Lifestyle

By MARY CAROL GARRITY
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Q: Every year, my family insists I make the same dishes for our holiday dinners. I'm getting tired of doing the same thing year after year. Any suggestions? _ Sharleen Halls, Tennessee

A: During the holidays, most of us are almost fanatical about our food, aren't we? For my husband, Dan, Thanksgiving dinner simply isn't complete without a steaming mountain of mashed potatoes.

By LYNNE ROSSETTO KASPER
Monday, November 13, 2006
Dear Lynne: Last year I vowed not to have another insane Thanksgiving, so I made and froze (among other things) my special baked custard in October.

By CAROLYN SAID
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
When 2007 graduates start pounding the pavement for their first jobs post-college, they're likely to be greeted with open arms by employers.

Graduating seniors are entering a job market significantly more robust than in recent years.

By TOM MENTZER
Monday, November 13, 2006
"Food Made Fast" is a new line of books from Williams-Sonoma for the time-starved cook, a planned 15-volume series in this rapidly growing cookbook niche.

The first five books _ "Baking," "Pasta," "Slow Cooker," "Soup" and "Weeknight" (Oxmoor House, $17.95 each) _ do a nice job offering ideas for quick homemade meals with simple, easy-to-follow recipes.

Although most of the ingredient lists require only a handful of items not lingering in the typical pantry, the resulting dishes show a surprising level of depth.

By DAN VIERRIA
Monday, November 13, 2006
Shop for the kids, decorate the house, pick up Uncle Harry at the airport, bake the ... The holidays are a recipe for stress and can be a colossal drain on energy.

Maintaining fitness and feeling good throughout the holidays are a matter of following common-sense guidelines, according to the American Council on Exercise.

Here are the council's "Top 10 Tips for Surviving the Holidays":

1.

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Monday, November 13, 2006

Sunday, November 12, 2006
Food trivia questions from Food Network's "Unwrapped" show that airs on Monday at 9 and 9:30 p.m. EDT/PDT.

1. When was the popular Thanksgiving dish green bean casserole invented?

2.

By MAUREEN GILMER
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
When life hands you lemons, break out the tequila and salt.

While Mexicans have long drowned their sorrows in this native spirit, new gourmet tequilas offer a huge new variety to today's consumers.

By MARTY MEITUS
Sunday, November 12, 2006
Thanksgiving is still almost a couple of weeks away, and most people already are planning how to cook the bird.

We have home movies in my family of my grandmother floating in (there was no sound) with this beautiful turkey on a platter.

By LISA RYCKMAN
Sunday, November 12, 2006
Eating a balanced diet is a good thing, but even then portion size can be a problem. If you don't want to take the time to measure and weigh everything then try the half-plate rule.

At mealtime, fill half your plate with produce, and split the other half between starch and protein.