Black Friday
Twas the day after Thanksgiving,
and all through the mall,
lots of crazies were stirring,
the big and the small.
The decorations were hung
throughout the mall with some care,
but weren’t these snowflakes
up before Halloween?

Well aside from the bad poetry, today is the official start of the Christmas shopping season. It was the day that, traditionally, retailers accounting books went from “red” to “black.” And while that’s not really true anymore its still a big day for retailers. And bargain hunters.

So good luck and great “sale-ing.”

photo credit: via flickr

Thanksgiving Day
Thanksgiving Day in America is a time to offer thanks, of family gatherings and holiday meals. A time of turkeys, stuffing, and pumpkin pie. A time for Indian corn, holiday parades and giant balloons.

So join us for our Thanksgiving celebration. We’ve got stories of the Pilgrims and the first Thanksgiving, turkeys to take home, holiday pictures for the kids to print and color, tasty holiday recipes and e-greeting cards to send your friends and family. We hope you find something you like!

Links:
Thanksgiving on the Net

The History of Thanksgiving and its Celebrations
The Pilgrims and America’s First Thanksgiving
The Thanksgiving Turkey
Thanksgiving Goodies! (holiday crafts and coloring pictures)
Tasty Thanksgiving Recipes
Free Thanksgiving eGreeting Cards

Happy Thanksgiving!

Holidays on the Net is delighted to invite you to partake in our feast of Thanksgiving celebrations. Our table is full this year, but we always have room for one more!

To kick off your Thanksgiving preparations, why not brush up on the story of the first Thanksgiving, the freedom-seeking Pilgrims and their very first Thanksgiving feast, complete with the now traditional turkey. You might also be interested to learn about the traditions of Canadian Thanksgiving, which was celebrated last month by our neighbors to the north. And if you’re a trivia buff, or if you just can’t get enough of Turkey Day, then you will definitely want to visit our Did You Know: The Thanksgiving version.

Of course, the real centerpiece of Thanksgiving is your family’s Thanksgiving feast, and Thanksgiving on the Net has plenty of recipes, decorating tips and craft ideas to make your supper extra special.

If you have never roasted a whole turkey before, or if your bird is always a little on the dry side, you will definitely want to read our article on How to Prepare the Perfect Thanksgiving Turkey. And if you are searching for some new culinary traditions, you just might find inspiration in our countdown of the Top Seven Stuffing Recipes to be Grateful For.

Whatever your fancy this Thanksgiving, we know you will find something delicious over at Thanksgiving on the Net. We can’t wait to see you.

Thanksgiving will be celebrated Thursday November 27, 2008.

Happy Holidays,
Holidays on the Net

On Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving, President-Elect Barack Obama, joined by his wife and daughters, visited a local food bank and helped pass out food to those in need.

When asked why he brought along his daughters - he replied: “I want them to learn the importance of how fortunate they are and to make sure they’re giving back. The President-Elect also encouraged Americans to do whatever they can to help those in need.

Afterwards the Obamas visited a nearby school to the delight of the elementary school aged students and their teachers.

Wow! A President that actually cares about his fellow citizens! Its going to be a pleasure to watch this family over the coming years!

Today President Bush “pardoned” 2 turkeys at the National Thanksgiving Turkey Ceremony. Pumpkin and Pecan were pardoned at the annual Thanksgiving White House ceremony.

After the ceremony the turkeys were taken to Disney World and will take part in the DW Thanksgiving parade. They will the remainders of their lives in the park.

BTW - Did you know that these turkeys were raised especially for this ceremony? And that the “spares” (who were not pardoned) will wind up as “turkey sandwiches” at Subway? Its true!

White House photo: Joyce N. Boghosian.

With one day to go - how about some beautiful Thanksgiving music to help get you in the holiday spirit. While browsing through Youtube I came across this really nice version of “Thanksgiving,” the first track from the George Winston holiday album “December.”

I have been a fan of George Winston’s “December” album (long before CDs!). Its always one of the first CDs I play every holiday season. And its always playing in the background for our annual holiday party. I can’t say how much I love this music. Its amazing its over 20 years since the album was released! Hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Countdown to Thanksgiving:
Top #1 Stuffing (and Dressing) Recipe to Be Thankful

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, we’re continuing our countdown to the holiday with our top holiday recipes.

I think most people will agree that it wouldn’t be Turkey Day without, well, turkey! And of course, even the most succulent turkey needs a little help from its side dish friends. For some that means sweet potato pie, for others, it’s green bean casserole or mashed potatoes. But the true companion for turkey is, undoubtedly, the stuffing. Now whether you call it stuffing or dressing, one thing is for sure: Everyone at your table will want you to pass some more of it!

If your stuffing is a little lacking, or if you just want to spice up your Thanksgiving table with a new recipe, why not check out one of our top 7 Stuffing (and Dressing) Recipes from our recipe site - Holiday Eats.

#1. Cajun Rice Dressing
By now, you may have realized our penchant for the picante at Holidays on the Net. But this outstanding Cajun classic is a favorite of our readers, too, earning it the highest marks in our Thanksgiving recipe box. Why not give it a try this Thanksgiving?

Ingredients
2 Tbsp. cooking oil
1 lb. ground beef
4 cups cooked white rice
1 cup chopped bell pepper
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 clove minced garlic
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 cups beef broth
Salt and black pepper (to suit taste)

Directions

You can find all of these recipes, and much, much more at Holiday Eats, our holiday recipe site.

Countdown to Thanksgiving:
Top #2 Stuffing (and Dressing) Recipe to Be Thankful

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, we’re continuing our countdown to the holiday with our top holiday recipes.

I think most people will agree that it wouldn’t be Turkey Day without, well, turkey! And of course, even the most succulent turkey needs a little help from its side dish friends. For some that means sweet potato pie, for others, it’s green bean casserole or mashed potatoes. But the true companion for turkey is, undoubtedly, the stuffing. Now whether you call it stuffing or dressing, one thing is for sure: Everyone at your table will want you to pass some more of it!

If your stuffing is a little lacking, or if you just want to spice up your Thanksgiving table with a new recipe, why not check out one of our top 7 Stuffing (and Dressing) Recipes from our recipe site - Holiday Eats.

#2. Shrimp Stuffing
Classic is good, but for some families, the key to a successful Thanksgiving stuffing is a little adventure. This recipe for shrimp stuffing definitely delivers adventure … plus some classic Southern flavor.

Ingredients
2 Tbsp. cooking oil
4 cups cooked rice
2 lb. chopped shrimp (raw)
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 cup chopped celery
1 clove minced garlic
1 can diced tomatoes
Salt and black pepper (to suit taste)
Dash of red (cayenne) pepper

Directions

So stop by each day as we feature a new stuffing recipe as we countdown to Thanksgiving.

You can find all of these recipes, and much, much more at Holiday Eats, our holiday recipe site.

Countdown to Thanksgiving:
Top #3 Stuffing (and Dressing) Recipe to Be Thankful

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, we’re continuing our countdown to the holiday with our top holiday recipes.

I think most people will agree that it wouldn’t be Turkey Day without, well, turkey! And of course, even the most succulent turkey needs a little help from its side dish friends. For some that means sweet potato pie, for others, it’s green bean casserole or mashed potatoes. But the true companion for turkey is, undoubtedly, the stuffing. Now whether you call it stuffing or dressing, one thing is for sure: Everyone at your table will want you to pass some more of it!

If your stuffing is a little lacking, or if you just want to spice up your Thanksgiving table with a new recipe, why not check out one of our top 7 Stuffing (and Dressing) Recipes from our recipe site - Holiday Eats.

#3. Classic Bread Stuffing
It doesn’t get more traditional than a savory and filling classic bread stuffing. While there are numerous variations on this tried-and-true theme, we think our classic recipe beats them all.

Ingredients
3-4 loaves of white bread (or 5 if you like leftovers)
water
chicken broth
insides of the turkey
2 bunches of celery
1 or 2 onions
2 TBSP butter
1/2 tsp. sage
oysters (optional)
mushrooms (option)

Directions

So stop by each day as we feature a new stuffing recipe as we countdown to Thanksgiving.

You can find all of these recipes, and much, much more at Holiday Eats, our holiday recipe site.

Countdown to Thanksgiving:
Top #4 Stuffing (and Dressing) Recipe to Be Thankful

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, we’re continuing our countdown to the holiday with our top holiday recipes.

I think most people will agree that it wouldn’t be Turkey Day without, well, turkey! And of course, even the most succulent turkey needs a little help from its side dish friends. For some that means sweet potato pie, for others, it’s green bean casserole or mashed potatoes. But the true companion for turkey is, undoubtedly, the stuffing. Now whether you call it stuffing or dressing, one thing is for sure: Everyone at your table will want you to pass some more of it!

If your stuffing is a little lacking, or if you just want to spice up your Thanksgiving table with a new recipe, why not check out one of our top 7 Stuffing (and Dressing) Recipes from our recipe site - Holiday Eats.

#4. Southwestern Jalapeno Cornbread Dressing
If your taste buds run more spicy than savory, this inspired cornbread dressing packs a real jalapeno punch.

Ingredients
4 Cups cornbread crumbled
10 Slices dried bread cubed
1 Pound MILD ITALIAN TURKEY SAUSAGE
1-1/2 Cups celery chopped
1 Cup onion chopped
1-1/2 Teaspoons salt
1 Teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/4 Cup Jalapeno peppers seeded and chopped
2 eggs slightly beaten
1 Cup TURKEY BROTH

Directions

So stop by each day as we feature a new stuffing recipe as we countdown to Thanksgiving.

You can find all of these recipes, and much, much more at Holiday Eats, our holiday recipe site.