Recently, I wrote about how Joe Sanderson's prayers had been answered by the recovery in his chicken business. Much of that recovery came from the booming chicken wing business. Last quarter, wing prices climbed 62.6% over a year earlier.

Per the company's August conference call:

In my last three blog posts, I listed some stocks which I would be willing to go long by selling the puts right before the stock reported earnings. Keep in mind, these were companies which I believed would have a positive reaction to the earnings. However, if the stock moved sideways on the number. this strategy would still likely return a gain the following day. This is because I am taking advantage of the increased levels of implied volatility factored into the option premium before earnings.

If you missed them, be sure to check out my October 19 blog post here, October 21 blog post here and my October 26 blog post here. So far this earnings season, the overall results have been very positive, even on eBay (EBAY), which sold off nearly 10% after earnings. I was able to purchase back the put options (closed the position) for a $4 per contract gain the following day. The best results are of course when the stock has a very positive reaction to the report and pops.

It might not be good for America's waistline, but froufrou dining off petite plates is out. The recession has made us hungry for family-size piles of comfort food, skyscraping burgers, and all-you-can-eat fries.

Like other segments of the retail economy, the restaurant industry has struggled over the past two years as unemployment has soared and consumers have curtailed spending. The National Restaurant Association's performance index shows that the industry has been shrinking for 23 months in a row. High-end bistros have fared the worst, with sales at fancy restaurants like Ruth's Chris (RUTH) and Morton's Steakhouse (MRT) off by 20 percent or more, as corporate customers pare expenses and other diners trade down. Casual- and family-dining places have suffered too, as people eat out less, order more takeout, or cook at home. Even fast-food chains like McDonald's (MCD) and Burger King (BKC) have lost business, despite dollar meals and other deals meant to keep the fryers sizzling.

Below are interesting stocks on the NASDAQ and NYSE that were upgraded on October 29, 2009.

Sierra Wireless Inc (NASDAQ: SWIR) was upgraded by Jefferies from “underperform” to “hold.” The integration of the Wavecom acquisition is progressing better than expected. SWIR shares are trading at a price significantly short of their 52-week high of $10.95.

Boston Properties Inc (NYSE: BXP) was upgraded by Deutsche Bank from “hold” to "buy." BXP’s occupancy levels are better than expected. BXP shares have declined by 14.26% over the past 52 weeks.