Thanksgiving
Do the Amish celebrate Thanksgiving? This is a question I‘ve wondered about, so after much searching I have found that some Amish do celebrate Thanksgiving. However, Thanksgiving falls during the traditional wedding season, so it may be melded into a wedding ceremony as weddings typically take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Those families without a wedding invitation may prepare a Thanksgiving meal.
Just like any other typical Thanksgiving meal, the centerpiece of an Amish Thanksgiving dinner is the turkey. The turkey will most like be a free-range turkey grown by the family or by another Amish family. Unlike a frozen turkey purchased in the supermarket, this bird will be raised a little more comfortably and allowed access to the outside. The feed it is fed will most likely be free of chemicals and antibiotics making it a fairly organic meat.
While Thanksgiving may just be another day to an Amish family, Amish recipes can add a special twist to your feast. One staple of most Amish meals is bread. Here’s a good, basic Amish bread recipe adapted to use with a bread machine, and which can be used to make dinner rolls.
Another important aspect of Thanksgiving is the fact that by now the garden has been harvested and all produce has been canned, dried, or stored for winter use. A versatile and healthy garden bounty is the pumpkin which when properly stored can be kept whole for six months or for more than a year when canned. Pumpkin is very nutritious, loaded with powerful antioxidants such as beta carotene and vitamin C, vitamin K and E, and minerals. Half a cup of pumpkin has 3 ½ grams of fiber. Even the seeds are packed with good minerals and fiber.
Bet you thought I was going to give a recipe for pumpkin pie. Guess again! Instead, try this Amish Pumpkin Bread recipe.
