What's your favorite dish at Thanksgiving? Have you ever tried a healthier version of it?

By Jessie Price

Jessie Price is the deputy editor of food for EatingWell Media Group, where she directs all food content. Besides her work on nine other EatingWell books, she is the author of EatingWell on a Budget and The Simple Art of EatingWell. She lives in Charlotte, Vermont where she stays busy growing her own vegetables in the summer and tracking down great Vermont food products when she's not working.

Related Links from EatingWell:

• Buy Our New Book, The Simple Art of Eating Well.
• EatingWell's Best Thanksgiving Turkey Recipes
• Delicious Mashed Potato Recipes
• Get a free trial issue when you subscribe to EatingWell Magazine and sign up for our free e-newsletters!

Read More »from Save 1,273 calories and 92 grams of fat with this amazing Thanksgiving menu

Our two-week countdown to Thanksgiving helps you get organized so that the day of the feast is easy and relaxed.

Use our Google Calendar to export this list to Outlook or your iPhone.

TWO WEEKS AHEAD
Thursday, November 11, 2010

• First, if you haven't already--and plan on serving a fresh, not frozen, turkey--order it now from the supermarket, a specialty foods store, or by mail order. Schedule pickup or delivery for sometime after November 22. See our Turkey Buying Guide for tips.
• Second, confirm your Thanksgiving guest list by checking in with the regulars and inviting anyone new. By the way, this isn't a written invitation kind of holiday; phone calls and e-mail are fine.

TWO WEEKS AHEAD
Friday, November 12, 2010

• Browse our Thanksgiving Guide and your own recipe collection to work out a menu. What are the family favorites? Where is there room for a little experimentation? Be sure to visit our recipe collections for the turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, vegetables, desserts,

Read More »from Bon Appetit's Thanksgiving Checklist

--By Rob Willey, Bon Appétit

Patrick Martins likes happy animals--particularly endangered, humanely raised pigs, cows, and turkeys--and not just because they taste better. He believes their happiness is a moral imperative. As co-founder of Heritage Foods USA, his mission to save heritage breeds of livestock and the family farms that raise them began nine years ago, when a few hundred of his heirloom turkeys fanned out across the country. Today, that number is closer to 7,500, and every last one is raised by a farmer who shares Martins's passion.

To buy one of Patrick's turkeys, which cost between $74-$140, click here. But you better move fast, the 3 most expensive sizes are already sold out!

Why did you start with turkeys?
It seemed like a single item that everyone in the country could get behind to support the small farmer. And it was a project that revolved around a single day, so it made it easier to find a sustainable source--to say, "We have to get 800 of these things raised for

Read More »from What's the Argument for a $140 Turkey?

ThinkstockThe Friday after Thanksgiving, aka Black Friday, is known as the biggest shopping day of the year. With our economy and major retailers still suffering, experts say customers will be shopping in droves for bigger sales and better deals than ever. But if you're not the type to stand in freezing lines outside of Wal-Mart at 5 a.m. retailers may have another solution this year: start the sales now.

Why wait till next month for Black Friday, says Sears, when you can have it this weekend? Amazon is marking down popular electronics like hi-definition TVs and Blu-Ray players on Friday, and on Sunday all items featured in the Toys "R" Us Christmas toy book will be on sale.

"Consumers have been trained to buy merchandise only 'on sale,'" Sherif Mityas, a partner in the retail practice at the consulting firm A. T. Kearney, told the New York Times. "Given a limited budget, if retailers don't capture that first or second purchase, they may find themselves with a lot of inventory the week before

Read More »from For some retailers Black Friday starts now

Which kitchen tool is most essential to your Thanksgiving meal?

By Carolyn Malcoun

Carolyn Malcoun combines her love of food and writing in her position as associate food editor at EatingWell. Carolyn has a culinary arts degree from New England Culinary Institute and a degree in journalism from University of Wisconsin-Madison. Carolyn enjoys cooking, gardening, hiking and running in her free time.

Related Links from EatingWell:

• Green Bean Casserole, Sweet Potato Casserole & More Favorite Thanksgiving Casseroles Made Healthier
• 3 Foods to Eat When You Overeat
• 5 of the biggest turkey mistakes and how to avoid them
• Get a free trial issue when you subscribe to EatingWell Magazine and sign up for our free e-newsletters!

Read More »from Our favorite tools to survive Thanksgiving

Forget about juggling bake times and wedging casseroles around a 20-pound turkey in a tiny oven. Using your slow-cooker is the secret to an easy Thanksgiving dinner.

Even though Thanksgiving isn't upon us yet, it's time to talk turkey. Buying and roasting a bird can be intimidating, especially if you're a first-time host or hostess. Even those of us who have done it before have a hard time shaking those nagging thoughts revolving around whether the bird will be juicy or dry or-worse yet-underdone.

It's understandable. After all, if you're like most people, you're only roasting a turkey once, maybe twice a year. We've roasted quite a few turkeys in the EatingWell Test Kitchen, and through trial and error, we've picked up on some common turkey mistakes and how to avoid them.

Related: EatingWell's Best Thanksgiving Turkey Recipes

Mistake 1: You buy the wrong bird.
What To Do Instead: Not all turkeys are created equal. Some birds are self-basting, meaning that they are injected with a solution of broth, salted water or other flavorings to keep them moist during cooking. We found these turkeys do stay moister, but if you're watching

Read More »from How to avoid 5 of the biggest turkey mistakes at the grocery store and in the kitchen

by Sarah Lorge Butler for CBS MoneyWatch.com

Over the weekend I had a Martha Stewart moment: I ordered the family holiday card. On October 10. Done. Check it off. Now, when the box arrives from Tiny Prints, it will sit unopened on the dining room table until December 26, but that's another story.

Every year December is such a grind of shopping, cooking, wrapping and rushing. The only spirit of the season I feel is annoyance. I'm fighting crowds and traffic, overpaying for gifts that aren't quite right, and generally feeling like I'm on the verge of a breakdown. Somehow I don't think that's what the holidays are supposed to be about. I'm trying to right the ship.

-- Easy Way to Lower Your Phone Bill

-- 5 Things You Should Buy at Walmart

-- 4 Things NOT to Buy at Target

-- How Much Does the Tooth Fairy Pay?

-- 5 Tricks to Avoid Impulse Buys

I asked my Board of Parents for suggestions

Read More »from Holiday shopping: 13 smart ways to start now