Evening star., 1942-11-19


But, with the one glimmer of
sanity that remains to us, we are
convinced that if you want turkey
for Thanksgiving this year, you'll
have to pay plenty for it. If your
family is small, and your budget
weak, we urge you to forget all about
turkeys, and choose a fine fat Ca
pom or baking chicken, a duck, or
even a jumbo squab or two. Turkey
is nice, but not essential to a war
time Thanksgiving According to
history, even at the first Thanksgiv-
Ing dinner, 1t was supplemented by
venlson and other meats.
Other Items Haze
Not Changed Much
Although some luxury items" for
Thanksgiving are way up in price,
or entirely non-existent, you won't
lind that in the ma jority of cases you
will have to pay great deal more
than last year. Brazil nuts, for in
stance, are much higher than in
1941, but almonds are lower than
they were then. Walnuts are about
the same; California stem raisins
also are priced close to 1941 levels.
Your canned soups are bit higher
than they were last year, but the
new pack is almost entirely con-
densed, with much stronger stock,
and more ingredients than the soups
contained last year, so you'll get
more soup for your money, which
makes you break just about even.
Mince meat is little higher than
last year, as are plum puddings and
fruit cakes, but the increase is rela-
lively slight. Candied fruits are
higher-you may decide you don't
need them after all. Dried fruits,
held down by ceilings are lower than
last year. There is no new pack
of canned pumpkin, but fairly good
supply of the 194l pack is still avail
able, at reasonable prices.
Produce Prices ShoW
Slight Rises
Now on your vegetables, and fruits,
you will find that prices are bit
higher than in 194l. Also, that
number of the things you depended
upon can't be had. Bananas, for
instance, can be found only occa-
slonahy. The first cumquats have
arrived, but tangerines SO far are
few and far between, and of very
poor quality. Dealers hope that by
the first of next week shipments will
improve. There are plenty Of chest
nuts at decent prices for stufhng
your chicken Or turkey Celery will
cost you more this year, and SO will
Cranberries. But there is still some
of the l941 pack Of canned cram
berry sauce available! If you choose
string beans for your green vege-
table, you will find not too much
change in price over last year, and
sweet potatoes may be easier on your
budget than they have been.
You'll find very little endive, for
salad, but there is plenty of good |
lettuce-slightly higher than last !
year-and escarole.
Regular onions are quite expen- |
sive, but the spring" type are very
reasonable, as are leeks. If you |
don't care for salad. you might like
artichokes; they are not too high, !
and fresh and green just now. For
the fruit bowl you'll find excellent
grapes, avocados, pomegranates,
fresh guavas, apples, pears and
luscious persimmons.
Oysters on the Halt Shell
Very Hard to Get
If you've been used to starting
off your Thanksgiving dinner with
oysters or clans on the half shell,
you're due for a disappointment,
unless you can cajole one of the
kwankier fish markets into getting
them for you. AS we reported some
time ago, the problem of labor for
khucking the blvalves is acute, and
most dealers have had to dlScon-
tinue such services to even their
oldest customers. There are plenty
of bulk oysters, though, at prices
only little over those of last year,
10 you might compromise with a
smoking hot oyster soup. Or per-
haps you like oyster stufflng in your
bird? It's likely to be easier to get
and less expensive than sausage this
year.
Although milk rationing is just
around the corner, on this Thanks
giving you can still indulge in ice
cream. While most ice cream man
ufacturers have discontinued the
use of fancy molds, and cut flavors
from as many as IA flavors to 7, there
is plenty of Americas favorite des-
sert available. March ceiling prices
cover ice cream, so you know just
where you stand on the budget stu
alton.
When you come right down to
Il, Thoughts a gala Thanksgiving
dinner essential this year? Wouldn't
It be better-unless you are making
the day bright for some member of
Dur fighting forces-to put the extra
money you would spend in fancy
vittles" into War bonds; to express
your feeling of thanks by going to
church and say prayer of graft
tude that you are an American and
that you can do your share in