Thanksgiving, other than being about pilgrims, American Indians and football, is about food.

It’s a time for leftovers, turkey sandwiches, cranberries and yams. It marks the beginning of the stuff-yourself-silly season. Mom surely has a stuffed turkey waiting at home, but she’s going to need help. Filling 23 stomachs isn’t easy.

But bringing home a side dish or impressing the family with something other than boxed macaroni and cheese can be a feat. But it’s not hard to make great green beans or simple cranberry relish.

Adding fresh garlic and rosemary to flake mashed potatoes is an easy fix, but maybe it’s time to use a pot, lots of utensils and a whisk. Making it look like you cook real meals for yourself all the time was never easier.

— P. Kim Bui

Green beans with vinaigrette

• 1 1/2-2 pounds fresh green beans

• 1 tablespoon white wine

vinegar

• 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

• 4 tablespoons olive oil (extra virgin will taste the lightest)

• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

• 1 teaspoon salt

Rinse green beans and cut stems and ends off. Steam for 10 to 15 minutes. If you don’t have a steamer, use a big pot and steam them in some foil, placing the foil over a pot with about an inch of water in it, leaving room on the side for steam to rise. In a bowl, combine the olive oil, mustard, salt and pepper. Whisk until they mix well. After steaming, cool the beans by rinsing them in cold water and drying them. Toss with vinaigrette. Grind more pepper on top for garnish.

Easy Pumpkin Pie

• 1 can pumpkin pie mix

• 2/3 cup (5 oz)

evaporated milk

• 2 large eggs

• 1 pie shell

• Whipped cream

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Mix pumpkin pie mix, evaporated milk and eggs in a bowl. Pour the mixture into pie shell. Bake for 15

minutes at 350 degrees. Top with whipped cream. For an extra twist, you can layer the pumpkin pie with another heavy baked item, like brownies.

Cranblueberry relish

• 1 package dried blueberries (we got 4 oz., but you can use more or substitute or add any kind of dried fruit)

• 1 (12 oz.) package fresh or

frozen cranberries

• 1 cup sugar

• 2 cups water

Rinse the cranberries. Place all the cranberries, blueberries, sugar and water into a pot. Bring the mixture to a boil, then simmer for 20 to 25 minutes. Most of the berries should pop, and the mixture should become thicker. Make sure to keep stirring the mixture in order to keep sugar from settling on the bottom. Take relish off heat and put in the refrigerator to cool.

This recipe can be made in advance and kept in the refrigerator.

A simple twist on Jell-O

• Instead of cubes or mixed with fruit or whipped cream, try making Jell-O in muffin tins, following directions on the box.

• To get the Jell-O out, run hot water on the bottom of the tin.

• They can be easily stacked and look better than those freaky

Jigglers.