Why Do We Eat Turkey on Thanksgiving?

By Heide Kennedy, Arizona Farm Bureau Communications Intern

Every Thanksgiving, most families get together and enjoy a huge meal, typically featuring turkey as the star, and all the traditional side dishes such as stuffing, cranberries, green beans, and mashed potatoes. But have you ever stopped to think about how and why turkey became the main item on a Thanksgiving dinner spread?

Thanksgiving Turkey

(photo credit: BigStockPhoto.com)

I decided to look it up and what I found was kind of surprising. Apparently, there are not really any historical records of turkey even being served on the first Thanksgiving in 1621 with the pilgrims and the Wampanoags. There are only records of deer being brought by the Wampanoags, and “fowl” by the pilgrims. Historians say that these “fowl” were more likely geese and ducks, not turkeys.

So then how did turkeys become the traditional Thanksgiving protein? There are a couple of theories that could all play a part. First was that around the time that Thanksgiving was actually declared a national holiday by Abraham Lincoln in 1863, turkeys were very abundant, making them an economical choice for the gathering. Turkeys were also really only raised for the purpose of meat, unlike cows which were used for milk, or chickens used for eggs. Another reason was that they are very easily prepared and are also the perfect size for a family.

At the end of the day, however, it doesn’t really matter what you serve on Thanksgiving, whether it be turkey, pork, chicken, or beef like my family serves. The whole point of the holiday is to be thankful for everything that you have and enjoy time spending with friends and family.

For more Thanksgiving articles and recipes, check out the Fill Your Plate blog!

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Anything But Pumpkin Pie Dessert Recipes

By Heide Kennedy, Arizona Farm Bureau Communications Intern

Fall is upon us! The leaves are changing and the temperatures cooling… maybe not in Arizona but at least they are somewhere! With the changing of the season comes all of the obsession with everything pumpkin, especially pumpkin pie. Despite its creamy, spicy pumpkin filling, and flaky buttery crust, there are actually people who don’t like it. Crazy, right? So, below is a list of other delicious fall desserts to make other than pumpkin pie!

Pumpkin pie cake photo credit: Jan D’Atri

Pumpkin Pie Cake

Apple Cinnamon Cobbler

Apple Crisp Cheesecake

Maple Brown Sugar Cookies

Cinnamon Roll Cookies

Candy Corn and White Chocolate Cookies

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Caramel Apple Cookies

Salted Caramel Butterscotch Cake

Smores Cookies

Candied Apples

Apple Cider Donuts

Even if you don’t have pumpkin pie haters in your crowd, you might still consider making one or two of these delicious desserts! And when you do, be sure to use ingredients produced right here in Arizona!

For more recipes or fall articles, check out the Fill Your Plate blog!

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Halloween Trash Brownies

By Heide Kennedy, Arizona Farm Bureau Commutations Intern

Halloween is best known for two things. Costumes and candy.  Lots of candy. Costumes are easy, you just have one for each kid and you either put it away or donate it. But candy on the other hand, you could easily have each of your kids come home with at least a hundred pieces each! Ok maybe that was slightly exaggerated, but the point is, that come November first, you’ll have quite a bit of excess candy to do something with. That’s where trash brownies come in!

Halloween

 

Trash brownies are quite literally what they sound like. A pan of brownies with a whole random assortment of candy and treats sprinkled on top. The best part about these is that you can use whatever brownie recipe you like, whether that be ones made from scratch or ones from a box mix. Then, before baking, cover the top with all sorts of chopped up candy. While you can use whatever candy your heart desires, the list below has a few good options you might try.

  • Oreos
  • Peanut butter cups
  • Kit Kats
  • M&M’s
  • Pretzels
  • Marshmallows
  • Snickers
  • Twix
  • Rolos
  • Heath
  • Potato chips (even though it’s not Halloween candy, it gives some crunch and saltiness to complement the candy)

 

A few tips before baking:

  • If you want your candy firm and not totally melted, put it on top in the last 10-15 minutes of baking.
  • For marshmallows, only put them on top in the last 10-15 minutes of baking. They get hard if overbaked.
  • Feel free to add gummy candy, but just put it on towards the end.
  • These are already a caloric overload so you might as well go all the way and top them off with some Whip cream and ice cream!

 

So, there you go! A quick recipe that uses lots of leftover candy that might otherwise sit in a bowl until it is slowly finished!

For more fall and Halloween articles, check out the Fill Your Plate blog!

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A Collection of Fill Your Plate’s Halloween Articles

By Heide Kennedy, Arizona Farm Bureau Communications Intern

Halloween is almost here! Your kids probably have already been planning out their costumes in their heads, if they don’t have them already, and you probably have been starting to slowly stock up on candy to hand out! But, if you’re not like that and haven’t begun to prepare yet, no need to worry! Below is a collection of all things Halloween from Fill Your Plate for you to peruse and use for some inspiration and ideas!

Ways to Use Leftover Halloween Pumpkins

Healthier Halloween Candy Alternatives

Tips for Budget-Friendly Halloween Costumes

How to Up Your Halloween Game with Dry Ice and Mocktails

Spooky Good Treats for a Halloween Movie Night

Halloween Candy Cookie Recipe

Easy Homemade Halloween Kids Costumes

Halloween Crafts to do With Your Kids and By Yourself Too!

Happy Halloween

Spooky Halloween Treats

Spooky Halloween Treats 2

5 Tips for Haunting Your House this Halloween

How to Have a Healthier Halloween

Host a Frighteningly Fun Halloween Party

Halloween for Foodies! If You dare…

Hopefully, these articles are helpful and provide some fun, festive inspiration! Good luck as you prepare for a spooky season!

For more articles, check out the Fill Your Plate blog!

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Fun Trick or Treating Alternatives

By Heide Kennedy, Arizona Farm Bureau Communications Intern

 

Every year, the typical Halloween tradition is to get all dressed up in your finest, scariest costumes, and go out trick or treating. While this will always be a fun activity, it can sometimes be fun to mix it up a little bit. Whether it be because your kids are a little young for trick or treating, too old for trick or treating, or you just want a change of pace, here are a few fun Halloween activities to consider trying!

snack attack

(photo credit:BigStockPhoto.com)

 

Spooky Movie Night

Gather all your friends and family and crash in the living room to watch lots of classic Halloween movies! Beetlejuice, Casper, Hocus Pocus, Hotel Transylvania, Coraline, and The Corpse Bride are all less-gory, kid-friendly movies that everyone will love!

 

Spooky Game Night

For something more hands-on, host a Halloween game night! Do some bowling with pumpkins, apple bobbing, wrapping people with toilet paper to make a mummy, or do a Halloween-themed scavenger hunt!

Haunted Dinner Party

For those who want to do something a little more classy, host a haunted dinner party, with all the food, drinks, and décor themed around a haunted house.

Backyard Pumpkin Patch

Pumpkin patches are fun, so why not make your own in your backyard? Have a cute photo booth with a backdrop and straw bales, pumpkins scattered across the lawn, and some other fun backyard games set up!

Costume Party

Obviously, Halloween is all about dressing up, but take it a step further and have a costume party with a contest for the best costumes! Have categories such as most creative, spookiest, most realistic, and best overall! And have some wickedly cool prizes of course!

Just because you’re doing an alternative to trick or treating doesn’t mean that there’s no candy involved! Have a huge spread and array of candy for all your guests to enjoy!

For more fall and Halloween articles, check out the Fill Your Plate blog!

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