Happy Healthy Thanksgiving

Up to 1 Month Before

• Bake Squash Cloverleaf Rolls (if serving); store tightly wrapped in freezer. Or tightly wrap and freeze purchased wheat rolls.
• Bake Leaf Cookies (if serving); tightly wrap cooled cookies and freeze.
• Decide whether to serve Mandarin Salad or assemble your own salad of ready-to-serve salad greens and low-fat dressing.

The Day Before

• Thaw turkey breast
• Make Sun-Dried Tomato Dip; refrigerate covered. Prepare veggies or buy prepared from the produce section or deli; cover and refrigerate.
• Bake Crustless Pumpkin Pie (if serving); cover and refrigerate.

About 3 Hours Before

• Make Slow Cooker Maple-Sauced Pears (if serving).
• Remove rolls and cookies from freezer; store at room temperature.
• Wash and steam fresh green beans. Or use frozen green beans.

About 2 1/2 Hours Before

• Put turkey in oven.
• Make Mandarin Salad or your own choice salad up to the point of adding dressing.

About 1 1/2 Hours Before

• Add pineapple to turkey.

About 1 Hour Before

• Prepare Nut- and Fruit-Filled Squash. (If no second oven, prepare squash through step 2 prior to roasting turkey; cover loosely and set aside at room temperature. Re-heat after turkey is removed from oven; then add topping.)

About 30 Minutes Before

• Remove turkey from oven. Remove turkey and pineapple from pan; cover loosely with foil. Complete recipe to make sauce to serve with turkey.
• Make Green Beans with Browned Butter.

About 15 Minutes Before

• Heat squash, if needed. Add topping.
• Place rolls in oven to heat.
• Garnish Honey-Glazes Turkey platter with pineapple and fresh herbs.
• Toss salad.

Dressed-for-Success Dinner Table

• Arrange "pear glasses" down center of dining table for an easy centerpiece. Make "pear glasses" by lining margarita or martini glasses or footed dessert dishes with florist's moss or raffia. Place 1 pear in each glass.

• Dress your dinner table days ahead, if possible. That way, if you've missing something, you'll still have time to borrow or purchase it. Drape a clean sheet over the table to keep everything fresh.

Fixed-with-Flair Foods

Drinks

• Cranberry-Apple Spritzer is the perfect aperitif if you’re wanting something special to offer when guests arrive.

• Freeze fresh mint leaves and whole cranberries in water in ice-cube trays for a special touch to glasses of water.

Sides

• Add a garnish to the platter used to serve Nut- and Fruit-Filled Squash.  Our photo shows red grapes, a split shallot and fresh thyme.  How pretty!

Desserts

• Dust dessert plates for serving pie with cinnamon for a no-fat fancy finish.

• Spoon tiny amounts of vanilla yogurt onto the sauce around pears, then pull a toothpick through the yogurt for a decorative design.

• Add one of the Leaf Cookies to each dessert plate or dish.