Once you have decided on a turkey recipe, it's time to think about the sides. Potatoes are the classic companion to the stuffed bird, so serve both mashed white potatoes and baked sweet potatoes. You could flavor the mashed potatoes with a variety of options, but if serving with gravy, keep them simple and make a roasted garlic version. For a delicious sweet potato casserole, mix the cooked flesh with sugar, butter, and bourbon topped with a pecan butter crumble. To look at these recipes, read more

Apparently there are some things in life that just need to be created. This time it was McDonald's topped pizza. Complete with chicken nuggets, cheeseburgers and fries. Oh and in the last pic, what is with the gun!? — Rabat Joie

Dressings and stuffings made with cornbread have become increasingly popular for Thanksgiving. Last year I jumped on the bandwagon and created my own version of cornbread dressing. I was worried because the cornbread alone was beyond bland and horribly dry. However, when mixed with vegetables and herbs and soaked with chicken broth, the dressing ended up being fantastically delicious and surprisingly moist. I recommend you experiment with cornbread dressing — if you haven't already — and have found two recipes to help you do so. One is easy and one is a little more difficult, so take a look at both and decide which one best suits your skills as a cook. To take a look please read more

Just wanted to give a quick shoutout to TeamSugar member Diana172. She was our top commenter for the month of October!

Congrats Diana172! You'll be receiving a YumSugar T-shirt in the mail soon!

Want your own YumSugar swag? Then come out of hiding and start leaving comments! The person who leaves the most comments during November will also be rewarded a YumSugar shirt, so start talking! You must be a TeamSugar member to comment, so if you're not a member, please register here for an account.

If you're feeling a bit shy you can always order your own. I've put some of my favorites — like the apron and bib — below, but there's lots more to choose from.

It always happens, you plan for a perfect Thanksgiving with just the right number of folks and then pow! Someone's brought an extra guest. If this happens to you, take a deep breath and don't panic. Yesterday we gave you a few tips on how to deal with unexpected guests, and today we have a few more.

• If you're cooking portioned meals for Thanksgiving — such as individual game hens — split the portion between the unexpected guest and the person who brought them. If this is not possible, sacrifice by splitting your own in half. When serving just simply state that you're sorry, but you thought you were cooking for a different number of people.
• If you only have the exact number of dishes needed, you may want to consider picking up a few festive Thanksgiving themed plates. They'll also work as plates to pack leftovers on; just wrap them tightly in foil.
• Remember, you're the host, so stay polite. However, if you honestly believe you can't handle the unexpected guests — let's say someone drops by with four other guests and you were only expecting six total — it's completely fair to send them away. They may not like it, and you may be called rude — along with other names — but it is your dinner party. Alternatively, let them have appetizers and a drink and invite them back for dessert later.
• Don't forget it's a holiday, so just have fun! If you're truly upset by it, privately explain your frustration to the offender on a later date.

Do you have any tips on how to handle unexpected Thanksgiving guests? Tell us what you would do in the comments!

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I told myself that I would wait until Thanksgiving had a little time in the sun before I went into full-swing Christmas mode. However, after glancing through the Yum Market, it became pretty clear just how impossible that would be. You guys have already started gearing up! There were Santa hat place cards, holiday cake pans, reindeer martini glasses and more! Personally, I was really excited by the book I'm Dreaming of a Chocolate Christmas that TeamSugar member ishop2much bookmarked. Scroll through below to see some of the great Christmas themed items!

Interested in learning how to bookmark? Check out geeksugar's explanation.

This week's bento comes from Makiko Itoh of Just Bento. Although she already runs Just Hungry, she's started a new site dedicated to bento. So far she's had a few how-tos, bento under 20 minutes, and a bunch of other great info including this guide to onigiri rice ball shapes. Be sure to check it out. Who knows, maybe you'll create your own bentos sooner than you think!