Chefs (and brothers) Matt and Ted Lee have a new book out called The Lee Bros. Simple Fresh Southern: Knockout Dishes with Down-Home Flavor. They appeared on The Today Show to show Matt Lauer and Meredith Vieira how to make some traditional Southern recipes that have been modernized. The brothers cook up Pimiento Cheese Potato Gratin and Caeser Salad With Catfish Croutons. Take a look:
Forbesreports that Seattle's Best, a coffee brand owned by Starbucks, will be sold at Subway. 9,000 U.S. Subway shops will carry Seattle's Best coffee by the end of this year.
Starbucks said Subway will add the brew to more locations next year. Seattle's Best will also be served at 800 Canadian locations by late December.
"We want to be able to take Seattle's Best Coffee out of the shadow of Starbucks and really, for the first time in its history, have a life of its own," Starbucks CFO Troy Alstead said during a conference call Thursday evening
The deal gives Subway a good gourmet coffee to sell which could make it a more attractive destination for coffee lovers. Some Subway shops sell more gourmet items than others. Those that have more gourmet sandwich fillings will likely to sell more gourmet coffee.
Determined to win shoppers' hearts -- and wallets -- at Thanksgiving, Walmart is cutting prices on turkeys and other traditional fixings, as well as on flat-panel TVs.
U.S. stores are selling whole, 12-pound (5.4-kilogram) turkeys for 40 cents a pound starting today, Walmart said in a statement. That's a third of last Thanksgiving's average price in a survey by the American Farm Bureau Federation in Washington.
Starting Nov. 7, the Bentonville, Arkansas-based retailer will sell a Hewlett-Packard Co. notebook computer for $298; a 42-inch (107-centimeters) Sharp Corp. flat-panel TV for $498, down $270 from its regular price, and a 46-inch model, which usually sells for $1,158, for $698, according to Walmart.
The company will cut prices weekly as consumers, pinched by job losses, delay holiday purchases, John Fleming, chief merchandising officer, told analysts Oct. 21. Groceries accounted for 49 percent of U.S. stores sales last year, followed by electronics and other entertainment items, which generated 13 percent of revenue, according to an annual securities filing.
*****
Walmart said it reduced prices on seven items, including turkey, canned vegetables, cranberry sauce, stuffing, a five-pound bag of red potatoes, dinner rolls and a pumpkin roll cake, for a $20 dinner serving eight people. Thanksgiving, officially the fourth Thursday of November, is on November 26 this year.
The National Retail Federation conducted a poll in which 43% of respondents said that they will decide where to shop based on who has the best discounts this holiday season. Store loyalty is out the window: it's all about who has the best deals. Clearly, Walmart is determined to be the store with the best deals.
According to a new industry report, 2,000 Irish pubs are going to close in the next 10 to 15 years as the recession changes consumers' behavior. More of the Irish are doing their drinking at home to save money.
Some 31 percent of bars outside the Dublin area don't expect their venue to continue as a licensed premises after the current owner retires, the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland said today in a report on its Web site. Ireland has about 7,000 bars outside the capital, DIGI said.
Pub sales are falling as unemployment soars, amplifying a trend toward drinking at home. Almost three-quarters of Irish bars said sales have fallen in the last five years, the report shows. Revenue has also been affected after Ireland banned smoking in public places in 2004 and more recently cracked down on drink-driving.
"We're looking at a fairly significant decline in numbers," economist Anthony Foley, author of the report, said at a press conference in Dublin. "We're looking at over two thousand rural pubs disappearing in the next decade or decade and a half."
Since 2004 pub sales have been steadily falling, according to the study, In the last several years, bar sales have fallen by 30%. England's pubs are having the same problems. In fact, some think that the end of the classic Irish and British pubs is not far off.
Chocolate lovers gathered at New York's Chocolate Show to see all the new trends in chocolate. There were freshly roasted chocolate beans, strawberries to dip into a chocolate fountain, a chocolate carving station and a chocolate book store. In addition to the edible treats, there was also some amazing chocolate artwork. Swedish chocolatier Hakan Martensson won praise for his chocolate gothic sculptures.
Martensson creates chocolate artwork that he says can last between 10 to 15 years in the right conditions (no extreme temperatures and no moisture). Prices range from $500 to $2000. He'll even sculpt a special order chocolate portrait of you, if you like. Take a look:
The BBC reports on a British study that linked processed foods to depression. The study in the British Journal of Psychiatry compared the diets of 3,500 middle-aged civil servants and found that those eating the most whole foods had a 26% lower risk of future depression and those who ate a diet high in processed food had a 58% higher risk of depression.
They split the participants into two types of diet - those who ate a diet largely based on whole foods, which includes lots of fruit, vegetables and fish, and those who ate a mainly processed food diet, such as sweetened desserts, fried food, processed meat, refined grains and high-fat dairy products.
After accounting for factors such as gender, age, education, physical activity, smoking habits and chronic diseases, they found a significant difference in future depression risk with the different diets.
Those who ate the most whole foods had a 26% lower risk of future depression than those who at the least whole foods.
By contrast people with a diet high in processed food had a 58% higher risk of depression than those who ate very few processed foods.
If there is any truth to the study then it is bad news for a lot of people because a lot of people eat processed foods. It is hard to blame them because processsed food tends to be the cheapest, easiest to find and the fastest to prepare. Lifestyle changes are not easy but changing your diet might make you feel better if you reduce processed foods and add in more fruits, vegetables and fish.
Starbucks is launching a Mini Starbucks Card designed by Project Runway winner Christian Siriano. The Christian Siriano Mini Starbucks Card will be available in participating stores nationwide and in Canada on November 17, 2009.
Christian Siriano said, "One of the things I love about fashion is that it can change the way you feel inside and out. Put on a fabulous little something and you feel like a new lady! Giving back is the same - it changes what's going on in your life because it changes what's going in your heart. It's true, people! This year, the Card design that I created with Starbucks is all about putting the spirit of fashion and giving into your life for the Holidays. And maybe a Frappuccino Blended beverage, too. I can't get enough of those!!"
As part of the collaboration Starbucks made a donation in honor of Christian Siriano to The Art of Elysium, a non-profit 501(c) (3) organization founded in 1997, which encourages working actors, artists and musicians to voluntarily dedicate their time and talent to children who are battling serious medical conditions. In addition to the one-time donation, Starbucks is supporting Christian's workshop with five lucky girls to help design and create dresses for them to wear to the charity's annual gala in January.
Halloween parties aren't just for kids. Kathie Lee and Hoda learn how to make some ghoulish adult beverages which are just perfect for Halloween. Maureen Petrovsky, author of The Wine Club whips up a Blood Orange Harvest Cocktail, which must be pretty strong because Kathie Lee was snuggling up to Chewbacca after trying one. Next up was the Eyeball Martini, which we are definitely trying out this weekend. For those with a sweet tooth, there was Halloween Punch in a Pumpkin which uses Midori liquor and features a dry ice serving suggestion and some Pumpkin Pie Milkshakes.
What's really funny is that the song from the scene at the Mos Eisley Cantina in the very first Star Wars movie is playing in the background.
Take a look:
You can find the recipes for these fabulously devilish drinks here.
The New York Times has a very interesting -- some might prefer the term disturbing -- feature on Paul Rudnick, an adult male who has essentially lived on candy his entire life. He nibbles a bit on plain bagels and Cheerios, but generally he only eats candy. This has gone on since he was a child. He is thin and in good health. Rudnick is a humorist and playwright, but he says he's not joking about his odd diet.
....It is possible, it seems, to live on candy.
Mr. Rudnick is the living proof. At 51, 5-foot-10 and an enviably lean 150 pounds, Mr. Rudnick does not square with the inevitable mental image of a man who has barely touched a vegetable other than candy corn in nearly a half-century. Apparently, one can not only live on a dessert island, but can also do it happily and long.
"People always assume I'm lying," said Mr. Rudnick earlier this month in his West Village apartment packed from ceiling to floor with Gothic ornamentation. "They always say: 'That can't be true. You'd be dead. Or huge.'"
But as Mr. Rudnick insisted (as he does in I Shudder, a collection of short pieces ranging from recollections to screeds), he is not dissembling or diseased. "There was never a time when I was not refined-sugar-centric," he said flatly. "I was always appalled by almost all other foods; I could not understand why anyone wanted them. I did not like the taste, the smell, the concept."
At the age of 6 he was even sent to a psychiatrist, who told his parents their son was otherwise well-adjusted, and to let him eat what he wanted and just see what happened.
"His advice was, basically, 'Just let it go, otherwise, you will have to tie him down, force feed him, and shield your face from the projectile vomit,'" he recalled. "I was so dead certain about it, so completely unwilling to entertain any options that they basically had no choice."
*****
"People imagine that I eat an entire chocolate cake for dinner," he said. "They think of Willy Wonka-style gluttony, but that's their fantasy."
We've heard of picky eaters, but we've never heard of one who never grew out of it by adulthood to the point where they could at least eat some protein and vegetables without gagging.
Paul eats nuts regularly, so he's getting some protein that way, we suppose. But what about vitamin deficiencies? Wouldn't he have scurvy if he really never ate any citrus or vitamin C? Of course all the cereals are fortified, so perhaps he gets his vitamins that way -- and he does get some iron and Vitamin C from the Raisinets.
Paul doesn't even eat gourmet candy. He just scarfs down elephant peanuts, Yodels, Peeps, Hostess Snowballs and Hostess Cupcakes. It's all junk food -- some might argue that those items aren't real food at all. He'll probably live to be 120 just to spite all the doctors and nutritionists.
You can read a list of Paul's favorite candies here.
Cadbury stock prices have been dropping since U.S.-based Kraft said it wants to buy the company. At the time, analysts thought that Hershey and Nestle would also bid, but that never happened. Kraft made a low offer in August which was rejected. Now Kraft has until November 9 to come up with a formal offer, but it's appearing more likely that the offer won't be that great, because no one else is bidding. So people are dumping the shares in the meantime.
Cadbury dropped for a sixth straight day to 772.5 pence at 9 a.m. in London trading today. The difference between Kraft's offer, valuing the maker of Trident gum at about 726 pence a share, and Cadbury's stock price has narrowed by 44 percent from a Sept. 15 peak in the spread. Investors are less confident about a competing bid from companies such as Nestle SA or Hershey Co.
"We haven't heard anything from the other rumored protagonists," said William Hobbs, who helps manage 134 billion pounds ($220 billion) in assets, including Cadbury shares, at Barclays Wealth in London. "It would be very surprising if Kraft went for a knock-out bid when they come back if they’re not feeling any pressure from Nestle or Hershey."
*****
Kraft, based in Northfield, Illinois, has less than two weeks to come back with a formal offer for Cadbury after proposing a cash-and-stock takeover on Aug. 28, valued at 9.92 billion pounds based on yesterday's closing stock prices. A purchase would add Cadbury's Dairy Milk chocolate to Kraft products including Oreo cookies and Philadelphia cream cheese.
Cadbury is most likely going to be sold to somebody eventually. If Kraft decides to walk away, the chocolate company could stay independent for awhile longer.
Taco Bell is offering one free Black Jack taco on Halloween night from 6 p.m. to midnight. They say it is "not a trick, it's a treat." Details can be found here on Taco Bell's website. Fast food restaurants likely get a lot of buzz for a new item by offering a free giveaway but it must create a lot of chaos at the local restaurants.
Orange juice lovers will be sad at this piece of news: orange juice prices are about to go up quite a bit due to citrus greening disease which is hitting Florida orange trees hard. If the disease is as bad as feared, it will substantially reduce output from the second largest citrus-producing source. Brazil is the primary producer of oranges worldwide.
Orange juice may rise to $1.25 a pound, Geld said today in an interview in Sao Paulo. Futures for January delivery rose 1.6 percent to $1.1725 on ICE Futures U.S. in New York today.
"The citrus greening situation in Florida is very serious and is likely to fuel prices in the next six to 18 months," Geld said. Rising global demand will also contribute to price increases, he said.
The orange harvest in Florida runs from Oct. 1 through January. The U.S. Department of Agriculture said on Oct. 9 that Florida's crop will be 136 million boxes, down from 162.4 million boxes collected a year earlier.
Greening is a bacterial disease that reduces the yield from orange trees and in some cases kills the tree altogether.
kills orange trees and reduces The bacterial disease known as greening can
Angelina Jolie made a birthday cake for Maddox using Sandra Lee's Semi-Homemade concepts. A friend of Angie's told Sandra that she and Maddox like to watch her show on the Food Network and that her No
Bake Birthday Cake was a hit. Sandra told People magazine how thrilled she was that Angelina liked her recipes.
"I was really surprised when her friend let me know she made my No Bake birthday cake," says Lee, whose show hit Food Network show, Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee, provides viewers with no-fuss recipes prepared in minutes. "She's a Semi-Homemade mommy just like the rest of us!"
The cake, which Lee says is "a beautiful display that anyone can do in five minutes," starts with a store-bought white sheet cake, topped with a plain white round cake and then surrounded by cupcakes and pre-decorated cookies. "What's great is that you get to personalize that beautiful display," says Lee.
"She's a very busy, overextended mother," Lee, 43, tells PEOPLE. "I'm very proud not just that she made my cake but that someone of her stature isn't delegating these [tasks], like her children's birthday, to other people. I'm glad she loves the show and that the kids apparently also watch it too."
So what is this No Bake Birthday Cake? Mario Lopez took a turn in the kitchen with Sandra Lee to decorate his own cake. But he keeps putting the wrong cookies on the cake and Sandra gently takes the smiley cookie away from him, admonishing "This is not a Wal-Mart commercial!" It's pretty hilarious. Take a look:
KFC is trying to offer its Kentucky Grilled Chicken for free again. KFC's website says through the day on Monday, October 26th, people can stop in for a free piece of Kentucky Grilled Chicken.
Grilled Nation Declares Monday, October 26 “UNFry Day”
All of us can attain citizenship in Grilled Nation this Monday, October 26, when more than 5,000 KFCs from coast to coast are giving away FREE Kentucky Grilled Chicken during Grilled Nations’ UNofficial holiday, “UNFry Day.” Potential Grilled Nation citizens are encouraged to stop by KFC throughout the day on Monday, Oct. 26, and receive a FREE piece of Kentucky Grilled Chicken.*
“The coast-to-coast success of Kentucky Grilled Chicken has proven that America really does have good taste,” said Javier Benito, executive vice president of marketing and food innovation for KFC. “We hope that the United Nations recognizes the growth of Grilled Nation as proof that 60 million people deserve some delectable international diplomacy. And that UN employees deserve a break for a KGC lunch.”
Hopefully, it will go better thas time than the Oprah offer that overwhelmed KFC's stores. KFC's idea of repairing potholes is a much better one than the free chicken idea.
Forbes 
Today is National Oatmeal Day! It's a day when oatmeal is celebrated and cherished all around the United States. Here are some oatmeal highlights:
KFC is trying to offer its Kentucky Grilled Chicken for free again. KFC's website 
