Elizabeth Taylor has died

ABC News, CNN and MSNBC are reporting that Hollywood legend actress Elizabeth Taylor has died at the age of 79.

Taylor entered Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles two months ago for treatment of symptoms of congestive heart failure.

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What Temperature To Cook A Turkey

When it comes to what temperature to cook a turkey, there are two things you need to know.  they are the oven temperature and the inner temperature of the turkey when the cooking is done.

The U.S. government recommends the oven temperature be set at at least 352 oF and the inner temperature in the deepest part of the thigh of the whole turkey or the thickest part of the turkey breast should be at least 165 oF when the cooking is finished.

Turkey when its inner temperature reaches such a temperature is considered safe to eat. At that temperature, bacteria and foodborne pathogens in the turkey get killed.

Turkey Cooking Time

Now the turkey cooking time of a whole turkey is determined by a variety of variables including, but not limited to oven temperature and configuration, the size of the turkey, whether the bird is frozen or stuffed.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture,

A partially or completely frozen turkey requires longer cooking.
A stuffed turkey takes longer to cook than an unstuffed turkey.
The oven may heat food unevenly.
Dark roasting pans cook faster than shiny metals.
The depth and size of the pan can reduce heat circulation to all areas of the turkey.
The use of a foil tent for the entire time can slow cooking.
Use of the roasting pan's lid speeds cooking.
An oven cooking bag can accelerate cooking time.
The rack position can have an affect on even cooking and heat circulation.
A turkey or its pan may be too large for the oven, thus blocking heat circulation.

Turkey Cooking Times and Temperatures

How long to cook a turkey depends on a number variables including the size of turkey, pan size and configuration, oven temperature among other things.

Here is a turkey cooking time table for cooking an unstuffed turkey at the condition given below.

Size of turkey - Cooking time for unstuffed turkey - cooking time for stuffed turkey

4 to 6 pounds (breast) - 1 1/2 to 2 1/4 hours - Not usually applicable

6 to 8 pounds (breast) - 2 1/4 to 3 1/4 hours - 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours
8 to 12 pounds - 2 3/4 to 3 hours - 3 to 3 1/2 hours
12 to 14 pounds - 3 to 3 3/4 hours - 3 1/2 to 4 hours
14 to 18 pounds - 3 3/4 to 4 1/4 hours - 4 to 4 1/4 hours
18 to 20 pounds - 4 1/4 to 4 1/2 hours - 4 1/4 to 4 3/4 hours
20 to 24 pounds - 4 1/2  to 5 hours - 4 3/4  to 5 1/4  hours
For Details: The USA News

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Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

It’s the time of the year again for us to give thanks for all the blessings that we’ve received as we celebrate Thanksgiving Day 2010 tomorrow. Macys joins us with its 84th annual Thanksgiving Parade in New York City.

The Macys Thanksgiving Parade 2010 will kick off the holidays in New York City on the day of Thanksgiving Day itself tomorrow, November 25, 2010 from 9am to 12 noon. Every year, Macy’s exciting holiday tradition is seen by more than 3.5 million people who tune into NBC to watch the wonderful floats, giant balloons, performance groups, funny clowns, marching bands, and their favorite celebrities.

More details: The USA News

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KMart Thanksgiving Day sale

The retail chain KMart has started its Black Friday 2010 sales a day early issuing  Thanksgiving day only ads starting at 6 AM.  The K Mart Thanksgiving day sale showcases board games, computers, cameras and other items in this special sale.

Board games are always a popular gift with three sets of pricing during the special sale.  Marked at $5 are games such as Yahtzee, Candyland, Chutes and Ladders and more.  At $8 are trouble, Twister, Connect 4 and Operation.  The $10 games are Scrabble, Sorry and Clue among others.

The Wii video game system with Wii Sports Resort game and the MotionPlus has a special $25 gaming coupon available upon the system purchase on November 25, 2010.
Read More on: The USA News

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Sweet Potato Pie Recipe

Sweet potato pie, my oh my! What would a Thanksgiving feast be without some comfort food? While sweet potato pie recipes vary, I have my favorite recipe that you will want to try for your dinner. If you have sweet potatoes, spices and butter, you can make this dessert with a minimal budget.

Looking for a sweet potato pie recipe, you came to the right place. Every year, I love to make this recipe and share my fabulous baking talent with my loved ones. Not only is this recipe easy, but it doesn’t require a whole lot of groceries.

Get out your pen and paper or printer ready because here is what you will need to get together for your creation.
For Ingredients: The USA News

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How Long To Cook A Turkey

How long you need to cook a turkey depends on a lot of different variables. We suggest always following recommended cooking techniques and using a meat thermometer to make sure that the bird reaches a temperature to destroy bacteria and prevent things like salmonella poisoning. You also want to be careful not to overcook the turkey.

Other variables also affect the roasting time of the whole bird:

- Dark roasting pans cook faster than shiny metals.
- The depth and size of the pan can reduce heat circulation to all areas of the bird.
- The use of a foil tent for the entire time can slow cooking.
- Use of the roasting pan's lid speeds cooking.
- An oven cooking bag can accelerate cooking time.
- A stuffed bird takes longer to cook.
- Oven may heat food unevenly.
- Calibration of the oven's thermostat may be inaccurate.
- The rack position can have an effect on even cooking and heat circulation.
- A turkey or its pan may be too large for the oven, thus blocking heat circulation
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Butterball Turkey

The makers of Butterball turkey, Twinkies and Wonder Bread have agreed to use less salt in some products as part of a national campaign against high blood pressure.

New York City health officials announced Tuesday that six more big food companies, including Butterball and Hostess, had joined an effort to cut salt levels in packaged foods by 25 percent over the next five years.

The city and other health departments and medical groups across the country are trying to persuade the nation's food manufacturers to voluntarily use less salt. To date, 22 have signed on to the initiative.
                                 
Also joining Tuesday were pretzel and chips maker Snyder's of Hanover, the sausage maker Premio, the tomato and bean packer Furmano's and Delhaize America, which operates 1,600 East Coast supermarkets.

Everyone needs at least some salt, but most Americans consume double the recommended daily amount. Too much salt can lead to high blood pressure, which can be deadly.
For Details: The USA News

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AP News

The Homeland Security Department is proposing to discontinue the color-coded terror alert system that became a symbol of the country's post-9/11 jitters and the butt of late-night talk show jokes.

The 8-year-old system, with its rainbow of five colors — from green, signifying a low threat, to red, meaning severe — became a fixture in airports, in government buildings and on newscasts. Over the past four years, millions of travelers have begun and ended their trips to the sound of airport recordings warning that the threat level is orange.

The system's demise would not be the end of terror alerts; instead, the alerts would become more descriptive and not as colorful. In the past two years, Obama administration officials have changed security protocols without changing the color of the threat, such as introducing new airport security measures after a terrorist tried to bring down a Detroit-bound jetliner last Christmas.

By scrapping the colors, President Barack Obama would abandon a system that critics long have said was too vague to be useful and that Democrats criticized as a political scare tactic. And it would represent a formal undoing of one of the George W. Bush administration's most visible legacies.

Officials confirmed the recommendation and the draft proposal was described to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because other federal agencies are privately weighing in on the idea, and no final decision has been made.

For Details : The USA News......

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Turkey Recipes

Turkey Recipes: Thanksgiving is here and it’s time to talk turkey. But for those tired of feeling as stuffed as the bird their cooking, we have some healthier options that pack those great Thanksgiving flavors into a healthier profile.
Read Full Story: The USA News

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Prince William and Kate Middleton

Prince William and Kate Middleton: The wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton will take place at Westminster Abbey on 29 April, 2011, St James’s Palace announced yesterday.

Two thousand guests are expected to crowd into the 13th Century church to witness the couple exchanging vows, while tens of millions catch the event on television at home. Globally, the ceremony is tipped to attract more than the billion people who saw Prince Charles marry Lady Diana in 1981 .
Read Full Story: The USA News

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