Under the Tower

Tips For A Perfect Thanksgiving (Mostly)

Did you ever host a dinner that was more foul than fowl? Read on and your holiday will be better than ever.

For Thanksgiving I always go to Casey's for my turkey. I feel like they have the freshest birds. So, it was really disappointing when one year my turkey, despite it's potential, didn’t turn out as planned. I was so upset my caruncle nearly burst. If you don’t know what that is, then it’s time to talk turkey about Thanksgiving. Here are a few steps: 1. Preparing your bird. Find a good counselor to help him cope. Farmed turkeys are flightless and have little chance for escape—especially since each year the average American eats about 10% of his own body weight in turkey. It may make you feel better to know that Big Bird’s costume was made from thousands of yellow-dyed turkey feathers. Life goes on?  2. Turkey safety. I think it’s pretty …

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Paulette Delcourt

8:25 pm on Sunday, November 27, 2011

What did you do with your leftovers?   more ›

Local Families Struggle to Put Food on the Table

Food pantries feel the pinch as more people need their help.

Families’ economic struggles continue, and nowhere are their woes more evident than at local food pantries. More and more families are relying on food pantries to stretch their budgets because there is little left for food after paying housing and utility bills. And, as Thanksgiving nears, families’ needs and pantries’ attempts to help are more poignant. “Last Thanksgiving, we thought that the economy was starting to improve a little bit. We had hit a record number but the rapid growth had slowed,” said Melissa Travis, senior director of programs—basic services for People’s Resource Center (PRC) in Wheaton. “Unfortunately, this year we are seeing another uptick in growth. There are a lot of people who are really struggling right now.” The …

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DG Guy

10:30 am on Monday, November 28, 2011

If you google Danielle's name you'll find her linked in page showing that her degrees are in art. A noble field with a 3000 year track history of unemployment that spawned the term "starving artist." Obviously she knew this going into the field but is out here anyway venting off topic that the world has wronged her. Danielle - Take ownership of your decisions and you will be a happier person.   more ›

Sign Up for the Turkey Trot by Saturday and Save a Few Bucks

But don't run down the Prairie Path this year, or you'll be running alone.

You've heard about it. You've seen them run past your house on Thanksgiving morning and thought, "It's cold out. I'm going to rest up and conserve the energy I'll need later for digestion. I mean, who the heck gets up early and runs on Thanksgiving Day?" Well, only like about 6,000 PEOPLE! Organizers of the 28th annual Dan Gibbons Turkey Trot, the granddaddy of all Turkey Trots, are inviting you to get off the couch Thanksgiving morning, Nov. 24, and help raise money to feed the hungry. You don't even have to run; you can walk, meander, jog or amble. And, you can get a cool shirt or other Trot Wear. For the first time, the Turkey Trot will take a new route through Elmhurst to accommodate more participants and provide runners and walkers a …

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More than 6,000 Turkey Dinners: Now That's Service Above Self

Elmhurst Rotary Club Honors Tom Shubalis with Paul Harris Fellowship.

The Elmhurst Rotary Club awarded a Paul Harris Fellowship to Tom Shubalis, owner of Diplomat West Banquets in Elmhurst. Named for Rotary founder Paul Harris, the fellowship recognizes contributions of $1,000 to the humanitarian and education programs of the Rotary Foundation. These programs include food, potable water, healthcare, immunizations and shelter for millions of people. Rotarians designate Paul Harris Fellowships to people like Shubalis, whose life exemplifies the “Service Above Self” objective of Rotary. “Tom has been an extremely generous supporter of our Thanksgiving dinner for nine of the past 17 years that the Elmhurst Rotary has been doing the Thanksgiving project," Elmhurst Rotary Past President Don Alexander said. "He and…

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The Shelves are Stocked but the Need is Growing

Yorkfield Food Pantry volunteers remind the community that the need is year-round.

The shelves at the Yorkfield Food Pantry are stocked to the rafters. Even the 24-hour drop box is full. For now, anyway. The holidays always inspire residents and community groups to host food drives and dig deep to donate to their neighbors in need. The biggest contributor currently is a fraternity from Elmhurst College, said volunteer coordinator Janet Cox. But demand is increasing as much as the holiday donations. The week preceding Thanksgiving,  the Yorkfield pantry served 80 people. Cox said the number of people visiting the food pantry is growing, and November has been its biggest month. "We keep getting a lot of new people," she said Dec. 6. "Saturday we had 17 people, and seven were new." While most of the food that stocks the …

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Mediocre Mom

Trimming the Fat from the Christmas List

Black Friday shopping knocks the stuffing right out of me.

Nothing adds sparkle to your monotonous daily routine like a five-day holiday weekend spent with the constant companionship of your loving family. Entering the door after dropping my last child at school Monday morning I stopped and listened as the sweet sound of silence bathed my ears.  Even the dog and the cat looked relieved as they smugly took their places on the sofa to relish their routine. The Thanksgiving feast was fairly successful, despite my pre-party anxiety.  There were no major family fall outs (that I know of) and the only culinary hiccup was that we realized we forgot to serve the cranberry sauce.  "Who even likes cranberry sauce anyway?" I asked my husband, hoping for reassurance.  "It's an inferior sauce served on an …

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Renee Gough

11:16 am on Thursday, December 2, 2010

One more sister to add to the Mediocre Mom patch. Welcome Stephanie!   more ›