• During the crazy holiday season, everyone could use a holiday planner, with ideas for things to cook, cookie swap recipes, customized placecards, and more.
• A step-by-step video guide to making the perfect pie crust. More videos: the world's easiest mashed potatoes and how to carve a turkey.
• Some winter escapes(though not to warm weather).
• More recipes: Italian Pasta Bake, White Hot Chocolate, Infused Vodka, Turkey Gravy, and Orchard Fruit Pie.
• Also in the mag (not online yet): a Christmas gift guide, how to make your own gingerbread house, and a look inside Martina McBride's fridge.

• Need something to feed your pet? How about a French Grilled Sandwich?
• Rachael is looking for your the biggest goofs you've made in the kitchen.
• The Burger of the Month is the Sloppy Joaquin, which sounds slightly, um, dirty to me.
• Musician Moby is a vegetarian.
• Where can you find a good hot dog in Detroit?
• This month's recipes: lots of stuff made with eggs, including Poached Eggs with Mushroom Home Fries, Egg, Goat Cheese and Tomato Toasts, and an Alsace and Lorraine Omelet. More recipes: Great Grandma's Baked Chicken, Chilled Raspberry Cream Pie, Pomegranate Coolers, and an easy recipe for a Zucchini-Gruyere Tart.

Rachael Ray will never again have to explain to her viewers what "EVOO" stands for because it is the name of her very own brand of extra virgin olive oil. The olive oil is being "specially produced in Italy for Rachael" and is almost guaranteed to turn "dish from so-so to 'Yum-o' in no time," so not only can you use in all of Rachael's recipes, but you can look at her smiling face on the bottle's label. Rachael's site notes that the oil is a certified Product of Italy, made from only Italian olives (just in case you were wondering if they imported theirs before processing for some reason). It is sold in 17-oz. ($8.95) and 34-oz. ($17.95) bottles.

Of course, she may not have to spell out "extra virgin olive oil" every time she mentions EVOO anymore, but don't be surprised if she starts including the web address of her online store in its place.

It's not the OED, but everyone's favorite Rachael Ray-ism is about to become an official part of our language, due for inclusion in the next edition of the Oxford American College Dictionary. The entry will read "EVOO: abbr. extra-virgin olive oil." The news was broken last week on Rachael Ray's talk show by the editor of the dictionary, who also spoke about how difficult it is to get words into the dictionary.

It makes you wonder if more people will buy the dictionary because of the new Rachael Ray connection, small though it is. It seems like the people buying the college edition of a dictionary are the most likely to turn to the internet (where you can easily find lots of info on EVOO) than to a reference book.

By the way - the cute shirt pictured here? It's available at the Rachael Ray shop.

If your family is like my family, you get into holiday ruts. This can often be a great thing, because if you're cooking something year after year after year, and everyone eats it, then it must be right. But sometimes it's good to experiment, maybe make another version of a dish, so we can have a choice and try something new.

That's very true of stuffing. A lot of families stick with one kind (bread stuffing, oatmeal, cornbread, etc) and stick with that, but this year I'm going to bring something new to my sister's house, and I'm thinking about this dish. It's Rice and Nut Stuffing. What intrigues me about it is the use of pistachios and raisins.

He doesn't get much press it seems, what with the new breed of food celebrities these days, but still, David Rosengarten has always been one of my favorites because he always provides very good information. On his site, he has an article about how to shop for olive oil. Unlike some vinegars, olive oil does not age well, so knowing what you are buying, and knowing how to maintain its freshness is important. His tips, in brief:

• Genuine fresh-pressed olive is the best quality for taste, but is difficult to find
• Olive oil always tastes best within a year of its production.
• Always look for the date on a bottle or canister of olive oil - use olive oil by a printed expiration date, or up to a year after a printed "Harvest Date."

As far as storing olive oil, a cool, dark place is good. According to What's Cooking America, refrigeration isn't necessary, but it's okay if you do. The oil will turn cloudy, but will clear again once it warms to room temperature. It doesn't affect the oil's quality or taste.

More on olive oil:
Did you know....olive oil
Tasting olive oil
Extra-virgin olive oil is a natural pain killer
A deabte about the best brand of oliveoil

U.S. olive oil sales are on track to hit $1.3 billion by 2010, according to recent market research. Sales are expected to hit nearly $1 million this year according to Olive Oil in the U.S.

The report, published by Packaged Facts, attributes robust sales of olive oil to health benefits and an increased interest in Mediterranean foods. Among the health benefits that have received scads of press in the past few years are the ability to lower cholesterol and blood pressure. The study also cites the rise of olive oil tasting boutiques, which have helped educate the American about regional varieties. No word on what effect Rachael Ray's mantra, "Just add a little EVOO," has had on sales.

• It's the super summer issue: cookouts, bbq, road trips, beaches, you name it.
• Keeping with the season, it's the Burger of the Month: No-Joke Artichoke Spinach Burgers.
• Summer isn't exactly the time for stuffing, but Ray is holding a contest to find the best stuffing. Deadline is June 30.
• Diane Neal stars on Law and Order: SVU. She also loves pine nuts.
• 30 Minute Meals: Andouille Dawgs with Gumbo Sauce and Brutus Salad.

Time Magazine has named their Top 100 Most Influential People. There are scientists, academics, leaders, and revolutionaries like Steven Levitt (economist), Oprah Winfrey, and Bill & Melinda Gates. And there among the group of Artists & Entertainers, which also includes Ang Lee, Howard Stern and Meryl Streep is...

Rachael Ray.

Her feature story for Time is written by Mario Batali (whom I would have picked long before I'd ever pick Rachael Ray), who says that the 38-year-old Rachael Ray has "has radically changed the way America cooks dinner" in less than five years. Of course, this has also made her rich with millions of cookbooks sold, a magazine, and about a gazillion shows on the Food Network. Hey! Now we know how old she is.

So I would have chosen Mario Batali, but I guess the reason that she is chosen for this list is that she is influential. I mean, how many people out there call it "EVOO" now?

If you have seen Rachael Ray on TV - and we know that you have seen at least an episode of one of her many shows - you have no doubt heard one of her many "Rachael-isms". A Rachael-ism is a term that refers to one of Rachael's favorite expressions and is, in fact, a Rachael-ism itself. The use of these words in everyday conversation has been termed Rachaelspeak by the editorial staff at Every Day with Rachael Ray. They have helpfully compiled a glossary of Rachael-isms that will help you to better understand Rachael and her shows. The list includes the definitions of Yum-O!, Good to go and EVOO, as well as pronunciation tips.

Their online store also stocks shirts emblazoned with Yum-O! and Got EVOO?, both of which would make great gifts for any Rachael fans in your life.