I think I may have shared this video last year, but it is fun to watch. A 1950’s family prepares for Thanksgiving. You will notice how the turkey is obviously Before we genetically made and then hormonally increased Turkey production. By today’s standards it seems almost a ‘weakling turkey’. We need to get back to that for our own health, I think.Isn’t it lovely how the gentleman help the ladies to their seats. I like that they also point out how to use your soup spoon properly. This was always a pet peeve of mine, not sure why. I guess its the sound of people slurping up great bucketfuls of soup like they are eating their Cap’n Crunch in a vast bowl in front of the TV. This family seems to use the ‘American Method’ of eating with their fork in their right hand. It seems a mixed bag here in the states, but mostly my family eats with the fork in the left hand (that’s why it is placed on the left by the way).Although, later in this video the little boy uses his left hand with his fork (incorrectly I might add). They seem to switch back and forth, I wonder why that is? Who of you uses the left hand fork method vs. the left to cut, right to eat fork method? I wonder why we have that combination in this country. It would be interesting to find out.
I love that mother has her holiday corsage. And interesting that they have their holiday pudding now (or Christmas pudding). At least that is what I think she has lit for dessert set on the holly leaves.
I see they wished on the wishbone right after dinner. We always save ours to dry for the first week of Christmas and then wish upon it, not sure why.
I have designed and made a dinner favor/place card and also printed up our menu. Sometimes when I do a longer sit down dinner now, I like to have the menu in front of each plate just to see what is being served and as a fun take home for my guests. Many people scrap book and these are fun ways to have keepsakes. You can write on the back or stick a photo of the day there, whatever you like. I will show how they looked after the table is set, but here is the image before it is printed.
For the Favor/place card I scanned an old Post card and then changed it in Photoshop. I was going to handwrite each person’s name, but I actually liked how the font I used really looked cute for the persons name. Again, a fun thing to save for a scrapbook. (Just as an aside, we call our house 6-A House, because we are the historic King’s Highway, also known as 6A. I don’t know when this started, but we have called it that for years.)
Here is the Menu. I wanted to make a homemade version of the green bean/onion casserole that many people have on Thanksgiving. I have never served it myself and have only ever had the ‘original’ version once. It is made with a can of soup, can of beans and packaged fried onions. I found it rather salty and ‘fake’ tasting. But, I wanted to make my own homemade version. So, yesterday I made some mushroom cream soup with shitake mushrooms and real cream. I also pan fried onions very thin and just lightly coated in flour. I will mix these with fresh beans tomorrow to make the casserole. Since I did so much work, I decided to name the dish in French. So, Green Bean Casserole with Shitake mushrooms became Cocotte de Haricot verte avec les champignons shitake. Some how in French it sounded better and though it seems a bit ‘overdone’ for this big holiday, I think it will be fun. And of course I can watch my guests read it, do their French in their head and then laugh. Oh, I thought I would share a good site for napkin folding. There are many ways to do it. I prefer the rosebud, as it is simple and I can also insert my Thanksgiving favor in the front, like a little pocket. HERE is the site.
Well, back to work for me. I hope all of you here in the States have a wonderful Thanksgiving. And Happy Homemaking.
