Happy Thanksgiving USA!

Funny Thanksgiving Cartoons Here:

And Here:

Website of the half-week - Thanksgiving Helplines

Thanksgiving Central Here:

Thanksgiving History (US):

Thanksgiving from the Native Americans' point of view:


Need recipe/cooking help? Here's a list of hotline numbers:

HOLIDAY HELP LINES

Many big food companies have hotlines staffed with experienced Home Economists for instant, personalized help during the holidays. Print out this list and tape it inside your pantry door for quick reference.

Butterball Turkey Talk-Line: 1-800-BUTTERBALL
The Turkey Talk-Line from the folks at Butterball is a great place for answers to turkey questions. The line is open Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 6 PM CST from now until December 21. And the best part of all: it's open Thanksgiving day, starting at 6 AM CST!! TDD line: 1-800-TDD-3848. Bilingual help is available. Online help in Spanish and English.

Honeysuckle White Help Line:1-800-810-6325
This line offers pre-recorded answers to lots of your turkey preparation questions. Online help and leftover recipes.

Perdue Farms: 1-800-473-7383
Find out about roasting, carving, stuffing, gravy and turkey leftovers. Online help.

USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline: 1-888-674-6854
If you have questions about food safety, including storage, handling and preparation of the Thanksgiving turkey, call the USDA hotline weekdays from 9 AM to 3 PM CST. TDD line: 1-800-256-7072 Online help for most frequently asked questions.

Reynolds Turkey Line: 1-800-745-4000
This hotline is open 24 hours a day. Call to get the best tips about cooking using Reynolds products. Online help.

Fleischmann's Yeast Baker's Help Line:1-800-777-4959
This helpline, for all your questions about breads and rolls, is open Monday - Friday from 9 AM - 7 PM, all year long. Online help.

Land O’Lakes Holiday Bake Line: 1-800-782-9606
Any and all baking questions are answered from 8 AM to 7 PM CST at Land O’Lakes from now until Christmas Eve. Online help.

Hershey's Consumer Hot Line: 1-800-468-1714
Let the folks at Hersheys walk you through every chocolate question you've ever had. Ask for recipes too! This line is open Monday - Friday from 9 AM to 4 PM EST, all year round. Online help.

Betty Crocker Hotline:1-888-ASK-BETTY or 1-888-275-2388,
This phone line is open Monday - Friday from 7:30 AM to 5:30 PM CST, year round. Get information on everything from baking perfect cookies to delicious gravy. Online help.

Libby Consumer Hot Line: 1-800-854-0374
Stressed about your pumpkin pie? Get tips and advice, plus recipes using canned pumpkin. The line is open Monday - Friday from 8 AM - 8 PM EST, all year round. Online help.

Ocean Spray Consumer Helpline:1-800-662-3263
Learn everything you ever wanted to know about cranberries, including ideas for using leftover canned cranberry sauce. The hotline is open Monday - Friday from 9 AM - 4 PM EST, all year round. And it's open on Thanksgiving! Online help.

Website of the week - Pets & Food Safety

With all the focus on food this month, it's easy to overlook our animal friends. Here is an excellent reference for people foods that may or may not be harmful to our pets. And we all know animals tend to ingest the strangest things!

ASPCA's Animal Poison Control:

Click people foods (near the bottom) to the see the list. There's also handy guides for:
Cleaning products
Human medications & cosmetics
Insects
Plants & trees
Miscellaneous (?!)



Here are some other helpful, informative sites:

A Dog's Thanksgiving Day:

Thanksgiving Safety Tips for Your Dog:

The Dog Whisperer's TG Advice:

The Fun Times Guide to Dogs:

Foods to Avoid Feeding Your Dog:

Holiday Safety Tips for Cats:

When Good Dogs Eat Bad Things:

Safe Holidays for Dogs and Cats:



Don't have a pet? Chances are you know someone that does. Impress them with your newfound knowledge. ;-)

Website of the week - Southwest (US) Indian Art

They have beautiful pottery, Navajo rugs, kachina dolls, jewelry, weavings, baskets, etc. Buy something you like or just look. It's beautiful!

See It Here:

Website of the week - Kraft Cooking School

Is one of your New Year's Resolutions to learn how to cook OR to get better at it? Or do you need some early Thanksgiving ideas? Then you need to see this:

Kraft Cooking School:

Canadian Kraft Cooking School:

Australian/NZ Kraft Cooking School:

Kraft Escuela De Cocina: (En Espanol)

Kraft Deutsch (Germany):

Other countries:

Helpful how to videos show you exactly how it's done. Plus they have thousands of easy recipes. Be sure to send us a sample of your cooking! ;-)

Website of the half-week: Halloween, of course!

Take your pick - you could get lost in these!

http://www.halloween-online.com/

http://www.halloween.com/

http://www.halloween101.com/

http://www.history.com/minisites/halloween

http://halloweenpropmaster.com/

Halloween Carols:

http://www.hauntedhalloweencastle.com/

http://www.thehalloweennetwork.com/

Free Halloween cards here:

And Here:

Crafts For Kids:

http://rats2u.com/halloween/halloween_crafts.htm

Halloween - The Poem by Robert Burns - complete here:

Halloween Folklore: - a JGT favorite!

Halloween In Japan - their zombie food is rockin' it!

Halloween Alphabet Coloring pages (A-Z/English):

The Vintage Halloween Site:

Halloween Is Here:

Website of the week - Alice Cooper Fansites

What's Halloween without Alice?!

Alice's Website:

Cooper'stown (Pheonix USA): (Alice's Restaurant ;-o)

Alice's Radio Show:

Sick Things UK:

The Crazy World Of Alice Cooper:

Website of the week - Tim Burton & NBC Combo

We wanted to post something fun this week - if you're a Tim Burton fan you'll love The Tim Burton Collective. Click on the movies tab to see individual pages for each one. Don't miss the Lumplings section, either. Also worth investigating:

Tim Burton Dream Site:

For NBC fans, check out HalloweenTown.

Website of the week - Alien Intrusion

A must see for those interested in aliens, UFOs, space, etc. Be sure to click on the fun tab (at the top) for free wallpapers.

http://www.alienintrusion.com/main.html

Website of the week - Breast Cancer Awareness

October is both spring & fall, depending on where you reside. But world over, there are too many people stricken with this awful disease. Did you know men can get it as well? In America & Canada, October is breast cancer awareness month and it is symbolised with a pink ribbon. Here are some helpful sites:

National Breast Cancer Awareness Month - The Site:

The Breast Cancer Site: (THIS is the one to visit most - one click from you can help!)

Breast Cancer Care UK:

The Olivia Newton-John Cancer Centre (AU):

Pink Ribbon International:

Pink For October:



Estee Lauder turns certain buildings pink in commemoration, including:

The Harbour Bridge	Sydney	Australia
The Hangzhou Department Store	Hangzhou	China
Niagara Falls	Ontario	Canada
The Eden Project	Cornwall	England
The Majestic Hotel	Cannes	France
The French Affiliate Building	Paris	France
The Angel of Peace	Munich	Germany
City Hall	Reykjavik	Iceland
Azrieli Towers	Tel Aviv	Israel
Constantine’s Arch	Rome	Italy
The Arena	Verona	Italy
Tokyo Tower	Tokyo	Japan
City Hall Square	Seoul	Korea
The Dam Square	Amsterdam	The Netherlands
The Skytower	Auckland	New Zealand

Spanish: Lazo Rosado
French: Ruban Rose
Italian: Nastro Rosa
German: Rosa Schleife
Dutch: Roze Lint
Danish: Lyserøde Sløjfe
Czech: Růžová stužka
Finnish: Roosa Nauha
Hungarian: Rózsaszín szalag
Norwegian: Rosa Sløyfe
Latvian: Rozā lente
Lithuanian: Rožinis kaspinas
Persian: روبان صورتی
Polish: Różowa Wstążka
Romanian: Panglica Roz
Russian: Pозовая лента
Slovak: Ružová stužka
Swedish: Rosa Bandet
Turkish: Pembe Kurdele
Hebrew: סרט ורוד
Serbian: Ružičasta mašna
Slovenian: Rožnati trak

To lighten the mood a bit, here's a fun list of October holidays worldwide:

* Children's Book Week (England) - First Week of October
* National Day (China, People's Republic of) -October 1
* Independence Day in the Republic Of Cyprus October 1
* Independence Day in Nigeria- October 1
* International Day of Non-Violence - October 2
* German Unity Day (Tag der Deutschen Einheit) - October 3
* Proclamation of Portuguese Republic (Portugal) - October 5
* International World Teachers' Day - October 5
* Independence day in Nigeria - October 6
* Independence day in Croatia - October 8
* Thanksgiving (Canada) - Second Monday of October
* Thanksgiving (German Europe)(Erntedankfest) - the first Sunday in October
* Health and Sports Day (Japan) - Second Monday of October
* Columbus Day (Most of United States) - Second Monday of October
* World Food Day - October 16
* Constitution Day in Niue - October 19
* Apple Day - October 21
* Remembering the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 - October 23
* United Nations Day - October 24
* Day of the Romanian Army - October 25
* Independence Day in St. Vincent & the Grenadines - October 27
* Independence Day in Turkmenistan - October 27
* Navy Day (United States) - October 27
* Independence Day in Greece October 28
* Republic Day in Turkey October 29
* Halloween - October 31

More October Fun here:

And here:

Website of the week - Oktoberfest Time Again!

This year it runs from 17 September through 3 October, 2011.

http://www.oktoberfest.de/en/:

Free Oktoberfest activities for children:

Oktoberfest games for children:

Germany for kids (free coloring book/pages at the bottom!):

It's International Talk Like A Pirate Day!

Ahoy mateys! Here be some sites worthy of ye scalawags to peruse. Arrrrrrr you ready?

http://www.talklikeapirate.com/piratehome.html

http://www.story-lovers.com/listspiratestories.html

http://www.piratesinfo.com/

http://www.thepiratesrealm.com/

Website Of The Week - Any Soldier

Lots of people SAY they support the troops, but here's a chance to actually DO it.
http://anysoldier.com/

Any Soldier Inc. started in August 2003 as a simple family effort to help the soldiers in one Army unit; thus, our name. Due to overwhelming requests, on 1 January 2004 the Any Soldier® effort was expanded to include any member of the Armed Forces in harm's way.

Sergeant Brian Horn from LaPlata, Maryland, an Army Infantry Soldier with the 173rd Airborne Brigade was in the Kirkuk area of Iraq when he started the idea of Any Soldier® to help care for his soldiers. He agreed to distribute packages that came to him with "Attn: Any Soldier®" in his address to soldiers who didn't get mail.
Brian later completed a tour in Afghanistan and is now home, and his sister, Sergeant Svetlana Horn, recently completed a tour in Iraq. AnySoldier.com continues larger than ever with supporters world-wide!

Not from the USA and you want to send something to the Soldiers? You sure can! We have heard from:

Argentina
Australia
Austria
Belgium
Brazil
Canada
China
Costa Rica
Czech Republic
Denmark
Dominican Republic
England
Fiji
Finland
France
Germany
Grand Cayman
Guam
Guatemala
Haiti
Honduras
Hong Kong
Iceland
Indonesia
Iraq
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Jamaica
Japan
Kazakhstan
Korea
Latvia
Malaysia
Mexico
Netherlands
Newfoundland
New Guinea
New Zealand
Nigeria
Norway
Panama
Peru
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Puerto Rico
Saudi Arabia
Scotland
Singapore
Slovakia
South Africa
Spain
Sri Lanka
Sweden
Switzerland
Tanzania
Tasmania
Thailand
Turkey
Viet Nam
Virgin Islands

Here's how it works: Go to the 'how to send' page, there's a short video. Directly beneath it there's an FAQ all about posting/shipping. Basically, you read letters/requests from the soldiers in the left column on the where to send page. You can use the drop-down box that says 'View Contacts Sorted By' to choose soldiers by country, or by which branch of the service they're in. If you ARE in the US, you can order APO/FPO Flat Rate Boxes for FREE. Right on the USPS home page where it says Get Packing with Free Priority Mail Supplies/lg flat rate box 10 pk free. The shipping cost is :

• Only $11.95 when used to send to APO/FPO addresses; $2.00 less than our domestic pricing.
• Box features the “America Supports You” logo and APO/FPO addressing block.
• Commercial prices are available for postage paid through Click-N-Ship service at usps.com, authorized PC Postage vendors, and other authorized postage payment methods. The APO/FPO price is $11.50.
• The U.S. Postal Service offers free Package Pickup from your home or office at a time and place convenient for you. To schedule Package Pickup and for other pickup options and availability, visit usps.com.

You simply fill the box with whatever the division/soldiers you chose requested plus whatever goodies you wish, maybe a letter of encouragement, fill the box, buy postage online and have the PO pick it up for free - that's it. You can even fill out the custom forms online. It's VERY easy and it means the world to our troops! Over and over you will read their thanks for your service and generosity - they take the time to thank US while THEY are risking their lives!

If you can't do care packages, you can donate money online or shop their store.
They are fighting every day for their lives and our freedom. Let's not let them down!

Sept. 11 Memorial & Remembrance

http://www.september11news.com/