Original Thanksgiving Menu Dinner

Welcome to our original Thanksgiving

menu feast - not your mashed potatoes, stuffing,

and pumpkin pie feast, but more closely related

to what the pilgrims would have had

with game and seafood, nuts and berries.

My husband is a Bishop in a Young Single

Adults Ward in our church

(The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints)

and once a month members of the Bishopric

put on a Family Home Evening dinner for

the young single adults.  This beautifully attired

pilgrim couple above are our High Councilman and his

wife.  It was their turn to host and they went all out.

She wanted to have a more authentic Thanksgiving

Feast.

They rented a hall that is used for wedding receptions

and dinners - The Startup Candy Building for the feast.

It had a really cool feeling to it and we were able to

seat about 75.

The tablesetting was very casual with

silver paper plates on a white paper plate

charger, silver paper cups and silver plastic flatware.

The rustic tables and walls really added to

the theme of the dinner.

Fruits and nuts and sparkling cider were also

placed on each table.

Lesa is the foods teacher at our high school,

so she planned the menu and arranged for

Andy and others to do the cooking.  

Andy and Lesa used long salvaged boards to present

the cooked meats on.

Original Thanksgiving Menu

Venison

Roast Fowl (chicken)

Smoked Ham

Sausage

Salmon

Boiled Lobster

Breads

Assorted Fruits

Nuts

Sparkling Cider

(Salmon getting ready to go on the grill.)

Servers were asked to come up with some

kind of costume.  This is my hubby dressed

in his mountain man leathers, bringing the meats

out by candle light to the tables.

The end of each table was left open so the

serving board could be placed on the table.

The kids came up and sliced off what 

food they wanted.

You can tell these guys didn't really want their

pictures taken.

The meal was amazingly satisfying, and even the

venison was delicious.  I have had venison quite a

few times in my life and have always had it taste gamey,

but they had soaked it overnight in buttermilk and then 

topped it with beef fat and slow roasted it.  

The picture is missing the lobster.  They almost

forgot to bring those out!!!

At the very end, Andy felt the kids couldn't get by

without pumpkin pies and whipped cream, so

they did serve that.  I have to say at our table, 

people were so full and satisfied that they didn't

eat much pumpkin pie.

Here I am in my leathers too.  When we built our

cabin 25 years ago there was a local lady who

sewed leather clothing.  She is not there anymore,

so our outfits are real treasures.

What a fun way to teach the Young Single

Adults a little about Thanksgiving.  They really

enjoyed it and it was a fun evening.  I truly

didn't miss all of the modern twists - in

other words the carbs, which are my favorite

part of Thanksgiving dinner.

We have so much to be grateful for.

Our prayers go out to all those who

have suffered lately with storms and

fires and who don't have a warm home

left and who are missing loved ones.

I hope you and yours 

have a lovely Thanksgiving.

I will be posting this with

Tablescapes Thursday