Happy Thanksgiving

It may be easier to count blessings than dollars this Thanksgiving, as Americans will be shelling out more money than ever to put food on their Turkey Day table.

Prices for all of the holiday trimmings, from the turkey and sweet potatoes to the pumpkin for the pie, have soared, in some cases up 33 percent, according to the Food Institute.

One reason is that farmers have to pay more to raise and grow the food, and then they pass their increased costs on to the consumer.

The honored guest -- the turkey -- will cost an average of 79 cents to $1.05 per pound this year, pushing the cost of a 16-pound bird up by about $4.

Bill Mattos, president of the California Poultry Federation, says the primary reason for this increase is that more corn is being used to produce ethanol, raising the cost of every ear and leaving fewer kernels to the turkeys.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/11/12/soaring-costs-cut-gobble-turkey-day/?test=latestnews