The Holiday Season is upon us.

I was going to say “almost”, but after hearing Christmas music in restaurants, seeing Christmas lights twinkling all over town and hearing that people have already bought AND decorated their Christmas trees- not almost- it is definitely upon us!

The Holiday Season seems to start earlier every year. It used to bother me, but now I just roll with it. Besides, research shows that people who decorate for Christmas early are generally happier. Are they happier because they decorate early, or do they decorate early because they’re happier? Who cares- haul out the holly, put up the tree, fill up the stocking, because (more than ever) we all need a little Christmas now!

But this post is actually about Thanksgiving, which used to be the kick-off to the Holidays, and is less than a week away. I am hosting 17 people at my house this year. Luckily, everyone is bringing something, but of course we are doing the turkey (actually two, one smoked, one roasted), sausage stuffing, cranberry sauce and drinks. I will be serving a drink called The Serendipity with Calvados (apple brandy), apple cider, mint and Prosecco. For non-drinkers I will have the Serenity, with apple cider, mint and sparkling water.

When Store Bought Really is Just Fine (for Thanksgiving)

If you know Ina Garten (aka The Barefoot Contessa) you know she has a saying “Store bought is fine.” It is wonderful to have this blessing from a Culinary Queen, relieving the guilt of everything having to be made from scratch. When I saw, a couple years ago, that she gave her blessing to buying store-bought Mashed Potatoes (Bob Evans), I was delighted. Goodbye to messy pots filled with starchy goo, sticky beaters or mashers, buttering and salting, not to mention trying to keep them hot, without drying out.

My friend Sharon’s mother Connie (who is a great cook) agrees. “Why go to the trouble of making them if the store bought tastes just as good?”, she said. Why indeed? I do sometimes “shush” them up a bit with sour cream, chives or a pat of butter, but honestly, they are good as-is. I do put them in a pretty ceramic bowl so no one is the wiser.

Here are my other Thanksgiving items where: “store bought is fine”, in my humble opinion.

1. Rolls

With all of the moving parts for a Thanksgiving feast, who has time to make homemade rolls? Some people prefer biscuits or cornbread to rolls, but rolls have the distinct advantage of being the perfect item to make leftover turkey sandwiches with! I usually buy the Parker House rolls in the aluminum tray, but a friend of mine also recommends Sister Shubert’s, in the freezer section.

2. Stuffing

This is not only ok to buy store-bought, but the Herb-Seasoned Stuffing mix by Pepperidge Farms is an essential part of my grandmother’s Sausage Stuffing recipe. I just follow the recipe on the bag, adding sautéed onion and celery and then a package of browned Jimmy Dean sausage and a couple of beaten eggs to keep it moist. It’s my favorite dish at Thanksgiving.

3. Pie Crusts

I always buy the Pillsbury Pie Crust in the red package, in the dairy section for my pies. They make the pie look “homemade” and you can form different designs on the crust. Food & Wine recently tested pre-made pie crusts and recommends the Whole Foods Organic Crust- Wholly Wholesome– in the freezer section. However, with this one, you are stuck with the pie crust it comes with and the aluminum plate is a dead give away it’s not homemade.

4. Chicken Broth

I have to confess that lately, I’ve made homemade Turkey Broth with the neck and other parts inside the bird before Thanksgiving, mostly because I hate to see things go to waste. This is completely not necessary and store bought Chicken Broth is fine. I usually get Swansons or Trader Joe’s.

5. Gravy

I always make my own gravy, but it’s a pain to do because you have to wait until the turkey is out of the oven to get the drippings and then add flour and whip furiously, adding hot chicken broth all the while. This is a very hectic endevour with all the last-minute prep for getting the meal on the table. I Googled it and for a Turkey Gravy mix packet Pioneer (?) and Knorr were recommended and for pre-made, Trader Joe’s Turkey Gravy was suggested. They didn’t have these at the grocery store today, so I grabbed some McCormicks, but when my husband saw it he said “No way- you always make your own gravy.” At 65, I think I deserve a break! I will report back on the gravy wars after Thanksgiving.

Up Next: Serendipity- the perfect Thanksgiving cocktail