Actor Shia LaBeouf, 22, is to star in the upcoming film version of popular crime and law author John Grisham’s The Associate, Hollywood media reported Tuesday. LaBeouf will play a law student who is manipulated by elder lawyers into accepting a job at a high-power firm and given information that could influence a court case.

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Be sure to visit jgrisham.com and fan his Facebook and MySpace pages.

Jeff Yeager is the author of The Ultimate Cheapskate’s Roadmap to True Riches, published by Broadway Books.

At the risk of being branded a Bah Humbug, I sometimes think that Scrooge went a bit too far toward the other extreme after his celebrated visits from the spirits of Christmases past, present and future. Christmas is now more than a $150 billion annual spending spree here in the U.S. That’s an average of about $800 per person. Certainly showing a little restraint in spending this holiday is in order, particularly with household budgets being so tight.

Here are my top twelve tips for avoiding the red ink of Christmases past and saving a little more green on Christmas present, so you have it spend on Christmases future:

1. If you buy a live tree, consider buying a truly live tree: One with the root ball intact, so you can plant it in your yard after the holidays. The savings: According to the U.S. Department of Energy, as few as three trees strategically planted in your yard can cut your heating and cooling expenses by as much as 25%. (more…)

America’s book publishers are proud to debut a holiday video featuring Elmo, Martha Stewart, Jon Stewart, Barbara Walters, Dean Koontz, Maya Angelou, Mary Higgins Clark, Kathie Lee Gifford, Bill O’Reilly, Christopher Paolini, Frank McCourt, Arianna Huffington, Deepak Chopra, Julie Andrews, Cesar Milan, Carol Higgins Clark, Alec Baldwin, Deidre Imus, Jim Cramer, Nora Ephron, Dan Brown, Judy Blume, Jonathan Lethem, Scott Westerfeld, Rachael Ray, and John Lithgow sharing their reasons why books make great gifts. More information about the Books = Gifts campaign can be found at booksequalgifts.com

From Mark Bittman’s Quick and Easy Recipes from The New York Times by Mark Bittman

In place of apples, you can use pears here or a mixture. In fact, this is a universal crisp recipe and will work with just about any fruit. Almost needless to say, it’s great with vanilla ice cream.

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Toss the fruit with half the cinnamon, the lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon of the sugar and spread it in a lightly buttered 8-inch square or 9-inch round baking pan.

2. Combine all the other ingredients, including the remaining cinnamon and sugar, in a food processor and pulse a few times, then process for a few seconds more, until everything is well incorporated but not uniform. (To mix the ingredients by hand, soften the butter slightly, toss together the dry ingredients, and then work in the butter with your fingertips, a pastry blender, or a fork.)

3. Spread the topping over the apples and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the topping is browned and the apples are tender. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.

Makes 4 Servings
Time: About 1 Hour

From Carolyne Roehm’s A Passion for Parties

For an autumn party, I like to serve this maple-syrup-and-rum-spiked pumpkin pie created by Nancy Quantrini, Weatherstone’s cook for all seasons. A bit more nutmeg along with the rum gives our version of this classic Thanksgiving staple a little edge.

Serves 8

1. Prepare the pie crust. Preheat the oven to 450°F.

2. Compbine the cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt in a small bowl.

3. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, cream, and sugar. Mix in the pumpkin, maple syrup, rum, and spices.

4. Pour the mixture into the prepared pie crust and bake at 450°F for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350°F, and continue baking for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the filling is firm in the center. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Pie Crust
Makes one 9-inch crust
1. Combine flour and salt in the bowl of a food processor; pulse 3 times to blend. Add the butter; pulse about 8 times to distribute butter until the dough resembles small pieces.

2. Add ice water gradually by tablespoons through the feed tube, pulsing until the dough begins to pull together into a ball. Do not process for more than 30 seconds. If the mixture is too crumbly, add a bit more water, 1 tablespoon at a time.

3. Remove the dough, shape it into a disk, sprinkle lightly with flour, and wrap in wax paper. Refrigerate until ready to roll out for pie.

4. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to a 12-inch round. Fit the dough into a 9-inch glass pie pan, pressing into the edges. Trim the dough to meet the edge of the pan. Prick the bottom of the dough with a fork.

From Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison

A spectacular-looking dish for minimal effort–perfect for the holidays. Look for onions with crisp, papery skins. They’re fine without the herbs, too.

Serves 6

Heat the butter and oil in a wide skillet, then add the onions, cut sides down. Cook over medium-high heat until well browned, about 15 minutes. Check their progress occasionally–those on the outside of the pan usually take longer to cook, so partway through switch them with those in the middle. When browned, turn them over and cook on the curved side for a few minutes. Season well with salt and pepper.

Preheat the oven to 375° F. Line the bottom of a 10-inch earthenware dish such as a round Spanish casserole with the herbs. Place the onions, browned side up, on the herbs and pour in the wine. Cover with aluminum foil and bake until tender when pierced with a knife, 1 hour or slightly longer. Serve warm with or without the Quick Vinegar Sauce for Onions.

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