As the title of this post might suggest, there was indeed a woman behind the promotion of Thanksgiving as a national holiday. Her name was Sarah Josepha Hale and you can read the first passage about the "Thanksgiving Lady" now or, you can join in as I share the rest of the article by Mariette Bowles as found in the November 1941 issue of American Cookery Magazine.
The Honored Pumpkin Pie
I just can't end this post without including a recipe or two for Pumpkin Pie. Here are a recipe I found in a back issue of Taste of Home Magazine.
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And what would the Thanksgiving Season be without a dash of whimsy? I know some of you have seen this poem before and for that I aplogize. For those of you who have not, here's a Pumpkin Pie recipe in verse form:
Pumpkin Pie Grandmother Lord was a woman wise And this is the way she made pumkin pie: Wash pumpkin and cut it small, Put into, cook in a kettle tall So that the bubbles will not pop out To spatter the stove all round about. Let it bubble and boil and stew The livelong day 'till it's brown all through; Stirring it often, and when its done, Make it through the colander run. Take of molasses. half a cup, And with 3 of pumpkin mix up: Cup and one-half of sugar white And salt one-half a teaspoon quite. Mix these well, stirring does no harm-- Then ginger, cinnamon, butterwarm, A teaspoon each of the above To season the pies of the Yankee's love. Then four fresh eggs and a quart of milk, Line three round tins with pastry white. Beat well and stir 'till as fine as silk; Pour in your filling and bake them quite A full half hour, 'till they're well done Then let them cool, and sire and son And husband and preacher and family friend Will praise your pumpkin pies no end. North Dakota Baptist Women Cookbook |
Resources
1. Sarah Josepha Hale @ wiki (has both a picture of her and title page of the Northwood book
2. Northwood; a Tale of New England, Volume 1 By Sarah Josepha Buell Hale @ google books
3. Behind Every American Thanksgiving is a Great Woman
Additional resources and recipes can be found in Part One of this post.
Recipes:
1. James Beard's Pumpkin Pie With Candied Ginger
another oddly modern view that Sarah Josepha Hale held is her dislike of servants and her stated admiration for those (like the family depicted in Northwood) that did not have them. The Thanksgiving dinner in that book was served on a buffet, with guests and family members helping themselves. I'm not sure about how they did the clean-up, or how they hauled water and wood -- the chores our electric appliances do for us. She might have meant personal servants.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing yet another interesting post! Even though we do not celebrate Thanksgiving in my house, it is always interesting to see all the delicious food that grace the table for those who celebrate, especially the turkey and the humble pumpkin pie! This is a nice "tribute" to the Thanksgiving Lady.
ReplyDeleteI hear a lots about thanksgiving, thanks to hollywood. We dont celebrate thanks giving like the US, but in europe they have a sunday in october which is dedicated to thanks giving, but I dont remember that we had any festivities as such.
ReplyDeleteVery interessting post by the way and I d love to try the pumpkin pie recipe. thx louise!
I love pumpkin pudding, although I don't celebrate Thanksgiving. It is such a wonderful American dessert. here, we also make something similar. The Swiss bake pumpkin tarts...
ReplyDeleteCheers,
Rosa
i do not celebrate thanksgiving here but i see many christians and catholics here do. And of lately, i'm seeing recipes all over coming up for the coming thankgiving day. Though no celebration here, i do think it's a very menaingful occasion, that's a fun poem! I must make sure the next time when i scarp the seeds off the pumpkin, i must be careful not to scarp away the flesh nearest to it.
ReplyDeleteEggnogg pumpkin pie? The Knight is curious...
ReplyDeleteWhat a great post. I've never celebrated thanksgiving apart from a party thrown by a friend of a friend. I didn't like pumpkin pie when I first tried it but have warmed to it now. However, I have never made my own. Perhaps I should give it a go with your recipes!
ReplyDeleteThis has put the Thanksgiving spirit right in me Louise! I was lacking it until now. I can't wait to eat pie, pie and more pie! Thank you Thanksgiving lady!
ReplyDeleteVery interesting! I'm still drooling over the Eggnogg pumpkin pie!! Sounds like my type of pie!!
ReplyDeleteI like the sound of eggnog in a pumpkin pie!
ReplyDeleteEven tho you don't post everyday (the unexhaustables...or whatever I said) YOU do a lot of work! This is not easy, all the research and reading, and then writing.
ReplyDeleteI love it...so thank you.
Have a good day.
Fantastic Louise! I never heard this poem before and it made my day and made me hungry for some pumpkin pie. Thank you. Such a delight to visit you.
ReplyDeleteRita
Now I'm regretting not planning to bake a pumpkin pie this year! It is one of my favorite kinds of pie. Maybe I'll have to bake a post-Thanksgiving pumpkin pie.
ReplyDeleteShe's right about the eggs. I've been amazed, that when I have extra pumpkin custard that doesn't fit in the original crust, it cooks up beautifully on its own. Happy Thanksgiving, Louise! Hope its a good one!
ReplyDeleteHad no idea about Sarah Hale! Fascinating. And what fun to have a pumpkin pie recipe with not only eggnog but pecans! Everything good under one crust. :)
ReplyDeleteHappy Thanksgiving, Louise!
(I love that it's "clean out your refrigerator" month!)
Hi Louise, I did indeed get the cookbook and I am chomping at the bit to give one of the recipes a try. We have been hosting Thanksgiving dinner at our house for almost 30 years now...it is a very big deal for me. I will have to write another post about it but in a nutshell, we worked at my Dad's bakery on Thanksgiving every year from the time I could stand till I was 18 so a traditional Thanksgiving did not really come to me until my then future mother in law made the dinner...to me it was magical and that is why we have been doing it ever since. Have a wonderful holiday.
ReplyDelete♥, Susan
Wow I just realized I'm reading this on Pumpkin Pie day. Must mean I'm destined to bake soon!
ReplyDeleteAh...pies! Sooo American! I'm planning to make two pies for Thanksgiving, but they won't be pumpkin but a rendition of it.
ReplyDeleteDear Louise, I just love these recipes. They make me feel comforted the way cooking used to be. I am going to try the Indian Pudding recipe below for my Thanksgiving. It sounds delicious.
ReplyDeleteThank you for visiting. Have a Happy and very Blessed Thanksgiving. Catherine xo
I LOVE the recipe in verse form! Thanks for this. I'm saving it and will use it at a future gathering, or perhaps on the inside of a Thanksgiving card. Happy Thanksgiving to you, Louise!
ReplyDeleteP.S. The word verification is "anaping." Yeah, as tired as I am I would love to go "anaping." ;-)
Pumpkin pie is actually second to turkey for me on Thanksgiving day so I appreciated this post very much. I thought the poem was perfect and so descriptive. I hope you know that on this Thanksgiving, I am most grateful for friends like you. Best to you and yours on such a lovely Holiday!
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