PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The holidays may not be so sweet this year.

At most Thanksgiving dinners, a selection of pies is almost as traditional as the turkey. But that slice of pie doesn't have to tip the scales of dietary regret. It just takes a little moderation and common sense.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — What you want: A holiday get-together with friends over a cheering glass of wine. What you don't want: A budget deeper in the red than an old vine zin.

For some people, the whole point of Thanksgiving dinner is to have leftovers. These are the people who intentionally buy a monster-size bird, mash way too many potatoes and pop an extra pie in the oven.

If you want the taste of homemade with the convenience of prepared, try for a middle ground with stuffing. Start with a 14-ounce bag of herbed stuffing mix, then saute whatever you enjoy. Onions, celery and fresh herbs are an obvious start.

An extra-dark gingerbread crust and dark chocolate glaze make these miniature pumpkin tarts a rich rethinking of the classic Thanksgiving dessert. If desired, accompany them with lightly sweetened whipped cream.

At O'Keefe Communications, employees will celebrate the holidays this year as they did last, with a potluck in the office rather than dinner at a nice restaurant.

Preparing Thanksgiving dinner is enough of a pressure cooker, never mind having to do on-the-fly math to get it right. Here are all the numbers you need to have a safe, worry-free and delicious Turkey Day dinner.

Serving a healthy Thanksgiving dinner doesn't have to mean giving up that pumpkin pie or those buttery sweet potatoes. But it does involve making some trade-offs.

The sour economy has done wonders for improving home cooking skills, prompting many of us to cook from scratch to save a little scratch.

Green beans are a tradition at many Thanksgiving tables, so many grocers price them competitively during the holidays. Here they are given a sophisticated twist with butter-toasted hazelnuts and melted Gorgonzola cheese.

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — In a Wellstone Elementary classroom, the five minutes before class have become the quietest part of the school day.

What goes well with Slim Jims and Slurpees? 7-Eleven wine, naturally.

These simple but well-seasoned lamb chops are a weeknight kitchen dream. They are packed with flavor thanks to a quick toasting of cumin seeds and peppercorns used for the rub.

Keeping your holiday buffet healthy doesn't doom you to celery stalks and carrot sticks. There are plenty of options that are indulgent without leaving your guests feeling buffet-grazing remorse.

When the basic ingredients are bacon, pasta, eggs and Parmesan cheese, it's hard to go wrong. This uncomplicated recipe for spaghetti carbonara from Lucinda Scala Quinn's "Mad Hungry: Feeding Men and Boys," comes together in minutes.

This easy bread from Jim Lahey's "My Bread: The Revolutionary No-work, No-knead Method" is studded with chunks of pecorino cheese. If you prefer, any firm or semi-firm cheese can be substituted.

Chinese takeout is always a treat, but it can be hard to sort out whether it's a healthy one.

Gordon Ramsay suggests serving buttered pasta or steamed rice to accompany this simple stroganoff made with pork tenderloin from his new book, "Cooking for Friends."

Matt Lee and Ted Lee like to smother their pan-fried pork loin chops in a quick mushroom chutney sweetened with prunes. The recipe, which comes from their new cookbook "The Lee Bros. Simple Fresh Southern," comes together in just 25 minutes.

For physician Jeffrey Hertzberg and baker Zoe Francois, the journey to no-knead bread began innocently enough.

Vegetable platters from the supermarket can make entertaining easy, but not cheap. A store-bought platter with dip can set you back as much as $1 or more per person.

Keeping your holiday buffet healthy doesn't doom you to celery stalks and carrot sticks. There are plenty of options that are indulgent without leaving your guests feeling buffet-grazing remorse.

BOSTON (AP) — All-natural may be all the rage in the food world, but will candy lovers have a sweet tooth for beet juice and purple cabbage?