How to do Thanksgiving dinner for $70

How to do Thanksgiving dinner for $70

Help! My dinner is: Thanksgiving tips

Help! My dinner is: Thanksgiving tips

Avoid the holiday hassle and enjoy your time in the kitchen this Thanksgiving with some helpful tips to create the perfect dinner.

Turkey tips
You have the turkey, you’ve got the pan  now make the perfect bird.

Turkey tipsWhat is the done temperature for turkey?
Answer is turkey 165 degrees

When roasting turkey from the frozen state, how much time should be added to the cooking time?
Answer is roast turkey from frozen state increase cooking time by 50 percent

How much turkey per person should I plan to serve?
Answer for fresh turkey 1 pound of turkey per person

How long should I plan to thaw turkey safely?
Answer  thaw turkey 24 hours for every 4 to 5 pounds

Stuffing tips
Tradition says cook it in the bird, but others say the bird cooks better when stuffing is baked in the oven .

 What temperature should I use to dry out the bread?
 Answer is Stuffing 275 degrees

How much stuffing do I need when cooking it in the turkey?
Answer is 3/4 cup of stuffing, per pound of turkey

What combination of herbs is used?
Answer is stuffing thyme, rosemary, sage, parsley

Turkey gravy tips
It’s the topping to every Thanksgiving meal  but be sure to avoid the lumps and don’t make it too runny.

What should I use to avoid lumps?
Answer is whisk and strainer for lumpy gravy

What are helpful ingredients to thicken runny gravy?
Answer is Use cornstarch or flour to thicken turkey gravy

How would you make gluten-free gravy?
Answer is rice flour for gluten free gravy

If my gravy turns out too salty, what can I add to it?
Answer is Add potato to salty gravy

Mashed potato tips
It seems every family has their favorite version  with or without lumps, mashed by hand or whipped, and with or without seasoning, just avoid making it dry or too watery.

How many pounds of potatoes should I use?
Answer is 1 pound of potatoes for every 4 servings of mashed potatoes

What size chunks do I cut the potato into?
 Answer is 1 1/2 inch chunks of potato for mashed

How do I avoid gluey mashed potatoes?
Answer is Don't over mash the potatoes

Should your mashed potatoes turn out runny, try adding this quick substitute.
Answer is add instant potatoes to runny mashed potatoes

Cranberry sauce tips
Make it tangy or make it sweet, but just don’t make it from a can. No one truly likes it that way.

What ingredients do I use to make the sauce?
Answer is cranberry water, sugar

How long does it take to make?
Answer is simmer cranberries for 10 minutes

Do you serve it cold, hot, or at room temperature?
Answer is serve cranberry sauce at room temp

If I do use canned cranberries, what are some ways I can dress it up?
Answer is add spices, oranges to dress up canned cranberries

Dinner roll tips
No dinner plate would be complete without one, or two, homemade rolls.

How long will it take my bread dough to rise?
Answer is 45 minutes to an hour double in size dough

Where should I put my bread dough to rise?
Answer is warm spot for bread to rise

I have a bread machine, can I use it to make dinner rolls?
Answer is bread machine dinner rolls

Pumpkin pie tips
It’s the sweet treat at the end of the meal  so don’t let down your guests and family with a burnt crust or a mushy center.

What is the difference between canned and fresh pumpkin?
Answer is pumpkin + canned or fresh + difference

What size sugar pumpkin should I get if I want to use fresh pumpkin?
Answer is 5 lb. pumpkin makes 4 cups mashed

I have a frozen pumpkin pie, do I thaw it before baking?
Answer is don't thaw a frozen pumpkin pie before baking

How do I keep my pie crust from burning if the pie center isn’t done?
Answer is cover pie crust with tin foil

Sweet potato tips
It’s the savory sweet dish served during the meal  candy them with marshmallows, cover them in cinnamon, or just mash them down a bit.


What’s the difference between sweet potatoes and yams?
Answer is taste difference + yams and sweet potatoes

What’s the best temperature to bake sweet potatoes?
Answer is 400 degrees for sweet potatoes

Instead of marshmallows, what’s a different topping to use on sweet potatoes?
Answer is pecan topping sweet potato casserole

At the grocery store, do I pick out large or small sweet potatoes?
Answer is pick a smaller sweet potato

Thanksgiving tablescape tips
Add the final touches to your meal with a table that’s fit to serve.

What’s the best wine to serve for Thanksgiving dinner?
Answer is riesling wines for a thanksgiving dinner

What’s the best beer to serve for Thanksgiving dinner?
Answer is amber ale beer pairing for turkey

How do I do an easy Thanksgiving tablescape?
Answer is easy thanksgiving tablescapes

Lady Gaga To Host Thanksgiving Special

Singer will perform eight songs on ABC's 'A Very Gaga Thanksgiving' on November 24.It's going to be "A Very Gaga Thanksgiving." No, that's not some joke about your Aunt Frannie showing up in a turkey dress for the annual family gathering. It's the actual name of the 90-minute prime-time Lady Gaga Thanksgiving special that will air on ABC on November 24.The show, which will team Gaga with veteran TV news announcer Katie Couric, was, of course, conceived and directed by Mother Monster herself and will feature the singer performing eight songs in front of a small audience of her friends and family, according to a press release announcing the show. Couric will also sit down for an interview in which she asks Gaga about the inspiration for some of her songs as the two chat at Gaga's New York alma mater, Sacred Heart Catholic School.


"We all know Lady Gaga is a phenomenon," Couric said in a statement. "This is a chance to see more of who she is beneath the wild costumes and staged musical numbers ... Lady Gaga as a high school student still bruised by being excluded from the party, Lady Gaga as a devoted daughter and caring sister, Lady Gaga as a 25-year-old woman embracing fame and fortune that seemed to come overnight. She will impress you, delight you and surprise you." 


In addition to her new single, "Marry the Night," and other songs from Born This Way ("You and I," "The Edge of Glory"), Gaga will perform "White Christmas" and her duet with Tony Bennett, "The Lady Is a Tramp." Chef Art Smith will also drop in to share some recipes on the special, including his holiday classic, deep-fried turkey and waffles.

The always busy Mother Monster has other plans cooking up this month. She'll hit the U.K. "X Factor" for a performance on Sunday, November 13, where'll also sing "Marry the Night."

Many more stores opening on Thanksgiving this year

Many more stores opening on Thanksgiving this year

For the first time, a host of big name retailers will be opening their doors at Midnight on Black Friday, heralding the start of a 23-hour shopping day.

1000 Gap, Blue Navy, Banana Republic and Athletic stores will start Thanksgiving sales as the clock strikes 12 on November 25, joining Macy's, Best Buy, Kohl's and Target in the new trend.

The move may be a desperate effort to boost flat sales, following a dismal October.

Black Friday madness takes grip as Macy's, Gap, Kohl's and Target announce midnight store openings.

In holiday seasons past, outlet malls were the first places to open in the wee hours of Black Friday.

Now a dogpile of mainstream retailers are fighting back and throwing open their doors even earlier.

Walmart will open at 10 p.m. while some families are just cleaning up their turkey dinner.

Macy's, Bealls, Target and others will open at midnight Thanksgiving Day in hopes of reaping bigger sales on the year's biggest shopping day, and the list of early-bird stores keeps growing. BestBuy will kick off Black Friday events by 9 p.m. on Thanksgiving.

Not to be outflanked, some outlets are moving their opening hours earlier, too. Ellenton Premium Outlets, for instance, will have some stores opening at 10 p.m. on Thanksgiving.

"It's a race to the bottom," said Doug Stephens, a retail consultant based in Toronto. "It's no secret that even giants like Walmart have been stacking up quarter after quarter of negative same-store sales performance. So, they're all jumping on the blowout wagon this year to a greater extent than last."

That tactical playbook gives retail stores a few benefits.

Opening early first of all gives stores a few more hours to generate sales, and helps a store generate more buzz leading up to the holidays.

But on another level, opening at midnight on Thanksgiving — or sooner — lets retailers press the one advantage they have over online merchants like Amazon: their physical storefront.

So here's a rundown of a few major retailers, and their plans for early openings:

Walmart, long known as a Black Friday Mecca, will open at 10 p.m. on Thanksgiving, then begin phasing in deals: 10 p.m. will feature toys, home and apparel bargains, then electronics deals begin at midnight. Other items will go on sale after 8 a.m.

BestBuy will kick off its Black Friday events at 9 p.m. on Thanksgiving at many locations with what they call "cinematic events" for those in line. Then, officially, their doors will open at midnight.

The Gap plans to open about 80 percent of its stores, including The Gap, Banana Republic and Old Navy, on Thanksgiving. For instance, the Old Navy at Westshore Plaza mall will open 9 a.m. Thanksgiving, close at 8 p.m. and then reopen at midnight.

Bealls will open stores at midnight on Thanksgiving, compared to 4 a.m. on Black Friday last year, and hand out 100 scratch-off game cards for a chance to win an iPad2 or a $250 gift card.

Target will open the bulk of its stores at midnight on Thanksgiving this year — compared with opening around dawn on Black Friday last year — and will take a much more organized approach to crowd control. At the moment of opening, Target managers will let in groups of 30 people at a time, then pause for a margin of safety, and then let in anther group.

Macy's will open most of its 800-plus U.S. locations at midnight Thanksgiving, compared with 4 a.m. on Black Friday last year.

Disney plans to open 150 retail stores at midnight on Thanksgiving this year, though plans at individual locations may vary. The Westfield Brandon location is scheduled to open at midnight on Turkey Day, and so is one at Westfield Countryside mall in Clearwater. The International Plaza store in Tampa will open at 6 a.m. Friday. (For those willing to travel to The Florida Mall in Orlando, there will be trivia contests to win a Muppet toy.)

The hhgregg chain of electronics and appliance stores plans to open at midnight on Thanksgiving this year, compared with 4 a.m. on Black Friday last year.

Lady Gaga gets first holiday special

Lady Gaga gets first holiday special

Lady Gaga Gets Her Own Thanksgiving TV Special-Singer Lady Gaga, 25, will premiere a 90-minute Thanksgiving day special on ABC it called a very gaga thanksgiving abc.  During the show, Gaga will perform songs tony bennett will join her for one of them as well as give a glimpse into her private life.  A former TV host katie couric will also have a revealing one-on-one interview with the singer.For those who aren't interested in watching NFL games or, you know, spending time talking to their families on Thanksgiving, Lady Gaga is offering an alternative in the form of her first holiday special.

According to the Los Angeles Times, "A Very Gaga Thanksgiving" will air on ABC on Nov. 24 at 9:30 pm EST and feature 90 minutes of Mother Monster, with a peek inside her personal life and an 8-song performance. The pop star will also prepare a Thanksgiving feast with chef Art Smith.

Katie Couric will also sit down with Gaga for a Q&A at Sacred Heart Catholic School in Manhattan. "We all know Lady Gaga is a phenomenon," Couric says in a statement. "This is a chance to see more of who she is beneath the wild costumes and staged musical numbers .... Lady Gaga as a high school student still bruised by being excluded from the party, Lady Gaga as a devoted daughter and caring sister, Lady Gaga as a 25-year-old woman embracing fame and fortune that seemed to come overnight. She will impress you, delight you and surprise you."

Three days before "A Very Gaga Thanksgiving" airs, the singer will release "Born This Way: The Remix," as well as her "Lady Gaga Presents The Monster Ball Tour at Madison Square Garden" DVD.