How to have a chill Thanksgiving

Just in case you're having an unusually hot November, here are some cold recipes from New Delights from the Kitchen (Kelvinator, 1930), back when refrigerators were so new that they merited their own cookbook.

If you just want some cold desserts that aren't yet another round of pumpkin pie, the book offers "Kelsherbs." The American Beauty Kelsherb freezes cranberry puree in buttermilk-- sort of like a tangy version of cranberry ice cream that is likely to be rock hard if you let it freeze even a bit too long, I imagine. 

If pumpkin is simply a must, then you might go with the Sunset Kelsherb instead. 

It's a tangy and rock-hard version of pumpkin ice cream. (In Kelvinator's defense, commercial ice cream wasn't really available back then.)

And if you're wondering what the hell "kelsherb" is, and the Google searches aren't helping, it's a portmanteau of "Kelvinator" and "sherbet," as if the existence of Kelvinator meant that the word "sherbet" was somehow now outdated. (Spoiler: It was not.) In any case, kelsherbs are great accompaniments for a Thanksgiving feast because they're made with buttermilk, which was "widely advocated for intestinal troubles and ... considered very healthful." The health trend of deeming all things fermented as good for gut health is not nearly as new as many might think! 

If you're not into thinking about intestinal wellness while you're planning a dinner but you are interested in getting the meal over as quickly as possible, then the Molded Turkey Rings with Cranberry Jelly might be more your speed.

Just make a cranberry gelatin and throw in some cooked turkey when it starts to thicken. Done! So much easier than roasting a whole turkey and making a cranberry salad or relish from scratch. Serve with some rolls from the bakery, a potato salad, and maybe some green beans straight from the can and you've got a Thanksgiving "feast" that won't heat up the house. No need to thank Kelvinator (or me). I'm sure you wouldn't want to, anyway...