Read on for three great St. Patrick’s Day recipes, and don’t forget to check out our guide for how to make “quick” corned beef.

Corned Beef Sandwiches

Tired of the same old corned beef and cabbage St. Patrick’s Day menu? This year, try putting corned beef into a sandwich paired with a secret sauce instead. This recipe comes from Sonya Keister, food blogger and author of “Chef’s Table: Concepts and Recipes for Gathering” (Keister, $40).

Keister initially wanted to develop this as a slider recipe for Super Bowl and similar sports-watching parties, but with a runny egg component, decided it worked better as a full-size sandwich. “The runny egg oozing into the creamy sauce offset by the sauerkraut and tiny kick from the secret sauce is just so delicious,” she says. “Trust me.”

INGREDIENTS

Secret sauce:

3/4 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons sour cream

2 tablespoons ketchup

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

1½ teaspoons Calabrian chili pepper paste

1 tablespoon creamy horseradish

1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste

Corned beef sandwiches:

6 full-size pretzel buns

Dijon mustard

1½ pounds corned beef, thinly sliced

1 pound Swiss cheese

Olive oil

6 eggs

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Salt, pepper

Sauerkraut to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. In a medium bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika, Calabrian chile pepper paste, horseradish and salt to taste, whisking until smooth. Set aside.
2. Slather each pretzel bun with a little Dijon mustard on one side and secret sauce on the other. Place on baking sheet.
3. Top the bottom half of each pretzel roll with several slices of corned beef and top with Swiss cheese. Place another slice of Swiss cheese on the other half of the pretzel bun. Broil sandwiches — open face — until the cheese is melted on both halves, watching closely to make sure you don’t overdo it.
4. Working in batches, heat olive oil in a nonstick skillet and cook 1 egg per sandwich until set, but still a little runny in the middle. Sprinkle with Parmesan, season with salt and pepper, then transfer each egg to a sandwich. Finish with sauerkraut, more secret sauce and the bun top. Serve as is or slice in half for smaller portions.

Makes 6 full-size or 12 appetizer-size sandwiches

— Courtesy Sonya Keister, “Chef’s Table: Concepts and Recipes for Gathering” (Keister, $40)

Colcannon

“Colcannon is a delicious rustic dish of mashed potatoes moistened with milk and butter and mixed with cabbage and onions,” writes award-winning food writer Cathy Thomas. “It’s a St. Patrick’s Day favorite served with corned beef.”

Out of the oven, Thomas likes to put the casserole on a large heatproof platter and surround the colcannon with roasted carrots for color and added flavor. “For the colcannon I use an oval gratin dish that is 15 inches long and 9 inches wide in the center,” Thomas says.

“If time permits, I look for Irish white cheddar cheese,” Thomas continues. “Often, sharp Bally Cashel Irish white cheddar cheese is available at Trader Joe’s. If you can’t find it use a domestic brand, or Havarti cheese. The dish can be prepared 2 hours in advance and refrigerated unbaked; increase baking time by 4 or 5 minutes.”

INGREDIENTS

Butter for greasing heat-proof oval gratin dish

½ small head green cabbage, thinly sliced and chopped into 1-inch lengths

5 large baking potatoes, such as Russets, peeled and cut into chunks

5 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces

1 bunch green onions, trimmed and sliced (include about ½ of dark green stalks)

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 cup grated (4 ounces) white Cheddar cheese or Havarti cheese

Optional garnish: finely chopped fresh parsley

DIRECTIONS

1. Grease an oven-proof oval gratin pan with butter. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cook cabbage in large pot of boiling, salted water until tender, about 2 minutes. Scoop out cabbage (reserve cooking liquid) and drain in colander. Give the colander a good shake to remove excess water.
3. Cook potatoes in same pot in the cabbage water until tender. Drain and mash in a ricer or electric mixer (not a food processor), adding the pieces of butter. Stir in drained cabbage and green onions. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Spread mixture on prepared dish. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven until heated through and cheese bubbles, about 25 minutes.

Yield: 6 servings

— Cathy Thomas (@CathyThomas Cooks.com)

Irish Inspired Frittata

“When St. Patrick’s Day comes around, I start to think about an Irish-inspired dinner,” writes Linda Gassenheimer. “Here’s a quick festive one that includes sausage, potatoes, eggs and the secret ingredient that brings out the flavors – beer.”

INGREDIENTS

½ pound red or yellow potato cubes (about 2 cups)

4 whole eggs

½ cup skim milk

¼ cup chopped chives

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 sausage links, (about 3 ounces each)

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 cup sliced white and pale green parts of leek

½ cup beer

2 slices Irish soda bread (or other bread)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the broiler.
2. Wash potatoes do not and cut into ½-inch pieces. Place in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high 2 minutes. Set aside.
3. Whisk eggs and milk together and add chives salt and pepper to taste.
4. Cut sausage links into ¼-inch slices.
5. Heat oil in a large skillet and add the sausage slices, leek and potatoes. Saute 4 to 5 minutes.
6. Add beer and cook to reduce.
7. Add egg mixture lower heat to medium and cook 10 minutes until the mixture starts to set. Place under broiler about 6 inches from the heat. Broil 2 minutes to brown top. Watch to see if it browns and doesn’t burn.
8. Serve with Irish soda bread or any bread.

Yield 2 servings

— Linda Gassenheimer, Tribune News Service

Contributing: Kate Bradshaw, Bay Area News Group; Linda Gassenheimer, Tribune News Service; Cathy Thomas, Southern California News Group

Hundreds of mourners attended the funeral on a rainy day at a Belgrade cemetery, including Warriors coach Steve Kerr and general manager Mike Dunleavy. A flower-draped casket was carried by his former Serbian teammates.

Milojević, a mentor to two-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic, died Jan. 17 in Salt Lake City, where he was hospitalized following a medical emergency during a private team dinner. Milojević, part of the staff that helped the Warriors win the 2022 NBA championship, was 46.

Kerr will miss Monday’s game against the Jazz in Salt Lake City, the Warriors’ first trip back to Utah since Milojević’s death. Fellow assistant coaches Chris DeMarco and Ron Adams also attended the service, as did Zaza Pachulia, now a consultant with the team.

Kenny Atkinson will act as the Warriors’ head coach in the 6 p.m. game.

“It’s tough but this is what we do in our jobs as professionals. We’ve gotta move forward but also (it’s about) remembering,” Atkinson told reporters before Monday’s game. “We talked about it a little with the players (Monday) this morning. It’s not, ‘Forget, let’s move on.’ No, let’s remember.”

Milojević’s death triggered a massive outpouring of sympathy from the basketball community and fans in his homeland, where he was a star player with Partizan Belgrade and other clubs in Serbia, Montenegro, Turkey and Spain before turning to coaching.

Predrag Danilovic, the president of the Serbian Basketball Federation, said there was no person who did not respect and love Milojević.

“A great basketball player, great coach left us, and above all a great man, a man without a single stain. I had that honor and pleasure to be friends with him even though we did not play together,” Danilovic said at a formal commemoration for Milojević on Saturday.

Marko Keselj of Serbia’s Ministry of Sports and a former basketball player said the sport was Milojević’s life.

“With his positive energy he brought out the best in us,” Keselj said. “He motivated us to be better in every way, as people and as players. Deki was a friend, mentor, he was a leader.”

Milojević was in his third season with the Warriors. He previously coached in Serbia — where he once worked with a young Jokic before the current Denver Nuggets star came to the United States — along with Montenegro, plus had been an assistant coach for the Serbian national team alongside current Atlanta assistant Igor Koskoskov.

Milojević worked closely with Jokic, Los Angeles Clippers center Ivica Zubac, Orlando center Goga Bitadze and Houston center Boban Marjanovic, among others, during his time as a coach in Europe.

Milojević won three consecutive MVP awards in the Adriatic League, which comprises teams from former Yugoslavia, taking those trophies in 2004, 2005 and 2006 when the 6-foot-7, 240-pound power forward was at the peak of his playing career. Jokic was MVP of that league in 2015.

Before joining the Warriors, Milojević had NBA experience through Summer League assistant coach stints with Atlanta, San Antonio and Houston.

Milojević is survived by his wife, Natasa, and their children, Nikola and Masa.

Michael Nowels contributed to this report.

By Justin Rogers | The Detroit News

ALLEN PARK, Michigan — NFL coaches, especially assistants, don’t tend to stick in one place for too long. Between promotions and firings, the length of a resume can grow quickly. Add in the growing number of former players on staffs around the league and it becomes easy to find connections between franchises.

But even with that tendency, the San Francisco 49ers have more than the typical number of ties to the Detroit Lions, given no direct overlap between head coaches Dan Campbell and Kyle Shanahan. Here are those connections:

Assistant head coach and running back coach Anthony Lynn

The former Chargers head coach spent one season in Detroit as the offensive coordinator during Campbell’s first year with the franchise. It proved to be a rocky union and Lynn had his play-calling duties pulled late in the season, ultimately leading to Ben Johnson’s ascension into the role.

Lynn has long had a reputation for maximizing run games, and he has done just that, in working with one of the league’s top backfield talents, Christian McCaffrey. The 49ers finished in the top five in both yards per game and yards per carry this season.

Defensive line coach Kris Kocurek

The longtime Lions defensive line coach was part of Jim Schwartz’s staff and was one of the few assistants to stick with the franchise through Jim Caldwell’s tenure. During that time, the team’s front produced some high-end production, led by players such as Ndamukong Suh, Kyle Vanden Bosch and Ezekiel Ansah.

Kocurek’s aggressive, attacking style has continued to produce results in San Francisco, where the team has recorded 44 or more sacks each of the past three seasons, led by 2022 Defensive Player of the Year Nick Bosa.

Linebacker coach Johnny Holland

Holland’s two-year stint in Detroit wasn’t particularly memorable. He started as a low-level defensive assistant in 2004 and took over the team’s linebacking unit in 2005, prior to moving on to Houston, following head coach Steve Mariucci’s firing.

To be fair, Holland didn’t have much to work with during his time with the Lions. The group was paced by 32-year-old Earl Holmes’ 75 tackles in his final season, and the veteran was complemented by Boss Bailey, James Davis and Wali Rainer. Holland has things a little better these days, working with All-Pro Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw, one of the best tandems in the league.

Defensive backs coach Daniel Bullocks

A second-round pick for the Lions in 2006, his pro career lasted just four seasons, including two spent on injured reserve. The franchise released him in 2010, and after not finding another NFL opportunity, Bullocks transitioned into coaching, joining Northern Iowa’s staff in 2012.

Bullocks returned to the NFL in 2016 with the Jaguars and has been part of Shanahan’s staff from the start, 2017, first serving as an assistant defensive backs coach. He’s since been promoted twice, first to work with the safeties and now the entire secondary.

Assistant defensive line coach Darryl Tapp

An NFL journeyman who saw time with six different franchises during his 12-year career. That included a two-year stop in Detroit, where he played 32 games under Kocurek. The two have reunited in San Francisco, where Tapp is in his third season with the franchise.

Quarterbacks coach Brian Griese

Not a Lions connect, but certainly a Michigan one. The former University of Michigan standout, who helped steer the program to the 1997 national title, went on to play 11 seasons in the NFL, making 83 starts.

Griese spent the first decade of his post-retirement career as a broadcaster, before making the switch to coaching, joining the 49ers in 2022. He’s played an instrumental role in the emergence of second-year quarterback Brock Purdy, a seventh-round pick a year ago, who led the league in passer rating this season.

By Justin Rogers | The Detroit News

ALLEN PARK, Mich. — Zach Ertz has arrived in Detroit, but whether the new Lions tight end will be part of the game-day roster for Sunday’s NFC Championship is another question. Coach Dan Campbell said his staff will assess through the week whether the 11-year veteran can get up to speed enough to contribute against the San Francisco 49ers.

“Right now, he just got here,” Campbell said. “I know he’s in shape. I talked to him the other day. He understands we’re just going to gauge this and see where we’re at. He’ll be out here. But look, he’s played, played at a high level, there are things he does well; it’s just a matter of is this the week to use him.”

Ertz, a three-time Pro Bowl selection and former Super Bowl champion, has been a free agent since the end of November, when the Arizona Cardinals granted his release. In 11 seasons with the Eagles and Cardinals, he’s racked up 709 receptions for 7,434 yards and 46 touchdowns.

The production had declined this year for a rebuilding Cardinals team that was missing its starting quarterback much of the season. But in 2022, Ertz had 47 grabs for 406 yards in 10 games, while playing under position coach Steve Heiden, who joined Campbell’s staff in Detroit this past offseason.

The need to sign Ertz arose after season-ending injuries to James Mitchell and Brock Wright in recent weeks. Mitchell, a fifth-round draft pick a year ago, suffered a hand injury requiring surgery during a practice ahead of the team’s first playoff game against the Rams. Wright, who logged more than 400 offensive snaps this season, suffered a broken forearm in last Sunday’s win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Ertz’s experience and connection with Heiden made him a natural choice as a stopgap. And Campbell made it clear last month that the team values having added experienced depth in the locker room for the stretch run after bringing in players such as Bruce Irvin, Michael Schofield, Tyson Alualu since November.

With the potatoes mashed, movies watched and football over, you may find yourself with a messy house and a full stomach — and loads of leftover turkey.

If you’re not sure how to use it all, you’ve come to the right place. We’re breaking down how long your leftovers will last, plus nearly a dozen creative recipes for what to do with it.

How long does leftover Thanksgiving turkey last?

You have two to three days to safely eat or freeze your turkey, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The same goes for giblets.

Looking for more specifics on how long you can use leftovers like soups, stews or cooked beef? Bay Area News Group’s Lisa M. Krieger breaks it all down here.

How long does leftover Thanksgiving turkey last?

Leftover turkey recipes

Try this recipe for irresistible chilaquiles that showcase slivers of cooked turkey, writes Cathy Thomas for Southern California News Group.

Recipe: Make this tasty Mexican dish with your Thanksgiving leftovers

Alternatively, turkey hash is a one-pot meal that tastes great the second day, according to Tribune News Service’s Linda Gassenheimer. “You can double the recipe if you have time and save the rest for another day. It also freezes well,” Gassenheimer adds.

Turkey hash a perfect one-pot meal

While you could pile everything into sandwiches with dollops of cranberry sauce and lashings of gravy, Bay Area News Group’s Jackie Burrell has a bit more inspiration to shake up your sandwiches. Check out these four epic sandwich recipes that utilize leftover turkey. Think artisan herbed turkey and brie sandwiches, plus a turkey salad courtesy of food show celebrity Alton Brown.

Build a Better: Thanksgiving leftovers? Hello, sandwich!

Beth Dooley of the Star Tribune put together a few more creative options, including turkey pho. (You can also grab the recipe for leftover mushroom croquettes from Dooley.)

Turn Thanksgiving leftovers into a knockout meal

Leftover pumpkin recipes

Looking for ways to use up leftover pumpkin after making the requisite pie? These three pumpkin dishes from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gretchen McKay “all put the bright orange puree to good use, in ways both sweet and savory.”

These 3 pumpkin dishes might upstage the turkey on the table

Contributing: Jackie Burrell and Lisa M. Krieger, Bay Area News Group; Gretchen McKay, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette; Beth Dooley, Star Tribune; Linda Gassenheimer, Tribune News Service

The countdown is on for Thanksgiving. If you’re starting to worry about meal prep and plans, we’ve got all the Thanksgiving recipes you need right here.

First, figure out what you can make ahead and what you can’t. You may also want to put together a budget as Thanksgiving dinner costs are up even as turkey prices tumble.

Finally, keep safety in mind: On the No. 1 day for kitchen fires, here’s how not to become a statistic.

In the event of a turkey or baking emergency, there are hotlines you can call. Two, in particular, are staffed by experts from Butterball and King Arthur who won’t laugh even if you tried to thaw your bird in the clothes dryer. 

Now, onto some food:

Thanksgiving turkey recipes

It’s tough to go wrong with the classic: a crispy-skinned roasted bird with homemade gravy. This recipe from turkey expert Butterball walks you through it, even if you’ve never encountered a giblet bag before.

Recipe: Whole roasted turkey with giblet gravy, from Butterball

Alternatively, you might need a make-ahead turkey that’s ready to travel, and the New York Times’ Melissa Clark has found a way to solve that puzzle.

Finally, a make-ahead turkey that’s ready to travel

Need a vegetarian entree that the turkey-eaters will enjoy, too? Try this stuffed acorn squash with quinoa, shiitakes and cranberries. It’s a dish that’s worthy of being your holiday centerpiece.

TasteFood: A vegetarian centerpiece worthy of a holiday table

Thanksgiving sides recipes

Who doesn’t love bread? Bake these tender dinner rolls from King Arthur Baking Co. It yields a batch of 24.

Recipe: Make Thanksgiving dinner rolls the King Arthur Baking Co. way

We’ve also got the recipe for a show-stopping appetizer: baked camembert with persimmon. It combines rosemary and pomegranate for an easy but delicious starter. 

Holiday appetizers: Baked Camembert with Persimmon and Rosemary

Here are some roasted balsamic brussels sprouts everyone will love, a sweet and juicy dish that’s both fast and easy to make.

TasteFood: Roasted Balsamic Brussels Sprouts everyone will love

Of course, we have to include a nod to cranberries, which are more than just a Thanksgiving side dish. Spiced sherry-laced cranberry sauce can be made ahead, or you could serve braised red cabbage with cranberries.

You also can’t go wrong with green salad, especially paired with Ina Garten’s creamy vinaigrette. To make it ahead, Orange County Register contributor Cathy Thomas sets out the salad bowl and tongs, places the dressing and ready-to-use lettuce in the fridge, then asks a guest to toss it while preparing the gravy.

Thanksgiving casserole recipe

Sweet Potato Crunch Casserole is another side that could double as an entree. It can largely be made ahead and heated up right before guests arrive.

Recipe: Sweet Potato Crunch casserole is a perfect holiday meal

Thanksgiving pie recipes

Start with a secret pie crust from Los Angeles’ The Pie Hole, then pick your filling — lemon-pear, spiced hot chocolate or an above-and-beyond pumpkin.

Recipe: The Pie Hole’s Lemon-Pear pie

The Pie Hole co-founder Rebecca Grasley shared all these recipes and more with The Mercury News; don’t miss some special tips for how to bake a perfect Thanksgiving pie.

Recipe: The Pie Hole’s Spiced Hot Chocolate Pie

Thanksgiving dessert recipes

Spiced brown sugar-pecan coffee cake is a sweet indulgence for the holidays, and we’ve got the recipe for a topping that’s rich in spices.

Recipe: Spiced Brown Sugar-Pecan Coffee Cake is a sweet indulgence for the holidays

You could also make pumpkin cake with buttermilk icing ahead.

Thanksgiving drinks recipes

Amid the holiday celebrations, “one great way to stay perked up and cozy is to indulge” in coffee cocktails, writes Kate Bradshaw for The Mercury News. Think Mostly Classic Irish Coffee or a Chartreuse Cappuccino.

Bay Area cocktail recipes: Mostly Classic Irish Coffee

Both drink recipes are from Oregon-based coffee journalists Jordan Michelman and Zachary Carlsen, who recently released their second book, “But First, Coffee: A Guide to Brewing from the Kitchen to the Bar.”

Bay Area coffee cocktail recipe: Chartreuse Cappuccino

Thanksgiving leftovers recipes

Finding yourself with lots of leftover turkey? You can whip up a quick one-pot hash that “tastes great the second day,” writes Tribune News Service’s Linda Gassenheimer.

Quick Fix: Turkey Hash

Contributing: Associated Press; Kate Bradshaw, Laura McLively and John Metcalfe, Bay Area News Group; Deena Shanker, Bloomberg News; Betty Cahill, Denver Post; Melissa Clark, New York Times; Cathy Thomas, Southern California News Group; Lynda Balslev, TasteFood; Linda Gassenheimer, Tribune News Service

But that’s a very real possibility now after the Sharks’ latest defeat, a 5-1 loss to the Nashville Predators on Saturday that dropped the team’s record to 0-4-1.

Tommy Novak scored twice and goalie Juuse Saros made 31 saves to lead the Predators at Bridgestone Arena.

Tomas Hertl scored the only goal for San Jose, which has scored just seven goals in their first five games.

“We’re hard-pressed to generate any type of offense because there’s not a lot of offensive anticipation in our game,” Sharks coach David Quinn said. “Right now we’re a little bit flat-footed, waiting for plays to be made before we react to them instead of anticipating.”

Kiefer Sherwood and Luke Evangelista each had a goal and an assist and Samuel Fagemo also scored for the Predators. Former Shark Gustav Nyquist had two assists.

Mackenzie Blackwood made 28 saves for the Sharks, who got off to a 0-5-0 start last season — the worst in the franchise’s history — before winning their sixth game. San Jose’s road trip continues Tuesday in Florida against the Panthers.

Novak and Sherwood scored goals 12 seconds apart early in the second to break the game open. Already, in four of five games, the Sharks have allowed multiple goals less than two minutes apart.

“I thought there were some really good things going on for a while and when we were bad, we were bad,” Quinn said. “It’s disappointing because I thought there were a lot of good things in the first period and all of a sudden, we give up a goal on the power play, lose a stick, don’t block a shot.

“And again, we gave up two right away and dug ourselves a hole. Just very inconsistent.”

Hertl snapped Saros’ shutout bid at 10:33 of the third from in close, and Evangelista scored his first of the season for Nashville at 13:26 of the third.

After the game, Hertl showed his displeasure after some Sharks players didn’t go after a Predators player after a collision with Blackwood in the crease.

Predators defenseman Roman Josi skated through the crease and made contact with Blackwood’s head as he put a shot on net. With the loose puck laying flat right beside a downed Blackwood, Nashville forward Filip Forsberg leaned to get a stick on it and fell on top of the Sharks goalie.

“I just don’t like the last 10 minutes because we just left (Blackwood) alone,” Hertl said. “We have to be more together, step it up. If it’s 5-1, you have to cross-check somebody and show they can’t do anything. I’m more mad (about that) because we just left our goalie alone and we have to show them that can’t do that to us.

“It just can’t happen, especially in the last five minutes. Nobody cares if anybody takes an extra two minutes,” Hertl continued. “I think the locker room has been great. (But) our goalies, they’ve stood on their heads for us. They played really well and we have to show them that we’re there for them.”

Hertl wants to see the Sharks be harder in front of their own net.

“We have to just be ready and show other teams that they can’t do anything with anyone,” Hertl said. “Even after that, (Nashville) had so many rebounds and we just let them play and we just left Blackie alone.

“I don’t like it at all. For sure I was mad about that.”

Quinn added: “You’ve got to protect your goalie. I don’t care if you’re friends or not, you got to protect your goalie.”

VLASIC BENCHED

Marc-Edouard Vlasic only had nine shifts for the game and 6:09 in total ice time. He was benched for the final nine minutes of the second period and the entire third period.

“He’s got to be better,” Quinn said. “He’s going to be harder, he’s got to be more thorough. Just got to be better.”

The Sharks dressed seven defensemen and 11 forwards, with both Thomas Bordeleau and Givani Smith being healthy scratches.

Sharks defenseman Ty Emberson made his NHL debut and played 13:12 with two shots on net and three giveaways.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.  

This is the year you won’t wait until the last minute, the year you’ll go into Black Friday with a game plan, the year you won’t let yourself or your loved ones fall victim to scams. Or at least it can be with proper planning and preparation from our holiday shopping guide. 

Avoid unnecessary stress, save money and enjoy the final months of 2023 with these early holiday shopping tips. 

Holiday Shopping 2023 Guide

Start holiday shopping early

A Bankrate survey in September 2023 found half of holiday shoppers had already started checking items off their gift lists or planned to do so before the end of October. 

“While the 50% who get in the holiday shopping spirit before Halloween may appear comically ahead of the rush, there are a number of benefits that come with shopping for seasonal gifts and supplies with a few months to spare,” writes Ted Rossman of Bankrate.com.

Why you should start your holiday shopping early

By starting your holiday shopping early in 2023, you allow yourself to shop for deals, pay over time and avoid the stress of last-minute shopping. You can also sign up for a cash-back credit card and use rewards earned with your early shopping to buy more gifts or treat yourself to something nice. 

Another perk to starting holiday shopping early is the ability to take advantage of returns for items you decide you don’t want. Uber, the ridesharing company, is now offering return parcels, allowing consumers to return packages for a flat fee.

Have a holiday shopping plan

Whether you’re cooking up a holiday feast or feasting on Black Friday sales, it’s important to have a plan.

NerdWallet found 52% of Americans incurred credit card debt from holiday shopping in 2022. To manage or avoid debt, Tiffany Curtis of NerdWallet suggests setting boundaries for spending. Additionally, spending time instead of money — such as handmade gifts or letters of appreciation — can impress loved ones.

Head into shopping season ready to manage spending and debt

Following a plan and staying within a budget is also key to managing holiday stress, Elizabeth Ayoola of NerdWallet writes. 

If you need more saving tips, Kimberly Palmer of NerdWallet has seven strategies to help this shopping season, such as rotating subscriptions and signing up for cash-back apps. 

7 saving strategies you may not have tried yet

Avoid holiday scams

Even the happiest of holidays can be undone by a grinch looking to defraud unsuspecting shoppers, so it’s important to be ever-vigilant this time of year. 

In 2022, consumers lost $43 billion to scam artists, according to Javelin Strategy & Research. Jae Bratton of NerdWallet details five credit card scams to watch for this holiday shopping season — and how to fight them. 

5 credit card scams to watch out for this holiday season

Also be on the lookout for personal loan scams, which accounted for $8.8 billion in losses in 2022, according to the Federal Trade Commission. Before providing personal or financial information on the internet, Annie Millerbernd of NerdWallet gives you five ways to spot and avoid personal loan scams.

How to spot — and avoid — personal loan scams

How to save time and money on holiday travel

One final way to save money during the 2023 holiday shopping season is to be a savvy traveler.

Booking holiday travel by mid-October (read: now), is the best way to minimize travel expenses, writes NerdWallet’s Meghan Coyle. The week of Thanksgiving is always one of the busiest times of the year at airports, but you can avoid the largest crowds by flying on these days around Thanksgiving 2023, as NerdWallet’s Sally French writes.

The best days to fly around Thanksgiving in 2023

For more holiday travel tips, NerdWallet’s Sam Kemmis has three steps to avoiding high prices and overwhelming crowds.

Ask a travel nerd: 3 steps to booking holiday travel

Luckily, travel may finally be cheaper this year, with prices for domestic flights trending downward and hotel rates declining in many areas of the country. And after last year’s meltdown, Southwest Airlines has vowed to do better this year.

The holiday season can be a stressful time. Thankfully, a little preparation can go a long way.

Nakken, 33, is the third member of the Giants’ current coaching staff  – joining bench coach Kai Correa and third base coach Mark Hallberg — to sit down with the team to discuss replacing Gabe Kapler, who was fired on the final weekend of a second straight non-playoff season.

The Athletic’s Andrew Baggarly first reported Nakken had been interviewed by the Giants, and a team spokesperson later confirmed the interview to this news organization.

Meanwhile, popular former A’s and Giants catcher Stephen Vogt is reportedly in line to be interviewed by San Francisco, according to The Chronicle. There are expected to be many other outside candidates to take over for Kapler, who was let go after four seasons and one year remaining on his contract.

Nakken, who finished her fourth season as a Giants coach, made MLB history in 2020 when she joined Kapler’s big league staff, becoming the first female coach ever in the majors.

Three years ago, Rachel Balkovec became the first female manager ever of a major league-affiliated team when she became the team leader for the New York Yankees’ Low-A affiliate in Tampa.

Nakken, once a decorated softball star at Sacramento State, where she was a three-time all-conference player, has been part of the Giants organization since 2014. She started out as a baseball operations intern with the Giants.

No matter how the interview process plays out, this will be a special offseason for Nakken, who is due to give birth to her first child on Feb. 9.

Farhan Zaidi, the Giants’ president of baseball operations, has indicated he’d like to hire a new manager by the first week of November. The Giants are seeking a new voice for a squad that finished in fourth place in the National League West with a disappointing 79-83 record.