• This unconventional step makes carving a bird easier. Plus is Sam Mason's new restaurant Tailor living up to the hype? — The New York Times
• Who says you have to have pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving? Why not celebrate with other sweet tastes of autumn? — Chicago Tribune
• Looking for some last-minute Thanksgiving ideas that are simple and elegant? Plus, are frozen apple pies worth it? — San Francisco Chronicle
• Some people love Thanksgiving dinner, while others love Thanksgiving leftovers. — Boston Globe
• Learn how to order wine at a restaurant. — Seattle Times
• Michelin just launched their Los Angeles guide book, but is it really accurate? — Los Angeles Times
• If your Thanksgiving falls apart, don't worry you're not alone. Here are some great stories of Thanksgivings gone awry. — Houston Chronicle

A pie slicer is an overlooked yet incredibly important kitchen tool. I always forget that I need one until it's time to slice the pie and end up doing a sloppy job with the nearest knife. To ensure that I have beautiful slices of pumpkin pie this Thanksgiving, I need to purchase this necessary kitchen utensil. I would love a pie slicer that is fun and festive but durable and dishwasher safe. Can you help me find one on the web? Save your discoveries in the Yum Market on TeamSugar with the keyword tag, Pie Slicer. I appreciate your assistance!

Check out geeksugar's guide for more on bookmarking. Check out a list of my favorite places to shop online to help get you started if you read more

Inviting friends and neighbors over to your house for an open house brunch the morning of Thanksgiving is a wonderful way to express your thanks and gratitude. Clean your house and set the brunch out buffet style on a large table. Keep decorations simple with fresh flowers and Thanksgiving themes. For drinks, have lots of coffee, tea, and orange juice.

Besides offering a variety of savory brunch dishes, include one sweet dish on the menu. The scent of homemade cinnamon rolls will have guests smiling from the moment they arrive. If you don't have time, purchase the buns; if you do have time, go all out with a homemade version. For the recipe, read more

So you're a procrastinator who happens to be hosting Thanksgiving dinner. You've done nothing to prepare and Thanksgiving is tomorrow! Don't worry: With help from the store, you can put together an elegant and delicious dinner in just 24 short hours. Here's how:

• Take a deep breath. Remember, Thanksgiving is about spending time with loved ones and being thankful, not about being chained to your stove.
• Jazz up store brought products. Stove Top stuffing tastes homemade when you add fresh chopped parsley, sage, sauteed mushrooms, and celery.



• Enhance boxed mashed potatoes with sour cream, cheese, garlic, or fresh herbs.
• Top frozen green beans with sliced almonds, bacon, or chopped roasted red peppers.
• Get a reasonably priced, oven-ready, no thaw Jennie-O turkey.
• Place canned cranberry and premade/packet gravy in your best serving dishes. This way no one can tell you didn't make it from scratch.
• Buy a frozen pie or pick up one from your local bakery.
• When all else fails, grab your phone and see if you can get reservations at a restaurant that is serving Thanksgiving dinner. If they're all booked, order Chinese takeout.

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I don't know about you guys, but after a week of cooking and prepping for Thanksgiving, I am looking forward to a few days of rest and relaxation. That said, I've decided to cheat a little bit on this week's baking project. I wanted to figure out a way to use all the turkey leftovers, without causing a lot of work. So, instead of making my own pastry crust, I decided to pick up two premade crusts and turn them into two different turkey pot pies.

I only have one pie dish, so I put half of the mixture in it and inverted one of the pie crusts as a top crust. For the other pie, I put in half the mixture and topped with leftover mashed potatoes, creating a shepherd's pie.

Plan now for Friday's leftovers, pick up two extra pie crusts and call it a day. To get the easy recipe, read more

If your list contains a grandma who loves spending time in the kitchen — which is a pretty clichéd visual, so I'm going to guess that it does — then you may want to consider some of these gift ideas. For starters, you could get a few pics of your little ones — or of you! — and create a personalized, custom apron. Alternatively, you could present her with this custom embosser and a set of recipe cards. Now when you ask her for the secret family recipes, she'll be able to emboss them with a Recipe From . . . seal. Or you could treat her to a box of wine-filled truffles; after all everyone loves a naughty treat! Scroll through the list for a few of our other options.

Yesterday Oprah announced her yearly Favorite Things list. It's chock full of great gift items — um hello, I want that crazy fridge! — but there's one thing that you can run out and get yourself: Ciao Bella Blood Orange Sorbetto.

"I love it because the flavor is just so refreshing," said Oprah, and well, I couldn't agree with her more. The ingredients are all natural and the blood orange juice is shipped straight from Sicily. It's also amazingly flavorful and completely cleanses your palate. I've seen it at a few of my local grocery stores, but you can also order it online (4 pints for $32.95).

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Here's the scenario: you are at home and hungry for food. You have to cook up something scrumptious for you and your boyfriend/girlfriend/spouse/child/friend, but the ingredients you have on hand are limited.

You have leftover turkey breast from Sunday's dinner, a bag full of dried cranberries, and a couple stalks of fresh celery. Using these products, along with whatever you currently have on hand in your cupboard and refrigerator, what would you make?

To see what I would whip up, read more

Keep things super simple tonight — especially if you have a big day of cooking and eating tomorrow — by making an egg sandwich for dinner. Quick cooked scrambled eggs are layered with spinach, tomatoes, and cheese. The whole sandwich is pan grilled lightly for a fantastic taste sensation. It also makes a great on the go sandwich. To get the recipe all you have to do is, read more