Monday, November 19, 2012
Ask questions and share your ideas with other readers to help each other prepare for Thanksgiving.
In our newest edition of "Ask the Patch Pro" we want to help you with your Thanksgiving plans. Whether it's your first time cooking a turkey or you're just looking for a new recipe, Patch wants to help find the answers to all your questions That's why this week, You are the expert on Thanksgiving 101. In the latest edition of "Ask the Patch Pro," we invite all of our readers to ask and answer each others questions, and trade favorite traditions and recipes. Share your ideas with other readers and ask questions to help your neighbors with their Thanksgiving preparations in the comment section of this article from now until Thursday! Have a question or want to share something special your family does on the holiday? Ask or tell us below…
Friday, November 16, 2012
Drop off a frozen turkey at the Cottleville Knights of Columbus Hall this weekend.
- VOLUNTEERS IN THE NEWS
- Kalen Ponche
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Friday, November 16, 2012
This year, about 2,000 families across St. Charles County will receive groceries for a Thanksgiving dinner. No Hunger Holiday, a nonprofit organization has been coordinating donations and delivery of dinners since 1990. Organization volunteers work with 30 other agencies to identify families in need. Those families receive a food basket with the right amount of food for their needs. Of those families that will receive help this year, about 500 are from St. Charles, said John Callahan, a volunteer with the group. "You wouldn't believe in a city of St. Charles in a county of this size, we'd have this need to help these families, but we do," he said. The group relies on donations and the biggest need is for frozen turkeys. Students at …
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
These restaurants located in St. Charles and beyond offer an alternative to cooking your own holiday meal.
For many families, Thanksgiving Day means getting up before sunrise to put in the turkey and start making the trimmings. Still, others prefer to avoid the cleanup and eat out instead. If you’re not in the mood to turn on the oven this year, there are restaurants in and around St. Charles serving up Thanksgiving. Beef Eaters Restaurant in St. Charles All Cracker Barrel locations, including St. Charles Cracker Barrel is also offering Thanksgiving Dinner To-Go for $49.99. Grappa Grill in St. Charles Tony’s On Main Street in St. Charles Patrick's Restaurant and Sports Bar in Maryland Heights Yacovelli's in Florissant Rizzo's in Florissant Restaurants that are open on Thanksgiving:
Ways to make your Thanksgiving meal a little bit healthier.
While Thanksgiving might be a week away you are hopefully thinking about your menu and preparing your grocery list. As you put together the meal, take some time to think about how healthier food choices fit within your plan. The traditional Thanksgiving meal revolves around the lower fat turkey but some of the accompaniments can boost calories, salt and sugar. Making recipe medications is one way to manage the calories and shifting some preparation techniques can lower salt and sugar. As you put together your menu plan consider the following tips. In addition to these recipe changes, consider smaller portion sizes for pies and desserts so that people can enjoy them without having to eat large portions – they can always go back for seconds…
Friday, December 2, 2011
Patch Associate Local Editor Joe Scott takes on a pre-Black Friday Thanksgiving retail challenge and comes out on the wrong end.
One thing you should know is that I never go shopping on any “Black” day, especially Black Friday. I’m not camping in a parking lot so I can save $50 on a DVR. I have always resisted the siren call of bargains, calling me to dash my patience and self-respect on the rocky racks of flat-screen TVs, iPhones and game systems. I’d gladly spend an extra $100 on a laptop so I can walk into a store, point, buy it and walk out faster than a ninja could whack you with nun chuks and be out the window in his black pajamas. So the first few times my wife asked if I would go out on Thanksgiving night to get a $158, 14-foot trampoline replete with protective mesh netting, I just laughed. “Think of the odds,” I thought. The call of the bargain However, …
Friday, November 25, 2011
Is the thought of endless turkey sandwiches making you lose your appetite for leftover Thanksgiving turkey? Beat the leaftover turkey blues and think beyond the sandwich with casseroles, turnovers and salads.
Thanksgiving leftovers can become a blessing or a curse. Granted, the venerable turkey sandwich is a treat, but after a day or two, they're boring. While turkey sandwiches might be the perennial favorite, there are dozens of ways to use up leftover turkey. Leftovers, or what some cooks refer to as "planned over" meals, begin with a plan. Pick recipes that are easy to make while creating a new dish that isn't immediately recognized as including leftovers. Chili, enchiladas and pastas are excellent examples ways to use leftover cooked turkey. Think past the turkey. Thanksgiving's traditional sides can find new life in countless recipes. For example, I use leftover sweet potatoes to make a cream of sweet potato soup and those mashed potatoes…
Find the latest on Black Friday lines, deals and news as it happens. If you see something we should know about, send us a tip at Lindsay.Toler@patch.com or tweet @StLouisLindsay.
Thursday, November 24, 2011
The romanticized image of pilgrims gathered around the table set with an oversized turkey and pumpkin pie is how we define Thanksgiving. In reality, venison along with lobsters and scrawny wild turkeys are the elements of Plymouth's 1621 feast.
Visitors to Plimoth Plantation are often surprised to see the staff members don’t look like a Hallmark card, dressed in big hats and with buckle shoes said Kathleen Wall, who oversees the colonial foodways programs. "They’re also surprised to learn that the 1621 Thanksgiving doesn’t resemble the holiday that’s celebrated today." In 1621, Thanksgiving was a harvest festival in the early fall, probably October. It celebrated the economics of having enough to eat, a serious concern for the settlers who nearly starved to death during their first year. Plimoth's harvest festival never was a day of thanksgiving; a day of thanksgiving was a religious day of prayer and fasting. Another historical fact that seems to upset visitors is that …
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Cranberries make their appearance this time of year. Step outside of the box and add these flavorful jewels to other dishes beyond the standard side dish from a can with these great cranberry recipes
When we think of a traditional Thanksgiving Day feast, it is not complete without the typical cranberry sauce on the side. But cranberries can add a festive touch to food throughout the day. Wake up with a yummy Cranberry Cream Cheese Spread for toast or bagels. The spread is also delicious as a dip for graham crackers or apple slices. Have your guests munch on fragrant pecans with dried cranberries tossed in, while waiting for the bird to come out of the oven. Warm the adults with a yummy cranberry based drink that is reminiscent of cherry pie and finish the meal with a Frosted Cranberry-Cherry Pie that will leave guests begging for more. The Frosted Cranberry-Cherry Pie recipe dates back many years from a recipe I pulled off of a …
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Check out recipes for biscuits, soup and upside-down cake.
Mountains of mini marshmallows and tons of brown sugar will surface once again this Thanksgiving via the sweet potato. Candied sweet potatoes calls for almost a half-pound of brown sugar and a full bag of mini marshmallows blankets the average sweet potato casserole. While many consider either of these two iconic recipes mandatory on the Thanksgiving menu, there are alternatives. For inspiration, check out your favorite farm-to-table restaurants where local chefs are busy creating recipes for fall’s most versatile vegetable. You'll find it in soups, biscuits, cakes and roasted veggie medleys. With such an assortment of recipes, you'll need to stock up. Thankfully, the new sweet potato crop is now on the market. When selecting sweet …
DB
7:34 am on Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Roasted cauliflower and Medjool dates with butter and pine nuts - it's been a huge hit the past few years I've made it! more ›