Twinkies, Campbell's and Jell-O: Everyone's First Love

A post-Thanksgiving sinus infection inspires Sally Higginson to play favorites with her food, and it's not the leftovers she's craving, but a box of Lipton's chicken soup.

Face it: everyone has favorites. All those kids who begged to know from their parents if they were the most beloved child? They got answered with the stock parental line, “Your father and I don’t have a favorite. We love all of our children equally.” Lies, lies, lies. There is a preferential order to everything. I thought about this the other day, as I shoved the ninth load of post-Thanksgiving laundry into my front-loading washing machine. “I love you,” I murmured to the white enamel Maytag. “You’re my favorite appliance.” Let the dryer or freezer or dishwasher hear my declaration of love. I don’t care. It’s true. I love my washing machine the most. It’s my favorite appliance, disposal be damned.  What caught me off-guard, however, was …

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What to do After the Thanksgiving Feast

What’s the ideal game for a group of psychotically competitive people ranging in age from 15 to 81? Read this week's column to find out.

Here’s what Thanksgiving traditionally brings to mind: an appreciation for family, stuffing, turkey, football, pie and Alka-Seltzer. This year, however, my waist and my reference points for the holiday have expanded. This year I’m adding thanks for grilled chestnuts and turkey necks, a balmy walk to Rosewood Beach followed by a rain-soaked dash home, and the introduction into my life of Gresham’s Law, oik, konak, hendeca, Zonda and tierce. That’s right. Three historic things happened at my parents’ house this Thanksgiving. First, sixteen of us sat around the family room after dinner and played a game. Second, nobody cheated. And third, nobody cried. We are growing up. So what’s the ideal game for a group of psychotically competitive people…

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Answers to Patch's Thanksgiving Pop Culture Quiz

The answers to Thursday's pop culture quiz may give you some movie suggestions for the holiday weekend.

And the answers to Patch's Thanksgiving Pop Culture Quiz are: Congratulations to Joan Burny for getting all the answers right!

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Which Wilmette Grocery Stores Are Open on Thanksgiving?

Forget the butter for your mashed potatoes? We've got you covered in our handy guide to last-minute Turkey Day shopping.

Which Wilmette Grocery Stores Are Open on Thanksgiving?

Forget the butter for your mashed potatoes? We've got you covered in our handy guide to last-minute Turkey Day shopping.

It happens to the best of us: it's two hours until Thanksgiving dinner, you have a bird in the oven, veggies simmering on the stove, and suddenly you realize that important ingredient you desperately need is nowhere to be found. To save you some time driving around in search of an open grocery store, we've compiled a list of Thanksgiving hours at local stores.   Stay up to date on the latest business news in Wilmette and Kenilworth! Sign up for our newsletterand "like" us on Facebook!

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JJ Hanley

7:38 am on Thursday, November 22, 2012

Thanks Wilmette Patch. This is very useful for those who are manning the kitchen and discover that they forgot to buy butter!   more ›

Tips for a Stress-Free Thanksgiving Road Trip

Keep the kids amused and Mom and Dad sane while traveling this Thanksgiving

Heading out to see the relatives this Thanksgiving? Before you travel over the river and through the woods to Grandmother's house, check out these sanity-saving tips to make your ROADTRIP stress-free and even fun. (If you are flying instead of driving, check out my tips on How to Have Fun at the Airport with Kids in Tow.) Tip: Make a List Make a list of everything you'll need on the trip for everyone in the family. If it's on the list, you won't forget it. To make it easier, download a free Family Vacation Packing List and then add your unique items.  Tip: Plan the route ahead of time. By taking a little time up front to plan the route including places to stop for bathroom breaks or energy stops, you might feel a little more in control …

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Teaching Your Kids an Attitude of Gratitude this Thanksgiving

Ideas to teach your kids to be more grateful and thankful for what they have

Thanksgiving is the perfect time of year to work on teaching your kids to be more thankful for what they have. We get so caught up in the Holiday madness of traveling, hosting dinners, shopping, and making Holiday wish lists that sometimes it's nice to take a breath, sit down as a family and talk with your kids about how lucky your family is, how grateful we should be, and how to say thank you for more than just gifts. It's a tricky concept to teach young children, who are natually self-centered, but by starting when they are young you can help lay the foundation to be grateful and think of others.  We try a variety of activities to help our kids develop more of an attitude of gratitude. Here are some ideas we've found to create a more …

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Cornbread Dressing for Thanksgiving

Bring some homemade cornbread dressing to your Thanksgiving table this year.

Patch reader Janet Kelley and her husband Tom enjoy doing together is preparing their traditional Thanksgiving dinner, and she is sharing her treasured cornbread recipe with all of us! Kelley, an accomplished cook, does most of the cooking at their house, but at Thanksgiving the couple divides the labor and both work on the big meal.  Cornbread Dressing cornbread ingredients: other dressing ingredients: Cornbread: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda and salt, stirring well to combine.   In separate bowl, beat together eggs and buttermilk.  Stir together egg mixture and dry ingredients.  Add melted butter and stir until fairly smooth. Don’t worry if a little bit lumpy.  Preheat 9-10” iron skillet…

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