I love to take something ordinary and make it really special.

I like almonds as a snack - keeps your energy up but doesn't fill you up.

Never let 'em see you sweat. Guests feel guilty if they think you've worked too hard to make dinner for them - which of course you have!

I get up every day, do the best that I can do, and go home and have a good time.

You can get bogged down in a recipe that's got a lot of steps and a million ingredients, and it takes all day to make. And then you realize, you've just got one dish. For Thanksgiving, you want an abundance of choices, and so you want dishes that you can put together really quickly, but that doesn't mean less flavor.

Instead of going out to dinner, buy good food. Cooking at home shows such affection. In a bad economy, it's more important to make yourself feel good.

I absolutely adore Thanksgiving. It's the only holiday I insist on making myself.