Editor's Notebook

Becoming Santa

Patch Editor James Warden got a shot at playing Santa during the Hopkins Activity Center’s Thanksgiving Celebration.

I’m not a hugger. But Santa is. I’m not someone who can make small talk with dozens of strangers. I’m not comfortable being the center of attention. But Santa is. So when Hopkins Activity Center Receptionist Sharon Nelson waved me into the gym, I chimed my bell and gave the crowd a hearty, “Ho-ho-ho! Merry Christmas!” I’d been invited to be Santa for the Activity Center’s annual Thanksgiving Celebration on Tuesday. Apparently, it’s not that easy to find someone willing to play the part. Still, I was thrilled—if a little nervous. I even practiced my “ho-ho-ho” while my wife was at work. There are a lot of niggling logistical details you don’t really think of until you’re the one in the velvet suit—things like what to wear underneath. Do I …

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Personalize Your Holiday Table

Make your guests feel special with these tips.

Thanksgiving is just a couple days away, and Christmas will be here before we know it. Families and friends will gather to share stories, memories, and an abundance of food. How can you fill these special occasions with a personal touch? Whether you are planning and creating an extravagant holiday dinner or finding the best made-ahead deals or restaurants, below are a few tips to personalize your holiday table. Martha Stewart has a cornucopia of ideas that will dress your Thanksgiving table. How do you set those hot dishes down without ruining your dining room table? Corkboard leaf trivets save the day. Painted glass votives and fall foliage candleholders are also inexpensive and elegant ways to bring color to your table. Whole walnuts and…

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Share Fall Recipes on Patch

Thanksgiving is almost here, so share your best to-die-for recipe on Patch.

Pumpkin bread with chocolate chips. Butternut squash ravioli. Toasted cinnamon sugar almonds. Gooey apple pie. From sweet to savory, fall is full of delicious food. And, most of the time, it's the chilly air and Thanksgiving spirit that gets us in the mood to do our own cooking. With the big Turkey Day around the corner, everyone has the handful of go-to family recipes. But why not share one or two of your favorites and, in return, try something new? This week on Patch, we're asking for your help to create a virtual cookbook. Simply upload your recipe with a photo (if you have one) in our announcements section. It's easy; just click "Add an Announcement." We will be compiling all of the best family recipes in once place!

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Ask the Patch Pro: Making Thanksgiving Dinner

Let our Patch Pro answer your cooking questions.

The holidays are almost upon us! With Thanksgiving next week and then a month of parties and celebrations to follow, many of us are about to spend some serious time in the kitchen.  Whether you've made a turkey for the past 50 years or it's your first attempt at stuffing, there's always something that can turn a normal dish into an award-wining crowd pleaser.   So, go ahead and ask away. What would make your cooking better? Here to help with our Thanksgiving preparations is a "Patch Pro"— a local chef who has agreed to answer your questions about cooking in the comments section below. Meet our expert: • Executive Chef Kevin Petroske has been with Redstone American Grill for eight years, specializing in upscale American fare. He takes …

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Kevin Petroske

11:35 am on Thursday, November 15, 2012

Joanna, I would suggest after removing the giblets and washing the inside cavity lightly season with S&P and placing some rough chopped yellow onion, celery and carrot and trussing it tightly. Not necessary but it definitely adds to the flavor and aroma also add more depth to the pan dripping if you are making a sauce from them. The most important part is the time and temperature of the turkey. …   more ›

How Early is Too Early for Retailers to Open on Black Friday?

Sears and Walmart plan to open at 8 p.m. Thanksgiving Day, while Target plans a 9 p.m. opening.

Retail workers and shoppers are once again pushing stores to stay closed on Thanksgiving Day instead of starting Black Friday on Thursday, as many plan to do. This year, Target will launch its Black Friday sale at 9 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day, while Sears and Walmart have announced plans to open at 8 p.m. Meanwhile, Best Buy is continuing the midnight openings it started last year. Critics say Thanksgiving Day openings prevent employees from spending the holiday with their families. Opposition is growing on online petition website Change.org. “C Renee,” a woman who says she’s been a Target employee for six years, started a petition asking the retailer to “give Thanksgiving back to families and not open on Thanksgiving evening.” “I have …

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Politics at the Thanksgiving Table?

Does political talk go well with turkey, dressing and pumpkin pie? Or does it just make for a dyspeptic holiday?

As you celebrate the Thanksgiving Day holiday this year, consider the the following. The next time you do so, the 2012 presidential election campaign will have just ended. So for those inclined to campaign at the Thanksgiving table, 2011 is it. But is that a good idea? Stories of political arguments ruining holiday gatherings are the stuff of many family legends. Whether you are host or guest, do you favor or dread political conversation over Thanksgiving Dinner? Let us know by voting in our poll and sharing your experiences and your advice here.

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Parents Talk: What are Your Kids Thankful For?

Sometimes our kids are the ones who have the best answers.

I grew up with four older brothers and two younger sisters, and our house was never quiet. We were always asking for things or for permission, and it could drive my mom nuts. We now jokingly recite one of her famous phrases: "Gimme, gimme, gimme; I want, I want, I want!" But there's another thing she used to say when we'd be going over our wish lists of things we wanted to do, to have, to be, to see, etc. "Be thankful for the things you have, and be thankful for the things you don't have," she'd say. At first it made no sense. Why on earth would I be thankful that I didn't have my own phone or that we didn't have cable TV? I shared a room for a few years with my younger sister, Stephanie. One night, as my mom settled us down and turned off…

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Mary Costello

10:55 pm on Thursday, November 24, 2011

We're doing a Parents Talk topic next month on Thank You notes! Happy Thanksgiving to you:):)   more ›

(PHOTOS) Church Members Share Thanksgiving with ESL, GED students

Minnetonka United Methodist and Hopkins Adult Options in Education celebrated Thanksgiving together Monday.

The Thanksgiving dinner in Eisenhower Elementary on Monday night had all the essentials. There was turkey. There were mashed potatoes. There were rolls. But there were other foods, as well: spicy Hispanic pastries, Somali meat dishes, unique fruit salads. Tuesday’s dinner marked the fourth time Minnetonka United Methodist Church has shared a Thanksgiving meal with students in the English language and GED courses at Hopkins Adult Options in Education. What started as the church sharing a meal with the students turned into a giant potluck where the students bring in their own dishes. Pat Shoop both teaches the advanced English as a Second Language class and is a member of the church. She approached the church’s women’s group about doing the …

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