It's Time for a Post-Holiday Coffee Talk

Betsy and Sal want to know how your holidays went, what gifts you got, what you liked a latte and want to venti about. So grab a cup of joe and join their post-holiday coffee talk.

The wrapping paper has been recycled.  The tree’s at the curb and the menorah is back in its cupboard. So what we want to know is this: Is your coffee-mug half full or half empty? In other words, what did you like a latte? What do you want to venti about? Did you get something grande? Or, are you pouting because you got a skinny, no foam, non-fat, decaffeinated cup of what-the-joe-is-this? We want to establish an early disclaimer: We loved everything we got. Oh yes we did. All of the stories forthwith were relayed to us by “friends.”  Okay. Wait. Before we recount the holiday highs and lows of others, allow us to confess to our own personal moments of celebratory gluttony, because with every cup of coffee, there’s always a little nosh.  …

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Surviving a Holiday Breakdown

When tasks at home and violence outside of it become just too much.

If your holiday season’s been filled with joy and relaxation, I sincerely congratulate you as I take yet another Advil while writing this column. But, if you’re anything like me, relieved to have survived the holidays (so far), settle in for a story you just might identify with. Please take me at my word when I say I’m eternally grateful for the blessings in my life … but there comes a time when the convergence of these blessings (and their various dynamics) drag me to my wits’ end. My mother has a saying that my sisters and I lovingly tease her about. Whenever things feel overwhelming, she’ll say, “It’s just too much.” I’m here to say, I’ve officially become my mother, because that’s how the holidays felt this year. I should have seen my …

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What Grocery Stores in Evanston Are Open on Thanksgiving?

Forget the butter for your mashed potatoes? We've got you covered in our handy guide to last-minute Turkey Day shopping.

It happens to the best of us: it's two hours until Thanksgiving dinner, you have a bird in the oven, veggies simmering on the stove, and suddenly you realize that important ingredient you desperately need is nowhere to be found. To save you some time driving around in search of an open grocery store, we've compiled a list of Thanksgiving hours at local stores.   Whole Foods North at 1640 Chicago Ave.: 7 a.m. - 3 p.m. Whole Foods South at 1111 Chicago Ave.: 7 a.m. - 3 p.m. Jewel Osco at 1128 Chicago Ave.: 6 a.m. - 8 p.m. Jewel Osco at 2485 Howard St.: 24 Hours Dominick's at 1910 Dempster St.: 6 a.m. - 9 p.m. Dominick's at 2748 Green Bay Rd.: 6 a.m. - 9 p.m. Dominick's at 6850 McCormick Blvd: 6 a.m. - 9 p.m. Dominick's at 1763 West Howard St…

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PHOTOS: Santa, Tree Lighting, Holiday Bash in Evanston

Santa Claus, Mrs. Santa and Mayor Tisdahl arrived by fire truck to flip the switch and turn on the lights at the tree in Fountain Square Friday afternoon. Hundreds of families gathered to watch, swinging glow sticks and wearing Christmas hats. Once Tisdahl had turned on the lights, families headed over to 1612 Sherman Ave., to line up for a visit with Santa Claus. The traditional festivities were complemented by the city's first ever Holiday Bash in downtown Evanston. The Evanston Chamber of Commerce sponsored a free trolley ride to take shoppers to businesses around downtown Evanston for discounts, some freebies and live music.

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Jennifer Fisher

6:12 pm on Monday, November 19, 2012

Thanks for commenting, Karen! I snapped a photo of you dancing in your Mrs. Claus costume, but it was too blurry to post. Blame the photographer :)   more ›

Evanston Police Make 8 DUI Arrests Over Holidays

The arrests were made as part of an enforcement mission that ran Dec. 19 through Jan. 1.

Evanston police arrested eight people for driving under the influence and 17 speeding tickets over the holidays, as part of a ramped up enforcement effort. The initiative was supported through a grant from the Illinois Department of Transportation's "You Drink, You Drive, You Lose," and "Click it or Ticket" programs, according to police. Police said they increased enforcement through seat belt check points and "saturated patrols for drunk drivers." The following is a full list of numbers of arrests and citations made through the program: Driving Under the Influence Arrests - 8    Driving on a Suspended Driver's License - 1   Speeding in Excess of Posted Limit -  17   No Motor Vehicle Insurance - 14   Failure to Wear a Seatbelt - 5   …

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J C

7:12 am on Saturday, March 17, 2012

I bet these patrols didn't take place in the "wealthy" part of town.   more ›

Share Your Favorite Holiday Recipes

Latkes, green bean casserole ... And sure, we'll also take suggestions for your favorite local Chinese restaurants.

Faithful readers, we know you have good taste. And we at Patch want to try a little taste of whatever you're going to be cooking up this holiday season. Whether it's a trick for making the perfect batch of Christmas sugar cookies, a family recipe for sizzling latkes, or something that just reminds you of the holidays, we want to hear about it. And if you're looking for a new holiday recipe to try, check out our delicious green bean casserole, a dish recommended by Skokie editor George Slefo. And, of course, if you're not planning on cooking this year we'll take suggestions for your favorite Chinese restaurants as well. It counts as a holiday tradition. Post your recipes in the comments!

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What Do You Think: Christmas Tree or Holiday Tree?

Evanston Patch readers have strong opinions on the matter.

A recent post on Evanston Patch about the city's annual tree lighting caused a bit of a stir. Some readers disagree with the event being called a "holiday tree lighting." Some readers said it should be called a Christmas tree: John Brinkmann: Time is well beyond the point of Evanston continuing to kowtow to the insanity of political correctness---IT'S A FREAKING CHRISTMAS TREE!!!...And I applaud those who refuse to attend this mockery of the Christmas Season...Please note the Fountain Square "holiday tree zone" annually includes a Menorah without any hesitation to say Hanukkah, and same for Kwanzaa---and rightfully so---There's no reason to exclude any and all holiday traditions---that is unless you happen to like Christmas Trees...Contact…

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Jennifer Wilson

9:21 pm on Tuesday, December 6, 2011

While I say Happy Holidays at this time of year, the tree is a Christmas tree. We don't call the Menorah the Holiday Candle Holder do we? While the tree is not necessarily a religious symbol, it IS a symbol of Christmas, not the general holiday season.   more ›

About Town

Musical Magic Not To Be Missed

Evanston-based Lakeside Singers, led by Robert Bowker, perform this Friday at The Music Institute of Chicago.

    Pop quiz: How are each of the following artists connected to one Evanstonian? Jennifer Armstrong, Michael Bolton, The Carpenters, Peter Cetera, Cliff Colnot, James Conlon, Brian Culbertson, Rollo Dilworth, Celine Dion, Len Dresslar, David Foster, Steve Goodman, Ron Hawking, Bonnie Herman, Kitty Haywood, Margaret Hillis, Greg Jasperse, R. Kelley, Carole King, Gladys Knight, Erich Kunzel, Bobby Lewis, Kenny Loggins, Richard Marx, Sherrill Milnes, Andre Previn, John Prine, Gene Puerling, Helmut Rilling, Peter Schreier, Robert Shaw, Don Shelton, Beverly Sills, Barbara Steisand, and Luther Vandross. The connection is Robert Bowker, the Founding Artistic Director of The Lakeside Singers. As an ensemble singer, Bowker has performed on stage …

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Photos: Fountain Square Tree Lighting

Mayor Tisdahl, Santa Claus help usher in the holiday season.

Evanston marked the beginning of the holiday season Tuesday evening with the annual tree lighting celebration in Fountain Square. Despite cold and rain, dozens of families turned out to enjoy the event and see Santa Claus. Frosty The Snowman and an elf were on hand to greet children in Fountain Square while singers from the Music Institute of Chicago sang a selection of Christman carols. Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl was on hand for the event, arriving via firetruck with Santa Claus. Guests were invited to warm up immediately following the event at reception hosted by Rotary International just down the street at One Rotary Center.

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What's Your Favorite Thanksgiving Movie?

Let us know in our Patch poll.

Halloween has plenty of horror-filled films and Christmas, well, it has its own category of movies, but Thanksgiving doesn't seem to get any love from the big screen. With a little searching, we managed to find a few hidden Thanksgiving movie gems. Who can resist John Candy and Steve Martin in all their hilarity rushing home for a Thanksgiving feast in "Planes, Trains and Automobiles"?  With Thanksgiving nearly a week away, we thought we'd ask you what your favorite Thanksgiving movie is. And if you can think of any that we missed, by all means, let us know in the comments!

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