This Thanksgiving be Thankful for Sarah!

This year, I'm re-recommending a children's book with a historical heroine who finally found success in securing our nation's unique Day of Giving Thanks. Told in a humorous style with silly caricatures, this book will interest children ages 5-10. (and parents will like it too!)

Thank You, Sarah: The Woman Who Saved Thanksgiving by Laurie Halse Anderson, illustrations by Matt Faulkner.

Do you know about the (Superhero!) woman attributed to saving Thanksgiving?  Sarah Josepha Hale married David Hale in 1813, and they had five children. Left in financial straits by her husband’s death in 1822, she embarked on a literary career, becoming a poet and editor.  (She penned a very well know nursery rhyme: "Mary Had a Little Lamb"!) 

Love this version, illustrated by Tomie dePaola!

Sarah Josepha Hale loved Thanksgiving.  But the tradition began to fall on hard times, not being kept in the Southern, Midwestern, and Western United States.  

For 36 years she published numerous editorials and sent scores of letters to governors, senators, presidents and other politicians to garner support in making Thanksgiving a national holiday. Her request was rejected by four presidents, until finally President Abraham Lincoln said "yes" during the height of the Civil War.

President Abraham Lincoln and magazine editor Sarah Josepha Hale.
PHOTO: LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

If you can't find Thank You, Sarah at your library, click here to let your kids watch a digital reading of the book on Youtube.

If you'd like to learn more about Sarah Josepha Hale, go here to read the Pilgrim Hall Museum's article, "Godmother of Thanksgiving".

Thanks, Sarah!

Gratitude, Grace, Gobbling, and Strawberry Jello Salad

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

  

We can always make room for gratitude in our hearts!  We certainly find room for turkey in our tummies, eating lightly throughout the early part of the day in order to gobble up all the yummy foods from our Thanksgiving tables.

How can we help our kids maintain an "attitude of gratitude" throughout the year, and not just at Thanksgiving?  I think the best way is by remembering to constantly thank God for all we have. 

An easy way is to "say grace" every day at our tables before we eat our meals.

Let the Whole Earth Sing Praise by Tomie dePaola

"Grace" comes from the Greek word kharis.  And that leads me to another important meal of thanksgiving... many Christian families participate in the Eucharistic meal of Holy Communion. 

"Eucharist", in Greek eukharistia, literally means ‘thanksgiving’; it comes from the Greek word eukharistos ‘grateful’ - eu ‘well’ and kharizesthai ‘offer graciously’ (from kharis ‘grace’).

H is for Holy by Nika Boyd

B is for bread.  Jesus called Himself the "Bread of Life".  The Bread of Holy Communion is Christ's Body.  Jesus died and rose from the dead; His Resurrection gives us eternal life.

The Eucharist teaches us and helps us to have an unceasing remembrance of God.

Today as I prepared my contribution for our extended Braun family Thanksgiving meal, I remembered especially our Matriarch who passed away this summer.

We all love Grandma's Strawberry Sour Cream Jello Salad!  

Since my kitchen is being demo'd next week, most of my baking things, pots and pans and dishes have been packed up. So it was especially poignant that one of the last things I made in my pared down kitchen was her family recipe.  We miss her so!

Meals are important vehicles of love and grace!  May we all remember to give to those in need out of our abundance, and remember to give thanks to God not only for food, but for all things during this holi-(y)-day season.

Practicing Thanksgiving with Tomie dePaola

Today I practiced Thanksgiving (the table, not the food) in order to showcase a sweet book that helps children give thought to the important act of giving thanks. It's by Tomie dePaola.

I don't know about you, but when I'm planning a special event, I like to do a practice run of my table-scape. Especially for holiday celebrations.

This year I won't be hosting Thanksgiving (we will be visiting my daughter, son-in-law, and grandsons in New York!)  But the temperatures here in Southern California have finally started falling, so it actually feels like fall - prompting me to break out my new (old) brown ironstone transferware, and celebrate with this little photo shoot!

In the same way that we practice setting our table, we need to help our children practice being thankful!  That's where this joyous book by Tomie de Paola comes in...(want to mention that I got my dishes and this book on Ebay!)

Let he whole Earth Sing Praise (2011) is a sweet and simple book, with text inspired by Old Testament Scripture and artwork styled after designs and embroideries of the Otomi people from the mountain villages around San Pablito, in Puebla, Mexico.

Joy is to be found everywhere - in the sun and moon, stars and comets, mountains and rivers, plants and creatures...in everything, give thanks!

I'm thankful for all my readers, and am offering a Fall Giveaway for the first person to leave a comment here!  It's a stenciled burlap "Happy Thanksgiving" Banner...it comes in three pieces, but they can be strung together in one long banner, or however you'd like.

Here's a Thanksgiving giveaway for everyone -  this lovely quote from St. Basil the Great:

When you sit down to eat, pray. 

When you eat bread, do so thanking Him for being so generous to you. 

If you drink wine, be mindful of Him who has given it to you for your pleasure and as a relief in sickness. 

When you dress, thank Him for His kindness in providing you with clothes. 

When you look at the sky and the beauty of the stars, throw yourself at God’s feet and adore Him who in His wisdom has arranged things in this way. 

Similarly, when the sun goes down and when it rises, when you are asleep or awake, give thanks to God, who created and arranged all things for your benefit, to have you know, love and praise their Creator. 

-St. Basil the Great

It's All About Cranberries Over Here!

It's a Cranberry Thanksgiving again on my blog - and at my table!

I am in awe of these little powerhouse fruits - their vibrant red jewel-like tones, their health benefits, and of course their lovely tart flavor.
  

Today I'm recommending the same Thanksgiving read as in years past, Cranberry Thanksgiving.  

Cranberry Thanksgiving is the story of a young girl named Maggie who lives with her Grandmother near a cranberry bog in New England. Maggie and her Grandmother traditionally each invite a guest to their Thanksgiving feast. But this particular year, Grandmother almost loses her secret recipe for cranberry bread to one of the guests.

You can check out the book's lovely illustrations - and the cranberry bread recipe from the book - here on the  Vintage Kids' Books My Kid Loves blog. 

This year I've got a new cranberry sauce recipe to share.  The last time I blogged about this book - and cranberries - I posted a recipe for a spiced zinfandel cranberry sauce  (go here for that one). Today's recipe utilizes your crockpot!

I adapted this year's Easy Crockpot Apple-Cranberry Sauce from Dara's Cookin' Canuck blog - here). It's got six ingredients: cranberries, apples, sugar, orange juice, orange zest, and crystallized ginger. Mmmm...My mouth has been watering all afternoon in anticipation!

You  mix the simple ingredients all together (except for the ginger, which goes in later), put them in your crockpot, and give them a stir once in a while.  Eight hours later, you have cranberry sauce! Easy. Peasy. You're welcome!

I plan to reserve some of the sauce to pour over a log of goat cheese and serve with crackers as an appetizer (might even stir in a little chopped cilantro, green onion, and lime juice).  The rest will be put in a pretty cut glass dish to go with the turkey...

Easy Crockpot Apple-Cranberry Sauce

Gather and prepare:
4 medium Gala apples - cored, peeled, quartered and sliced

1 (12 oz.) package fresh cranberries

1/2 c. coconut sugar (or brown sugar or sucanat)

1 t. orange zest

1/4 c. orange juice

1/8 c. crystallized ginger, chopped (add later)
1/2 t. cinnamon (optional, add later)

Assemble:

Pour orange juice into the bottom of a large crockpot.

Put sliced apples and fresh cranberries into a large bowl and toss with sugar and orange zest.  Add to crockpot, and cover with lid.

Turn crockpot to LOW, and cook for about 8 hours.  Stir occasionally, breaking up apple slices and cranberries with a wooden spoon as they soften.

When done, stir in crystallized ginger (and cinnamon, if desired).  Taste, and add an additional tablespoon or two of sugar if desired.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

"Give Thanks for Your Blessings" and More Wise Words from...a Basketball Coach!

Be true to yourself, help others, make each day your masterpiece, make friendship a fine art, drink deeply from good books - especially the Bible, build a shelter against a rainy day, give thanks for your blessings and pray for guidance every day.

-Coach John Wooden

source

John Robert Wooden (Oct. 14, 1910 - June 4, 2010) was an American basketball player and coach. Nicknamed the "Wizard of Westwood", he won ten NCAA national championships in a 12-year period — seven in a row — as head coach at UCLA, an unprecedented feat.

Wooden remained devoted to his wife Nellie until his own death decades after hers. He kept to a monthly ritual — health permitting — on the 21st of every month, when he would visit her grave then write a love letter to her. After completing each letter, he placed it in an envelope and added it to a stack of similar letters that accumulated over the years on the pillow she slept on during their life together. Wooden only stopped writing the letters in the last months of his life due to failing eyesight.

Did you know Coach Wooden wrote a book for children?

  source

The book is titled Inch and Miles: The Journey to Success. 

An inchworm and a mouse collaborate on building a pyramid to success, helped along by their teacher - an owl named "Mr. Wooden".

Happy Thanksgiving to all my readers.  I'd like to say "thank you" to my son, Jon, who first introduced me to John Wooden and his inspirational life (and wonderful quotes).  

And speaking of giving: Remember to leave a comment up through December 5th to enter my Book & Cookie GIVEAWAY for St. Nicholas Day (go here for details). updated 12/6: Giveaway OVER

    

Over the River and Through the Woods

I'll be traveling to be with out-of-town family for Thanksgiving this year, but you can find my book recommendations for the holiday here, in my past Thanksgiving posts.

From my home to yours: Happy Thanksgiving!

CRANBERRY THANKSGIVING

Today is slated for cooking, and Traditional Family Recipes rule the day!  My potatoes, for a yummy potato casserole that my mother-in-law handed down (and which my children won't ever allow me to deviate from!), are almost boiling. Meanwhile I have a quick minute, before starting on my sister's delicious recipe for a spiced Zinfandel cranberry sauce, to share about a fun children's book by Wende and Harry Devlin, appropriately titled Cranberry Thanksgiving.

Cranberry Thanksgiving is the story of a young girl named Maggie who lives with her Grandmother near a cranberry bog in New England. Maggie and her Grandmother traditionally each invite a guest to their Thanksgiving feast. But this particular year, Grandmother almost loses her secret recipe for cranberry bread to one of the guests. (The book includes the secret recipe.) This classic was published in 1971 and is a traditional family read for many families each year - you can read it while the cranberry bread is baking.



Cranberries are amazing little powerhouses of nutrients and they go a long way back in the history of the traditional Thanksgiving meal.  Long before the Pilgrims came to North America, the Indians combined crushed cranberries with dried deer meat and melted fat to make pemmican - a convenience food that would keep for a long time. As the Pilgrims began to settle and thrive, cranberries became a staple in their lives as well.

Contrary to popular belief, cranberries do not grow in water. Instead, they grow on vines in impermeable beds layered with sand, peat, gravel and clay. These beds, commonly known as "bogs," were originally made by glacial deposits. Normally, growers do not have to replant since an undamaged cranberry vine will survive indefinitely. Some vines in Massachusetts are more than 150 years old! (Cranberries are also grown in the Pacific Northwest.) Photo sources and more information here.


Well, I'm off to start my cranberry sauce!  Scroll down for the recipe below, or find it here (it's not a secret recipe, like the Grandmother's)...

SPICED CRANBERRY SAUCE WITH ZINFANDEL

INGREDIENTS:
1 3/4 cups red Zinfandel wine
1 cup sugar
1 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
6 whole cloves
6 whole allspice
2 cinnamon sticks
1 3x1-inch strip orange peel
1 12-ounce bag fresh cranberries
PREPARATION:
Combine all ingredients except cranberries in medium saucepan. Bring to boil over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat and simmer until reduced to 1 3/4 cups, about 10 minutes. Strain syrup into large saucepan. Add cranberries to syrup and cook over medium heat until berries burst, about 6 minutes. Cool. Transfer sauce to medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate until cold. (Can be made 1 week ahead. Keep refrigerated.)

PILGRIMS, TURKEYS, AND THE WOMAN WHO SAVED THANKSGIVING

First, the Turkeys:
Creative mom Vanessa Rough, over at Silly Eagle Books blog, posted a really cute popsicle-stick turkey craft for Thanksgiving, and a picture book I can't wait to get my hands on, Mousekin's Thanksgiving. I'm hoping to find the book at my library, because it's out of print. The whole series of Mousekin books by Edith Miller, published from 1964 to 1992, can be found listed at Loganberry Books.


From Library School Journal:  In another cozy installment in the "Mousekin" series, bright-eyed Mousekin rushes from animal to animal searching for the mysterious creature who has eaten his winter food stores. The happy ending shows a wild turkey digging up food for Mousekin and his friends. Muted watercolor wash drawings capture the quiet atmosphere of the forest at the time of the first snowfall. Miller gently conveys accurate information about nature while she tells a good story. A read-aloud for the whole year, not just Thanksgiving. (ages 3-7)

MY GOOD BOOKS THANKSGIVING PICKS FOR THIS YEAR:
If You Were At... The First Thanksgiving, by Anne Kamma, illustrations by Bert Dodson.  From Scholastic: Nearly half of the fifty-two Pilgrims at the First Thanksgiving were children ages sixteen and younger. What was it like being part of the historic harvest festival that inspired our modern holiday? How did the children contribute to the feast? What did they wear? Did they have turkey and pumpkin pie?

My own kids loved this style, so helpful in exploring history: written from a child's perspective and using a question-and-answer format, this book answers many questions about the early pilgrims and what it was like being part of the historic harvest festival that inspired our modern holiday. (Ages 7 and up)



Thank You, Sarah: The Woman Who Saved Thanksgiving by Laurie Halse Anderson, illustrations by Matt Faulkner.  In doing some research last year about Thanksgiving, I discovered that the woman attributed to starting a letter writing campaign (of 38 years!) to garner support in making Thanksgiving a national holiday was none other than Sarah Josepha Hale, the writer of the nursery rhyme, "Mary Had a Little Lamb"!  If you didn't see that post, click here for the short version of her story and her 1858 article from Godey's Lady's Book.

This year, I'm recommending a children's book about this historical heroine and her success in securing our nation's unique Day of Giving Thanks.  Told in a humorous style with silly caricatures, this book will interest children ages 5-10. (and parents will like it too!)

Below are my Good Books Thanksgiving recommendations from last year. Click HERE for details.

OVER THE RIVER AND THROUGH THE WOOD...HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

A BOY'S THANKSGIVING, by Lydia Maria Child (1844)

Over the river, and through the wood,
to Grandfather's house we go;
the horse knows the way to carry the sleigh
through the white and drifted snow.

Over the river, and through the wood,
to Grandfather's house away!
We would not stop for doll or top,
for 'tis Thanksgiving Day.

Over the river, and through the wood-
oh, how the wind does blow!
It stings the toes and bites the nose,
as over the ground we go.

Over the river, and through the wood
and straight through the barnyard gate.
We seem to go extremely slow-
it is so hard to wait!

Over the river, and through the wood-
when Grandmother sees us come,
She will say, "o, dear, the children are here,
bring a pie for every one."

Over the river, and through the wood-
now Grandmothers cap I spy!
Hurrah for the fun! Is the pudding done?
Hurrah for the pumpkin pie!

This song originally appeared as a poem written by Lydia Maria Child. The poem appeared in Flowers for Children, Vol. 2 in 1844.

HOW DID THANKSGIVING BECOME A NATIONAL HOLIDAY? (THE WRITER OF A POPLULAR CHILDREN'S VERSE HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH IT!)

We all know about the harvest feast in 1621, between Plymouth colonists and Wampanog Indians, which is acknowledged today as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in the colonies. But do you know when and how Thanksgiving came to be an annual National Holiday?

For more than two centuries, days of thanksgiving were celebrated by individual colonies and states. In 1827, noted magazine editor and prolific writer Sarah Josepha Hale (author, among countless other things, of the nursery rhyme “Mary Had a Little Lamb”) launched a campaign to establish Thanksgiving as a national holiday. For 36 years, she published numerous editorials and sent scores of letters to governors, senators, presidents and other politicians.


Abraham Lincoln finally heeded her request in 1863, at the height of the Civil War, in a proclamation entreating all Americans to ask God to “commend to his tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife” and to “heal the wounds of the nation.”

I think you'll enjoy reading Sarah Josepha Hale's, "Editor's Table," from Godey's Lady's Book, 1858:

OUR NATIONAL THANKSGIVING

"All the blessings of the fields,
All the stores the garden yields,
All the plenty summer pours,
Autumn's rich, o'erflowing stores,
Peace, prosperity and health,
Private bliss and public wealth,
Knowledge with its gladdening streams,
Pure religion's holier beams --
Lord, for these our souls shall raise
Grateful vows and solemn praise."

We are most happy to agree with the large majority of the governors of the different States -- as shown in their unanimity of action for several past years, and which, we hope, will this year be adopted by all -- that the LAST THURSDAY IN NOVEMBER shall be the DAY Of NATIONAL THANKSGIVING for the American people. Let this day, from this time forth, as long as our Banner of Stars floats on the breeze, be the grand THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY of our nation, when the noise and tumult of wordliness may be exchanged for the laugh of happy children, the glad greetings of family reunion, and the humble gratitude of the Christian heart. This truly American Festival falls, this year on the twenty fifth day of this month.


Let us consecrate the day to benevolence of action, by sending good gifts to the poor, and doing those deeds of charity that will, for one day, make every American home the place of plenty and of rejoicing. These seasons of refreshing are of inestimable advantage to the popular heart; and if rightly managed, will greatly aid and strengthen public harmony of feeling. Let the people of all the States and Territories sit down together to the "feast of fat things," and drink, in the sweet draught of joy and gratitude to the Divine giver of all our blessings, the pledge of renewed love to the Union, and to each other; and of peace and good-will to all men. Then the last Thursday in November will soon become the day of AMERICAN THANKSGIVING throughout the world.

(FDR later changed the date of Thanksgving permanently to the fourth Thursday in November - to read why, click here.)

ARE WE THERE, YET?

Having family in various places, we always seem travel during Thanksgiving and Christmas.  When our kids were little and we made the 2 and 1/2 hour drive on holidays, I tried to have good books in the car for the trip or to look at with Grandma and Grandpa after we arrived.  The kids would get so excited, it was nice to have something to help calm them down for a little quiet time in the middle of all the hustle and bustle!  Here are some fun holiday versions of books that I featured in a past post that will keep your kids busy "looking" and "spying":


I SPY CHRISTMAS, by Jean Marzollo, Walter Wick (4-8)


I SPY LITTLE CHRISTMAS, Jean Marzollow, Walter Wick (baby-preschool)


CAN YOU SEE WHAT I SEE?  THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS, Walter Wick (4-8)


LOOK A-LIKES CHRISTMAS by Joan Steiner (4-8)