Can you feel it? It's starting to get pretty thick from Tallulah to Thibodaux and Slidell to Shreveport. What is it? It's Thanksgiving dinner-induced anxiety and it is starting to take its toll on Louisiana residents who find themselves "in charge" of hosting and preparing the "meal of the year".

Immigrant Families Celebrate Thanksgiving In Connecticut
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Let's face it, having friends over for burgers on a Saturday afternoon can be stressful enough but when you invite family and you have to cook a meal that you don't normally cook, it's no wonder tensions run high and family therapists see a major uptick in business during December.

It is my belief that almost all of the angst that comes with a family Thanksgiving "celebration" can be traced back to one aspect of the holiday. That aspect is the meal. All year long we build up this one meal as the "be all end all" of dining. And then we go and cook something as bland and lackluster as a turkey.

Allrecipes via YouTube
Allrecipes via YouTube
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Cooking a turkey and making it taste worth a darn is hard to do. It's not an easy meat to prepare. In addition to manufacturing flavor for the bland bird, you've got a lot of issues with meat texture, temperature, and moisture. There are just so many things that can go wrong with a turkey.

This is why we depend on the sides to save us. The problem with the sides is we don't make a lot of those recipes that often either. This leads to confusion in the kitchen and that's only if you have the right ingredients. This brings us to the actual cause of our problem.

Reduction In Food Stamps, High Food Prices Puts Pressure On Food Pantries
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You can't cook what you don't have and if you need a certain item to make a pie or some gravy, it's going to suck unless you have that item. So, in case you were wondering what everyone else was forgetting to buy at the grocery store, we've made a list.

Okay, we borrowed from the popular grocery store chain Hy-Vee. I understand they are going to make more inroads into the south. They look like good folks and they remind you to remind the person you're sending to the store, to please pick up these items.

The 8 Most Forgotten Items on Your Thanksgiving Shopping List