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As I write this column, I have to admit that it has been hard coming to grips with it's being November. Where I live, the weather has been warm and not at all conducive to embracing the holidays. Nevertheless, Thanksgiving is less than a month away and Christmas, hot on its heels. While balancing the holidays with a busy schedule and a stretched budget is always a challenge, some pre-holiday planning can help keep seasonal anxieties in check.

If you have not already begun, start squirreling away supplies for holiday cooking, baking and gift giving, especially the ones you can find on sale. (I once bought a dozen jars of clearance-priced jellybeans, not for the candy, but for the decorative glass containers I intended to fill with peppermint hot cocoa mix.)

If cookie baking is a tradition in your house, start getting your recipes and supply lists in order, and be on the lookout for new, or new-to-you, products that will help you with your baking tasks.

Recently, I was introduced to Harry & David's line of conserves and curds, which are not only delicious, but also convenient for use in fillings for favorites like Thumbprint and Linzer tart cookies. While strategizing and planning ways for using ready-made store bought ingredients is just one step towards keeping the holidays stress-free, it's a good beginning.

Of course, "planning" is not the same as actually "doing," but at this stage of the sprint toward Christmas, it's a very smart start.

Sue Ade is a syndicated food writer with broad experience and interest in the culinary arts. She has worked and resided in the Lowcountry of South Carolina since 1985 and may be reached at kitchnade@yahoo.com .