Photo Gallery: Lake Catholic Seniors Volunteer On Turkey Day

Students show their gratitude by pitching in on volunteer projects all around the region

The seniors of Lake Catholic High School spent their Monday pitching in at nonprofit organizations all over the region as part of their annual Turkey Day projects. They helped decorate the Lake Metroparks Farmpark for Christmas, hauled dead trees at Holden Arboretum, taught an art project at Broadmoor and prepared Thanksgiving gift bags at Forbes House. The Cougars pitched in at 19 places across the region, ranging from parks to parishes, museums to the Malachi Center. Turkey Day is not just a service project. The students also learn about the history of the organization they're helping. "This day is an expression of our Lake Catholic Mission and Core Values, and allows our students to take what they learn in the classroom out into the …

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Thanksgiving Recipes: More Than One Way 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! 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-made brine. Emeril Lagasse’s recipe for a Cajun-spiced …

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United Way Of Lake County Distributes Turkeys To 52 Local Food Banks

The local chapter of the United Way handed out 543 turkeys in time for Thanksgiving

On Wednesday, United Way of Lake County distributed 543 turkeys to 52 food pantries and residential facilities across the county as part of its 2012 Feed Lake County Campaign. Ten of the pantries to receive turkeys are headquartered in Mentor. Giant Eagle delivered the 12- to 14-pound turkeys Wednesday morning and volunteers from Lake House Men’s Residential distributed the birds to the food pantries as they came to pick them up. "Over the course of the last few months, we’ve seen an increase of people using our food pantry. The need definitely has gone up," said Marty Crews, primary coordinator of the St. Bede Food Pantry in Mentor. "The support from the community and United Way has been unbelievable. This is what we depend on, especially…

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Mama Says

Bring on Thanksgiving Already, Please: Mama Says

Devone is ready for the next holiday, but Halloween candy is still taking up plenty of space in her home

I am completely Halloweened out. With the storm, losing electricity and all of the rescheduling due to bad weather, it seemed like “Halloween season” was interminable this year. My girls even got tired of wearing their costumes, if that tells you anything. We went to a local church’s festival one week and to the mall trick-or-treat event the next. We went to Halloween Story Time at the Library. We watched “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” and “FrankenPooh.” Then I decided that I hadn’t suffered enough so I threw a big Harvest Party on the last day of October. Our power had JUST come back on after the hurricane, so I looked inadvertently scary to the neighborhood children – I wasn’t really in costume but I did bear a close resemblance…

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Thanksgiving Feasts To Go: All the Trimmings, None of the Work

Too busy to cook or have you burned the turkey? Patch to the rescue. Check out this list of restaurants and grocery stores that will take care of your Thanksgiving Feast.

There's no rule that says you have to cook on Thanksgiving and while eating out eliminates the need to clean up, you could enjoy the comfort of home without the work by ordering Thanksgiving to go. Many of these places need you to order in advance.  (*some places require advance ordering) BUBBA'S Q 820 Center Road Avon 440-937-7859 Features Bubba's Q smoked turkeys and brown glazed hams. Contact catering for further details. Carriage House Bakery & Market 36741 Detroit Road Avon Features takeout holiday side dishes, desserts and other bread based bakery for Thanksgiving. Giant Eagle 31990 Walker Rd.  Avon Lake 440-933-5078 Features pre-made traditional Thanksgiving meal, turkey, side dishes and dessert. Order by November 18, 2012 Heinen's …

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What Are You Thankful For This Thanksgiving?

Thanksgiving is almost here. Tell us what you’re thankful for in the comments.

Sure, there’s the turkey and pumpkin pie. And there’s football for sports fans and parades for the kids and early morning shopping for the deal-seekers. But Thanksgiving is also a day about reflection. It’s a day to stop and think about all the good in our lives. So we want to know: when all is said and done, what are you giving thanks for this year? It can be silly or sweet, simple or profound. We just want to hear it. Here are a few responses from Patch readers in the region. Check them out, and then tell us what you’re grateful for in the comments. Dawn Blythe of Jackson Township said: “I'm thankful for a husband who provides so I can be a stay at home mom! We may not have a fancy house, the nicest cars, or the newest things, but I can …

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Learn How To Deep Fry A Turkey At Mentor Public Library

The professionals from Gander Mountain show the safe way to do it during a demonstration Thursday at Mentor Public Library

Thanksgiving is visible on the horizon and that means turkey. And, while most people will enjoy the classic oven-roasted bird, a few more adventurous types will try deep-frying their poultry. Now, a deep-fried turkey is delicious but the cooking process can also be very dangerous. (Ask a firefighter about Thanksgiving morning.) Fortunately, the professionals of Gander Mountain will be giving a free demonstration of the safe way to deep fry a turkey 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Mentor Public Library's main branch. Specifically, the demonstration will happen in the parking lot. (Rule number one: Don't deep fry a turkey inside.) The Gander Mountain folk will also share their special spice rub and marinade recipes, as well as show the cooking …

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Moms Talk: Make Thanksgiving Easier On Yourself

Make Thanksgiving less stressful with these tips from Mentor Patch's Moms Council

Each week the Mentor Patch Moms Council answers a question on parenthood posed to them by readers or another member of council. This week's query: Thanksgiving is this week and it's a lot of fun... if you're not the person in charge of 90 percent of the food. Do you have any tips for how to make this easier on the unfortunate families who have decided to host the big meal? Donna Milnes: Growing up, I remember my mother always having the family over for dinner.  She did all the work herself and never asked for help from those coming to dinner. When I got married and started having the family at our home, I understood what a task Thanksgiving dinner really was. I started asking everyone to bring something. If you live close by, you bring a …

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Annual Thanksgiving Pancake Breakfast Benefits Mentor Schools Foundation

Park of the breakfast's proceeds will go toward the Cardinals Autism Resource and Education School (CARES)

The Mentor Schools Foundation realizes that you have plenty of turkey, stuffing and pumpkin pie to eat this Thanksgiving. However, they ask -- if you knew it was for a good cause -- could you, perhaps, make room for a little breakfast? The foundation will host its 11th annual Thanksgiving pancake breakfast this Thursday morning at Yours Truly restaurant. In return for a voluntary donation, people can enjoy pancakes, sausage, coffee and orange juice. The proceeds from the last two breakfasts have helped sponsor the schools Science Olympiad teams and update the high school's planetarium. However, this year part of the money will go to the Cardinals Autism Resource and Education School (CARES.) CARES is the district's new educational, …

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PETA's Inflammatory Ads Won't Change People's Minds

PETA has good intentions but bungles them with their disgusting advertising

Kids: if you wouldn't eat your dog, asks PETA, why eat a turkey? Yes, Mentor, there is a Grinch of Thanksgiving Day. Full disclosure, I've never been a fan of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA, and that's not because I still eat meat. A rightminded organization could be focused, this time of year, on communicating the social capacity of a turkey and the inhumane and disgusting conditions many endure before the painful slaughter. PETA's new campaign rightfully features 10 excellent reasons to trade turkey for Tofurkey or other vegeterian alternatives this Thursday. Kudos. But the campaign also fills children with disturbing images of a Fido feast, hoping they'll get the kids to guilt parents out of their traditional meal…

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Abe Froman

2:29 pm on Monday, November 21, 2011

PETA could be a group with a noble cause.....I mean, who's not for treating animals ethically? Frankly, I think you can ethically make a porterhouse out of a cow. And puppy mills: I think most of us can agree those aren't good, right? Problem is, PETA clouds up the good things they do with a bunch of crazy talk, and no one can take them seriously. Remember when they SERIOUSLY gave Obama a hard …   more ›