Happy Thanksgiving 2016

Good Morning Blog Readers of Musings With Mary Ann, Today, in honor of Thanksgiving, I'm going to write some interesting facts about the early Pilgrims. Some of this information may give you an idea for your next book. Have you ever heard of a Lug Pole? In early Pilgrim homes a lug pole was a thick wooden pole, stretched across the fireplace, just above the fire. Pots and kettles hung from it. Of course, their food was being cooked in those pots and kettles. The lug pole was made of green wood so it wouldn't burn up. Nevertheless, occasionally,even the green poles caught fire and all the pots and kettles that hung from it crashed into the fireplace, ruining the dinner. What are Spoon Meats? In the pots hung from the Lug Pole were soups and stews. Another pot held water, while another had pudding. These puddings were called Spoon Meats by the Pilgrims. Pilgrims used the word "meat" to mean any kind of food, and Spoon Meat was any kind of food eaten with a spoon. Do you know about the Pilgrims' White Pots? Chicken eggs that were roasted, boiled, fried or baked in custards were called White Pots. What are Blackjacks? Special drinking cups brought over from England were called Blackjacks. They were made out of boiled leather and waterproofed with tar. Most families had only one or two blackjacks. During the meal they passed the blackjack around and each person took a drink, then passed it to the next family member. They didn't realize they were sharing germs. So, this Thanksgiving 2016, you may not cook using a Lug Pole, and you probably won't drink from a blackjack, but I hope you and your loved ones have a wonderful day bonding together, feasting and giving thanks. Mary Ann Duke DrMad92@verizon.net