Watching Rachael Ray

So, it’s practically New Years Eve - what are your plans? Since my long ago days of bar hopping, and years of being the Designated NYE Driver because I was pregnant or nursing five years running, I’ve spent far more NYE’s at home with the kids then anything else. This year, one daughter won’t be here, she’ll be with a friend, so it’ll just be me and the other two - unless, of course, he decides to party with his friends, too, which will make it just me and the Pup.

We don’t normally do anything fancy - the kids stay up till midnight (I, a night owl, have spawned three little night owls. Go figure!) and we watch the ball drop on TV - at least twice, depending on the time zones. We make noise, and then I make them all get to bed. I KNOW! the EXCITEMENT is hard to imagine, isn’t it?

New Years Day is usually spent down at mom’s munching on something deliciously edible, and watching football with Papa, until he allows us to watch some movie or another until we all head home again. It’s a long walk, after all - we live two whole houses away!

If you, however, are just realizing you’re going to have folks over, and are without an idea of what to fix and serve to the hordes descending on your house thanks to your hubby telling everyone in the supermarket “SURE! Come on over!” (What, only my hubby did that?!) - as usual, it’s Rachael Ray to the rescue!

Check out the Last Minute Lady’s blog on what she does for friends and family New Years Day, or plan enough drinks of different tastes and varieties to get the folks so soused they don’t realize all the food is missing… Or you can go traditional with some NYE recipes that’ll make their mouths water and ensure they return time and time again - from appetizers, to breads and salads, to main courses, to deserts… and for those folks who end up sleeping on your couch and floor because their car was too drunk to drive (…again, what? was my car the only one that over indulged on holidays past?! I was the PICTURE of virtuous behavior, of course - but my CAR…) there’s even a menu for NYD Breakfast/Brunch.

So - have a good celebration, drink responsibly, drive only if you haven’t drunk, enjoy the time spent with friends and family! I’ll see you back here with misc. posts until the new shows start up again on the 6th!

Monday - Newish
Favorite Celebrity Moments

Our favorite celebrity guests including Jeff Foxworthy, Susan Lucci, and Raquel Welch are back with the moments you haven’t seen! Plus, Laura Bush gives us a glimpse at life in the White House, and get three brand new recipes that’ll re-invent your leftovers.

Tuesday - Repeat
Emily Procter

Sexy star Emily Procter shares the behind-the-scenes gossip from CSI:Miami including her latest love interests and the cast’s off-camera pranks. Then, find out which five wonder foods can actually counteract your guilty pleasures, and get Rachael’s two-meals-in-one recipe for turkey stuffin’ loaf and enchil-lasagna!

Wednesday - Repeat
The Surprise Show

Special guest Danny DeVito goes on the hunt for the world’s best meatball, and then Colby Donaldson heads to Hawaii to pull off a surprise wedding you won’t believe! Then the surprise is on Rachael when “animal guy” Jarod Miller comes by for a game of “What Am I Touching?” And wanna know what’s for dinner? It’s a surprise!

Thursday - Repeat
Dr. Phil

See what it’s like when Dr. Phil is the one in the hot seat! He’s answering audience questions, laughing it up with Rach… and why is he telling his wife Robin to leave their son alone? Then, two families with two completely different eating habits are trading kids, and Rach has the perfect recipe for picky eaters.

Friday - Repeat
Sean “Diddy” Combs

First, Extreme Makeover’s Ty Pennington drops in with some brand new home improvement tips, and then style guru Tim Gunn gives a teacher a makeover with her own clothes. And the celebrity fun continues when Sean “Diddy” Combs comes by to “dish” it with Lara Spencer.

Anyone who’s anyone knows Rachael Ray has spent what little downtime she’s had this past month rushing about the country for book signings. The newly released “Just In Time” cookbook is doing well, and the fans are stampeding to get her signature on them. Of course, some folks get creative in order to get a few seconds with the Cooking Show Diva - and decide to compete directly with Mr. Rachael Ray - John Cusimano. They rewrote lyrics to the song You Are, and waited for Rachael to leave out the back door so they could serenade her.

Rewarded with a hug and kiss, she also signed his guitar. How cool was that?

In other news, for Christmas my darling daughter took it upon herself to help with the preparations, since Nana’s surgery had us all attempting to make sure Nana didn’t overdo it. She made a killer potato salad, and then with the help of Papa and Nana who sprung for a fondue set, she set her sights on Rachael’s German and Beer Fondue.

She served it with a variety of cut up veggies, breadsticks, and chunks of browned reindeer sausage (which we told the youngest was Rudolf… hahah!) and German bratwurst. It had the men of the house (well, the Papa and Boy) declaring it horrible, nasty, please let us eat all of it for you so you don’t have too… which of course meant they loved it and didn’t want to share. It boiled over a bit at one point, and brought out the beer taste a little too strong for us non-beer drinking girls, so we decided that we’d try a different recipe next time, but all in all it was a definite hit. How lucky am I to have a daughter who loves to cook so much?! I KNOW!

Did Rachael Ray grace your holiday table too? Hit that comment button and tell us about it!

Wow. I so meant to get this recap done on time and post some other Rachael Ray deliciousness about here the last couple of days, but in my post Christmas Celebration Stupor, I never quite made it. I’ll make it up to you, I promise!

Lets start off with a thank you goes out to reader Joanna who was looking for a particular clip, which lead me to wonder HOW I’d missed the clips of gifts without price during the show on the 21st! How cute was that little boy’s letter to his Step Mom at the wedding? Thanks for pointing out what I’d missed, Joanna!

Now, for the Christmas Eve show, the only new one this week, here’s what happened if you missed it too!

How cute did Rachael look? What a pretty color for her! She starts us right off by remembering those who lost everything in the California Fires this past year. Patti Grant and her four kids were one of the families who were affected, which just added stress as she’s going through a divorce and it’s the first Christmas for her and the kids without the ex. Gretta and Kristan are on hand to help Rachael give them a special Christmas!

Gretta takes the family out on $5000 Shopping Spree to Target, while KC stays behind to work on warming up the temporary apartment. The kids and Mom had a blast throwing whatever they wanted, replacing some of the things they’d lost as they wandered through the store. Mom and daughter were shipped off to the spa, and the boys got skateboarding lessons from Tony Hawk hisself, all while Kristan worked at the apartment to grant mom her wish of a traditional family Christmas. Last, but certainly not least - Rachael tops it all off giving them a years storage at Big Box Storage, and sending them off on a Disney Family Cruise. Awesome!

Evette steps up to show us all some Creative Gift Wrapping. You can check them out here! Don’t forget to check out the 20 ways to use a scarf to wrap an item, too!

One family, led by Tom Serb, goes all out when they make their Christmas cards, turning them into works of art. They’re detailed, from little sleighs, to holiday trees, and includes the face of every family member - 28 and growing - every year for the past 43 years! It’s more then a card, says Tom, it’s a labor of love. And here is me, not even sending out cards! I’m almost shamed into doing it….

..almost. (Grin)

What’s for dinner? French Onion Steak - Yum-O!

Just one new show this week, on Christmas Eve - I know, it’s sad - but Rachael deserves time off as well, right? Right!

Monday
Rachael’s Christmas Surprise

The recent California wildfires destroyed so many homes and holiday dreams, and now Rachael steps in to help one family have a Christmas they’ll never forget. Plus, don’t miss Evette’s incredible gift-wrapping tips and Rach is making a foolproof and flavor-filled French onion steak.

Tuesday
Elizabeth Edwards

Your recipes poured in for our “10-Ingredient Challenge” and now the top three contenders go head to head in Rachael’s studio to be the ultimate winner! Then, we hit the campaign trail with the wife of presidential hopeful John Edwards, who shares her favorite moments on the road and her inspiring stories.

Wednesday
Patricia Heaton

Everybody loves Patricia Heaton, and she’s hanging with Rach for the day! She’s talking about her new show and what it’s like trading in Ray Romano for Kelsey Grammer as her leading man. Then, are miracle beauty solutions all they’re cracked up to be? Three viewers put at-home products to the test in our “human lab” experiment.

Thursday
Jenna Bush

America’s first daughter Jenna Bush is swapping recipes with Rach, talking about her inspiring travels, and sharing the news about the man in her life and their wedding plans. Then, meet a 2-year-old who may know more about geography than you do, and watch Rach take a classic soup and sandwich meal to a whole new place.

Friday
Patricia Wettig

Brothers and Sisters star Patricia Wettig shares her secrets for staying totally trendy - while also being age appropriate! Then, four sisters who are all pregnant at the same time are in for a huge surprise. Plus, President Clinton is talking about his newest mission, and get a helping of “The Dish” with Lara Spencer.

Lara starts us off right away, with Chow.Com where you can get cut outs of your favorite celebrities to make gingerbread cookies with! Rachael likes GB Rachael, because she has one heckofa rack on her! Then she bit her own head off. (I can think of a bunch of Suxors who need some cookies for Christmas!)

Louise Vitton has the new Visionaire 52 Private book, that’s a bit pricey, but is a stunningly beautiful book of photography. Rachael gives a shotout to Samsung who donated 50K to Enterprise High, and continue to give with their Samsung Hope for Education program.

Then comes the sexiest Dish of all – Driven Black Cologne is next on the Dish, and Lara surprises Rachael by having Derek Jeter himself there to talk about the product, and Rachael is so stunned she can’t hardly look at him – she does come back to earth to sniff his neck a little, and oh the girly screams and applause and Rachael’s comment is so true “You really are ridiculously good-looking, aren’t you?” Hahah! You can also check out the charity he’s working with, the Turn 2 Foundation.

Next up is Dame Helen Mirren, Hollywood royalty, and a Brittish Dame to boot! Helen is absolutely beautiful, and the picture of aging gracefully. She has hints for a successful marriage too – “Don’t spend too much time together! But make sure you see them.” It always worked for me and my hubby too – I never understood the need to spend 24-7 together! Time apart made the time together better. While Rachael is gushing over The Queen, she’s surprised to find that Helen has been inspired by the 30-minute meal queen to cook more of her own meals.

You can see Helen Mirren now in National Treasure: Book of Secrets, with Nicholas Cage.

Next, a little girl who wanted to be Rachael Ray for Halloween, suffered a terror of her own! While mom was attempting to trim a wig for Madison’s RR Costume, Amy accidentally cut off several inches of her daughter’s hair! Madison was planning on donating the hair to Locks of Love, which makes wigs for children with cancer – she was only ONE INCH away! Rachael makes it up to her by making a donation to the organization in Madison’s name – and soothed her further with a $500 gift card to JCPenny to spend however she wants.

What’s for dinner? Beet Risotto, and Spinach Garlic Bread.

And its a showdown that’d make Garfield - and me! - happy!

Potluck Thursday means two dishes, the audience gets to choose, and everybody eats! The unchosen dishes are donated to hungry New Yorkers who go to City Harvest for a hot meal – no hurt feelings among the lasagnas! Everybody wins! The choices today were between two different Lasagnas – Red and Green Lasagna, and The Winter White Lasagna. It was an easy choice for the audience – Red and Green all the way!

Before we get to that, though, it’s time to talk about Holiday Manners with the kids. A mom of four is at her wits end when the kids tear into the gifts without looking at names, and disrupt sanity at the dinner table. From shoving food in their mouths, to thinly veiled insults – all Mom wants for Christmas is kids with good manners.

[…..Lessa Soapbox Time. Why haven’t these parents been training the kids all along? There is NO EXCUSE for this – it’s straight up lack of parenting. When you expect everyone else to train your kids, from the schools to the television, you don’t get your bloody good manners anywhere? UGH. Seriously. Kids will be kids, but there are limits, and the parents must set them early!]

Ahem. Harriette Cole is on hand, wanting to get mom and dad on the same page, because dad jokes, and mom is the law maker. The Parents can’t agree, so the kids take total advantage. Unsurprisingly, the kids themselves are unapologetic for their behavior, and even proud of it. Talk about getting the attention for negative behavior, they got on national TV! Am I the only one who sees the irony there? The kids, of course, were cracking themselves up.

Gotta give the 8 year old Mike his props though – when asked why he wanted to have bad manners, he said “Because I want to be a bachelor when I grow up!” Harriette has some hints, from showing by example, to getting the kids to teach the younger kids. If all else fails, use bribery. Make it a game, and reward them for good behavior.

Unsurprisingly, the kids weren’t buying it. It’ll take a little more Martial Law before fun and games can be used, IMHO. So we’ll just move on before I drag my soapbox out again…

Moving on! Yay, another Food Stylist segment! Rachael doesn’t bake, of course, but Patrick backstage has a favorite shortbread cookie recipe, made three ways! Yum-o indeed! How cute was he?! As a bonus, check out his recipe for Minty Double Chocolate Pie, too!

Josh Groban joins Rachael to help get us all in the holiday spirit with his beautiful voice – singing Christmas Classics, and sharing some traditions of his family. His mom has collected so many ornaments they have to use two trees! He’s also gone home and found his mom blasting his CD, so he’ll sneak in and change it to Heavy Metal Christmas on her. He loves the music they chose for Noel, but is a little sad he couldn’t get Gramma got Ran Over by a Reindeer on there. (That’s a favorite in OUR house… right Nana? (grin))

Last but not least – it’s time to make that Red and Green Lasagna for Dinner! (And get the White Christmas Lasagna recipe too!)

The movie isn’t out until next summer, but it seems to be all the fans can talk about - Sex and the City is filming now and Kristin Davis stopped by to give everyone a little dish about the film. Rachael’s big question? “Is Big in it?!” Kristin says that she feels safe saying yes, since there have been so many pictures of him. The filming is taking a bit longer due to the crowds watching them on the street, but she says it’s definitely worth it, even with the extreme measures taken to keep the plot under wraps. Apparently? they’ve been doing fake scenes just to throw everyone off! How deliciously sneaky!

Kristin wasn’t alone at the Show, either - she brought a special guest, a Donkey named Forever to visit with her. (Amusing as Rachael’s said like 15 times this week how her favorite Christmas song involves the Christmas Donkey…) Forever is part of Kristin’s efforts to raise awareness for the international aid group Oxfam, which works to find lasting solutions to poverty worldwide. You can make donations to send school supplies, sheep and other animals to other countries - it’s about helping them become self-sustaining so that they don’t need continual aid.

Still looking for that special holiday outfit? Gretta says to wait until closer to the holidays (We’re down to five days! Close enough?) and it’s the perfect time to shop. Ever retailer has a midmonth scheduled markdown! And don’t fret about what to wear to those parties (There are parties? Man, I need more friends! Ha!) - dress up nice jeans with a festive sweater, or a vest from a suit you don’t wear. Go from work to evening by layering jackets over nice dresses, and tossing them later for the party, or layer a festive sweater over your white shirt and slacks to go from day to evening. It’s all about choices, and versatility. Some of the staff’s kiddos are on set to show off festive styles for less - right now the markdowns are helping parents all over get gussied up for under $100 for the whole family! Rachael’s right - they were the cutest models ever!

The “treebabe” is on hand for tips in picking out a tree and turning Rachael into a tree hugger. Embrace the tree, indeed. And as Rachael said - you can create your own caption at the left there.

As for the different trees - The Scotch Pine is sturdy enough to hold those heavy ornaments, and doesn’t lose it’s needles! The Balsam Fir is known for it’s scent, and the Douglas Fir is a good bet for smaller, lighter ornaments. And are you getting sap everywhere? Use Rubbing Alcohol to get rid of it. When you get your fresh tree home, cut off the bottom and put it in a bucket of hot water, and then keep the tree moist with fresh water daily.

What’s for dinner? Buffalo Turkey Burgers with Blue Cheese Gravy & Chilli Fries.

After an all too cute montage of kiddos singing Christmas songs via video, - Rachael was joined by Marlo Thomas and Anne Hathaway at the kitchen table. HOW CUTE is Anne with the shorter hair? (We’ve been a big fan of hers because I have girls and who doesn’t wanna be a princess like she got to be?)

Marlo tells Rachael about her charity work with Thanks and Giving Campaign to benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and Anne has joined the charity forces with the Lollipop Theater, which brings Children’s films to kids in the hospital. You can check out both charities and see if and how you can help by clicking here: Thanks and Giving Campaign | Lollipop Theater.

The stars always come out generously donating their time and fame to do PSAs for St. Judes, and we were introduced to one of the boys who is in the commercials with Robin Williams, Jack, who is very proud of knowing all the capitals of the 50 states. He even stumped Marlo! Also - Look for Anne Hathaway in the upcoming Get Smart with Steve Carell, June 20th!

Next up, Kara shows us how to make her favorite Cheesy Potato Snowballs. You can also check out her recipe for Cocktail Party Caponata here.

Still doing that last minute shopping thing? Regina Lewis gives her favorite three websites where great deals can be found all from the comfort of your computer chair - my kinda shopping!

*Shangby.com is where you can buy direction from Shanghai, for prices far below what we’d pay here. You’ll make up for some of that in shipping (or all of it if you live in Alaska like I do!) but it’s often worth it.

*Want homemade and you don’t have a Nana to do it for you? Check out Etsy.com where you can get unique handmade gifts from over 60,000 different artists.

*And if you want your shopping to do good, hit up ShopGoodwill.com - it’s like ebay, but all the proceeds go to non-profit organizations. And don’t forget to click here and enter to win your very own Sony VAIO!

What’s for dinner? Mushroom Ragout!

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We started out the show with a few pictures from fans called “HOHONO!” that showed some criers on Santa’s lap. I love pictures like that! Then Robin McGraw, Dr. Phil’s wife, joined Rachael in the kitchen to show off some of her families traditions, including their favorite cookies that they only eat in December. Robin is one of those folks that has everything - the whole house, top to bottom - decorated by the time the family sits down to Thanksgiving Dinner. They even have Christmas China that they pull out and eat Thanksgiving Dinner on, then every dinner for the rest of December uses them.

That reminds me - I think I have some Christmas Dishes in the cupboard. At least, I used too. They might still be there. They’re not CHINA or anything, but they’re Christmassy. One of these years I’ll take ‘em down. Maybe.

Anyway, they made Robin’s Almond Cookies, a recipe that even Rachael felt she could accomplish. If, you know, she wanted too. Robin confesses that Christmas is the time she allows herself to eat anything she wants - including these cookies for breakfast on Christmas morning!

We also got to see the party Phil and Robin threw for Military families who had loved ones overseas - she turned her home into the North Pole, with snow everywhere and festive decorations, and also a satellite feed to connect them for a short time to their loved ones overseas.

Then came the big guns - Holiday pictures and traditions - pick a picture, get a frame after Christmas stuff goes on sale, wrap it and put it away with the tree and decorations for the next year. Other ideas - pick a new dated ornament every year. She’s also collected nutcrackers every year, with the intention of giving them to her kids when they got married. She kept them, instead, and buys the boys their own to start their collection now. A quick tip to get into the spirit? Inexpensive garland to hang around the front door, with ribbon and lights makes everything smell like Christmas!

We then got to take a look behind-the-scenes and meet Abby, a food stylist on the show, who showed us how to make her Venison Popovers, something she started making for the hunters in her family. As an extra, you can go here and get Abby’s other holiday favorite, Brasciole Meatballs!

Want that four-star spa feel, without leaving the comfort of your own home? Laurin Sydney gives some simple tips to help your guests - or yourselves! - feel pampered anytime! Lavender is used to help people relax and get to sleep. You can make your own sachet and slip it into your pillowcase to help you sleep better. And who knew the towel swans were so easy to do? Twist and fold, easy-peasy! And to avoid the little ray of sunshine that always creeps through the curtains? Office clips - clip the curtains closed, and sleep well! Finish up the glamereus style by giving your guests custom fortune cookies instead of mints on the pillow!

All of that, and what’s for dinner? A Farmer’s Stack Pancake Supper.

What are some of your traditions for the holidays? Drop a comment below here, and let us know!

Monday
Dr. Phil and Robin’s Family Christmas

What’s Christmas like at Dr. Phil’s house? Robin McGraw shares her family’s traditions - including the photos Dr. Phil doesn’t want you to see! Get a backstage sneak peak here. Then, our behind-the-scenes cooks are showing you their holiday favorites, and we’ve got ideas for turning your home into a four-star resort.

Tuesday
Anne Hathaway and Marlo Thomas

Find out why these two stars are teaming up and what it’s like to hang out with funnyman Steve Carrell. Then, a holiday favorite from one of our amazing backstage chefs, the best websites for holiday shopping, and ideas for turning leftovers into a hearty and healthy pasta dinner.

Wednesday
Kristin Davis

It’s the movie everyone is talking about, and now Kristin Davis is spilling the beans about Sex and the City! Then, Gretta shows you how to find hot holiday fashions for less, and if you haven’t gotten a Christmas tree yet, don’t miss the show and this giveaway!

Thursday
Josh Groban

Are your kids more naughty than nice over the holidays? Before you sit down for dinner this year, get Harriette Cole’s lesson in holiday manners! Then, what better way to get into the holiday spirit than to have Josh Groban performing Christmas classics?

Friday
Helen Mirren and Hillary Clinton

She could be our first female president, but first Hillary Clinton is doing some holiday shopping with Rachael! It’s a side of the former first lady that will definitely surprise you. Then, we go from a senator to a dame when Oscar winner Helen Mirren stops by, and Lara Spencer is dishing up a sexy surprise guest too!

That’s right, it’s Friday and we ALL know what that means! It’s time for Friday Dish with Lara Spenser and this week, it’s all about the kids! 7 adorable gift ideas for kids of any age!

Rachael goes first today to talk about Yum-o! a little bit, bringing kids and parents into the kitchen together, and work toward feeding hungry kids in the US. Some of the Yum-O products for kids who like to cook can be found at the Yum-o! site: The Tadpole Cutting System for young chefs, plus little t-shirts, and Young Cooks Cutting Accessories.

Lara steps up with:
the Medibuddy First Aid Kits - my youngest LOVES to have her own first aid kit!
Crayolaties - create a tie for dad
Lego Watches - kids can make their own, how cool is that?
Robot Galaxy Robots - AWESOME, though I don’t know that it’s equal to American Girl for boys…
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End on DVD.

Next - it’s the Mac Guy! I love those commercials, and Justin Long especially. How cute is he, he brought his mom with him to meet Rachael Ray, saying she’s Rach’s biggest fan, and Rachael gives her a gift basket and a seat in the front row. About Justin, mom says “he’s always nice, he’s my joyboy!” Says Justin “She might as well just told everyone I was born a hermaphadite.” How cute were they telling stories on each other?

Not only was Justin just in Live Free or Die Hard (Hey my best friend’s buddy is credited on that film! I got Hollywood Connections by Proxy! Whoo!), he’s also in Alvin and the Chipmunks - as the voice of Alvin! He also does a Vince Vaughn impression that is awesome as he talks a bit about doing Dodge Ball - a movie the kids and I LOVE.

Then we meet the self-proclaimed clingy girlfriend. Kristin jokes about calling a guy 30 times a day, but knows it’s a problem. Life coach Harriette Cole comes in to help Kristin help herself before she loses what she says is the best relationship she’s ever had. Deep down it’s all about Kristin’s low self esteem, feeling like she’s not good enough. After seeing a hidden camera snipe where Rachael turned her staff on to clinging on Miss Clingy, she sees easily how it can be a problem. Harriet gives her some tips to help gain some independence:

Write to yourself instead of him; Get busy - a hobby or something fun to do on your own. When she mentions volunteering at the Humane Society and wanting to learn Italian, Rachael offers to pay for the lessons as long as she’s volunteering. And if needed - don’t be afraid to consider professional help.

And if that wasn’t enough for a single show - Gloria Estefan comes rolling in to help Rachael with a big announcement. Starting today, you can bid on the one-of-a-kind orange Yum-o! Vespa to help support the Yum-o! organization! Also on the block, a five night/six day all-inclusive trip for two to the Grand Lido Braco Resort & Spa.

Gloria also steps into the kitchen to help Rachael make what’s for dinner tonight - Cubano Mac & Cheese.

After taking a peek at some original Viewer Christmas cards, Oscar winner Marcia Gay Harden joins Rachael at the head of the table to show off her own Christmas cards. She’s lucky - her brother is professional photographer, and her kids are ADORABLE! They all have the acting bug too, performing shows in the garage for the neighbors. Cute! Her 9 year old has been in movies with her, and even told mom who was trying to give her a tip “Mom, I have a director on the set.” Sounds like her 9 year old would get along with my 8 year old PERFECTLY!

Marcia had 7 movies released this year, one of which is in theaters now - The Mist. I loooooooove me some Steven King, but usually avoid his movies because they’re never as good as the books. The movie has gotten serious critical acclaim, and her character is such an extremist and ‘not a nice lady!’ that even her husband at the premiere was yelling “KILL HER!” Awesome!

The day goes wild next as Jarod Miller brings some of his friends, and information on how to adopt an endangered animal or helping contribute to wildlife preservation at WorldWildlife.org. Nothing says Christmas like adopting an anaconda. (Shudders!)

Rachael shows us some of her favorite gifts to get and give:
Neighborhoodie
PicturePads -My dad was a printer for years, and he and my husband gave me some like this for Christmas one year - I still have some, love them!
Photobooks
Storybook Publisher
Open It! - it opens everything! Don’t go into Christmas Morning and all that packaging without it!
P.J. Salvage Pajamas
Furi Rachael Ray Froggy Set
The Official Rachael Ray Garbage Bowl
Cheesecake from the Nuns of New Skete
1080 Recipes - the best selling Spanish recipe book.

All of that and what’s for dinner too - Spanish Spaghetti.

The ever yummy John Cusack joins Rachael at the Kitchen table today, to talk about his latest film Grace is Gone. This is bound to be the tearjerker of the year - I can’t even get through the previews without tearing up! A father who’s wife is in the military gets that awful knock on the door and the news his wife had been killed in combat. Instead of telling their daughters right away, he takes them on a trip to give them a few more days of innocence before it falls apart. It’s about their journey, and how they come together and work through the whole ordeal.

Of course, I’m of the generation of women that fell in love with Lloyd Dobler in Say Anything - it was actually the first movie my husband and I ever agreed on! We wore out our copy on VHS back in our first couple years together, and I’ve been known to tell girlfriends that I have to break up with them because they don’t know who Lloyd Dobler is! One of Rach’s favorites (and mine too, of course) is Better Off Dead (I WANT MY TWO DOLLARS!) which surprised John. I dunno why, I’ve loved absolutely every movie he’s ever been in!

When not working at being the Best Movie Boyfriend ever, he has simple tastes - he loves to hang out with his sister and nephews creating Cusack Chaos - and not having to clean up, afterwards. Nice.

Christina Milian was on set to share her childhood Christmas lists with us - a walkman, a fishbowl and a house. Added on was a PS from her sister who wanted Christina to have a successful career - now there’s a sister that was going for some serious Santa Brownie points! The actress, known for her roles in Be Cool and Love Don’t Cost a Thing, has an ABC Family holiday movie coming up this weekend: Snowglobe. She’s also giving back to those in need by working with Children Uniting Nations, where she gets to help other girls by being a Big Sister to foster children, something she’s very excited to do. “I just went through a whole training program and mentoring program and I’m going to get put together with my child really soon. I can’t wait!”

A Chirstmas surprise for Elsa, Rachael’s mom, comes in the form of Pino Luongo & March Stausman’s Fresh Pasta with Meatballs & Mushrooms, then Rachael hits the kitchen to make Italian Chicken Chilli with Pancetta Croutons. Also shown, Caesar-Filled Fricos. Enjoy dinner tonight!

Fist things first - how cute was that dress?! I’d never wear horizontal stripes across my behind, or, well, anything like that outfit, but it is totally adorable on Rachael! Nice job Wardrobe Folks!

Rach had to bring everyone’s favorite redneck, Jeff Foxworthy, out immediately because he had everyone cracking up backstage and the laughter was so loud! Speaking of loud, Rachael’s voice is much better as well. Musta drank a gallon or two of tea before the show!

Jeff’s newest Redneck Dictionary is out and he’s teaching us to “Talk gooder more fastly” and they chat a bit about his definitions (Hey honey put YouTube-top on, we’re goin out later!) and how he comes up with his ideas. His main idea behind everything in his jokes is that he figured if he saw it, he thought it, he noticed it - so did everyone else. He just is the one pointing it out. He thinks everyone has the same thoughts comics have, they just don’t write it down!

And how cool is a guest that brings his own snack of the day for the whole audience?! Jeff Foxworthy has his own brand of beef jerky. Yum!

They of course spoke about Are you smarter then a 5th Grader and some of the great things that are coming out of that. While I at first (as much as I adore Mark Burnett!) felt a little apprehensive about the show, it really is doing some great things - it’s making it cool to be smart again, and encouraging 5th graders around the country to study. Kids love it, because they can prove they’re smarter then adults, and adults love it because we all secretly can do it - but we can’t! As he says “If they didn’t give me the answers, it’d be the shortest show on television! You don’t know? Me either! Goodnight!” He’s gotten letters from several teachers, and a 5th grade teacher in the audience concurred that her whole class watches the show, and they discuss the questions and answers and the show itself the next day. The producers of the show are working with people to try and find easier ways to get the show into the classroom as a direct result of such dedication!

Then, our DIY girl Kristan is around to help one of the RR Show producers who’s due to have a baby any day now, finally put together her nursery. Gender neutral, sophisticated, beautiful and a room that can grow with the kiddos - as well as be transformed back into an office/guestroom later one! It’s a beautiful transformation with some great tips! And since Robin refused to allow the show to pay for any of it, they will give it all away to one lucky viewer, plus a consult from Kirstan herself! Check it out and enter here!

Kristan stuck around for another segment, and gave some awesome tips for framing and using wall paper as accents for some dynamic looks for little cost, and then of course, it was back to the kitchen to see what’s for dinner. Tonight? It’s Meat & Wild Mushroom Eggplant Rolls with Tomato Gravy, or Chicken Eggplant Roll Salad.

And hey - want some awesome crafty Christmas Card ideas for friends and family? Check out what Jummy’s doing over at Getting Crafty!