(Image courtesy The Onion. Love me some Onion!)

Take it from Paula Deen: This Thursday is America’s favorite day of gluttony, be it on Thanksgiving goodness or the thrill of going over those sweet, sweet NFL betting lines. Personally, given my dual nature as both bitchin’-in-the-kitchen and football-cheering tomboy, I try to get the best of both worlds: cooking up a storm and then relaxing to watch some NFL. Here’s some of my favorite recipes for the day: Sweet Potato Casserole with Bacon (I’m sure I’m not the only one who gags at the idea of combining sweet potatoes with marshmallows), Firecracker Cornbread, Sauteed Green Beans, Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes (hey, this girl likes her starches), and a truly wicked Herb and Garlic Turkey. That’s a lot of foodie goodness.

But hey, who says the lady’s place is always in the kitchen? By all means, if you’ve got a man around, don’t let him have all the NFL-watching fun — get him involved to help you make the meal, and so long as there is no yelling, fire, or throwing of utensils, you’ll have a good bonding time together. Then you can both sit down with some awesome home-cooked Thanksgiving food and chill with the third member of most American families: the television. Specifically, NFL action!

Thanksgiving Thursday in the NFL sees the Eagles vs Cardinals line and Titans vs Lions odds. For the former, I’m liking the Cardinals, if only because I’ve been burnt by the Eagles in this year’s NFL betting before, and I can’t say I’ve liked it. Never mind the fact that Philly’s got a 3-point advantage — I know what my female instinct says, and it says to bet on Arizona for the win.

In the case of the latter, it’s a bit more of a no-brainer for anybody, female or no: Titans are the best pick. Seriously, it looks to me like Tennessee has the best chance to run away with the whole thing, and Detroit has just been painful this season. Anybody who knows their sportsbook should know that the Titans are the best bet here.

Now go forth, eat turkey, bet on sports and be merry! (Just don’t end up with a Sarah Palin-style turkey incident, okay?)