| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Light of the Moon |
Posted - November 21 2007 : 12:24:37 PM
Happy Thanksgiving to all my Mohicanland brothers and sisters! I wanted to thank each and every one of you for your thoughts, jokes, laughs, for your support of each other in times of need, and also for the many great memories we share together.
Thanks to our Sachem, Rich for all he does to keep us happy! ALL HAIL KING RICHARD ! (Sorry, Rich, couldn't help myself !)
Also, in "Light" of the holiday that we celebrate I thought I'd dig up a bit of history to chew on. Enjoy!
What was actually on the menu for the "First Thanksgiving"?
What foods topped the table at the first harvest feast? Historians aren't completely certain about the full bounty, but it's safe to say the pilgrims weren't gobbling up pumpkin pie or playing with their mashed potatoes. Following is a list of the foods that were available to the colonists at the time of the 1621 feast. However, the only two items that historians know for sure were on the menu are venison and wild fowl, which are mentioned in primary sources. The most detailed description of the "First Thanksgiving" comes from Edward Winslow from A Journal of the Pilgrims at Plymouth, in 1621:
"Our harvest being gotten in, our governor sent four men on fowling, that so we might after a special manner rejoice together after we had gathered the fruit of our labors. They four in one day killed as much fowl as, with a little help beside, served the company almost a week. At which time, among other recreations, we exercised our arms, many of the Indians coming amongst us, and among the rest their greatest king Massasoit, with some ninety men, whom for three days we entertained and feasted, and they went out and killed five deer, which they brought to the plantation and bestowed upon our governor, and upon the captain, and others. And although it be not always so plentiful as it was at this time with us, yet by the goodness of God, we are so far from want that we often wish you partakersof our plenty.
Here's a quick break down:
Seafood: Cod, Eel, Clams, Lobster
Wild Fowl: Wild Turkey, Goose, Duck, Crane, Swan, Partridge, Eagles
Meat: Venison, Seal
Grain: Wheat Flour, Indian Corn
Vegetables: Pumpkin, Peas, Beans, Onions, Lettuce, Radishes, Carrots
Fruit: Plums, Grapes
Nuts: Walnuts, Chestnuts, Acorns
Herbs and Seasonings: Olive Oil, Liverwort, Leeks, Dried Currants, Parsnips
Did you know?????
Pudding was sugarless (too expensive for settlers and was usually not in stock, as it had to be imported).
The "First Thanksgiving" was in the spring, not the fall. It was in celebration of the settlers surviving the hard winter. The natives brought food as a gift to them, thinking they may be almost starving because their fall harvest (except for the corn crop) was poor. The settlers didn't know how to plant in the hills. Thanks to Squanto they learned how to tend the corn in this terrain and yeilded a good crop that lasted them the entire winter.
The settlers were touched by the natives generosity that they invited them to share in a feast.
Corn on the cob was not eaten becasue corn was usually #1 short on supply by then and #2 had been dried out for winter storage.
The "First Thanksgiving" lasted three days and the leftovers lasted the settlers a full week!
And now for a little table etiquette!
Seventeenth Century Table Manners:
The pilgrims didn't use forks; they ate with spoons, knives, and their fingers.
They wiped their hands on large cloth napkins which they also used to pick up hot morsels of food.
Salt would have been on the table at the harvest feast, and people would have sprinkled it on their food. Pepper, however, was something that they used for cooking but wasn't available on the table.
In the seventeenth century, a person's social standing determined what he or she ate. The best food was placed next to the most important people. People didn't tend to sample |
| 12 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Irishgirl |
Posted - November 23 2007 : 09:48:20 AM
Well our Packers totally knocked the "stuffing" out of the Lions yesterday Will face your "Cowboys" next Rich....geeze wonder who will win that one
I know too bad on NFL network though. Boys and hubby upset over not getting to see it. |
| Monadnock Guide |
Posted - November 22 2007 : 7:32:46 PM
Congrats Rich, - a win, over the Jets. ;) |
| Monadnock Guide |
Posted - November 22 2007 : 4:24:32 PM
Cowboys football?? Mmmmm, who'd they lose to Rich??? Now "WE" have the Jets in our cross-hairs, might be the first NFL 100 point game by the Pats!! ;) |
| RedFraggle |
Posted - November 22 2007 : 10:23:11 AM
Happy Turkey Day, everyone! Now I'm off to cook the day's gigantic meal. With any luck, it'll last us a week, like the pligrims' did.  Now, where's a turkey emoticon when you need one? |
| richfed |
Posted - November 22 2007 : 09:37:05 AM
Thanks, Gretta ... and dittos to what all have been saying.
Happy Thanksgiving!
I don't know why, exactly, but this has been my favorite holiday for a long time now. There is a good feeling about it; reflection, wood smoke, good & bountiful food; closeness of family and friends; somewhat of a lack of commericialism; history; and, of course, Dallas Cowboy football!!!!!!!
Hope you all have a great one -- eat hearty and stay safe! |
| Kaylynn44 |
Posted - November 22 2007 : 08:10:31 AM
Happy Thanksgiving to all everyone here. Just know that I love all of y'all and if y'all are out on the road today, please be careful!!!
Love,
Kay |
| caitlin |
Posted - November 21 2007 : 9:42:49 PM
A very Happy Thanksgiving to all! 
Caitlin |
| Little Lady of Fire |
Posted - November 21 2007 : 8:08:16 PM
Lots of dittos today. Enjoy the holidays folks |
| Monadnock Guide |
Posted - November 21 2007 : 5:12:29 PM
Another ditto, ... hard to believe "another" year has almost passed. Everyone, - enjoy your holiday. ;) |
| Seamus |
Posted - November 21 2007 : 5:00:46 PM
Dittos to you Light and all the rest of Mohicanland.....! Eat 'til you drop! |
| blackfootblood |
Posted - November 21 2007 : 3:36:14 PM
HAPPY THANKSGIVING to everyone in Mohicanland!! Hope you all have a wonderful day with family and friends! Also I wanted to thank everyone for a wonderful site, good posts, and great friends that I have made while being a member! Take care!   |
| Irishgirl |
Posted - November 21 2007 : 12:57:33 PM
You have a Happy Thanksgiving too and thanks for all that interesting information.
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone else in Mohicanland. |
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