Watching Rachael Ray

We jump right into the kitchen right away on Wednesday, where Rachael talks about the Christmas Eve tradition of eating fish. News to me! But she comes up with a new twist on the cioppino - a White Cioppino. And naturally, she has to assure us that if we don’t like anchovies - we’re wrong. She swears they taste like nuts, and maybe I just got the wrong kind, but every time I’ve tried it, they still taste like fish.

Susan Lucci, the daytime diva, joined Rachael in the kitchen to learn how to make it as well. How skinny can that woman be? SERIOUSLY? They talk about gift giving a bit, and how Susan loves to celebrate everything and does all the decorating. She told the tale of how she convinced her daughter Liza to believe in Santa one more year, by having an opera singer pose as Santa and pay a visit.

**We did the same thing one year with my older kids, using my brother in law. He ran across the yard next door, and Ho Ho Ho’d and my son, who was bout 8 at the time and been told that if he wasn’t asleep Santa wouldn’t come, he DOVE back into his bed, closed his eyes and was asleep in seconds. It was hysterical! They’re older now, of course, but if you ask them they will still say they believe, because in my house, if you don’t believe in Santa, you get no gifts from him. Saved my youngest from having her bubble of belief burst too soon!**

Next up was the cheesiest Makeover segment EVER! Entertainment Tonight’s style expert, Cojo, visits Mandy on her cheese farm to help her rediscover her girly side. Spending 12 hours a day in rubber pants doesn’t help keep the fashion sense up to date! After a day mooing it up on the farm, Cojo takes Mandy shopping in New York City, and the makeover results were unveiled on the show - she looks ADORABLE as a blond!

Cojo, of course, gives off lessons for updating a look, too:

Edit your outfit by picking one trend. “That’s the oldest thing my mother taught me — when you look in the mirror, bring it down. You want to get to the point where it’s still you.”

Look for dresses with built-in accessories. “When you don’t know what you’re doing and you’re looking for a nice dress for the holidays, look for dresses which you don’t have to accessorize.”

Wear shoes with color to help make your outfit stand out. “What’s really modern right now is to have a burst of color, to wear a shoe that’s unexpected.”

Use high heels to lengthen your body. “This is not anything new, but a heel really does lengthen.”

What’s for dinner? Some quick holiday breakfast versions of her Polenta Egg Cups with Balsamic-Roasted Grapes and Sausage - French Toast Cups with Fresh Fruit & Cream, and Ham, Leek & Gruyere Baked Egg Cups. Yum-o!

There were tears all around on Tuesday as Valerie Bertinelli joined Rachael in order to help change an extraordinary young man’s life. Many of us remember being 20 as being a time of parties and exploring ourselves, but for Joey it was something different. He made the decision then to take in and fight for the custody of his twin sister’s sons who had been taken away and were about to be put into foster care. He proved that he meant business by taking parenting classes and doing everything to prove the Child Services wrong - some men are more then capable to take care of kids on their own - even one with special needs.

He does have the help of guardian angels, friends who have helped fill in whatever gaps he needed in order to assure the kids were taken care of. Nicole pulled the night shift and stayed with the boys every night for two years while Joey worked, and his friend Hector moved in to help lighten the load, while Jill lends a helping hand. The adoptions became official just a year ago, but it’s clear they’ve always known Joey as dad.

Valerie went to make some big changes for Joey and the boys, and once the surprises started, they didn’t stop. Joey was surprised, and said he felt like he wasn’t doing anything big, just what he had to do for his family. First there was a $3000 shopping spree at Toys R Us and Sears, then the boys got to do some secret shopping of their own for Joey. At the studio, there were gift cards for Hector, Jill and Nicole, and Rachael had spoken to Joey’s boss and gotten him a raise and Christmas bonus - plus dinner every week-night for a year from Home Bistro.com! Last, but definitely not least, they surprised him with $50,000 to use as he sees fit however his family needs. It left him speechless, and there were tears all around…

Then we switched gears completely, and just for the suxors, and other nay sayers, Rachael gives us a personal tour of the 30 Minute Meals set, and we get to see the whole process from beginning to end. They show 22 minutes of cooking time, in four segments in a process that is completely mapped out to make sure they get the finished product at the end. They map it all out, then let her go, and no one does anything for her.

Her food designer Joey makes sure everything is in the right place so that she can grab it at the right time without having to search for it. Even he’s amazed at how much she carries at once! They do figure out how much she does over the break, and makes sure that people get to see all the important stuff and misses nothing. She really does it all in just 30 minutes. Of course, we don’t have set designers and people mapping out our every move to save time, but I’ve found most of her recipes I too, can do in about 30 minutes. It’s all good!

And hey, it’s not the Rachael Ray show without something for dinner - it’s a Tuesday Two-fer! Elsa’s Chicken Curry and Elsa’s Chicken Soup with Broken Spaghetti.

Hey ya’ll! Before we get back to the recap wonderland, I wanted to clue you in on an event brought to our attention by buddy Kristen! Going to be in New York on Saturday? Check it out!

Here’s what Kristen had to say:

Happy Holidays! I wanted to let you know that Rachael Ray and Dunkin’ Donuts will take over New York this Saturday, December 1st, to kick off the holiday season and honor our armed forces. Below is information regarding the event.

All Aboard the Gingerbread Express!

Holiday Cheer and Free Transportation for New York City Shoppers

Help Rachael Ray and Dunkin’ Donuts Launch
National Card Drive for Non-Profit, Soldiers’ Angels

WHAT: Rachael Ray will be at the New York Waterway Terminal on the Hudson River to greet holiday shoppers.

Here she’ll announce a one-ton donation of Dunkin’ Donuts coffee to Soldiers’ Angels, one of the nation’s largest volunteer-based nonprofit military support organizations providing aid and comfort to our nation’s deployed soldiers and their families. Rachael Ray will also greet armed services personnel and announce a national holiday card drive with Dunkin’ Donuts and Soldiers’ Angels.

New York City holiday shoppers will be urged to fill out holiday cards that will be sent to service men and women stationed outside the U.S. Shoppers can then hop on the Gingerbread Express, a trolley service offering free rides to top Manhattan shopping destinations.

WHEN: Saturday, December 1, 2007 from 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Coffee presentation and remarks by Rachael Ray to run from approximately 10:00 – 10:40 AM
Rachael Ray available for comment and photos 10:40 – 11:00 AM

WHERE: New York Waterway Terminal, West 39th Street and the Hudson River, New York

WHY?

• Rachael Ray donating one ton of coffee to Soldiers’ Angels founder, Patti Patton-Bader, and armed services personnel
• Rachael Ray launches national card drive with Dunkin’ Donuts and Soldiers’ Angels
• Rachael Ray with armed services personnel at holiday event
• Interviews with Rachael Ray
• Free samples of Gingerbread Lattes and Hot Chocolate
• Old-fashioned trolleys providing free transportation for NY Waterway Terminal passengers to top shopping destinations in Manhattan

####

About Dunkin’ Donuts
Founded in 1950, today Dunkin’ Donuts is the number one retailer of coffee-by-the-cup in America, selling 2.7 million cups a day, nearly one billion cups a year. Dunkin’ Donuts is also the largest coffee and baked goods chain in the world and sells more donuts, coffee, and bagels than any other quick service restaurant in America. Dunkin’ Donuts has more than 6,700 shops in 29 countries worldwide. Based in Canton, Massachusetts, Dunkin’ Donuts is a subsidiary of Dunkin’ Brands, Inc. For more information, visit www.DunkinDonuts.com.

About Soldiers’ Angels
Soldiers’ Angels is a volunteer-based, 501 ( c )(3) nonprofit organization providing aid and comfort to the military and their families. Since its founding in 2003, over 140,000 volunteers have adopted more than 100,000 soldiers. In addition to sending letters and holiday cards, Soldiers’ Angels has sent over 250,000 care packages, distributed 75,000 comfort scarves to our soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, and purchased 30,000 phone cards for soldiers to call their families. There are also special services and programs for the wounded and their families including purchasing over 2,100 laptops with voice activation software. The organization does everything it can to live up to its motto – “May no soldier go unloved. May no soldier walk alone. May no soldier be forgotten, Until they all come home.”

We jump right into the competition at the top of the show, with the revealing of the famous celebrity judge for the final So You Think You Can Cook challenge - and it’s none other then Marcia Cross from Desperate Housewives! Jen and Martika have their work cut out for them, as they hit the stage for a quick challenge to see who gets the advantage for the final throwdown!

In the 90 second juicing challenge, Jen just barely edges out Martika which allows her to pick her three appetizer ingredients, and assign Martika hers as well. Jen chose the prosciutto, goat cheese, and filet minion, and she assigned Martika the wild mushrooms, sea scallops and pomegranate molasses. The previous contestants also made an appearance, and Jen got to choose an assistant, and provide Martika with one as well. Unsurprisingly, Jen chose Ben, and gave Martika Chuck to work with.

Colby gives them the last “So you think you can cook? Prove it!” and it’s a race to the kitchen where they have 20 minutes to make 3 appetizers for Marcia Cross and the culinary staff to judge. While they were working, Marcia joined Rachael at the kitchen table to talk about the new babies, Desperate Housewives, and how awful it was to have her babies then have to go back to wearing the fake belly.

Marcia also brought along her newest project in partnership with hallmark - the Legacy Keeper, a memory-keeping product that helps preserve family histories. It even has an mp3 digital recorder so that you can have the story in their own words, plus lots of places to store keepsakes and such. It’s a beautiful idea!

Rachael joins Colby in counting down the last few seconds, and find out what they made. Jen and Ben made Filet Tartar stuffed with goat cheese on bread, Sweet and Sassy Cream Cheese Dip on toast, and Prosciutto, Tomato and Basil Toast.

Martika made wild mushrooms in tamari sauce and stuffed with mushrooms, sea scallops marinated in the molasses, and crustinis topped with a sausage topping.

While the tasting and decision making was going on, Rachael made dinner - Tenderloin Steaks with roasted Tomato Steak Sauce & Sage Brown Butter - Balsamic Ravioli. Afterwards, it’s time for the reveal of the winner! The culinary team felt Jen did pretty well, they liked the middle dish, and the last dish, but the raw meat was not something they’d ever serve and it was under-seasoned.

Martika was told she under-seasoned her dishes, and the scallops could have been seared. It was close, again, but in the end Jen is declared the winner of the first So You Think You Can Cook competition!

Monday
So You Think You Can Cook?! Finale

The final two competitors in Rachael’s cooking challenge race to the finish and this time winner takes all! The clock is ticking as celebrity judge Marcia Cross helps decide whose dream will come true. Plus, you can talk to all five contestants on the message boards starting at 4 p.m. ET! Get caught up with the challenge now!

Tuesday
Valerie Bertinelli’s Huge Christmas Surprise

Meet a remarkable young man who went from single guy to single dad of three when he was 20 years old… and then see how Rach’s buddy is helping us change his family’s life forever! Once the surprises start for this hero, they just don’t stop. Plus, does Rachael really make her 30-minute meals that quickly? Get a revealing one-time only look behind the scenes of her Food Network hit to find out!

Wednesday
Susan Lucci

The most famous soap opera star on the planet is giving us a glimpse inside Christmas with her family, and Rachael’s sharing her favorite Christmas Eve tradition. Plus, Cojo works his fashionista magic by turning a farm girl into an “it” girl in no time!

Thursday
Mark Steines’ Tips for the Perfect Holiday Card

Entertainment Tonight’s Mark Steines brings us all the buzz from the red carpet, and now he’s turning the camera on his own family as he shares tips for making the perfect holiday card. Then, before you go holiday shopping, get Colby and Gretta’s “he said/she said” guide to gift giving!

Friday
Deborah Norville

Rach is actually baking with Inside Edition’s Deborah Norville, who’s getting us ready for the holidays with her favorite cakes and family traditions. Then, one of Nascar’s sexiest drivers is steaming up Lara Spencer’s “dish,” and a girl who exchanged a Bat Mitzvah present for one of Rachael’s knives gets the surprise of her life!

Geri dropped us a comment a couple posts back, asking about some links from today’s Dish with Lara Spenser - Your wish is my command, Geri! Are your tootsies tired from all the Black Friday shopping? You need these - the Health-o-Meter Massaging Booties (which made Rachael bust out laughing when she turned them on. Hahah!) And don’t forget to check out your hair makeover with the InStyle Hollywood Hair Makeover, your Halo Germ-Killing Vacumm Cleaner, and Dr. Hauschka Holistic Home Remedies.

An excellent tip for you’re Holiday shopping - keep a separate envelope just for the holiday receipts! That way you’ll have them handy if you need them for returns afterwards and don’t be afraid to take gift receipts if they’re offered. Other tips - take advantage of price matching, bring the newspaper ads with you, and check out the websites or call the stores to get their extended hours. And of course, dress comfortably!

Dustin Hoffman joins Rachael again, to talk about the new movie, Mr. Magoruim’s Wonder Emporium, and how he wished he could dress that outrageously sometimes. he then helped with another Stomp the Rach - where we saw Bear Claw Scoops, Muttluks Dog Boots (We see dog booties up here in Alaska all the time!), Snowman Maker made with SnoWonder Instant Snow.

Justin Willman (check out this exclusive, where he explains the name change!) heads to UPS to tag along and see how they manage the heavy Holiday load - he also picked up some good tips for those of us shipping gifts!

– Don’t ship perfume. They may be popular gifts, but the government prohibits the shipment of cologne and perfume as they contain alcohol and are flammable.

– Inspect your shipping boxes. It’s best to use new boxes, but if you want to reuse them make sure they are in good condition and the structure is strong before they are used to ship another gift.

– Batteries not included. For electronics and toys keep the batteries separate as they can leak and destroy the gift. And, if it accidentally turns on and the box makes noise the package will be destroyed out of security concerns.

– Stick to clear packing tape. The clear tape will hold up better during the trip than masking or duct tape.

All of that AND an Un-Beet-Lievable Pasta with Tomato & Arugula Salad.

Yes, while waiting for the Turkey and fixings to finish (thanks mom!) I got in a quick watch of Rachael Ray’s Thanksgiving Day special - full of thanks, and giving, high school memories AND Turkey carving tips! All that and recipes too? What more could we ask for?

As Rachael’s thanksgiving traditions are the same as mine - stuffing ourselves, and watching movies while we nap - she shared some traditions from viewers! The all aluminum settings for clean-up “so easy a man could do it” made me giggle, and the signed tablecloth that is later embroidered is a sweet tradition and way to keep a yearbook of everyone who attends your family meals!

Her staff got into the gift giving groove today to share their favorite gifts for the season. The list included: Foot Petals, Dome Vented Hair Brush, Left-Center-Right Game, LeSportsac, LG White Chocolate Phone, Norelco Vacuum Beard Trimmer, and not one, but two CD mix tapes from Rachael!

Rachael joined some of her friends at City Harvest (the same organization that gets all the extra food she makes), Tim Robbins, and Susan Sarandon share their experiences, and give intormation on how to get involved - check around your area for organizations that could use your help this Holiday Season!

Rachael also took us on a trip back to her High School, before introducing us to an 8-year-old boy, Johnny who isn’t a picky eater, but won’t eat a single sandwich. Rachael finds a winner with her Peanut Butter Apple and Honey Wafflewich, though, as it’s not soggy and tastes good too. (She also tried an Italian sammie - but who wouldn’t go for waffles instead?) All of that, plus Quick Turkey Croquettes, Mashed Potato Soup AND Spanish style Turkey Quesadillas!

Sounds like a lot to be thankful for to me!

Just in time for Thanksgiving (though I’m posting it late, due to my own celebrations! - so, for those cooking Turkey’s for Christmas! Yes!), the Butterball Ladies were on hand with Rachael to give some last minute Turkey Tips. Mary Clingman and Carol Miller have been manning the Turkey 911 phones for a combined 47 years! They gave us tips on the fastest way to thaw your turkey, to a turkey sauna and grilling the Turkey so the man does the work!

Our buddy Colby Donaldson (oh that Survivor gets around!) takes us behind the scenes of Us Weekly, where we followed them from idea to cover, and get the scoop on who decides what’s a trend and who is tracking the stories people line up to read? They look pretty relaxed for a race against the clock, but there’s still that bit of tension as they have to pull a picture, find another and decide on the newest Brittany Spears cover - and how Sharon Stone’s infamous spandex get up spawned a “what if my mother wore this?” section. 52 covers a year, 70-75 edit pages to fill on a weekly basis - it’s a magazine that keeps everyone on their toes for sure!

And last but not least, Amy Adams breaks the mold by telling Rachael what her least favorite dish for Thanksgiving is - the jello mold with carrots and raisons in it! Amy admits that Patrick Dempsey is pretty dreamy to kiss, too. Like there was any doubt!

Need new leftover ideas? Check out Thanksgiving Stromboli, Crudites Salad with Ranch Dressing, and Quick Stovetop Gravy.

The top of the show today was all about the Cranberry Sauce for Thanksgiving. Rachael doctors up the canned sauce in four different ways, sure to make everyone’s mouth water! Apple-Walnut Cranberry Sauce, Cranberry Sauce with Shallots & Chives, Cranberry Sauce with Chipotle & Cilantro, and Orange-Cranberry Sauce - yum-o!

And then, the crowd goes wild as Dr. McSteamy, Eric Dane is in the house! (Dude - he was in X-Men?! I didn’t know that!) He joins Rachael at the head of the table, and talks about some of the funnier moments of fandom - a woman latched on and started screaming “take the picture!” and he was smiling for everyone. Turns out there was no friend with a camera, she was just hoping SOMEONE would take one for her! Ha!

He dishes a bit about his wife, Rebecca Gayheart, and says she totally ups his stock. When asked what he loves best, he says “I’ve seen her naked” and then switched to a pg answer, saying he loves her laugh. Then he confesses to what he’s really doing during those operation scenes - making a peanut butter sandwich. Ha!

Rachael’s buddy Kristen recently redid three of the dressing rooms for Rachael and she’s been dropping hint after hint hoping that Kristin would take said hint and redo the room for her too. She completely transforms the room with some great ebay purchases, vintage looks and a touch of glam - I LOVE the mother of pearl wallpaper - how fabulous! And naturally, I would like the most expensive thing in the room. Heh.

Rachel, of course loves it, and then they go on to give some little tips and ticks to make a big difference in your own rooms - from lightbulb changes in your chandelier, to making your own pillows with iron on ribbon, and changing the hardware on dressers and the like for new style. We love DIY Kristen!

What’s for dinner tonight? Pumpkin Sausage Lasagna.

It’s Monday, so you know what that means (at least for two more weeks!) It’s time for So You Think you Can Cook and it dominated most of the show. After a quick recap of what happened in the past two weeks, the three remaining contestants, Martika, Jen and Ben, were brought out to join the audience and watch this weeks challenge along with us, and nervously await the results.

(Side comment: Uh, foreshadow much, there Rach? Like we couldn’t tell who was going home by the carefully unscripted yet pointed banter….)

For this weeks challenge, they piled into the car, without knowing where they were going, and ended up at an elementary school where my boy Colby Donaldson gives them their task. They have 90 minutes to cook enough food for 25 third graders, using a different ingredient trio. The judges will be the kids, a panel, and a licensed dietician.

Martika, as the winner of the last challenge, gets to choose her food trio, and delegate the other two. She chose the ground turkey, whole wheat pasta, peas, Jen got the chicken breast, broccoli, brown rice, and Ben is stuck with the task of selling fish to kids with the talapia, zucchini and potatoes. (thank goodness they said fish - I’d never heard of talapia!!) They’re taken to the prep kitchen, given a couple helpers to help with the prepwork, and told yet again “So you think you can cook? Prove it!”

Ben went for baked fish sticks, and zucchini bread with creamcheese topping, as well as baked fries on the side. Martika chose the turkey because kids love meatballs - she went with an Italian parmasan meatball over pasta with marinara sauce, with the peas on the side simply cooked in butter and garlic. Jen opted for baked cornmeal and wheat cracker encrusted chicken, roasted broccoli with cheese, and brown rice with bell peppers and celery. Ben tells us he was confident, and gave them something that looked like it was fried, but was much healthier and thought the kids would go for it.

There was a little bit of controversy as Martika kept opening the over to turn her meatballs, letting all the heat out which made Jen’s chicken take longer then planned, but they all got it done and down to the cafeteria on time - seconds before the bell rang! The kids swarmed the cafeteria, and the debate commenced. The kids were not shy about giving their opinions on what they liked and didn’t like, while the dietician commented that to get kids to eat healthy, you have to blow them away. She wasn’t sure she saw that. We went back to the studio to await the verdict at the end of the show!

Rachael’s friend today? Bob Green joins her in the kitchen to make a more figure friendly pumpkin pie. He is all about all things in moderation, and he loves to treat himself with sweets on occasion, in order to help you stay on your program. Watch the pre-prepared crusts, one made at home, a simple graham cracker crust is much healthier for you! Use the whole wheat ones, and also a transfat free vegetable shortening. Eat more pie, you need a little fat, and the end result looked divine!

And then, he gives some tips for not packing so much turkey down the hatch - don’t show up starving! Make it more about the people instead of the food - the friends and family are most important, the food should compliment it instead of overindulging yourself into a coma. He then shows Rachael how to make a Vanilla Caramel Truffle Latte, which is healthy, AND if you drink warm drinks, you tend to eat 100 to 150 less calories afterwards!

Rachael then shows us how to make her Wild Mushroom Turkey Cutlets with Wilted Spinach for dinner, and it’s judgment time for our SYTYCC contestants! (Creepy lighting time!)

Martika, the kids liked the meatballs, but left the peas alone. Everyone thought it was tasty, but thought she needed to do something to hide the peas.

Ben had the hardest task, selling the fish - the kids loved the fries, but wouldn’t eat more then a bite of the fish, the dietician liked the fries, but thought the shortbread was a little over the top health wise - good marks from the culinary team though!

Jen - the kids loved the broccoli, and the chicken, and everyone liked the rice though the cornmeal coating was a little tasty.

The winner of the challenge? Jen! She and Ben share a big hug. He’d said earlier that hands down, his new buddy Jen deserved to win… that was the foreshadowing I mentioned… because right after the commercial break, Martika was also sent to the kitchen table, while Ben was sent home with a doggy bag.

Tune in next Monday for the So You Think You Can Cook finale - who do YOU think should win? Jen or Martika? I think Ben got a bum rap, having to work with fish for kids. My kids like fish- but different kinds. One only likes Salmon, the other only likes Halibut, and the youngest loves all kinds of fish just keep it coming, mom!

PS - for those who are looking for the weekly grocery list, and information on how to get on the Rachael Ray show? Check out the buttons down there on the sidebar, give a click, and be sure to let us know how it goes!

Monday
So You Think You Can Cook?! Round 3

We’re down to three contestants in our “So You Think You Can Cook?!” competition, and they face their toughest critics yet when they make lunch for third graders! Who will make the cut and be back next week to compete for the ultimate grand prize? Then, Rachael and her friends shake up the traditional Thanksgiving menu with Bob Greene’s figure-friendly pumpkin pie!

Tuesday
Eric Dane

Grey’s Anatomy star Eric Dane stops by for our “Friends of Rach Thanksgiving Countdown!” McSteamy is spilling the secrets about his Hollywood marriage, and then Rach has a surprise in store for him! Plus, Kristan Cunningham is making over Rachael’s dressing room and sharing tips for transforming any room in your house.

Wednesday
Behind the Scenes of Us Weekly

With Thanksgiving only one day away, the pros are sharing last-minute turkey tips that could save you from disaster! Then, Enchanted’s Amy Adams dishes on what it’s like to kiss her hunky co-star Patrick Dempsey, and Colby heads behind the closed doors of celebrity magazine Us Weekly.

Thursday
Thanksgiving Day Special

Rachael has step-by-step tips for carving your bird, recipes for all those leftovers, and charitable ideas as the holiday season begins. Plus, she’s heading back to her high school and the staff is sharing their favorite gift ideas.

Friday
Dustin Hoffman

It’s Rachael vs. Dustin Hoffman when the Hollywood legend challenges her to a game of “Stump the Rach!” Then, Justin Willman is investigating - and demonstrating - how those UPS men get ready for the heavy lifting of the Christmas crunch. What’s for dinner? Don’t miss Rachael’s un-beet-lievable pasta.

Ok, not really, but how’s that for getting all the highlighted guests and segments on today’s show, huh? It’s Friday, and you know what that means, Lara Spencer is back with The Dish!

Today’s goodies include:
The Erin Condren Growth Chart – personalized and with celebs, it’s a cute fun way to track your families height and see where you stake up against your favorite stars, or an even an Ewok.

The Blueprint Cleanse – cleans and detoxify with a three days juice diet. Rachael tried them and said they weren’t bad, but check out blueprintcleanse.com for more information on them.

Jo Malone Candles has a great hostess gift – candles that don’t perfume the air and take away from the great smell of holiday meals!

The Original Christmas Classics are available as a set this year, and the Spice Girls Greatest Hits is out at a Victoria’s Secret near you!

And yes, as reported by People Magazine, today is the day that Rachael bit back at the tabloids and the rumors about her marriage. She declares them grotesquely happy, they’ve always been happy, she loves him desperately and would never give up free legal advise, a rockstar, a great cook and a goodlooking guy to boot – no one will stop writing that crap until folks stop buying it, but rest assured that she and John are happy together. She hates the way it goes, and she doesn’t take it seriously, but friends and family can be hurt. Lara adds that they wouldn’t talk about Rachael if she weren’t popular. So here’s to Rachael and John – and I do wish them many more years of happiness for the tabloids to lie about!

Then, Teri Hatcher and her daughter Emerson join Rachael in the kitchen to share with us three Hatcher family recipes for Thanksgiving. She debut’s her cutting kit for kids, and Emerson gets the very first set. Her mama makes her wear the glove too – and that lasts all of two seconds before she takes it off again – too funny. The share Teri’s Souped-up Box Stuffing, in two versions – Sausage and Vegetarian. Teri also shares her recipe for Ginger Mashed Sweet Potatoes. She also donates her dress she wore in an ad campaign to the Yum-O organization to be auctioned off!

After a birthday cake for Emerson, the ever-dreamy voiced Seal joins Rachael to talk about his idols, his life with Heidi and the kids, and the new album. I can’t believe I’ve never actually listened to the man talk – what a dreamy accent! He’s so soft spoken, and.. well… “Amazing”!

What’s for dinner? Elsa’s Beef & Burgundy!

Ok, I know I’ve been mentioning the outfits more then ever – but it’s gotten UGLY up in here.. Rachael, Rachael, Rachael – just because it’s fall, just because it’s thanksgiving, just because your getting ready for family and who cares what family thinks of ya – that does not mean you can subject us to such monstrosities. I think I wore a dress like that back in the 80s, and it was ugly THEN. Recently it was said that if you don’t like an outfit you won’t wear it- WHAT HAPPENED?

Just. Yuck.

But right off the bat, we have the winner of The Next Food network Star season two – Guy Fieri – in the kitchen with Rachael for his fast talking personality filled segment. He and Rachael have a great time bantering back and forth, and enjoy his Pepperoni stuffing. Looked fabulous! He also told us that he changes it up every thanksgiving instead of doing the same thing every year. There’s a reason though – he’s forgotten what he did last year!

And who doesn’t love John Stamos? If you don’t, I’m not sure I can like you anymore. I’m just sayin’. Anyway, he takes us to his favorite room in his house, his living room – where his prized possession is, his jukebox. From there, he joins Rach on set and talks everything from ER and love triangles, to his dog Linka, and making fun of Rachael as she spits, to playing with the beach boys and sexy guitars. He is SO cute, and funny too. He did beg Rachael to make his Thanksgiving dinner, and just let him freeze it, but she said no, but did give him a cookbook to aid his cooking with his mama.

We check in with buddy Valerie Bertinelli on the road for some of her favorite tips for feeling at home away from home. Travel with your favorite things, get mementos from our loved ones, exercise, and scour out new comfort restaurants and don’t forget to pamper yourself!

Last, but not least – don’t forget to hit up the site for a 15% discount from FTD Florists, and what’s for dinner? Mighty Minestrone!

Today’s friend to join Rachael in her Thanksgiving countdown was none other then the ever buxom and beautiful Nigella Lawson! Who, while looking sexy in her little skintight outfit, I think she would have looked even more stunning in something a little looser and more form flattering - since she has such a gorgeous figure! And I won’t even get started on the rosettes or turkeys or whatever it was all over that dress of Rachaels. The dress itself was very flattering in shape - just ugly.

Nigella was just the same as she is on her Food Network show, talkative with that lovely British accent, carrying on in the Kitchen as they made her Butternut Squash with Pecans & Blue Cheese, after she took a peek into Rachael’s fridge - something she has to do in every friends kitchen, she says. It’s a bit like looking in the medicine cabinet in a friend’s bathroom, huh?

Nigella also gave a little tour of her studio kitchen, where she caressed her own fridge, where she gives us mom’s a hint for keeping the kids away from our chocolate stash - hide it in a vegetable bin! And Chocolate bars with bacon in it? WHERE DO I FIND THIS?! Oh. Mah. Gravy. (ETA - FOUND THEM!!)

Nigella also made her Blackberry Crisp, which she says should be called blackberry soggy because it always ends up that way, but “protocol” declares otherwise. Truth be told, it was just lovely to listen to her talk - I am a sucker for accents!

Then! To find out who was a self-declared nerd in high school, they pieced a puzzle for two audience members, until they figured out who it was - I caught it one piece before they did, Taye Diggs! (Where’s my dinner, Rachael? huh?) Of course, I’ve been in lust for Taye Diggs ever since Stella Got her Groove Back, so, there’s that.

They chatted about the new show, which is a lot of fun with song and dance behind the scenes, and his small modern dance company that performs around the city - Dance has always been part of his life, and has always been a part of him. And the nerd part? He brought along high school pictures to prove his point, and says he was a big geek, and his friends and family still tease him when people call him sexy or hunky - they’re all “ah, no.”

Then, after a quick view tip about making Pineapple Turkey centerpieces - it’s back to the kitchen for dinner: Braised Brussels Sprouts, Creamy Polenta with Butternut Squash, and Marsala Mushroom Ragout.

At least, that’s what Paula Deen always says! She joined Rachael right at the top of the show, entering with Rach from the elevator while the crowd went wild. She’s there to bake and show people how to bust open that cake box, baby! Words to live by - Never pick a holiday to try out a new recipe - stick with what works! Like Paula’s Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake!

Paula and Rachael together is always a good time - they banter back and forth and there’s a lot of giggling going on! There’s also not a lot of measuring going on, so Rachael was thrilled to find a recipe that she felt capable of doing! Don’t overcook it though - it’s called ‘gooey’ for a reason!

The second recipe is a Thanksgiving staple - Paula Deen’s Pumpkin Pecan Pie!

Then, it’s time for another Human Lab Experiment segment - got to have some way to work off all that pie and cake, right? After watching infomercials, Rachael decided to have her lab rats check out three of the most popular machines: the Power Vibe, the iGallop and the Bosu Balance Trainer.

The iGallop is the source of MUCH laughter and giggling, as it looks a little vulgar and even Rachael says that one’s better for the Stern Show. Of the three, the Bosu balance trainer gets the best reviews - as long as you’re using it as part of a cardio work out as well. Harley Pastemak, a celebrity fitness trainer then joins Rachael and gives his three items you need for the perfect home gym: A jump rope, a balance ball, and small weights. Plus, check the site for his extra tips too!

Last, but not least - what’s for dinner? Caramelized Cauliflower & Onion Soup.