Fresh Sheet: Try these resources for those T-Day stresses

All set for the big feast? No?

Help abounds for those who need last-minute help or even serious hand-holding. Don’t hit the panic button; try one of the hotlines or web pages below for Thanksgiving or holiday baking help:

• U.S. Department of Agriculture Meat and Poultry Hotline: (888) 674-6854 or www.fsis.usda.gov. Specialists answer calls 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. weekdays year-round and on Thanksgiving Day from 5 to 11 a.m. The website has a 24-hour automated response system and recorded information is always available on the hotline.

• Butterball: (800) BUTTERBALL (800-288-8372) or …

All set for the big feast? No?

Help abounds for those who need last-minute help or even serious hand-holding. Don’t hit the panic button; try one of the hotlines or web pages below for Thanksgiving or holiday baking help:

• U.S. Department of Agriculture Meat and Poultry Hotline: (888) 674-6854 or www.fsis.usda.gov. Specialists answer calls 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. weekdays year-round and on Thanksgiving Day from 5 to 11 a.m. The website has a 24-hour automated response system and recorded information is always available on the hotline.

• Butterball: (800) BUTTERBALL (800-288-8372) or butterball.com. Assistance in English or Spanish; call or e-mail questions to talkbutterball.com. Butterball Mobile offers turkey tips and recipes, calculators and conversion measures on your mobile phone. Find Butterball on Facebook or Twitter for answers to common questions. The service answers calls 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays through Dec. 23 and 4 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thanksgiving.

• EatTurkey.com: The National Turkey Federation has a host of hints for turkey preparation including information on grilled, smoked and deep-fried turkey. They also have recipes for traditional sides.

• Crisco Pie hotline, (877) FORPIETIPS (877-367-7438) or crisco.com. Offers live pie experts year-round Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 4 p.m.; extended hours, 5 a.m. - 5 p.m. today and Dec. 13-23. They can help with troubleshooting, storage advice and tips for cutting prep time.

• Pillsbury Baking, pillsburybaking.com. The Baker’s Corner offers baking ideas, basic concepts and baking tips. Also, the site has a list of emergency substitutions if you find you’re missing an ingredient.

We’re always looking for fresh food news. Write to: The Fresh Sheet, Features Department, The Spokesman-Review, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210. Call (509) 459-5446, fax to (509) 459-5098 or send an e-mail to lorieh@spokesman.com.