Dear Crabby, Why is Thanksgiving Late this Year? Sincerely, Holly Day Dear Holly, A little known fact is that Thanksgiving is on the fourth Thursday of November, while most people assume it's the last Thursday of the month. Normally, the fourth Thursday and the last Thursday are one in the same. But when you have five Thursdays in a month, it throws off the whole system. You may recall that Turkey Day seemed early last year ... and it was. Still falling on the fourth Thursday, … [Read more...]
Dear Crabby, What Dessert Should I Bring to Dinner?
November 17, 2018 by Leave a Comment
Dear Crabby, I've been invited to Thanksgiving Dinner at the in-laws house and they've asked me to bring dessert, what should I bring? Sincerely, New to the Family Dear New to the Family, Fun times. I can remember, back when I had to woo Mrs. Crabby's parents. I always brought dessert - pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving, cherry pie for Independence Day, apple pie for Christmas and ice cream for every meal - it was tiring. And, for several years I just got a simple half-smile and a … [Read more...]
Dear Crabby, How Late in the Year do you Grill?
September 29, 2018 by Leave a Comment
Dear Crabby, Now that Fall is Here and Many of us are Getting the Yard Ready for Winter, I was Wondering - How Late in the Year do you Grill? Sincerely, Autumn Girl Well, Autumn, why would you stop grilling at all? You know, you can do it year-round ... that is if you don't mind the cold weather or shoveling a path through the snow to your outdoor grill. We used to close the grill up too. Each fall, as the temps fell, I would clean it up one last time and cover it up to … [Read more...]
Shop a Small Business in Oakland County and Score 5K
October 31, 2016 by Leave a Comment
One Holiday Shopper to Score $5,000 for Buying at an Oakland County Small Business on Small Business Saturday Holiday shoppers who make any purchase at any small business in Oakland County on November 26 could find themselves $5,000 richer under a program launched today by Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson. "Small Business Saturday," which takes place the Saturday after Thanksgiving, aims to steer holiday shoppers into independently owned brick and mortar businesses in an … [Read more...]
Food Safety Tips for a Healthy Thanksgiving
November 25, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson encourages residents to stay healthy this Thanksgiving by following the Health Division’s four basic steps of food safety: Clean, Separate, Cook and Chill. “Oakland County’s Health Division offers these safety guidelines to help prevent harmful bacteria from making your loved ones ill this holiday season,” Patterson said. “Remember to keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold.” Hot foods should be kept at 140 degrees Fahrenheit or warmer. On the … [Read more...]
Dear Crabby, Are fewer stores open this Thanksgiving?
November 19, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Dear Crabby, I hear fewer stores are opening on Thanksgiving this year, is this true, are we getting back to the way things used to be? Sincerely, Traditional Girl Dear Traditional Girl, If only, we could get back to the way things used to be. Seems things change quickly in the wrong direction and slowly in the right ones. But you are correct. More stores will be closing this year than in previous years. In recent years, during the recession, retail stores were looking … [Read more...]
Cultivating Gratitude
November 18, 2015 by Leave a Comment
As the Thanksgiving holiday quickly approaches, we begin to plan out our holiday weekends. If you"re hosting Thanksgiving dinner, then you"re collecting recipes, planning your schedule of what to cook and when, you"re assigning family members their dishes to bring to dinner and creating your shopping list. If you"re a Black Friday shopper, then you"re sorting through the shopping ads advertising sales and planning out where you"ll shop and what time you"ll be there. Most of us with young … [Read more...]
Dear Crabby, Do You Shop on Black Friday?
November 26, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Dear Crabby, Do You Shop on Black Friday? Sincerely, Hunter Diels Dear Hunter Diels, Seems like the holidays bring out the shopping questions all too much. I’ve tried shopping on Black Friday, it was horrible, and I’ll never do that again. All that yelling and running – I mean people have died trying to get in a store – no bargain or deal is worth that. I’ve tried buying gifts on the Internet, something called Cyber Monday. That too was a disaster. Shopping is just a chore. What’s … [Read more...]
Hope or Hate?
November 26, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Being Thanksgiving week, I have been reflecting on all of the things I'm thankful for. My list is long, but what happens when you can't find anything to be thankful for? What do you do when life is rough and you just can't seem to smile? When the clouds never seem to part, but the rain and thunder and lightning keep pounding? There are so many in our society that face challenges and tougher problems than I could even imagine. I pass by them every day. Whether it's the single parent at the … [Read more...]
Dear Crabby, What Size Turkey Should I Buy?
November 19, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Dear Crabby, What size turkey should I roast for Thanksgiving Dinner? Thanks, Birdy Day Dear Birdy Day, The bigger, the better, I always say. When it comes to Thanksgiving, America’s first holiday, go big! Leftovers are one of the best things about the noble bird. Now that I’m retired, it lends itself to turkey leftovers for breakfast, lunch and dinner – for days – until it is gone. They say one and half pounds per person. I say plan on five pounds per person. I convince Mrs. Crabby … [Read more...]
