I have often heard Thanksgiving referred to as the "Superbowl" for cooks. We strategically pick our menu, shop for the perfect ingredients, and then execute the plan into a delicious feast. If you are new or want to fine tune your Thanksgiving game, here are a few things to help make your meal a success.

Develop a good shopping list—I always say the list is only as good as the person writing it. So, be sure to check and double check what you have on hand and what you need to buy for each recipe. You don't want to be short an ingredient on the big day because a trip to the store takes up time you might not have.

Thaw accordingly— If you bought a frozen turkey, you want to make sure it is thawed out completely before cooking. Remember, to thaw the turkey in the refrigerator, it takes 24 hours for every five pounds of turkey. That means if you have a 15 pound turkey, it should be in the refrigerator today! If you didn't start thawing your turkey yet, don't panic. You can still safely thaw your turkey in cold water. For more information on ways to safely thaw your turkey, see the Turkey for the Holidays site.

Don't buy too early – If you are buying a fresh turkey or other fresh meats, make sure not to buy it too early. Fresh meats are only good in the refrigerator 1 to 2 days. Consult the Food and Drug Administration Fresh Food Storage Chart if you have any questions about how long the meat you bought can stay in the refrigerator.

Pre Prep – Like all good athletes, you want to go over the game plan the night before. Assemble any dishes or ingredients that would hold well in the refrigerator ahead of time. That way, all you have to do is remove from the refrigerator and cook it. You could also chop vegetables and mix together broths and seasonings and store in the refrigerator until your ready to assemble the entire dish. The more you can do ahead of time, the less time it will take, giving you more time to spend with family or loved ones.

Delegate – When push comes to shove, don't panic. Delegate! Get those family members involved and give them each a task to do. You will be done in no time.

Wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving.

We all know that fruits and vegetables are good for us, but they often get skipped over when there is no more room on our plate. However, a creative cook can easily increase the amount of fruits and vegetables in every day dishes. Here are a few tricks.

• Add more vegetables to stuffing by increasing the amount of celery and onions. Also add a few cranberries for sweetness.
• Add extra vegetables to soups and stews.
• Use fruits to sweeten dishes like sweet potatoes.
• Top desserts with fruit instead of frosting
• Use applesauce or prune puree in place of oil in baked goods. Not only is it healthier, but it also creates a moist product.
• Add pumpkin to soups, stews, spaghetti sauce, pancakes, oatmeal, pudding, or use in desserts.
• Add fruit to salads, puddings, and cereals.

Try this sweet potato recipe this holiday season. It uses orange juice and banana to add sweetness.

Sweet potatoes with bananas

SERVES 6

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, washed
2 medium bananas, peeled and halved
2 Tablespoons orange juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 tablespoons brown sugar

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Lightly coat a baking dish with cooking spray.

Using a fork, poke several holes in the sweet potatoes. Bake in microwave until the potatoes are soft, about 6 minutes. Remove and set aside. Peel when cool to the touch.

Place the banana halves in the baking dish. Bake uncovered until the fruit is soft and juicy, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and pour the orange juice over the bananas. Stir to scrape the drippings and mash the bananas well.

In a large mixing bowl, add the bananas, sweet potatoes, spices and brown sugar. Using an electric mixer, blend until smooth.

Transfer to an ovenproof serving bowl and return to the oven. Bake until warmed through.

With Thanksgiving rapidly approaching, many people are thinking about what they are going to prepare for holiday dinners. Many of our traditional holiday favorites are made with calorie packed ingredients like cream, butter, oil, and meat drippings. However, most dishes can be made a little healthier by substituting some of these calorie packed ingredients for healthy alternatives. As you prepare your shopping list, pick up some of these alternatives and give them a try. I bet no one will know the difference.

If you use:

Cream --Try Evaporated fat free milk or equal amounts of low fat milk and fat free evaporated milk

Sour Cream -- Try Fat free or low fat sour cream

Mayonnaise -- Try Fat free or low fat mayonnaise

Salad Dressing -- Try Low Fat or Fat free dressings or flavored vinaigrette

Butter -- Try Tub Margarine or vegetable oil

Oil (for baking) -- Try Equal amount of applesauce or prune puree

1 Egg -- Try 2 egg whites or �?�¼ cup egg substitute

Sausage -- Try Turkey sausage (10% or less fat)

Cream Soup -- Try Fat Free or Reduced fat canned cream soup

White flour -- Try Half whole wheat flour and half white flour