Cause A Frockus

A Vintage Thanksgiving

Nov 18, 2013 | by Becky Oeltjenbruns

Giving thanks, gathering with family and friends, and enjoying delicious food: this is a tradition dear to our hearts. Spending time with those we care about reminds us of our humanity – getting to eat tasty treats is just the cherry on top. In this article we give you old fashioned recipes, turkey tips, a guide to proper table settings, and decorating ideas so you can throw an authentic vintage celebration.

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Three Tried and True Recipes

Join us for food just like Grandma used to make – and we mean it! These recipes come from cook books that your grandmother may have referenced during Thanksgiving’s long ago. While there are plenty of modern interpretations on these classics, we offer you the real deal for creating a traditional feast.

Old-Fashioned Pumpkin Pie

from The Good Housekeeping booklet, “Ten P.M. Cook Book: Refreshments designed with guests in mind” published in 1958

Ingredients
9” pie shell
1 cup granulated sugar
½ tsp. Salt
1 ½ tsp. Cinnamon
½ tsp. Nutmeg
½ tsp. Ground ginger
½ tsp. Allspice
½ tsp. Ground cloves
1 ½ cups canned Pumpkin
1 2/3 cups undiluted evaporated milk
2 eggs, beaten

Directions
They recommend preparing the shell the day before and refrigerating overnight.

The next day preheat your oven to 425º F. Mix your dry ingredients first; add in the pumpkin, milk, and eggs. Beat until all the ingredients are smooth and pour it into the shell. Bake for about 15 minutes and then reduce your heat to 350º F.

Bake for an additional 35 minutes (or until the custard is set and doesn’t jiggle when you move the pan back and forth). Allow it to cool.

When it comes to toppings they recommend chopped nuts, dates, coconut flakes, candied ginger, whipped cream (add honey or crushed pineapple for that extra flavor), or melted marshmallows.

Roast Turkey

from “Cutco Cook Book: World’s finest cutlery” published in 1956

Directions
Prepare your stuffing as you’d like (some people choose to stuff it inside the bird, while others prefer to bake it along side in a separate pan).

Grease the turkey thoroughly with softened butter and sprinkle to taste with salt and pepper. Upon preparing the bird, place it breast side up in an open roasting pan.

Place an aluminum foil tent over the turkey. You want to keep it loose so the heat can comfortably circulate around and under the bird. (An alternative is to wring a piece of cheesecloth out of melted fat and lay this over the turkey. If the cloth becomes dry, moisten it again with fat from the bird.)

Be careful to not add water, cover, or baste the bird.

Follow roasting directions per the bird’s weight. Once the bird is done, you may prepare gravy from the pan juices.

Keep in mind that if you let the turkey set for about 5 minutes after removing from oven, you will have a much easier time carving it.

Celery Stuffing

from “Cutco Cook Book: World’s finest cutlery” published in 1956

Ingredients
6 cups finely diced celery
3 cups boiling water
¾ cup minced onion
¾ cup butter
3 tsps. Poultry seasoning
4 tsps. Salt
1 tsp. Pepper
6 quarts day-old bread cubes

Directions
Simmer your celery in boiling water for about 15 to 20 minutes, until the celery is tender. Drain the celery, but be careful to keep 1 cup of the liquid.

Saute the onion in butter over low heat. Once the onion is tender, combine with the seasonings, crumbs, celery, and reserved liquid. Blend it thoroughly.

This should work well for a 15 pound turkey.

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Turkey Tips

from The Good Housekeeping booklet, “Poultry & Game: Good eating from the farm and forest” published in 1958

How big of a turkey should I buy for Thanksgiving?

They recommend allowing ½ to ¾ pounds per serving if the bird is 12 pounds or over (the pound designation is for the ready-to-cook weight).

How long will my turkey take to thaw?

If it’s frozen, thaw as the label directs. You can thaw it in the refrigerator within the original wrapper allowing 1 to 2 days if the ready-to-cook weight ranges from 4 to 12 pounds. 2 to 4 days if it’s larger.

Tips for roasting a turkey

If you are roasting, keep the bird refrigerated until the moment you plan to stuff it. Use a shallow open pan for roasting and do not baste or tun. Do not add water. The roast-meat thermometer should be inserted into the inside thigh muscle that adjoins to the bird’s body.

Thanksgiving left-overs

Never let leftover turkey or gravy stand out. Remove the stuffing (if it’s in the bird), refrigerate the bird, stuffing, and gravy. They recommend using the stuffing within 2 days and the gravy and bird within 3 days. If you freeze the turkey, you extend the life by a month.

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How to dress your table for Thanksgiving

from Betty Crocker’s “Hostess Cookbook: Guest-tested recipes and party plans for every occasion” published in 1971

Setting your table properly

These illustrations showcase a formal, multiple course meal. While your event may not be as fancy, these diagrams give you a suggestion for arranging your single course affairs.

Additional tips

• A centerpiece doesn’t have to be at the center; consider placing it at the end of the table for heightened drama.
• Instead of using individual place mats, consider using a runner or runners.

Buffet guidelines

Organize your buffet service based on convenience and traffic patterns. It’s best to start with plates at one end, followed by the main dishes, sides, condiments, utensils, and finally napkins. You’ll want your dinner party to finish their buffet journey in a place that isn’t going to cause congestion. Depending on the size of your room, you can also center the table so people can dish up from both sides simultaneously. To cut down on spills, serve the guests their beverages after they are seated with their meal.

Vintage decorating tips for Thanksgiving

As you’ll note from older photos of Thanksgiving celebrations, minimalism is key. Here are a few ideas for striking the right chord at your gathering.

Incorporate nature

• Carefully place leaves down the middle of the linen table cloth – the beautiful golden and red leaves will bring a smile to every guest.
• Use branches as a larger element on your buffet table (you can use spray paint to enhance the color scheme you’re working with).
• Take fruit or vegetables and arrange them in monochromatic combinations. Taking the idea of the cornucopia further, you can (for example) celebrate rich oranges with peaches, nectarines, or apricots in a pretty bowl.
• You can also showcase seasonal flowers by placing a few favorites on a cake stand.

Dine by candlelight

Think of your seating chart and let placeholders guide your guests to their location

Use your imagination and have fun making your own crafty decorations

• We thought the vintage garland looked like a fun option: http://bnute.com/Holiday_Party__A_Vintage_Thanksgiving_Celebration.html

Start new traditions

• Consider having a guest book so that you can look back on former holidays and rekindle those happy memories.

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Cause A Frockus would like to thank our tremendous resources: Good Housekeeping, Cutco Cutlery, bnute.com, Emily Post, Reynolds Wrap for their helpful tent video, and the wonderful people who post their imagery on Wikipedia Commons without restriction.

For our readers:
What’s your favorite Thanksgiving treat? Tell us all about your celebrations and traditions in the comments below!

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