This Saturday is Veterans Day. Veterans Day originated as “Armistice Day” on Nov. 11, 1919, which was the first anniversary of the end of World War I. Congress passed a resolution in 1926 for an annual observance, and Nov. 11 became a national holiday beginning in 1938. In 1954, President Eisenhower changed the name to Veterans Day to honor all Veterans from any war. Unlike Memorial Day, Veterans Day pays tribute to all American veterans - living or dead - but especially gives thanks to living veterans who served their country honorably during war or peacetime. I want to take a moment to thank all veterans, but especially my Dad, Terry Rawlings, and Uncle Lane Montague. My uncle was in the Army and served in Vietnam. Dad also served in Vietnam in the Navy on the USS Princeton, an air craft carrier, and later on the USS Schenectady, a LST tank landing ship. I am so very proud of the veterans in my family and want to thank all veterans everywhere for their service and sacrifice.
This Saturday is Veterans Day. Veterans Day originated as “Armistice Day” on Nov. 11, 1919, which was the first anniversary of the end of World War I. Congress passed a resolution in 1926 for an annual observance, and Nov. 11 became a national holiday beginning in 1938. In 1954, President Eisenhower changed the name to Veterans Day to honor all Veterans from any war. Unlike Memorial Day, Veterans Day pays tribute to all American veterans - living or dead - but especially gives thanks to living veterans who served their country honorably during war or peacetime. I want to take a moment to thank all veterans, but especially my Dad, Terry Rawlings, and Uncle Lane Montague. My uncle was in the Army and served in Vietnam. Dad also served in Vietnam in the Navy on the USS Princeton, an air craft carrier, and later on the USS Schenectady, a LST tank landing ship. I am so very proud of the veterans in my family and want to thank all veterans everywhere for their service and sacrifice.
With Thanksgiving just a few short weeks away, I want to discuss the origins of Thanksgiving as well. In 1621, the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians shared an autumn harvest feast that is acknowledged today as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in the colonies. For more than two centuries, days of thanksgiving were celebrated by individual colonies and states.
While it is not known exactly what the menu was for that original Thanksgiving Day feast, we can take a guess based on what was around at the time. The Pilgrim chronicler Edward Winslow documented in his journal the governor sent 4 men on a ‘fowling’ excursion and noted the Wampanoag brought five deer with them. Turkey was certainly plentiful at the time and it may have been served, but it’s likely they came back with other fowl as well such as duck or geese or even swan. They were celebrating the pilgrim’s first successful harvest so corn was likely served in some manner on the table as well as beans, onions and carrots. Fruits from the region would have included grapes, cranberries and raspberries.
Pumpkin is a fall vegetable and may well have been served but it wouldn’t have been in pie form. By this time, the sugar brought with them would have been running low or gone all together. Flour and butter would also not be in stock for the crust and they had no ovens for baking. More likely, it was served as a custard with milk and honey or a soup simply roasted over an open fire. Potatoes are served on almost every table these days, but would not have been at the first Thanksgiving. They were not native to America and the English did not favor them enough at the time to have brought them along for the trip. They may have eaten turnips or other groundnuts in their place however.
One thing the original feast would most likely have had, that is not seen much these days, is shellfish. Remember, they were located on the coast. Mussels were bountiful and easily harvested as they would have been clinging to the rocks. The colonists occasionally served mussels with curds for any meal, so it is highly likely they served it at Thanksgiving. Lobster, bass, clams and oysters might also have been part of the feast.
We still celebrate Thanksgiving (did you know it wasn’t a national holiday until 1863) but today’s menu is far different from what the original pilgrims ate. It doesn’t matter what is served on the table however. The point of the day is to be thankful and appreciative of what the year has brought to you and your family, your yearly harvest so to speak. Remember to reach out to your family even if you can’t be with them for Thanksgiving and count your blessings.
Holiday season is right around the corner and with that comes lots of sweets and heavy meals. So this week, I cooked a full meal that was easy to put together and gave us a well-rounded meal without being super heavy. Make your grocery list and hit the store for what you need. Then, meet me in the kitchen for a dinner that’s on the lighter side!
--- Simple Salad
1 head romaine lettuce 2oz arugula, more or less to taste Cherry or grape tomatoes Cauliflower, chopped as desired Avocado, sliced 1 cucumber, sliced Any other salad toppings of choice Dressing of choice Chop or shred romaine to your liking. Place in large bowl or individual serving bowls. Chop arugula the same way. Add arugula, tomato and cauliflower to bowl with romaine and toss to combine. Add cucumber, avocado and other salad toppings as desired. I just lined everything around the edge of the bowl for a pretty photo. Top with dressing before serving.
--- Creamy Garlic Parmesan Broccoli 2 Tbsps. butter 1 onion, diced 2 cloves garlic finely chopped 1½ cups heavy cream 1½ tsps. cornstarch mixed with 1 Tbsp. water, if needed 1lb broccoli florets, from 2-3 broccoli heads Salt and pepper, to taste 1 cup shredded mozzarella/provolone blend In large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook another minute or until fragrant. Add broccoli and season with salt and pepper and cook while stirring occasionally for about 3 minutes, or until just turning vibrant in color. Pour in cream, reduce heat down to low and let simmer for about 4 minutes while stirring occasionally, or until the sauce thickens to your liking. If it hasn’t thickened after 4 minutes, add cornstarch water mixture and stir to combine. Then, cook until thickened as desired. Top with cheese blend. Cook until cheese is melted. Serve hot.
Recipe adapted from cafedelites.com.
--- Garlic Butter Tilapia
4 tilapia fillets Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste ½ tsp. paprika ½ tsp. dried thyme ½ tsp. dried oregano 4 Tbsps. butter, melted 4 cloves garlic, minced 2 Tbsps. lemon juice ¼ tsp lemon zest Preheat oven to 400°F. Line baking dish with aluminum for easy clean up and spray with cooking spray. Season each tilapia filet with salt, pepper, paprika, thyme, and oregano and arrange fish in 9x13” baking dish. In mixing bowl, whisk together melted butter, garlic, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Pour over tilapia. Bake tilapia for 10 to 12 minutes, or until fish flakes with fork. Garnish with pepper flakes, parsley, and lemon slices if desired. Serve immediately.
Recipe adapted from diethood.com.
--- Roasted Jicama
2 Tbsps. avocado oil 2 large jicama Salt Black pepper Garlic powder Onion powder Paprika Preheat oven to 425°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Cut jicama into equal-sized chunks and place in medium bowl. Add avocado oil and toss to coat well. Place jicama on prepared baking sheet and sprinkle with seasonings to taste. Roast jicama 15-20 minutes. Flip chunks over and continue roasting for additional 15 20 minutes, or until cooked through.
Recipe adapted from cleaneatingveggiegirl. com.