It’s true! Theodore Roosevelt, our 26th
President, was known as the Cowboy President.
Always an outdoorsman, TR first journeyed to the Dakota Badlands in 1883
to hunt buffalo. By the end of that trip, he had purchased the Maltese Cross
ranch and entered the cattle business.
Although Teddy didn’t stay out west, it was the place closest to his
heart and which inspired his future conservation and environmental efforts.
Sadly, five months after his return, both
his wife and his mother passed away on the same day. Aged only twenty-five,
Roosevelt was already involved in politics, and after the Republican Convention
in June, 1884, he headed west to seek solace from his overbearing grief. His herd at the Maltese had wintered well
that year, and he decided to increase his stock and bring out two men from
Maine, who had served as hunting guides, to manage it. Roosevelt then selected
a site for a second ranch, thirty-five miles from Medora, ND, and named it the
Elkhorn. The remains of that ranch are today part of the Theodore Roosevelt
National Park, which covers 3 separate sites.
The Elkhorn eventually had an eight-room
house and various outbuildings, and continued as a ranch until the horrendous
winter of 1886/87 decimated the herd by 60%. Now living in New York and
pursuing his political career, Roosevelt eventually sold the Elkhorn in
1890. And maybe that was lucky for us
because, aside from leading the Rough Riders up San Juan Hill in the Spanish-American
War, becoming NY State Governor, and eventually winning the Nobel Peace Prize
for his work ending the Russo-Japanese War in 1906, TR as President created no
less than five national parks, added land to Yosemite NP, and designated eighteen sites as national monuments. I know someone who might learn something from
this….
But I digress….
Back in New York,
the Roosevelt home was located in Oyster Bay, Long Island. Sagamore Hill is
now, itself, a National Monument, and as you can see from its furnishings in
these photos, it gives a pretty good nod to TR’s cowboy life. And like any red-blooded hunting man, TR’s appetite was prodigious, if fairly plain. He could eat an entire chicken at one
sitting, or half a roast suckling pig; his son claimed that TR’s coffee cup was
the size of a bathtub (a remark often made about my own mug, I must admit) and
he would have seven cubes of sugar per cup. The Roosevelt dinner table was not
elaborate, and was generally garnered from the estate itself: dairy from its own herd; home-baked breads;
preserves and vegetables harvested from the kitchen garden and orchards; fish
from the bay.
It might be no
surprise, then, that the Roosevelt Thanksgiving
dinner menu was pretty close to that of most Americans, with the possible addition
of the roast suckling pig. It started with oysters on the half shell, and
garnishes of celery, radishes and olives, followed by a consommé. The main
course was the traditional roast turkey, chestnut stuffing, and a giblet gravy,
plus that roast suckling pig. The sides
included cranberry sauce (of course!), spiced crab apples, spinach, mashed
potatoes, onions in cream, and Brussels sprouts. The Roosevelts had their salad
after this, and desserts of mince pies, pumpkin pie, vanilla ice cream, nuts,
fruits, chocolates, and ended with coffee. I’m sorry to note that sweet
potatoes do not play a role.
It’s very unlikely
that the Roosevelt’s cook would have used frozen cranberries, if such an item
was available, but I’m going to end this post with my recipe for the only
cranberry sauce—more a relish—that I’ll eat:
Take one large juicy orange and
quarter it; do not peel but remove the pips.
Put in a blender and chop roughly. Add one 12oz bag of frozen
cranberries (if you use fresh, you’ll have to cook ‘til they pop, about 10
mins., and drain thoroughly) and 2oz. of shelled walnuts. Process to rough chop,
not puree. Add 2oz. superfine sugar and leave for at least 2 hours before
serving. A treat!
And I’ll tell you what else is a treat: to curl up after Thanksgiving with a lovely
Christmas western romance. The weather
is cold, the atmosphere is festive, and the cowboys are hot. How do you keep a
cowboy at Christmas?
Don’t miss this holiday collection of modern-day cowboys and
the women they love, featuring USA Today, Amazon
Bestselling, and Award-Winning authors.
CHRISTMAS, LIBERTY, AND THE THREE MINUTE MAN by Carra
Copelin
Daniel Dylan Layman is determined to show headstrong city
girl Liberty Ann Hart that a country life in Mistletoe, Texas, is the perfect
Christmas gift.
A CHRISTMAS CAROLE by Andrea Downing
Carrie Matheson and her son
are trying to settle into a new life in Wyoming. Tate Schrugge is trying to
ditch his Scrooge and play Santa to the young boy. But will there be a Dickens
of a romance by Christmas?
THE PEPPERMINT TREE by Kristy McCaffrey
Lawyer Skye Mallory returns
home for the holidays due to an unexpected inheritance and cowboy Joe Carrigan
stands in her way.
THE DEVIL’S CHRISTMAS KISS by
Devon McKay
When Kristen Kelly receives a
Christmas kiss from Cole Lawson, she doesn’t believe it means anything. But
Cole sets out to make things right with the woman of his heart.
SLAY BELLS by Hildie McQueen
At a small-town Christmas festival sparks fly between Carmen
Dias and Detective Jared Bowden, but a dead body and a pesky ex-girlfriend
don’t exactly spell romance.
THE BEST CHRISTMAS by Hebby
Roman
All Sofia Rossi wants is to
re-connect with her estranged son. But can Gar McCulloch, a handsome cowboy who
runs a juvenile rehab ranch, be the answer to all her problems?
COUNTING DOWN TO CHRISTMAS by Patti Sherry-Crews
Wedding planner Melody Evans
views happily-ever-after endings with a skeptical eye. Veterinarian Leland
Jennings IV thinks Christmas is for kids. Can the holiday spirit bring them
together?
HAPPY THANKSGIVING
With thanks to The
American Heritage Cookbook, Penguin, 1964
Photos public
domain, thanks to the National Park Service via Wikimedia Commons.
7 comments:
You got me in the mood to start baking those pies! I do love a Thanksgiving feast and probably go overboard but I'm grateful for my friends and family and try to do right by everyone at the table. So, two kinds of stuffing (chorizo and corn bread and then traditional sage) and three kinds of cranberries because I got some people who are picky about their cranberries! I make the same relish as you normally, but this year found a recipe with fig, and canned cranberries for my stepson (the ridged red tube we call it) and then a cranberry salad with mini marshmallows for my daughter. It the one holiday feast I try to accommodate.
I am grateful T.R. had the foresight to preserve large tracts of land for us to enjoy today! Have a happy Thanksgiving, Andi!
thanks Patti. Since I don't do the TG dinner I don't have much input but my sil does a fine job. I'm particularly fond of her stuffing with a bit of gravy. This sweet potato business with marshmallow is too sweet for me I'm afraid, and I was never fond of cranberries except as per the above recipe. But it is so good to be with family and enjoy each other's company. Hope yours goes off well--I'm sure it will.
I love your cranberry recipe. Will have to try it sometime. Happy Thanksgiving!!
Thanks Kristy. The same to you and your family!
Also my favorite cranberry recipe. It is so good! Wishing you and all those you care about a great Thanksgiving.
Being friends with 'President Roosevelt' in the guise of Don Moon, this post was made all the more interesting. I shared it with him and he in turn shared it with his followers. Thank you so much for that. Doris
Thanks for the share Doris—& I hope you’re enjoying Thanksgiving with those closest to your heart
Great blog! Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving.
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