Josh Roberts Blog

THANKSGIVING: Need A Personal Thanksgiving Dinner Coach? There's An App For That!

If you are buckling under the pressure of cooking this year's Thanksgiving dinner and don't know how you're going to pull it off, you might want to consider having a Personal Thanksgiving Dinner Coach by your side.

While you probably can't afford to have an actual person standing next to you in the kitchen -- nor would you want to -- you can get your hands on an iPhone app that teaches you, step-by-step, just what needs to be made -- and when.

The CHOW Thanksgiving Dinner Coach lets you choose from eight dishes (plus the turkey, of course), gives you a shopping list based on those choices and then tells you what to do each day leading up to Thanksgiving.

It also provides encouragement while cooking, hopefully keeping you calm in the middle of the madness.

And, best of all, it's free.

THANKSGIVING: New Thanksgiving Traditions

Chances are, your family has had the same Thanksgiving traditions for years. Maybe you wake up early to watch Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Maybe you play touch football in the yard. And, of course, there's the big family dinner.

This year, why not try something new?

Here are some possible new Thanksgiving traditions to consider:

• Volunteer your time at a local food bank -- Volunteering can be a great family bonding time and you'll all feel better knowing that you made someone less fortunate have a great holiday.

• Create your own Christmas cards -- While the turkey's cooking, you and your family can sit down and create some great homemade greeting cards to send out to your friends and relatives.

• Celebrate your family's achievements -- After dinner, as an alternative to watching football, hold a little award ceremony and pass out "Turkey Day Awards" to celebrate the great achievements of each family member.

THANKSGIVING: Macy's Parade Facts

Thanksgiving is a holiday steeped in tradition, and right there alongside the turkey and cranberry sauce is the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Millions of Americans wake up in the morning and turn on the TV to watch giant floats and marching bands journey through the streets of New York City. But there are some interesting facts about the parade you may not be aware of ...

• Despite being America's most well-known Thanksgiving parade, it's actually not the oldest. That distinction belongs to Philadelphia, which began its parade four years earlier in 1920.

• The parade started using giant inflatable animal balloons in 1928. Prior to that, real animals from New York's Central Park Zoo were part of the parade.

• From 1928 until 1933, the giant helium-filled balloons were released into the sky at the end of the parade with a return address written on them. Anyone who found them would be urged to mail it back to the address. This practice was stopped after a pilot nearly crashed his plane.

• Because of World War II, there were no helium balloons used from 1942 to 1944 due to a helium shortage.

• From 1962 to 1971, NBC's coverage of the parade was hosted by Betty White and Bonanza star Lorne Greene.

• High winds have, on occasion, resulted in the intentional popping of balloons due to safety concerns. The most well-known incident occurred in 1997 when a balloon collided with a light post, which then collapsed and injured several spectators.

• The enormous balloons and floats are assembled in a warehouse in New Jersey.

• In 2003, the role of Mrs. Claus on the Santa float was actually played by actor Harvey Fierstein.

THANKSGIVING: Holiday Slacking

With Thanksgiving and a four-day weekend just around the corner, are you beginning to feel a little lazy at work? Maybe your annual turkey coma has gotten a head start? You're not alone.

According to a survey of employers, 34 percent of managers said productivity is always down during the week leading up to a major holiday.

The reason most gave is that this time of year is generally less busy, and employees tend to have more things going on outside of work, like family gatherings and parties.

Source: Dayton Business Journal

THANKSGIVING: Tools To Help You Survive Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a time for family and food. Unfortunately, it's also a time for stress.

If you're hoping to streamline your food preparation -- and improve your chances at putting great tasting food on the table at the end of it all -- here are some tools you should consider getting your hands on before the big day:

• Flavor Injector -- If you're worried about a dry turkey, cheat! For 20 bucks, you can get a flavor injector that allows you to squeeze butter and herbs in the layer of fat beneath the bird's skin.

• Thermometer -- Dry turkey is one problem, but an undercooked turkey is worse. Have a probe thermometer on hand to be sure the meat on the table is safe.

• Electric Knife -- If you're feeding a big clan, it might feel like you can't cut the turkey fast enough to please everyone. With an electric knife, you'll be plowing through that bird like it's made of butter and your family will be eating in no time.

• Air Mattress -- If you have relatives spending the night, make sure they have a comfortable place to sleep. Air mattresses these days are plenty comfortable -- and many come with an electric pump built right in.

• Wine Cooler -- You can take a lot of pressure off yourself and your cooking by serving lots of good wine. Wine coolers look like mini-fridges and they keep bottles at the exact right temperature.

THANKSGIVING: Thanksgiving Travel

Despite the economy being in the toilet and cash-strapped Americans looking to save money any way they can, more people will be traveling this Thanksgiving holiday.

Triple A expects 42.5 million Americans to travel more than 50 miles this year. That number is up four percent from last year.

Experts believe the number of travelers may be up this year because Americans haven't traveled the past few years.

About 90 percent of travelers plan to drive and the number of people planning to fly is up almost two percent from last year.