Over the Top Thanksgiving Turkeys

Suntanned Turkey

With a little aluminum-foil ingenuity, Thanksgiving can be just another day at the beach. Courtesy of the blogs The Whole Enchilada and Raven's Brain, we found an easy way to surprise your Thanksgiving dinner guests: (1) Cut out aluminum foil in desired swimsuit-inspired shapes. (2) Arrange the turkey in the roasting pan and position the foil carefully. (3) Roast according to your own recipe and serve. (4) Watch your guests' faces ...

Deep-Fried Turkey

This is it — traditional turkey with all the trimmings, except Jive Turkey owner Aricka Westbrooks deep-fries her turkeys in a pressurized fryer. This method yields crispy, golden-brown skin and remarkably tender, juicy meat that's ready in just 18 to 24 minutes. But this technique is not to be attempted by amateurs (it's even illegal in some states), so it's best to order from the professionals, like Jive Turkey, who ship nationwide.

Turducken

What would this list be without the opulent Cajun delicacy known as turducken? Part turkey, part duck, and part chicken, this bird-in-bird-in-bird masterpiece will provoke oohs and ahhs of delight. The Blue Star's version, which they ship nationwide, features deboned turkey stuffed with boneless chicken wrapped around duck breast fillet, layered with sage-butter bread stuffing and Andouille stuffing. Oooo-wee!

Lifelike Vegetarian Turkey

Forget tofurky — that vegan mainstay looks nothing like the real thing. Make way for the Vegetarian Plus brand Vegetarian Whole Turkey! This faux-meat bird is shaped like a real turkey, replete with drumsticks and a golden exterior, and is made from non-GMO soy. The whole turkey kit comes with a 4-pound turkey, a pound of Himalayan Barley Fried Rice as stuffing, and a pound of gravy.

Barbecue Whole Turkey

Described as the "prime beef" of the white-meat world, Joe's barbecue whole turkey comes in regular-, Cajun-, or jalapeño-smoked. As long as you live in the continental U.S., you and 10 of your loved ones can enjoy this slow-cooked Texas masterpiece on Thanksgiving. The bird ships cooked but frozen, so order early enough to allow 72 hours to thaw.

Thanksgiving Dinner Cake

Why stop at the main course when you're craving turkey? Delight your guests during dessert with this sweet Thanksgiving Dinner cake! The cake, which can be prepared in any flavor, is frosted with just the right shade of chocolate buttercream. Trimmings are created with colored frosting, whipped cream, cinnamon-dusted challah bread. Delish!

Beer-Can Turkey

We're not sure who invented this moist method of meat cookery, but beer and poultry make great partners. For detailed instructions on how to cook a beer-can turkey on your home grill, we turn to a post from Cooking for Engineers. Blogger Michael Chu explains it all, from the best way to brine to the optimal-size beer can and the tastiest blend of spices.

Roast Turkey with Alligator Stuffing

Unleash some wild Bayou flavor with this Cajun-style delicacy. The chefs at Hebert's stuff a whole boneless turkey with this one-of-a-kind rice stuffing that features onions, bell peppers, and alligator meat smothered in a zesty Cajun-spiced tomato sauce. Hebert's makes and ships a variety of New Orleans-style stuffed turkeys, but the alligator caught our eye.

American Wars & Combat

Today, we honor the men and women who have fought under America's flag. Veterans Day marks a historic armistice and salutes all U.S. veterans, many of whom served during our country's wars and conflicts. Herewith, a primer.

World War I

The assassination of a prominent Austrian sparked the Great War, though historians still debate the conflict's underlying reasons. In 1914, Austria-Hungary invaded Serbia, and other nations quickly chose sides. The United States entered in 1917.

World War II

After World War I, Adolf Hitler rose to power in Germany. He rearmed the country and in 1939 invaded this neighboring country. In response, Britain and France declared war. The United States entered in 1941, sparked by an attack on Hawaii.

Korean War

Following World War II, the Korean peninsula was divided: The United States occupied the south; this country occupied the north. Tensions grew when the north became communist and, in 1950, invaded South Korea. American troops responded.

Vietnam War

The communist leader of Vietnam sought to claim control of South Vietnam, a move the United States fought to prevent. The war was met with much protest in the States.

Persian Gulf War

Lead by a U.S. nemesis, Iraq invaded neighbor Kuwait in August 1990. In response, the United States built a coalition of allies and ordered Iraq to withdraw. Iraq did not, and the U.S.-led coalition forcefully restored Kuwaiti sovereignty.

Invasion of Afghanistan

Often referred to by its military name, the invasion of Afghanistan was initiated in response to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

Iraq War

The stated impetus for invading Iraq was the country's alleged possession of these. In seven years, American-led forces deposed leader Saddam Hussein and oversaw democratic elections.

Amazing Canned Food Sculptures

Annual International 'Canstruction' Food Drive Returns

The annual international charity competition known as ‘Canstruction’ has returned and it is bigger and better than ever. The Canstruction food drive aims to raise hunger awareness during Thanksgiving. Founded in the U.S. in 1992, the Canstruction food drive has spread to over 170 cities around the world and boasts 30,000 volunteers and millions of pounds of donated food.
These awe-inspiring structures must be built with only full and labeled cans, without the use of glue and with only a team of five people building at one time.

10 Most Uncomfortable Celeb Moments

Celebrities have been put on this earth to entertain us. But sometimes their attempts go painfully awry. We're counting down the ten most uncomfortable examples.

10. Miley Cyrus Gives Director Adam Shankman a Lap Dance

R. Kelly may have seen nothing wrong with a little

9. Kristen Stewart drops her MTV Movie Award

Kristen is the Queen of Gawkiness, so it'd be a travesty if she didn't make this list. But how could we possibly choose just one K.Stew awkward moment? When you drop your award during a live awards show, it probably trumps all. Did her palms get sweaty as she fumbled and dropped her Golden Popcorn statue for Best Female Performance at the 2009 MTV Movie Awards? 'Cause ours sure did

8. Mariah Carey's breakdown on "TRL"

When Mariah Carey showed up at "TRL" unannounced with an ice cream cart in July 2001, it was a little out of sorts. When she stripped off her shirt to reveal a tight tank and gold lame shorts, it was weird. When she started talking gibberish and, with a creepy laugh, said, "You're my therapy session right now Carson. You see, every now and then, somebody needs a little therapy, and today is that moment for me.

7. Faith Hill's CMA Outburst

Losing sucks. And when you have a camera in your face for a reaction shot, it sucks tenfold. Faith Hill learned that the hard way when she lost Female Vocalist of the Year to then-newcomer Carrie Underwood at the 2006 Country Music Awards. Backstage at the time, Faith screamed "What?" in the camera and then walked away. The singer maintains that she was just joking around, it was pretty uncomfortable to watch.

6. Joaquin Phoenix on "The Late Show with David Letterman"

Now we know that Joaquin's bizarre transformation was just an act, but last year we were scratching our heads as much as Joaquin scratches that gross beard of his during his interview with David Letterman. Sure, we laughed when Dave joked about Joaquin spending time with the Unabomber and taking time off during the interview, but we really felt for him having to reach out to the void that seemed to be his guest.

5. Ryan Seacrest Tries to High-Five a Blind Man

Ryan Seacrest is an equal opportunity high-fiver: Black, white, tall, short -- it doesn't matter. Ryan's quest for equality was put to the test during Scott MacIntyre's "American Idol" Season 8 audition. Scott, if you recall, is blind, but that was no deterrent for Ryan's trailblazing ways. But when the high-five didn't go according to plan, Ryan improvised: He grabbed Scott's hand and walked him through it. Awkward!

4. Britney Spears Performs "Gimme More" at the VMAs

Who wasn't psyched to see Britney make a comeback at the MTV Video Music Awards in 2007? Expectations were high, but what actually went down was quite a different story. Her performance was underwhelming and painful to watch. Dressed in a sequined bra and underwear, Brit-Brit was sluggish, disoriented and out of shape. She moved around the stage aimlessly and wasn't even lip-syncing right. If only we knew how much farther she'd fall ….

3. Ashlee Simpson Lip-Syncs on "SNL"

And speaking of bad lip-syncing, how about Ashlee Simpson?! No list of uncomfortable celebrity moments would be complete without her little jig on "Saturday Night Live" in October 2004 when her lip-syncing ploy was unveiled. Apparently the drummer pressed a wrong button, causing the "Pieces of Me" voice guide track to play for a second time, as opposed to the second song they were supposed to play. Oopsies!

2. Tom Cruise Jumps on Oprah's Couch

Honorable Mention: Tom Cruise's interview with Matt Lauer about psychiatric medication

Tom's a passionate person, and with his passion often comes awkward-to-watch moments. The worst, however, was his infamous couch-jumping incident on "The Oprah Winfrey Show." Watching him on the show, we really didn't know what he was going to do jump on the couch, hug Oprah or whip out an AK-47.

1. Kanye West: "George Bush Doesn't Care About Black People"

Honorable Mention: Kanye West interrupts Taylor Swift at the VMAs But the more uncomfortable moment has got to be Kanye's off-teleprompter rant during the Concert for Hurricane Relief in 2006. Just watch Mike Myers look at him in utter terror and disbelief, knowing that they’re on live TV and that he's stuck there with him. And when it all culminates with "George Bush doesn't care about black people," it was clear: Hurricane Kanye had come to town.

Top 10 Biggest Game Show Winners

Winning big on the TV game shows of yesteryear usually meant a lifetime supply of something mundane, or a gaudy set of living room furniture (and maybe the occasional scandal). During the Golden Age of TV, there was one impressive six-figure winner and then another in the '80s. But now, shows are cranking out instant millionaires (not to mention a game show millionaire culture). Come on down and see who's struck game gold.

Roger Craig

Craig is our most recent record-setter. He may not have hit the million mark, but on an episode that aired Sept. 14, this grad student became the biggest one-day winner in the history of the show, beating out a $75,000 winner from the past.He wrote down the correct response and won the Final Jeopardy bet. How much did he win over a seven-day period?

John Carpenter

In 2000, Carpenter (not this award-winning legend) went from a loathsome profession to becoming the show's first millionaire. He gave the winning answer to this question. After the win, he appeared on morning and late-night TV, shared a privilege enjoyed by the likes of Brad Pitt and Barack Obama and co-wrote a book. He reappeared on the show in 2009.

Kevin Olmstead

Olmstead is the show's biggest winner to date. He answered the final question about a Russian inventor. How much did he win? The tree-hugger went on to help students become winners, too.

Ken Jennings

The former thorn in Alex Trebek's side had the show's longest winning streak. (Meet the contestant who broke it.) He earned more than this much from the show, thanks to a one-time comeback.
And when he was done with that show, he won on another (how much did he win?). Jennings watched the show growing up on the other side of the world and honed his skills on a college quiz bowl team. Now, you can try to beat the author at his own game.

Brad Rutter

Rutter won not only cash and titles from the show, but matching wheels as well. The Lancaster, Pa., college dropout is no stranger to quiz shows, and before hitting the jackpot, he earned cash dealing with a different kind of record.

Ed Toutant

Hailing from this capital city, Toutant is no stranger to keeping it weird. Indeed, his path to winning a ton of dough was a strange one. Toutant, who'd visited the trivia world before, got cut from the show halfway through. But after quibbling over his answer about the oddest subject ever, Toutant was invited back in an unprecedented move and ultimately won big.

Adam Rose

Rose was the first to hit it big when the daytime show switched things up a bit in 2008. And he didn't just win cash -- he sailed away with a car and gadgets, too (no wonder he's making this face).
The California teacher later graced the same stage as Janet Jackson and got some media mogul love. He then put his winnings to super-duper good use.

Jessica Robinson

The pregnant Utah contestant with the toughest job in the world locked on to suitcase No. 4 for sentimental reasons. Robinson's strategy worked, and in 2008, she became the show's first M$M winner. She told the press she could now afford to get her kids store-bought toys, instead of going to her usual haunts.

George Smoot

With honors this prestigious -- not to mention this -- we'd be afraid of any 10-year-old who is smarter than Smoot. He wasn't the first to win this grand prize.Despite being a genius, he seemed shaken by the final question.

Michelle Lowenstein

No other person in the history of this game guru's show had landed on the million-dollar spot before this petal-pushing Jersey woman came along. How much did she win?Check out the shower of confetti and hugs. Despite the big winnings, Lowenstein and her husband had a rather tame dream purchase in mind.

Top 7 Weirdest Tv Game Shows

Some challenge and trivia game shows are pretty straightforward, and their formulas have been copied throughout Asia, Europe and Africa. But we've found a few gems with an intrinsic insanity all their own. These shows are often not about winning money at all; they're all about oddness, or shock value.

Japan is often put on a pedestal when it comes to bizarre and often slightly NSFW shows. There was even an American series honoring them.
Tune in to see which other countries are peculiar programming pros.1: 'Wetten, Dass?'

Germany's seminal betting show has contenders take on such absurd feats as identifying birds while blindfolded with a single clue, or making a car go in a really unconventional way. Beforehand, celebrity guests wager on the players' success. And these aren't just domestic stars; we're talking internationally known actors, models, tastemakers and a "King."

2: 'Infinite Challenge'

This hybrid is one of Korea's top shows. Its six hosts (not contestants) face challenges that range from draggish pop star-impersonating to competitive golfing. The show -- now in its fourth season -- has included a hanbok-clad socialite from the U.S., as well as a tennis queen.

3: 'Human Tetris'

In Japan, it's known by this title, and it had yet another title when it aired in the United States. The concept is this: A wall with Tetris-shaped cut-outs is thrust at contestants who must contort their bodies in order to fit through the holes, lest they get pushed into a pool of water and lose points. It looks as wacky as it sounds. The show has expanded to include different cut-out shapes and dozens of international spin-offs.

4: 'Bitoy's Showww Time'

This Pinoy show is equal parts singing competition, silly home videos and crazy stunts. Sounds pretty standard for a variety game show ... until you check out the host, who dresses like a futuristic emperor, a princess, or a pirate on any given day. Given his nickname (he has a pretty distinct a real name, too), you come to expect the unexpected. Ever wonder what it's like to watch a kid rip into a coconut with his teeth while belly dancers cheer him on? Wonder no more.

5: 'El Gran Juego de la Oca'

This Spanish show (which originally debuted here) went off the air in the late '90s. But when it was on, this spin-off of a children's board game was not kidding around. There were stunts of the messy, embarrassing and downright gross variety. It may call to mind a U.S. show that clearly took some punishment pointers.

6: 'Dadagiri'

With a distinction this sinister, this Indian program is almost too scary to watch. In order to win cash, contestants have to relive an unfortunate rite of passage, as the hosts take on a hated role. The pugnacious show has seen controversy and even has its own meme.

7: 'Distraction'

This U.K. show was hosted by a British comedian who eliminated contestants with trivia questions. Players would mull those questions over while wearing shocking accessories, or with obstacles that could catch them off-guard. Pain and humiliation were handed out on every episode. "Distraction" had a two-season run on a U.S. network, and a knock-off version could be seen most recently in South America.