Home cooks stand on the brink of their busiest time of year. As you make final plans for your Thanksgiving menu, dust off the crystal and iron the tablecloths, here are some ideas to make the holidays a bit easier.

For the bird

If your turkey squeezes your side dishes and desserts out of the oven, consider a Hamilton Beach roaster oven. The 120-volt appliance is small enough to sit on the kitchen counter and large enough to cook a 23-pound turkey. It also can bake, steam and slow-cook. And at $115.50, it is more affordable than a second oven.

The roaster oven is available at nextdaygourmet.com.

No duds in your spuds

Chances are your holiday menu will include potatoes in one form or another. The Idaho Potato Commission offers this advice in selecting and preparing your spuds:

Look for clean, smooth, firm-textured skin that has no cuts, bruises or discoloration.

Store potatoes in a cool, dry place, but never in the refrigerator.

Don't wash spuds until just before you use them.

Never wrap potatoes in foil while baking - this steams the potato.

For more information, visit idahopotato.com.

Safety in sheets

To help make food handling safer and easier, Saran has introduced disposable, absorbent cutting sheets. These plastic sheets reduce the chance of cross-contamination during food preparation.

The top of the sheet is sturdy enough to resist knife cuts. The middle layer is absorbent to soak up juices from raw meats and poultry. The bottom layer helps prevent juices from overflowing onto kitchen work surfaces.

The sheets are available from supermarkets and mass merchandisers for a suggested retail price of $2.99 for a pack of 20.

Making lists, making room

Need help planning your Thanksgiving dinner? Ocean Spray Cranberries Inc. gives step-by-step directions on its Web site, www.oceanspray.com.

By now you should have planned your menu, invited your guests and ordered the turkey. In this last week, Ocean Spray advises making three grocery lists - one for nonperishables that can be purchased early to avoid the busy stores, a list for perishables that can be picked up a few days before and a list of last-minute items like baked goods.

This is also the time to clean out the refrigerator to make room for all the holiday dishes. Set the table the day before and, don't forget, it's OK to delegate duties or let guests bring their favorite dishes.

Events

Explore foods of Thailand 7 p.m. tomorrow at A Cook's Table, 717 Light St. $45. Call 410-539-8600.

The Vegetarian Resource Group will have its annual vegetarian pre-Thanksgiving potluck dinner 5:30 p.m. Sunday at St. John's Church, St. Paul and 27th streets. $3 plus a vegetarian dish. Children are free. Call 410-366-VEGE for more information.

Learn to make chocolate candies from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. tomorrow or Dec. 5 at St. Leo's School, 227 S. Exeter St. $12 plus supplies. The school will also have a course on sausage-making on the same days and times. Call 410-931-1323 or 410-866-8494.

Learn about French, Italian and Portuguese wines from importer Kysela Pere et Fils 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday at Wells Discount Liquors, 6310 York Road. Call 410-435-2700.

Enjoy soup and wine 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday at Boordy Vineyards, 12820 Long Green Pike, Hydes. $8 per person. For information, call 410-592-5015.