In 2017, I posted a collection of vintage ads for Thanksgiving foods, illustrating how people cooked the traditional dinner in the past and sometimes still do. I've edited the captions and added one or two images for this re-post. You may find the ads nostalgic -- or may find them amusing. Or you may find this post a depressing reminder of what we can't have this year because of the pandemic. I hope you will enjoy whatever feast you can organize this year!
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| My mother did make pumpkin pie with canned pumpkin and Pet milk. She also made a stellar apple pie, which my sister still makes when we are able to get together! |
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| McCormick has been packaging and advertising spices since 1889. Our family dinners long ago used most of these spices. Also now! Most of us really don't much like pumpkin pie these days. |
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| From 1902: another brand of seasoning. I found many ads for Thanksgiving menu items on the web and in my old magazines. Most of the ads (except this very old one) make me think of the Thanksgiving dinners of the past and how our tastes have changed without giving up the classics. |
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| In 1941, the Wine Board was promoting wine for Thanksgiving dinner! |
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| This ad from 1924 illustrates how long American cooks have been making sweet potato casserole topped with marshmallows. (Actually it started quite a bit earlier!) My aunts used to make this for Thanksgiving, but we've moved on to a more savory sweet potato recipe with garlic, cilantro, and no added sugar. |
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| Another random ad from the internet. |
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| Ocean Spray canned cranberry sauce is an old-time classic. Some time ago, I started making several cranberry recipes from scratch instead of just slicing it up. |
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| This ad could appear right now and no one would think anything of it. Margaret Rudkin (1897–1967), who is quoted in the ad, was the founder of Pepperidge Farm. She's a fascinating figure: see "The Remarkable Life of Margaret Rudkin." |
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| From our local food corporation, Chelsea Milling Company, comes the corn muffin mix used in the Thanksgiving favorite corn casserole. Jiffy Mixes aren't advertised much, so I didn't actually find an ad for this. However the recipe re-appears every year: see "Easiest-Ever Corn Casserole." |
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| Aparna makes Jiffy mix corn pudding, 2013. |
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| This ad really looks unappetizing -- and pathetic. Not so vintage, either. I feel sorry for anyone who eats like this! We always make our own gravy. |
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| I don't remember this classic green bean casserole as a family tradition, but it sure does get a lot of attention in food histories and recipe collections. Campbell's introduced it in 1955. It seems to have swept the Nation. |
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| Whatever. |
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| This ad really makes me sad, reminding me of how normal smoking once was. My father smoked Camels for most of his life: until it was too late. |
This post is by mae sander for mae food dot blogspot dot com, originally published November, 2017.
8 comments:
All I want now is one huge slice of pumpkin pie :-)) Ok, maybe some turkey filling too LOL Love those vintage ads.
I haven't heard of Jiffy corn bread pudding. Sounds interesting. Enjoyed the older adds today. Getting me ready to go make some pie crusts.
I still use mostly Schillings and McCormick spices. I grow my own herbs. I've never heard of Bell's, though.
I can't STAND Pet evaporated milk. My grandmother used it ONE time only. It is disgusting. Give me 1/2 and 1/2 instead, please.
I still make yams with marshmallows when I have a crowd. For me, though, I prefer (like you) a more savory dish. And NEVER canned yams or sweet potatoes.
I've never cared for canned cranberry sauce. The ridges from the can are enough to turn anyone off. I'd rather use fresh cranberries and a few in decorations.
I make my own stuffing. How else am I going to get rid of all that sage I grow each year? Nice to read about Margaret Rudkin, though.
I've made corn casserole in the past, but never ever for Thanksgiving. I used to serve it when I made ham and beans.
I'm bad at making gravy, but I know mine is better than that which came out of that jar. I do often start with veggie bullion, though because I don't bake a turkey.
I make Green Bean Casserole all the time, but I NEVER use cream of mushroom soup. Instead, I use cream of celeryand add a small can of mushrooms. I also use twice as many onions as called for. At one time, I made my own onions from onion rings I made the day before. Now I take the easy way out and buy French's.
I actually remember when they no longer allowed cigarette ads in magazines, newspapers, and on tv. I am not sure how much it helped at the time, but it seems our younger generations are less inclined to smoke.
GREAT post, Mae. Some real memories for me, and some I'd never heard of before.
Sweet potato casserole with that marshmallow topping was something we always had on Thanksgiving. I've never made it mainly because I have trouble managing those hard-as-rock sweet potatoes. The green bean casserole is a dish I like but which isn't quite so popular with anybody else. Canned cranberry sauce is sold out already around here. It's a must-have!
The traditional foods do sometimes change, but it's interesting to see what we still have :) Thanks for the photos.
The cigarette advert seems so out of place given what we now know.
The "Six ways" really don´t look yummy!
And, oh, my throat starts hurting seeing the Camel-ad. Here we still see many a cigarette ad and way too many kids smoke. It´s not expensive enough...
A great post, Mae. a lovely step back into past times.
Very fun! Thanks for collecting those - brings back many memories!
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