Enjoy this most unusual Thanksgiving Day

You're probably getting ready for Thanksgiving and the start of the holiday season. This is when our minds turn to baking and planning celebration meals that, when cooking, fill the house with sweet and savory aromas.

It's a beautiful time of year, usually.

Large gatherings, or gatherings at all, are discouraged in this time of rising COVID-19 numbers, and it can be hard to find anything to be thankful for this year. Well, you can celebrate a lack of added stress since you won't be cooking for a crowd or that you'll most likely not need a top-to-bottom house cleaning.

While you might be dining with a small group of people, or eating alone, you can still see family and friends via Zoom. It's like joining several parties at once with no cross-town driving. That said, even the old-fashioned phone call is a way of getting together.

Then there's the food. Delicious traditional fare and family favorites have an almost magical way of getting you in the mood for the holidays. You can stick with the conventional turkey, dressing, sides and pumpkin pie. Or this year, you might go an utterly nontraditional route and order takeout or put a homemade pizza in the oven for this most unusual year.

However you celebrate this year, we've got recipes online at dailyherald.com/lifestyle/food for making a small Thanksgiving feast on a budget from Biz Velatini, including a roasted turkey breast, scalloped zucchini side and little individual pumpkin bites. Plus, there's a savory recipe for creating a wild rice, kale, cranberries and pecan dressing to stuff in a squash from Leslie Meredith and lots more, including making a gravy without any pan drippings, as well as recipes for side dishes and a best-of column from Don Mauer detailing suggestions for using up those holiday leftovers.

However you're celebrating, I hope the holiday finds you and your loved ones safe and healthy. Happy Thanksgiving!