinner on a ping-pong table.
… Thanksgiving dinner is squirrel and dumplings.
… you’ve ever reused a paper plate.
… if you have a complete set of salad bowls and they all say Cool Whip on the side.
… if you’ve ever used your ironing board as a buffet table.
… your turkey platter is an old hubcap.
… your best dishes have Dixie printed on them.
… your stuffing’s secret ingredient comes from the bait shop.
… your only condiment on the dining room table is ketchup.
… side dishes include beef jerky and Moon Pies.
… you have to go outside to get something out of the ‘fridge.
… the directions to your house include “turn off the paved road.”
… you consider pork and beans to be a gourmet food.
… you have an Elvis Jell-o mold.
… your secret family recipe is illegal.
… you serve Vienna sausage as an appetizer.
~ Author unknown



If you'd like something more refined for after dinner recitation, check out this web site http://www.blogger.com/www.apples4theteacher.com. There's some great 17th century quotes from the Mayflower man himself, William Bradford.

In reminiscing upon the colony’s success, Mr. Bradford wrote, “Thus out of small beginnings greater things have been produced by His hand that made all things of nothing, and gives being to all things that are; and, as one small candle may light a thousand, so the light here kindled has shown unto many, yea in some sort to our whole nation; let the glorious name of [God] have all the praise.”
Fall, 1621


If you relish the opportunity to stuff your kids' minds while you stuff their little tummy's, consider this lesson plan from http://www.teachervision.fen/.

You can see all 103 names on the Mayflower Passenger List. It includes familiar names like William Bradstreet and Myles Standish and lesser heard names like Remember Allerton, Resolved White, and brothers Love and Wrestling Brewster.

If crafts are more your forte, consider these family crafts from http://www.family.com./



I think you can even eat them. Or at least one of them, the other one is paper. Don't ask which one. I'm going to be making crafts that look like this:






As far as Thanksgiving meals, I prefer the traditional: turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, more turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy. Pumpkin pie. My mother, however, is known to spring the exotic recipes like wasabi brushed coconut turkey kabobs. That goes over like a pregnant pole vaulter, or just like the infamous 'Tofu Plankton Nutloaf' idea.


My neighbor is a vegan so she's busy preparing her tofurkey with leeks and sliced fennel. I can't see Squanto and friends gorging on tofu but if you need to feed your inner vegan, check out this site: http://www.blogger.com/www.Vegetariancelebrations.com.


"Your premier source for a great meatless Thanksgiving! Remember Thanksgiving's roots as a festival meant to give thanks for the abundance of the harvest. Enjoy, share the blessings, and spare the turkeys!"



Thanksgiving
(From The Turkey's Point Of View)
by Gunslinger
Thank God! It's finally over -
And now I'll get some rest…
It's been two weeks since I have dared
To go back to the nest.
I trust my mate is still around…
My lovely hen, dear Mabel -
I hope she wasn't dumb enough
To grace some human's table.
I'll never know why human folk
Think it's so much fun
To hit the woods and murder -
We turkeys with those guns
I'm six years old, last hatching -
And friend that's quite a feat…
With open season on us birds…
When we become…just MEAT!
I'll strut my stuff, and gobble loud
For just awhile…again!
I'll hide deep in the forest…
For it's Christmas coming then!
So why did I hen-scratch this out?
And post it here for you?
That you might see Thanksgiving
From the turkey's point of view.
http://poetry-magazine.com/poetry/poetry-006/03page.htm#Turkey


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Likewise, a meal without meat is automatically disqualified as a meal. Meals + meat=happy hubby. Lots of meaty ideas here:

"A meat lover's dream and a great combination of vegetables too. ... Recipe from Rachael Ray 30 minute meals Episode: Thanksgiving leftovers. ..."

http://a/%3Ca%20href= >


Lastly, to intelligently defend your decision to nap following your Thanksgiving meal (carnivores only), read up on triptifan at: www.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20061017213938AAdqMHf

http://www.smsnoveltiques.com/postcardsholidayfancy.asp#Thanksgiving

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