A better turkey meal deal
Cooks can truly be frugal gourmets this Thanksgiving, as consumers enjoy lower food prices, at least for now. The Thanksgiving meal with turkey, stuffing, cranberries, pumpkin pie and all the trimmings will cost an average of $42.91, a decrease of $1.70, or 3.8 percent, from last year, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation.

Best day to buy a car? Black Friday

Thinking only of hitting the malls the day after Thanksgiving? It's also a good day to shop for a car, according to TrueCar, which tracks new-vehicle auto sales and compares price data.

Don't be confused in choosing the right version of Windows 7
When Microsoft released Windows XP, there were two versions: Windows XP Home and Professional. However, it seemed as though the Pro version was installed on more home PCs than the Home version. There were key security and networking features in the Pro versus the Home version.

Kane Cougars hope to make Upper Deck a hit
Even though the minor league baseball season has been over for weeks, the Kane County Cougars are hoping that their new Upper Deck facilities will keep Elfstrom Stadium hopping even during the off-season.

Latest Crave marks year of cupcake delight
Oh, the cupcake. The perfectly individualized cakes born in the early 1800s have been improved upon. And any visitor to Geneva's Third Street in the last year was maybe lucky enough to savor the brownie-like dark chocolate Blackbottom cupcake with baked-in cream cheese and chocolate chip filling.

Business calendar: Dinner, awards
The Geneva Chamber of Commerce Annual Dinner and Awards Night will be from 6 to 9 p.m. at Eagle Brook Country Club, 2288 Fargo Blvd. in Geneva.

Fiserv closing East-Side office, cutting 290 jobs
A Wisconsin-based, Fortune 500 financial investment company is shutting its office in Aurora. Fiserv, at 444 Commerce St., intends to close its facility possibly by March 2010.

Is recession finally over? Possibly
The economy accelerated last quarter. But is it driving off a cliff? The car comparison is apt, because economists believe the third-quarter improvement in the nation's Gross Domestic Product depended heavily on the "cash for clunkers" program. The tax credit for first-time home buyers also had a role.

Southwest Trading Co. trades spaces
Southwest Trading Co. is right at home in the historic Wright House at 217 S. Third Street in Geneva. It moved in September from Dotson Place down the street where it operated for five years.

Some Cat workers returning to work
About 90 of the hundreds of workers who were laid off earlier this year from Caterpillar's Oswego Township plant have returned to work full-time.