Beef Jerky Receipe

The following are ways you can help those in need during the holidays.

Coldwell Banker The Real Estate Group is collecting toys for the Toys for Tots Foundation. Members of the community may drop off new, unwrapped toys at a Coldwell Banker The Real Estate Group location until Dec. 13. To find a location near you visit www.ColdwellHomes.com.

The Merlin 200,000 Miles Shop, 468 W. Johnson St., kicked off its annual Snug Hugs for Kids winter clothing drive on Nov. 1. Clothing donations can be dropped off between now and Dec. 6. Winter outerwear should be sized to fit children ages newborn to 18-years-old. Items needed the most are coast, hats, scarves, mittens, gloves, sweaters, pants, and socks.

Fond du Lac Seafood will be accepting toys for the Toys for Tots program now until Dec.

The 20th annual Noon Exchange Club Parade and Rowlett Main Street Holiday Festival will take place today, highlighting the recently completed downtown revitalization project.The event kicks off the holiday season in the downtown area, which has undergone a transformation with a roundabout accentuating the city and chamber of commerce buildings along with area businesses."There is something for everyone," said Craig Kelly, city of Rowlett spokesperson. "By partnering with the Noon Exchange Club and other community organizations, we have created an event that kicks off the holiday season in a big way."The day begins at 8 a.m. with the Turkey Jerky 5-kilometer Fun Run/Walk, presented by the Rowlett Chamber of Commerce.The Turkey trotters will clear the streets in plenty of time for the Noon Exchange Club's 20th Annual Holiday Parade to march down Main Street at 10:30 a.m.Parade goers will find plenty of room to take in the sights and sounds while enjoying the new sidewalks, benches and other amenities found throughout the parade route, which stretches from Rowlett Road, east on Main Street, south on Skyline to Coyle Middle School.Festival activities scheduled throughout the day from 9 a.m.

No series this season will test the audience's appetite for serial dramas as severely as ABC's "Day Break." Premiering at 9 tonight on WEWS Channel 5, the mur ky-jerky newcomer asks viewers to pay strict attention to ev ery scene, every line and every character.

But the incredibly dense "Day Break" might be too murky and too camera-jerky stylish for its own good. There's an old saying in show business: All suspense is no suspense. If you don't break the tension with humor now and then, you wear out even the most ardent fans of suspense. If you make everything matter, then, ultimately, nothing matters.