During the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday weekend state, county and local police agencies from throughout the Midwest will be stepping up enforcement of seat belt and other traffic safety laws. The Click It or Ticket mobilization will run from November 24th through November 27th.

“Police agencies throughout the Midwest are joining together this Thanksgiving holiday with one simple goal – to get motorists to buckle up, which will save lives on our roadways,” said Michael Witter, Regional Administrator for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. ”We want all motorists to arrive at their destinations safely.

While law enforcement officials will tell you that issuing tickets is never a pleasant experience, having to notify next of kin following a fatal crash is by far a worse scenario,” stated Witter.

In 2009 alone, seat belts saved an estimated 12,713 lives. An additional 3,688 lives could have been saved if seat belts had been worn at the time of the crashes. NHTSA statistics also show that those least likely to buckle up are teens, young adults, males, nighttime riders, motorists traveling on rural roads, and individuals traveling in pickup trucks.

During the 2009 Thanksgiving holiday, 303 passenger vehicle occupants were killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes, including 187 during nighttime hours. According to Witter, nighttime is one of the more dangerous times on the road because seat belt use is traditionally lower. ”Wearing a seat belt costs you nothing and may save your life or protect you from a serious, possibly life-altering injury.

Not wearing a seat belt, especially during this Thanksgiving period, will definitely cost you a ticket at the very least, and maybe even your life,” Witter continued. ”In addition to stepped-up seat belt enforcement, police will also be cracking down on impaired drivers and those driving at excessive speeds,” added Witter.

“Anyone caught speeding will be ticketed, and anyone caught driving impaired will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Witter concluded. State Police from Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, and Ohio are participating in the holiday mobilization.

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Newly released data that looks at the drinking patterns of more than 200,000 criminal offenders monitored 24/7 for alcohol consumption shows that even when Big Brother is watching, drinking increases nearly 27% between Thanksgiving and January 2nd.

Denver-based Alcohol Monitoring Systems, Inc., (AMS) has monitored more than 200,000 criminal offenders since 2003 using a technology that tests your perspiration every 30 minutes, 24/7, to ensure clients are abstaining from alcohol. According to AMS, the rate of daily violations for offenders monitored with their technology jumps a whopping 27% during the holiday season.

AMS Chairman and CEO Mike Iiams says that the trending highlights how the pressures — and the pleasures — of the holiday season are difficult for everyone. “Whether it’s your in-laws or the economy or just temptations at the office party, the fact that we see such a statistically significant increase in violations for a group of people who are being tested — and know they are being tested — every 30 minutes for drinking underscores just how difficult an issue this is,” says Iiams.

Larry Vanderwoude, LCDC, CEO of Dallas-based Recovery Healthcare, agrees. “Emotions run very high during the holiday season, especially when it comes to meeting family expectations. And the natural coping skill for the alcoholic is to drink,” says Vanderwoude. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that two to three times more people are killed by drunk drivers during the holidays than any other time during the year.

According to AMS, which has monitored offenders in 48 states with its SCRAMx System (for Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitor), as the company enters its 8th year providing monitoring during the holiday season, the courts seem to have two approaches for addressing the social and behavioral issues that go hand-in-hand with the holiday season.

“Some programs, usually dealing with lower risk offenders, may opt to give people a break during the holidays, lightening up on some requirements or delaying them until after the first of the year,” says Iiams. “But each year, the courts dealing with the highest risk alcohol offenders clamp down even harder on the drinking during the holidays,” he says.

“They know if these offenders aren’t drinking, then they’re not drinking and driving, and they’re not drinking and abusing a spouse or child,” he adds. According to the U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Statistics, 75% of cases of domestic violence involve an offender who was drunk at the time of the offense.

To Iiams, their data trending, which is based on more than 18 million alcohol tests, serves as a cautionary tale for both courts and communities. “These are the hardcore drinkers who know they’re going to get caught and that there will be consequences, and they’re still struggling not to drink during the holidays. Imagine what’s happening with the ones who know they can get away with it,” he says.

Vanderwoude, whose company has monitored more than 17,000 offenders in Texas and Oklahoma with the SCRAMx System, says that the intensive monitoring they provide during the holidays can actually provide a sense of security for both the courts and even many of their clients. “It’s a type of safety net, working to deter relapse during the hardest time of the year,” he says.

“The ones that drink get caught, and there can be a sense of relief in knowing that for people who really struggle with addiction. But the ones that stay sober through the season often report that it’s the most rewarding and cherished holiday of their life,” he adds.

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Pies are a tradition at holiday gatherings, a “welcome to the neighborhood” gift and a beloved classic comfort food that never seem to go out of favor. With hundreds of filling possibilities from fruit to chocolate, there is truly a pie for every palate. Pies have certainly been a dessert mainstay, but today they are enjoying a renaissance in a new, more portable form.

Bumping cupcakes out as the “it” hand-held dessert, mini pies are turning a restaurant trend into a household delight.  ranked “bite-size/mini desserts” as the second most popular dessert trend in 2011 following artisan/house-made ice cream. Bakers, chefs and home cooks alike are not only embracing the cutie pie trend but making it their own with everything from traditional flavors such as apple, pumpkin and banana cream to more trendy flavors like salted caramel, peanut butter and chili chocolate pies. Not just limited to sweet, savory minis like chicken and meat pies are just as hard to resist.

Just in time for the holiday entertaining, the California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB) has created a recipe for Orchard Hand Pies to help you bring the trend home. Featuring seasonal fruits and Real California Blue and Cheddar cheeses, the classic apple pie has been elevated to a new sweet and savory level. Need more convincing?

• Mini desserts and foods are a refreshing reminder to slow down, savor and enjoy each of your bites. Mini pies make the perfect party food because you don’t need a knife and fork to enjoy.
• In any pie recipe, the dough can make or break it. You need just the right crust to hold your favorite filling. The CMAB’s All-Butter Pie Dough is the perfect base for your pies from sweet or savory to big or small.
• Mini pies are easier to make than they sound – they use ingredients and pans most likely already in your cupboards. They bake in half the time (30-45 minutes) of a normal-sized pie and make the same amount of servings if you use an eight- cup muffin tin, which also creates the perfect size and shape while baking.
• Orchard Hand Pies are filled with pears, apples and delicious Real California Cheeses that pair well with beer, wine and even chocolates. In fact, the Blue and Cheddar cheeses in the pies can be complimented by pairing them with stouts, barley wines, and pale ales. Check out the free “Pair Savvy” smart phone, available for download on iPhone and Android devices.

Orchard Hand Pies Makes 8 pies.

• 1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1 large Bosc pear, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1/4 cup sugar, divided
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon Real California butter, melted
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup crumbled Real California blue cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Real California Cheddar cheese
• All-Butter Pie Dough (recipe below) or 2 (15-ounce) packages ready-made pie crusts
• Cooking spray

Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Combine apples, pears, 3 tablespoons sugar, pecans, cornstarch, butter, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, lemon zest and vanilla in a medium bowl; toss well. In a separate bowl, mix blue cheese and Cheddar cheese.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll out dough 1/8-inch thick. Cut out eight 4 1/2-inch circles and eight 4-inch circles using round cutters or a plate, glass or lid of the right diameter. Lightly spray 8 wells of a muffin tin with cooking spray and line with 4 1/2-inch dough circles, leaving a 1/4-inch overhang.

Brush edges of dough with water. Sprinkle cheese mixture over bottom of dough, dividing it evenly. Mound fruit mixture on top of cheese, dividing it evenly. Place 4-inch dough circles on top, pressing edges with the tines of a fork to seal. Mix together 1 tablespoon sugar and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon. Brush tops of pies with water and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. With the tines of a fork, poke a few holes in each pie to vent steam. Bake 35-40 minutes or until pies are golden brown and a knife inserted into the filling feels no resistance. Cool pies in tin about 10 minutes; remove from tin and cool on a rack. Serve warm or room temperature.

All-Butter Pie Dough

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (8 ounces) Real California unsalted butter, frozen
• 3/4 cup ice water

In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar and salt. With a large-holed grater, grate butter into flour mixture; toss lightly with your fingers to coat butter with flour. Drizzle 1/2 cup water over flour and butter mixture; toss lightly with your hands or a spatula. If necessary, gradually add more water until clumps of dough adhere to each other when lightly squeezed. Transfer dough to work surface and form into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour. Dough may be store in refrigerator up to 24 hours or frozen. Bring to room temperature before using.

Anatema / Shutterstock

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While celebrating the end of harvest season is a tradition that can be traced back for centuries, modern-day twists on the custom have evolved since the 1621 Plymouth Colony fall feast. Just as pilgrims rejoiced in their first good harvest, Americans today have found meaningful ways to honor the bounty, and express gratitude:

• Give #foodthanks. Farmers long ago traded in their oxen for tractors and other technologies to raise nutritious, great-tasting food. This year, a group of farmers and ranchers is cultivating a social media campaign to initiate meaningful conversations about food with Americans on Twitter, Facebook, blogs and beyond, says Kansas farmer Darin Grimm of the AgChat Foundation.”For farmers on the go, social media is a great way to connect with consumers,” he says. “We’re hoping to see everyone from chefs to foodies to farmers using the #foodthanks hashtag.” Check out www.foodthanks.com, then tweet what you eat, using the #foodthanks hashtag, now throughThanksgiving.

• Plan your meal with an app. New recipe and meal-planning applications are a bounty in their own right. Try the Thanksgiving Menu Maker from Fine Cooking, which allows you to “tap your way to a customized holiday menu,” offering more than 75 of the magazine’s all-time favorite Thanksgiving recipes, along with a shopping list and schedule.

• Preserve the flavors of fall. Early American settlers would salivate over modern-day canning equipment. Once dismissed as a bygone art, canning has attracted a growing number of enthusiasts in recent years, according to the National Center for Home Food Preservation, which provides tips on canning, pickling, freezing and more. To really make a food statement, create your own labels at www.myownlabels.com.

• Host your own tasting party. The holiday table inspires us to create treasured traditions at home, including exploring new foods in the company of friends and family. Home entertaining expert Domenica Marchetti suggests a trend-worthy twist on the wine and cheese tasting party. The author of Big Night In (Chronicle Books, 2008) says, “Embrace the season’s bounty and host an apple tasting party!”

• Share in the bounty. Thanksgiving is a great time to talk with your family about helping others in need, whether it’s a family down the street or a hungry child on the other side of the world. Charitable organizations like Farmers Feeding the World and Heifer International believe that giving families a source of food, rather than short-term relief, is a more sustainable way to lift them out of poverty and hunger.

A group of farmers created the AgChat Foundation after connecting through the now highly visible “#AgChat” community on Twitter, a weekly moderated chat where agriculturists discuss various issues, tell their farm stories and identify ways to connect with people outside of agriculture.

The Foundation strives to educate and equip “agvocates” with the skill set needed to engage on Twitter, Facebook, blogs, YouTube, LinkedIn and other social media services, giving them the knowledge to unlock new tools to effectively tell their story.

For more information, visit www.agchat.org.

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