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Things could be worse. You could be Claudia Larson, who has the most hellish Thanksgiving weekend ever with her family in the Jodie Foster-directed flick Home for the Holidays. This 1995 film was a sleeper that got average reviews, but watching it today brings a whole new appreciation for so many aspects of the storyline. The home Claudia grew up in will be instantly recognizable to many as their own parents’ or grandparents’ homes in blue-collar neighborhoods....

From festivals, to ghost walks, to haunted hayrides, there’s practically a “spooky” Halloween activity that will appeal to everyone. But what if you’re not, you know, everyone? What if you want to really amp up the creepy factor this year? If that sounds familiar, we’ve got you covered. Forget about the standard stuff that everyone else will be doing — you want to take the chill factor to the max, right?...

Looking for a Halloween decoration that strikes just the right balance of cute and creepy? Make an adorable black cat wreath, inspired by Shaken Together. It’s a quick and simple craft project that is purrrrfect for your autumn and Halloween decor. Wreaths are a wonderful craft project because they are quick, require inexpensive supplies, and are simple enough for anyone to make. If you can hold a hot-glue gun, you can make an eye-catching wreath!...

Mind your manners with this simple guide to setting the perfect casual dinner table. Steps to setting a casual dinner table Table décor tips If you’re using solid colored plates and glassware, add a pop of color and interest with your table runner and centerpiece. Go festive with a traditional cornucopia flowing over with fresh gourds and fruit flanked by simple candles on either end, or opt for something more modern with a creative floral display....

Whether you’re feeding your family or feasting with a few friends, here’s how you can serve up a fabulous Easter dinner for four people for under $50. Get on board with the grocery sales You can save significant dollars and cents by poring over your local grocery store circulars and buying grocery items that are on special. Plan your budget-friendly Easter dinner around ingredients that are on sale. You can even download a grocery app to help you find the best prices in your area....

Check out these other Thanksgiving fun facts! Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade facts How Thanksgiving came to be a national holiday A history of the Presidential turkey pardon Thanksgiving as seen on TV: Favorite Thanksgiving episodes

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Who wants a cheesy potato au gratin dish that can be made in 30 minutes or less? You do! And you can have one with this recipe for pressure cooker cheesy potatoes that are delicious from the bottom to the delectable crispy crumbs on top. Putting the potatoes in the pressure cooker The speedy cooking of a pressure cooker — especially electric versions like the Instant Pot, Power Pressure Cooker XL and Crock-Pot Express — and the quick browning action of the broiler make this holiday side dish a win-win for saving time and creating an amazing dish....

For a long time, Jen Hope pondered these questions. By all outward appearances, Jen was one success story after another. She graduated with a law degree from The City University of New York. Upon said graduation, she landed a job at a boutique labor firm and, two short years later, joined the U.S. Equal Employment Commission as a trial attorney. She married a fellow attorney and skipped her honeymoon to work on a case that she eventually won in the U....

Here’s a Thanksgiving recipe from Food Blogs Star Monique Kilgore of Divas Can Cook! See more from Monique’s holiday menu here. Monique’s Southern sweet potato pie recipe During the pre-Civil War era, the sweet potato was highly prized in the South for baking because it has a longer shelf life and produces a more plentiful harvest than pumpkin. The hearty, sweet tuber can be used in an endless variety of ways from French fries to pancakes, but many people don’t realize what a superior pie it can produce....

Finalizing your Thanksgiving menu? Don’t you dare put canned cranberry sauce on your list! Our easy cranberry sauce, inspired by Best Friends For Frosting, will win your palate and give your holiday guests just one more reason to celebrate! Cranberry sauce is as Thanksgiving as the turkey. Unfortunately, much of the cranberry sauce served on the grateful American holiday is plopped out of a can, ridges and all. Which is a mystery to us!...

It’s the perennial Thanksgiving question: What do we do with the leftovers? We can eat only so many turkey sandwiches and stab only so many forkfuls of stuffing and pumpkin pie straight from the fridge. And, please: We can stomach only one replica meal from the day before. But mashed potatoes… Well, they’re something else altogether. They are pliable, literally and figuratively. Mashed potatoes: A base for excellent leftovers Think of those humble mashed potatoes as a semi-blank canvas awaiting your masterpiece....

MORE: A history of Thanksgiving Nearly 46 million turkeys are eaten during Thanksgiving each year. (source: History.com) The first Thanksgiving celebration lasted 3 days. Americans spent $14.2 billion on Thanksgiving and Black Friday in 2013. Approximately4 million Americans travel 50 miles or more from home during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. (source: AAA) The average American household spends $54.18 on Thanksgiving dinner. The U.S. produces an average of 735 million pounds of cranberries annually, 435 million of which come from Wisconsin....

Whisks are an essential Thanksgiving utensil and our pick pulls double duty for gravy and whipped cream! How to pick the right whisk The wires should be different sizes and remain separate at the end of the balloon. At the same time, make sure the wires are closely spaced. It’s about balance: you need wires that are stiff enough…without being too stiff. Think flexible but strong enough to mash potatoes....

Pumpkin pie is a Thanksgiving staple that is here to stay — and while there are many variations and creative twists on the classic, a basic-but-perfect recipe is a must in any respectful baker’s arsenal. A homemade, flaky pie crust is the base for this Great Pumpkin pie recipe, but canned pumpkin actually wins out over fresh when it comes to an ideal texture and ingredient harmony. Combine that with eggs, sugar, heavy cream and spices (including a secret spice) and you’ve got yourself the perfect bite of pumpkin heaven....

Prepare to be mesmerized by a simple but different kind of holiday craft project: a glitter jar that entrances with the sparkle of the season. It’s amazingly easy to make, and the result is as soothing to watch as slowly falling snow on a cold winter night. Really, you can make one any time of the year using different colors, but these red and green versions are perfect for a holiday display....

The best part of these spring rolls are the rice noodles that we’re going to change from purple to pink in the blink of an eye. That sounds a lot like magic, but it’s actually the wondrous work of food chemistry. There’s no need to call up your high school science teacher to track down lab ingredients, though: The process is completely natural and needs only ingredients from the grocery store — specifically, rice noodles, purple cabbage and lime....

If your vegan and gluten-free lifestyle has kept you from sinking your teeth into a splendiferously iced holiday cookie, stop what you’re doing right now and make our vegan, gluten-free iced holiday shortbread cookies — adapted from Blissful Basil. Let’s face it: Shortbread cookies are a must-eat for the holidays, but conventional shortbread cookies — made with both butter and flour — are off limits if you’re vegan and gluten-free....

Whether you’re serving this drink to a crowd on a holiday, or simply enjoying a sip on your back porch while the crimson and gold leaves fall from the sky, this fruity beverage will hit the spot.

From classic holiday pies like apple, pumpkin, and pecan, to some new desserts your family will want to start making part of your new holiday tradition, check out some of the very best places to order Thanksgiving desserts this holiday season. Caution: Reading this may cause drooling! Eilen Berger Bakery Eilen Berger Bakery is coming out on top again this year with their extensive Thanksgiving dessert options that can be ordered online and shipped right to your home....