Thanksgiving by the Numbers: Fun Facts About Turkey Day

Here are a few fun facts about Thanksgiving.

In the fall of 1621, the Pilgrims, early settlers of Plymouth Colony, held a three-day feast to celebrate a bountiful harvest, an event many regard as the nation’s first Thanksgiving. Historians have also recorded ceremonies of thanks among other groups of European settlers in North America, including British colonists in Virginia in 1619. The legacy of thanks and the feast have survived the centuries, as the event became a national holiday in 1863 when President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday of November as a national day of thanksgiving. Later, President Franklin Roosevelt clarified that Thanksgiving should always be celebrated on the fourth Thursday of the month to encourage earlier holiday shopping, never on the …

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The Brunette Lucy

Can You Have Too Many Turkeys?

Lucy's Matt doesn't think there is such a thing as too many Thanksgiving turkeys.

To me, Thanksgiving is the harbinger of the Christmas season, and I look forward to putting up the tree that weekend. For Matt, however, it marks his favorite day of the year because he loves turkey. He looks forward to the big dinner and all the leftover turkey sandwiches, turkey casseroles, turkey stir fry, you name it. He loves turkey more than Santa loves his elves. So one year, we were out and he wanted to stop in at one of those discount food stores. We don’t have one in our town and Matt likes to shop there whenever he can because second only to turkey, he loves bargains. When we got to the meat aisle, we saw that they had Jennie-O turkeys on sale for 38 cents a pound. I glanced over and saw Matt’s eyes glaze over. He was thrilled; …

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Thanksgiving Recipes: How to Make Stuffing and Other Side Dishes

A turkey can't just sit alone on the table. Here are some recipes for Thanksgiving's most popular side dishes.

What would a turkey be on Thanksgiving without its faithful side companions? Often more popular than the turkey itself, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and other favorites are staples of the food coma-inducing meal. Try one of the recipes below to bring a new taste to your Thanksgiving feast. Gauge the amount of squash you’ll need by allowing 1 small squash (acorn and butternut are good choices) for every four people. Cut each squash in half lengthwise and remove seeds. Brush sides and inner cavity with olive oil and place flesh-side down on a lightly-oiled baking sheet. Roast for approximately 45 minutes or until flesh is very soft and easy pulls away from the skin. After removing squash from oven, let cool for a bit, then …

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Thanksgiving Recipes: How to Cook a Turkey

If you need a new recipe for your Thanksgiving turkey, give one of these non-traditional twists a try.

There are many ways to cook everyone’s favorite holiday bird. Each family has its own special technique for cooking a turkey, whether it's using an old family recipe, adding a secret ingredient or shopping at a certain store in town that helps make the turkey taste all the better. If you're hosting Thanksgiving this year, here are a few recipes to add a new kick to your feast. If you're attending someone else’s dinner, hopefully their turkey will taste as good as one of these: Just the name of this recipe makes my mouth water. An Allrecipes.com user contributes this Greek take on turkey, which combines ground beef and pork with tangerine juice, rice and other ingredients for an in-bird stuffing. This one requires no pre-made brine. Emeril …

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What are You Thankful for this Thanksgiving?

Post a photo of what you're grateful for this year, to enter our contest. You could win a turkey and a Patch prize pack.