Cook less, enjoy more

Gobble gobble gobble, hear the turkey say/

When November comes around I think I’ll run away.

It’s that time again. The sun sets at five. The liquid amber tree is aflame with reds and yellows. The windows in my bedroom are closed at night. And after 10 months of not eating it, nor thinking about it, I’m craving roast turkey with stuffing.

But I want Thanksgiving to be about more than preparing and eating food this year. I want gratitude, the virtue that started it all, to play a bigger part. As such, I want to give a few gifts to a few people I am grateful to have in my life.

Also, I want to cook less, and enjoy the holiday more.

My dear friend Bernice is a natural with gratitude and works on instilling it in her own home. I knew she would appreciate the gold cast iron Grateful Trivet I found at Cost Plus World Market ($7.99). Bernice has always been a fan of the Thanksgiving bird, so when I spied the sisal fiber and twig turkey napkin rings, I knew I had to pick up a couple pairs for her holiday table. It will bring a smile to my friend’s face. ($3.99 for a pair of napkin rings at Cost Plus).

Another pal this year will be spending the week before Thanksgiving in the hospital recovering from surgery. No cooking for her. So we Kellys are going to find some decent takeout options, pop over, and set up a nice feast for her family, around her own dining room.

Bed Bath & Beyond provided the perfect tablecloth: a Harvest Table Linen, solid color with harvest designs on the corners. ($19.99 for a 52-inch by 70-inch polyester linen cloth). Macy’s had a Harvest Salt & Pepper Shaker: two ceramic turkeys, golden ($11.99 for the pair). Lastly, I picked up a 3-pack ceramic Pumpkin Jar Candle set ($14.99 at Target by Chesapeake Bay Candle).

Next, I searched up some takeout options. Whole Foods offered a few ideas, though their Hickory-Smoked Turkey Dinner looked to be a front runner for my friend. Apple-cider brined turkey, citrus mashed sweet potatoes, garlicky green beans, southern cornbread dressing, cranberry orange sauce, and turkey gravy (serves eight for $129.99, pickup between November 14 and November 23).

Jimbo’s...Naturally! is offering a Traditional Natural Turkey Dinner ($119.95 serving six). Along with the bird, the package comes with herb stuffing, golden mashed potatoes, harvest roasted vegetables, cranberry sauce, and turkey gravy.

Or there are the a la carte options: a whole turkey for $8.99 a pound, an assortment of sides including quinoa pumpkin seed pilaf ($6.99 a pound), savory smashed sweet potatoes ($5.99 a pound), and red lentil loaf ($7.99 a loaf). For dessert, nine-inch pies made from scratch: pumpkin ($18.99), crumb top apple ($17.99), and pecan ($19.99).

Sprouts Farmer Market is selling a Natural Turkey Meal which serves six to eight ($69.99). It comes with creamed kale and spinach, creamy mashed potatoes, homestyle stuffing, cranberry sauce, gravy, and 12 Hawaiian dinner rolls.

Costco has a Schwan’s Thanksgiving Meal which serves 8 ($114.99 plus a $15 off coupon through November 26). The meal includes the bird, roasted sweet potatoes, creamy mashed potatoes, petite brussel sprouts, corn, and a French baguette. Orders ship out only on Monday, Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Also at Costco are some tasty individual buys, such as Vicky’s Kitchen Roast Turkey Breast with sausage, cornbread stuffing, and cranberry apple chutney glaze ($5.99 for 5 ounces of turkey breast, 2 ounces of chutney). Baked Scalloped Potatoes which serve eight ($6.79 for 40 ounces). A La Carte Butternut Squash with Streusel ($9.99 for 30 ounces). Grain & Simple Organic Cranberry Sauce ($6.99 for 26 ounces). And Papa Cantella’s Organic Cauliflower Mash. ($9.99 for 32 ounces).