Okay, I’m a little bit country and a little R&B when it comes to cooking.

I don’t plan to cook all day—the eve of or the day of Thanksgiving—in the proverbial kitchen. Don’t you just hate cooking all day? I know I do.

Homemade or made from scratch may be county or southern-like, but it’s not my claim to fame.

The difference between made from scratch and timely cooking on the holidays is the difference between shopping online and driving to the mall and shopping

Scratch is good, but an early finish and plenty of relaxation are better.

Here are some tips to help you spend less time in the kitchen without compromising the Southern appeal.

You don’t have to cut up 4 or 5 bunches of collards. Cut up 2 bunches and buy 2 cans of Martha Holmes Collard Greens. Your family or guests won’t suspect the ‘can.’

I frequently invite Martha Holmes to my house. She’s a great help in the kitchen.

The can says ‘Homemade Made Easy. Real Southern Style.’ I’m all about Southern-style but in a timely manner.

I use smoked turkey wings to season my greens. They’re delicioso (delicious)!

And if you plan to cook skillet-fried fresh corn, you don’t have to shuck, silk, and cut 20 plus ears of corn. There’s less work if you mix ½ fresh corn with ½ Mckenzie’s cream corn, your choice of white or yellow.

Sorry, I don’t take any shortcuts with my mac and cheese.

Again, I don’t want to prepare meals for the greater part of the day.

The kitchen is my haven but not for cooking. I also write, watch CNN, Lifetime, and read in my kitchen.

On to the next tip.

I augment my cornbread dressing with Stove Top Stuffing Mix with real chicken broth. You see, there are shelf products to help minimize our time in the kitchen. And I’m all about conserving time and energy.

Now about deserts.

I don’t bake cakes or pies that often because I will eat them, especially with ice cream. But when I bake a pound cake, I don’t use plain flour. I use cake flour, and I sift the dry ingredients.

If I’m not a country girl because I don’t cook from scratch. So be it!

But I’m still a good cook!