It was 1977, Jimmy Carter’s first year as president.
And first lady Rosalynn Carter had some thoughts about the Thanksgiving Day menu at the Camp David retreat in Maryland.
In a Nov. 17 memorandum that year, staff shared a draft of proposed dishes and welcomed any changes “to help us to make this a perfect Thanksgiving for the First Family.”
The typed list included green peas with mushrooms, but the first lady crossed them out, according to Michael Beschloss, a well-known historian specializing in the U.S. presidency.
“Jimmy doesn’t especially like green peas,” she added in handwriting, according to a copy of the reworked menu, which Beschloss posted on social media earlier this week.
Rosalynn Carter suggested “fresh green beans” instead, “but not frozen ones.”
Another proposed side dish, whipped potatoes, was also crossed out.
But many other suggestions appeared to make the cut. In addition to roast turkey, the proposed menu included cornbread dressing, candied sweet potatoes, natural turkey gravy, fresh cranberry sauce, Waldorf salad, rolls and butter, pumpkin pie with whipped cream, and coffee, tea and milk.
The draft menu with its proposed changes was retweeted Thursday on the social media platform X by the Carter Center, the Atlanta-based nonprofit founded by the former first couple.
Rosalynn Carter died this past Sunday in Plains, Georgia, the former first couple’s rural hometown. She was 96 years old. Jimmy Carter, 99, entered home hospice care in February. They were married 77 years.
Earlier this week, the U.S. National Archives posted on X a recipe from Rosalynn Carter for strawberry cake, a “Carter family favorite,” according to a copy of the recipe on White House letterhead.
The typed list of ingredients included fresh or frozen strawberries, strawberry “jello,” chopped nuts and one package of cake mix.
