This weekend I was given a challenge: Cook at Christmas dinner that would feed a family of five for under $50. I accepted! And I knew immediately what the key to this mission would be. I had to move MEAT from a starring role to a supporting role in the meal.

Meat tends to be the most expensive ingredient in a dinner. So I decided to use something high-quality and special, but just use less of it. My family likes lamb for Christmas, so I thought, why not make a Christmas lasagna with ground lamb instead of the usual beef? Of course, if your family isn't into lamb you could use Italian sausage (YUM!) or just ground beef. Here's what else I made for our under-$50 meal.

For one New Hampshire family, a casual trip to Friendly's turned into a bit of a nightmare in which insult was added to injury once they finally got the check. After an exceptionally frustrating dining experience, Dawn Cunningham said the message she found on her check was shocking and unacceptable.

After waiting for more than 30 minutes to order, Cunningham said she flagged down a waitress who took their order and then left. Never putting it in. They were brought the wrong food. Twice! And then the cherry on top. The bill. What did it say?

ZOMG, porchetta roast I didn't have to make myself!Would you love it if on Christmas morning Santa left YOU a present -- a fabulous, fully cooked holiday meal? It's a little fantasy of mine. I love cooking, and I especially love planning big holiday dinners. But as the years go on, I'm less excited about spending whole days in the kitchen. It's time to simplify, right?

So I'm looking at ways I can deliver more bang for less time. No, I won't be ordering Christmas dinner from Boston Market (hee hee!). But I'm planning some shortcuts that don't mean a compromise in deliciousness and holiday glam.

Ohhh -- Thanksgiving. How we love you! And how we love the alcohol that is hopefully available -- and flowing quite nicely -- on this family-filled day.

Whether you are drinking an ice cold beer, an oaky red wine, or something much harder and on the rocks -- we thought we'd help you add a little spice to your Turkey Day with a drinking game the whole (over 21) family can play.

It's really quite simple.

Among my favorite childhood memories is the Kids' Table. I come from a big family (five kids) within an even bigger family (my dad has 13 brothers and sisters). The grownups were always only too happy to seat us all at a separate table so they could actually have a civilized conversation with each other. And that was just fine with us! The last thing we wanted to have was a civilized conversation.

Ordinarily I'm all for families all eating together around the same table, but there are certain occasions when a kids' table is called for. Here are my kids' table guidelines. 

Say what you will about Honey Boo Boo and her reality TV clan, but one thing is for sure -- they know how to have a good time. Whether they are mud bogging or extreme couponing, Alana, her mama June, daddy Mike (aka Sugar Bear), and sisters Chickadee, Chubbs, and Pumpkin enjoy quality time with each other. They especially love sharing big, pants-bursting, down-home meals. We've watched them happily devour everything from "sketti" to cheesy puffs to baby back ribs and clearly they enjoyed every finger-lickin' moment. So this Thanksgiving, we have crafted the perfect Thanksgiving menu for the sassy, pint-sized pageant queen and her kin.

From pig's feet to fried pie, this is a holiday meal Honey Boo Boo style:

Yesterday, I was sent a group email asking me to list things I’m thankful for that aren’t traditional, like: "my family," "food on the table," etc. Other moms on the email tree were coming back with beautiful sentiments about new friendships, the help of strangers, and averting disasters.

I didn’t respond because everything I thought of seemed trite, superficial, and a tad less profound.  However, I did write a list, and frankly, I'll share it with you because these things totally deserve thanks in my book -- just refrain from saying them around the dinner table.

1. I am thankful for the dimmer switch in my bedroom.

2. I am thankful that I keep a pair of tweezers in my car.

3. I am thankful my daughter has not lost faith in the tooth fairy, and my son goes along with it.

4. I am thankful I didn't have an affair with the head of the CIA.

5. I am thankful for Homeland -- somehow that red-headed guy is really sexy?!

There's not much better on a chilly fall evening than chili, unless we're talking chicken chili. It' has all of warm, comforting heartiness of a traditional beef-based chili, but it gets a nice, lighter twist with chicken instead. 

I've tried a lot of chicken chili recipes over the years, but inevitably I come back to this one by Ina Garten from Food Network. It's the perfect consistency and full of peppers, tomatoes, and an array of spices that come together into one bowl of deliciousness. I love to serve it to my family or for small get togethers with tons of toppings like cheeses, chopped green onions, sour cream avocados, tortilla chips, and more.

To save time, I usually skip a step in her recipe, and instead of cooking the chicken myself, I start with a couple of breasts from a rotisserie chicken and go from there. I also like to add a can of white beans to thicken it up too.