NOVEMBER 23, 2011

in

More Than 900,000 On TN Roads This Thanksgiving
Are you hitting the road today? You'll have a lot of company. More Americans are expected to drive somewhere this Thanksgiving than in the past four years. Many say they can't afford to fly anywhere, so they're staying closer to home. More than 38-million people are expected to be on the road, nationwide. Officials estimate 900,000 people will be on Tennessee roads this weekend.

Thanksgiving Day Restaurant Dinner Options Grow
For many, Thanksgiving is a time to gather with family and friends and share a meal. In recent years, more and more people are opting to go out for Thanksgiving dinner at one of the growing number of restaurants choosing to open. A word of warning: If you eat out, there aren't going to be leftovers! Monell's will be open. Other restaurants open on Thanksgiving this year in Nashville include: Capital Grille, Commerce Streete Grille, Cracker Barrel, Ellendale's, Shoney's, Loveless Cafe, Market Street Restaurant, Merchant's,Opryland Hotel, and Puckett's.
 
Cooking The Perfect Turkey
If your main course tomorrow will be turkey, and you're stressing about cooking it perfectly, don't. Our moms and grandmothers had to learn from their parents, or call each other, or use the Butterball hotline. But now, there's not only the Butterball.com site, but a lot of other really good websites that'll help you cook it perfectly! The main tips include, sitting the turkey out for an hour to take the chill off, seasoning it enough, cooking it slowly at low temperature, and letting it rest at least 20 minutes before you slice it. Turkey tips from the Food Network.

Salvation Army Feeding Homeless On Thanksgiving
On Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov. 24, The Salvation Army is expected to serve over 150 people a traditional turkey dinner with all the fixins' at the Dickerson Pike Center of Hope location between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Musical entertainment will be provided to our homeless friends by Tim Anderson and Judy Paster. Several volunteers will be on location to serve the meal. Shuttle service will be provided for our homeless neighbors to and from the center at 631 Dickerson Pike.

Best Black Friday Deals
If you're like most people in the country, you'll buy something on Black Friday. Last year more than 215 million out of the 300 million people in America shopped on Black Friday. This year, even more are expected to be out looking for deals. Only now, we have websites that compile the best ads and deals. Professional deal hunter Brad Wilson, founder of BradsDeals.com and BlackFriday2011.com says the best Black Friday deals include a Sharp 42-inch, HDTV for $199 at Best Buy, a Toshiba Smart Blu-ray player for $39.99 at Best Buy, And Xbox 360 with Kinect and a $50 gift card for $199 at Wal-Mart. You can see other deals at BlackFriday2011.com.

Click here for this year's Hot Toy List.

Ms. Cheap's Guide To The Holidays
For deals on ICE!, the Rockettes, Nashville Ballet, Adventure Science Center and more, there's Ms. Cheap's column in the Tennessean. You'll also find out where to get the Thanksgiving ad/coupon edition of the newspaper for just 99 cents.

Click here for the Top Ten Thanksgiving Movies

New Movies Out For Thanksgiving Weekend
Jason Segel is getting some help from one of his co-stars as he promotes his new movie "The Muppets." On NBC's "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" Monday night, Muppet Walter joined in on the interview. "The Muppets" also stars Amy Adams, Chris Cooper, and Rashida Jones. The film opens in theaters today. There are many film openings today, as well. Thanksgiving weekend is traditionally a big one for movie-goers. See openings here.

Nashville Woman Purchases Four-Year-Old Turkey!
A Nashville woman says she was surprised to find the turkey she bought from Apple Market on Lebanon Pike, had expired in November 2007. The store gave her a refund, of course, and the store manager was horrified when he heard about it. He said they usually donate food that's going out of date to needy families and churches, and there's no WAY that turkey should still have been there. (Keep in mind that health officials said frozen turkeys are still considered okay to eat up to three years past their sell by date.)

J.R. Martinez Wins "Dancing With The Stars"
J.R. Martinez is the winner of this season's "Dancing With The Stars." Martinez won the honor last night during the season finale.

Tracy Lawrence Holds 6th Annual Turkey Fry Fundraiser
Local entertainer Tracy Lawrence is hosting his annual "Mission Possible Turkey Fry" today. It was supposed to be yesterday, but the weather put a damper on things. Today the Turkey Fry at the Nashville Rescue Mission is expected to include 500 turkeys and all the trimmings, enough to feed more than 7,000 homeless people.

Canned Soup Poses Health Risk
Researchers say people who eat a lot of canned soup can be taking a dangerous chemical into their bodies. A study by the Harvard School of Public Health found that the compound bisphenol A, or BPA, is readily ingested and detected in large amounts. Previous studies have linked high levels of BPA to health problems and the chemical is banned from baby bottles in European Union nations. BPA is used as a can coating to prevent rusting and to keep food fresh. The study is published in the "Journal of the American Medical Association."