The first Thanksgiving was held in 1621 at Plymouth Colony in what is now present-day Massachusetts. Two hundred years later, President Abraham Lincoln declared the third Thursday in November as the Thanksgiving holiday. In 1941, Congress declared it an official holiday.
Each year over 42 million Americans will travel over 50 miles or more from home on this holiday weekend. While a gathering of friends and family is the main focus of this special day, everyone knows it is all about the food.
Many families vary on the side dishes and desserts for their family feast, but these dishes accompany the main centerpiece of the meal which is the turkey.
Today I have a little Turkey Trivia Quiz for you to see just how much you really know about this main course for the family feast. The answers can be found after the recipes.
1. Which U.S. state produces the most turkeys?
2. What do you call a female turkey?
3. Which famous American advocated for the turkey as the national bird?
4. How much did the largest turkey weigh?
5. How many feathers does the average adult turkey have?
6. What percentage of the population of the U.S. eats turkey on Thanksgiving?
7. What are the baby turkeys called?
8. When would you have danced the turkey trot?
9. What sport uses the term turkey?
10. How fast can a wild turkey run?
Today I have some recipes for you to utilize your Crock-Pot to help with your holiday cooking. I hope you will give them a try. Thanks for reading.
SLOW COOKER BACON WRAPPED PORK LOIN
1 (3-4 pounds) center cut pork loin
¼ cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
¼ teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
10 slices bacon, uncooked
¼ cup fig jam or preserves
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Combine brown sugar, garlic powder, rosemary, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper; season pork loin with this mixture on all sides. Wrap bacon around pork loin, and place in slow cooker. Mix together fig preserves and mustard; pour over pork loin. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours; remove and place under oven broiler for a few minutes to crisp up bacon.
SLOW COOKER SOUTHERN GREEN BEANS
2 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed
1 red onion, chopped
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 lemon, juiced
2 cloves minced garlic
1 cup chicken broth
Salt and pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients in slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for about 6 hours. Serve hot or at room temperature.
SLOW COOKER
HOPPIN’ JOHN
1 pound smoked sausage, sliced and browned
4 (15-ounce) cans black-eyed peas, undrained
2 (10-ounce) cans Ro-Tel, undrained
3 cups beef broth
1 cup chopped onion
1 chopped green bell pepper
1 teaspoon Cajun/Creole seasoning
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 family size package boil-in-bag rice, uncooked (1½ cups, uncooked)
Place all ingredients, except rice, in slow cooker; cover and cook on high for 30 minutes. Reduce heat to low and cook for 6 hours. Pour uncooked rice into cooker, stir and cook for about 30 minutes or until rice is tender.
(You may add water if too thick.)
Answers:
1. North Carolina; Minnesota is second
2. A hen; men are called Toms
3. Benjamin Franklin
4. 86 pounds
5. 3,500
6. 90%
7. Poult
8. 1900, it later became the fox trot
9. Bowling; three strikes in a row are called a turkey.
10. 25 miles per hour
