One of the things I've discovered after long years in Singledom is that people take it for granted that you're unable to cook or bake --- and on occasions such as Thanksgiving you are rarely asked to bring anything more than appetizers or something you can purchase.
To be honest, there have been years when this was a relief to me. Throughout my twenties - when we usually celebrated Thanksgiving with my older sister's in-laws - I was always in charge of pickles and olives. (Mind you, they had to be just the right kind of pickles and olives. For our family, no Thanksgiving table would be truly complete without a dish of sweet gherkins and pimento-stuffed green olives.) Since moving to the Southwest two years ago, I celebrate Thanksgivings with my younger sister's in-laws. And now I'm in charge of appetizers. Guess I'm moving up in the world!
This particular crowd doesn't eat all that much before dinner, so I'll keep it simple today. I'm planning one hot appetizer (artichoke parmesan spread with assorted crackers) and one cold appetizer (broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, and celery with hummus). On second thought, maybe they do eat a lot. Check out some of these much simpler appetizers from vintage Thanksgiving menus... Next year, I'm totally just bringing a can of fruit cocktail. (Just kidding!)
from the menu at Camp Beauregard, Louisiana (1940)
Fruit Cocktail
from an "all-Washington" menu, Mt. Adams Sun (1940)
Oyster Cocktail
from the St. Petersburg Times (November 23, 1940)
Shrimp Cocktail
Cheese
Paprika Pastry Stars
from the Army Thanksgiving menu (1941)
Shrimp Cocktail
Celery
Olives
from The New American Etiquette (1941)
Fruit Cocktail
Celery
Olives
from an "all-Florida" menu, Evening Independent (1942)
Oyster or Shrimp Cocktail with Toasted Wafers
from four menus in the St. Petersburg Times (November 16, 1942)
Cranberry Ice or Fruit Frappe
Chilled Sweet Cider
Shrimp Cocktail
Cider Cocktails
from the WAACs Thanksgiving menu (1942)
Fruit Cocktail
Celery
Olives
Pickles
from the Army Thanksgiving menu (1943)
Fruit Cup
from the OPA-suggested Thanksgiving menu (1944)
Fruit Cocktail
from the U.S. armed forces "master" Thanksgiving menu (1944)
Grapefruit Juice
from two menus in The American Woman's Cook Book (1945)
Grapefruit Baskets
Olives
Grapefruit
from the menu at the Naval Air Station, Arlington, Virginia (1945)
Fruit Cocktail
from the White House Thanksgiving menu (1946)
Celery and Olives
from the Army Thanksgiving menu (1946)
Stuffed Celery
Pickles
Olives
from The Evening Independent (November 26, 1947)
Fruit Cup
I'll be giving an extra word of thanks this Thanksgiving Day for the news I received from my surgeon's office yesterday afternoon: "cancer free."
A blessed and happy Thanksgiving Day to you all...
