Patch Picks: 5 Vegetarian Thanksgiving Dishes

Food ideas for people whose Turkey Day involves no turkeys.

In less than one week, we'll be doing the Thanksgiving scramble: Running to the inlaws' house, hitting the store for some last minute cranberry sauce, or checking on the bird in the oven every five minutes. What some consider the best meal of the year, fit for kings and gluttons, is centered around meat. Not all of us, for varying reasons, choose to eat meat, though. What is one supposed to prepare for those who don't eat turkey on Turkey Day? The answer is easy, and the options are many. Whether you're cooking for a vegetarian guest, or are a vegetarian yourself, Patch helps you out this week with five tasty recipes for a vegan/vegetarian Thanksgiving. 1. Tofurky: Funny sounding name, seriously tasty substitute. What you need: 1 Tofurky …

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TELL US: Are You Ready for Thanksgiving?

It's a little less than a week to Thanksgiving 2012. Are you prepared?

Most people plan Thanksgiving well in advance, but with so much time spent on the elections this year, Thanksgiving has kind of sneaked up on us. Would you believe Thanksgiving, and with it the traditional start of the holiday season, is one week from yesterday? If you haven't started planning for Thanksgiving yet, you're already in trouble, according to the website Epicurious. It suggests a six week prep time if you want to do the holiday justice. Are you prepared for Thanksgiving? And more importantly, in what has been a very contentious year, what is it that you can be most thankful for this year? Share your thoughts in the comments field below.

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A Change of Leadership at Needham Patch

Local Editor Becca Manning is handing over the reins to a new editor.

With falling leaves changing over to falling snowflakes last night, it seems a good time to announce a few changes here at Needham Patch—a changing of the seasons, if you will. Your Needham Patch Local Editor Becca Manning (me) is leaving the great town of Needham to take over as local editor of Charlestown Patch. I recently moved into the city, and this new location is a better fit for me, though I am sorry to say goodbye to Needham. Before I officially go, I wanted to thank the readers in Needham—the parents, students, town employees, local officials, longtime residents and those who are just now finding Needham, or just now finding Needham Patch—for making me feel welcome and accepted over the nearly two years I've been your editor. I …

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Letter: Selectman Facing Challenges Ahead

This letter was submitted by a Needham resident and member of the Board of Selectmen.

Dear Needham friends, I want to share with you that I am dealing with some very serious medical issues concerning cancer. Despite those issues, I intend to continue fulfilling my obligations as a member of your Board of Selectmen and currently as the chairman. (Yes, I am also planning to perform with my band on New Year’s Eve.) The best aspect of being on the board has always been that it has made me feel so much a part of our community. I love this community and I find great joy in knowing that I can call so many of you my friends. I know I can count on your support at this difficult time and I am so very grateful. Jerry Wasserman Needham Board of Selectmen 

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Raising Needham

Parenting: Voting with the Kids

Election Day is a great opportunity to teach your kids about the importance of the voting process.

I would love to rename Election Day "Freedom Day." I think more people would vote if they could remember or in some cases even know what it took and what we lost in order to secure our democracy. I guess you can tell by my tone that I have always been fascinated by politics. Yes, it can get ugly—especially in a presidential race—but cut through all of that nonsense and you get to the core of what Election Day is really about: our freedom to decide who runs our country. My gather was born in Germany and never ever took his right to vote in the United States for granted. He was incredibly proud to be an American citizen and passionate about his right to vote. We all learned at a very young age what a privilege it is to vote. I went to the …

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Letter: NCYSAP Reminds Residents of Dangers of Youth Marijuana Use

This letter was submitted by a Needham town employee.

The Needham Coalition for Youth Substance Abuse Prevention, or NCYSAP, a community coalition dedicated to reducing youth substance use and supporting youth in healthy decision making, is continuing our work to provide educational, science based information to the residents of Needham regarding the impact of  youth marijuana use. It is well known that marijuana is the most widely abused illegal drug among teens, and that more teens now smoke marijuana than tobacco. Marijuana has many adverse health and safety risks—more than people are aware. Here are the facts: • Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug. • Marijuana is the most prevalent illegal drug detected in impaired drivers, fatally injured drivers, and motor vehicle crash …

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Mitzi Weinman

7:28 am on Monday, November 5, 2012

Carol, thank you for sharing your insights and information. As a parent of a middle school boy, I know that I can't keep him in a protective bubble from the risks and dangers that he will face. However, if there are ways for me to actually have a "say" in keeping him safer, than I will take advantage of the opportunity through my vote. I teach my son right from wrong and help him with strategies …   more ›

Hey, Needham: Let's Take the 'Thankful' Challenge

Share the best things about our town in the comments section or on Needham Patch's Facebook page.

If you've spent much time on Facebook, you've probably seen a friend or family member participate in the Facebook "thankful" challenge—a fun project started by some Facebook user years ago where the person lists all the things they are grateful for during the course of a month—one each day.  With Thanksgiving coming up later this month, November is a perfect time for this kind of challenge, and we at Needham Patch thought it might be fun to recreate a similar project here.  So tell us, Needhamites: What are you thankful for in Needham? What service, business, location, park, person, group, neighborhood or other aspect of living locally do you value most? Throughout the month of November, add your favorite things about living in Needham to …

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Raising Needham

Raising Needham: The Joys of a Good Old-Fashioned Block Party

Getting to know your neighbors is as easy as throwing a party.

When we moved into our new home a year ago, I was thrilled. Great town, great schools, great next-door neighbors. Life was good. I did, however, begin to miss living in a traditional neighborhood. We live on a busy street, and while I do like the constant hustle and bustle of that, I worried we wouldn’t get to know our extended neighbors. I chalked it up to one of the few things I would have to give up to live in our new house. It could be worse. Life was moving along fairly well and we had a great relationship with our next-door neighbors from day one. Soon, new neighbors moved in behind us and we started enjoying playing with their son, sharing a glass of wine and just hanging out. Then I was introduced to another family on the other …

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Patch Asks: Do You Limit Your Kids' Cell Phone Use?

Needham parents: Tell us your mobile phone rules.

When surveyed last spring, 43 percent of Needham sixth graders said their parents don't monitor their cell phone use, though they reported spending an average of 2.04 hours daily sending text messages. With many cell phones these days capable of doing much more than sending or receiving calls—from texting to Internet surfing to video watching—allowing kids unbridled access to their phones is not all that different from letting them loose on the Web. Needham Youth Services Jon Mattleman recommends parents assert their authority—remembering who pays the bill—and set some limits on phone time for the middle to high school age. So what do you think? Should kids be allowed to keep their cell phones in their bedrooms, or do you take them away …

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Raising Needham

Raising Needham: Practice Makes Perfect

Getting kids to practice anything isn’t an easy job but it’s the hallmark of any accomplishment.

I love driving around town this time of year. I love seeing kids of all ages outside enjoying their youth, having fun and practicing their sport. My kids have noticed it, too. We drive by many open fields and schools on the way home from my youngest child’s school, and that gives me ample time to chat about the benefits of practice. The key word being chat, not lecture. “What are those kids doing, Mom?” asks my son. I answer with one short sentence and let it stick for a moment. “They are practicing their skills.” I can almost see the wheels turning in his mind as he pictures himself “playing” soccer with his dad not even realizing that he too is practicing. My daughter quickly chimes in with, “Just like I practice piano every day so I can…

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