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Thanksgiving

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Free Coffee! Free Tolls! And More Thanksgiving Travel Tips

Here are some tips from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation to make your Thanksgiving travel a little easier.

Will you be driving on Thanksgiving night? If so, you can snag a free cup of joe courtesy of the state. And if you're hitting the Turnpike on Wednesday afternoon, you can also get on I-90 (for one hour) without having to pay the toll. Free coffee will be served at all 18 Massachusetts Department of Tranportation (MassDOT) service plazas between 10 p.m. on Thanksgiving night until 5 a.m. on Friday, Nov 23, courtesy of McDonalds, Burger King and Gulf. Meanwhile, Plymouth Rock Assurance will sponsor free tolls at the Allston-Brighton interchange on I-90 from 3-4 p.m. on Wednesday, November 21.  Thanksgiving holiday traffic is expected to be at its peak on Tuesday, Nov. 20, Wednesday, Nov. 21 and Sunday, Nov. 25, according to MassDOT. To avoid…

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Thanksgiving Recipes: How to Cook a Turkey

If you need a new recipe for your Thanksgiving turkey, give one of these non-traditional twists a try.

  There are many ways to cook everyone’s favorite holiday bird. Each family has its own special technique for cooking a turkey, whether it's using an old family recipe, adding a secret ingredient or shopping at a certain store in town that helps make the turkey taste all the better. If you're hosting Thanksgiving this year, you can try any of the recipes below to add a new kick to your feast. If you're attending someone else’s dinner, hopefully their turkey will taste as good as one of these! Just the name of this recipe makes my mouth water. An Allrecipes.com user contributes this Greek take on turkey, which combines ground beef and pork with tangerine juice, rice and other ingredients for an in-bird stuffing. This one requires no pre-…

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Contribute to Patch's Thanksgiving Recipe Swap

Give a recipe and share one with your neighbors.

It's that time of year again — time to give thanks, celebrate the season in good company and bring out those tried-and-true Thanksgiving recipes. Westford Patch and sister sites in Massachusetts want to know about those dishes that always have a place on your Thanksgiving table and those that are making their debut this year. Have a creative spin on cranberry sauce? Are you known for famous stuffing that friends and relatives talk about long after all the Turkey Day leftovers have been gobbled up? This is your opportunity to find out what your neighbors are cooking. Give a recipe and get one from your North Shore neighbors. If you have a recipe you would like to share add it below in the comments section.

Monday, November 19, 2012

Thanksgiving Travel to Increase Slightly This Year According to AAA

AAA Releases its Thanksgiving 2012 Travel Forecast.

Thanksgiving is quickly approaching and that means people are thinking about the three Ts: turkey, trimmings and travel. Not only will it be a busy time in the kitchen, it will also be busy on the roads and at the airports. But according to the AAA Thanksgiving 2012 Travel Forecast, this year will be busier than last, but not by much.  According to the report, AAA estimates 43.6 million Americans will travel more than 50 miles from home between November 21st and November 25th, up 0.7 percent from 43.3 million people during the holiday last year. Some 90 percent of this year's travelers will be hitting the roads, 39.1 million of them traveling by automobile. And as Thanksgiving approaches, gas prices are expected to continue on a downward …

Chris Daley

9:04 pm on Wednesday, November 21, 2012

I'm staying close to home, except some woodsplitting in NH this weekend. However, I'd like to know who, what adults were supervising three youngsters on Main St, bottom of the hill near Tadmuck Rd Wed. about 1pm? Playing in the shoulder, one w bicycle horsing around on my right, facing wrong direction. Their ages looked about 11, other two younger. The road is not a playground Thanksgiving rush. …   more ›

Thursday, November 15, 2012

What Will Be Open and Closed on Thanksgiving?

We'll be checking in with local businesses around town this week, but you can make sure everyone knows the hours for your business on Turkey Day by chiming in here.

  It's almost time for Thanksgiving, and that means that many businesses and services here in Westford will either be closed or will have different hours than normal. If you have a business in town that will be operating with changed hours for Thanksgiving weekend, we're here to let your customers know! And if you're a regular patron of a business in town and want to spread the word, please help us out! Tell us in the Comments section and show us pictures of business hours around town by clicking on the "Upload Photos and Videos" button.

Thanksgiving Recipes: How to Cook Stuffing and Other Favorite Side Dishes

A turkey can't just sit alone on the table. Here are some recipes for Thanksgiving's most popular side dishes.

    What would a turkey be on Thanksgiving without its faithful side companions? Often more popular than the turkey itself, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and other favorites are staples of the food coma-inducing meal. Try one of the recipes below to bring a new taste to your Thanksgiving feast. Roasted Winter Squash Gauge the amount of squash you’ll need by allowing 1 small squash (acorn and butternut are good choices) for every four people. Cut each squash in half lengthwise and remove seeds. Brush sides and inner cavity with olive oil and place flesh-side down on a lightly-oiled baking sheet. Roast for approximately 45 minutes or until flesh is very soft and easy pulls away from the skin. After removing squash from oven, let…

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

QUESTION: Favorite Thanksgiving Memories

Share your Thanksgiving memories.

The holidays are all about family, traditions and memories. It’s a chance to reconnect with family and friends whether through a card, email, phone call or catching up over dinner. Thanksgiving doesn’t have the cache of Christmas. There are no gifts or commercialism to distract us and because of this Thanksgiving is many people’s favorite holiday. Every family has its own traditions and memories that bring a smile. That favorite memory might be a big football game, but most likely it’s a special moment you shared with a loved one -- possibly someone who has since passed away. Patch wants to know: What is your favorite Thanksgiving memory? Let us know in the comment section. Happy Thanksgiving!

Cheryl Robinson

4:03 pm on Thursday, November 24, 2011

One of my favorites is today -- this moment. Fixing the traditional meal with my two grown sons -- enjoying the company of each other & 3 games of an old favorite "Clue" -- of which I did not win even one!!! I am enjoying having my two sons in the next room watching an episode of "Hell On Wheels" -- of which my cousin, Bruce Romans is a writer... - go Bruce..... Cheryl Robinson   more ›

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