Make an authentic Thanksgiving meal

November 05, 2009 Written by: Dave Ullmann

Want to teach kids about the original Thanksgiving? If days off from school and endless desserts aren't enough to pique their interest in the history of the holiday, make an authentic Thanksgiving meal like the pilgrims enjoyed.

Make it an event by setting up a few party decorations, like a cornucopia centerpiece. Cornucopias were invented by the ancient Greeks, and it's possible that the pilgrims had the traditional horn of plenty at the original Thanksgiving.

To make the meal more fun (and accurate) try to find metal plates and wooden spoons to enjoy your pre-Thanksgiving meal on. Light candles or hurricane lamps for a candle-lit new world dining experience.

So, what exactly did the pilgrims eat? Experts think the first feast probably included plenty of the vegetables available to the locals, like corn, peas, beans, onions, lettuce, radishes, carrots, parsnips and leeks.

They might have also had some fruits, like grapes, plums and currants. The main meat course was probably wild turkey or goose.

To make the meal palatable to picky kids, serve baked chicken and roasted root vegetables. A desert inspired by the pilgrims' fruit options, like a plum pudding, might be the best way to convey the spirit of the original Mayflower meal.