Tomorrow is The Big Day. Are you ready? Is that a truly tired question? Hot Plates knows it is. Media people know that events with what's known as "lead time" tend to seem like they have already happened two or three times by the time The Event actually occurs.

News consumers, though, might feel weirdly sad if they opened up the papers the day before Thanksgiving and didn't see anything about turkey, pie or what to do with the leftovers. Some people rely on these holiday articles for eleventh-hour ideas; others read it with great interest simply because the planning has dominated their thoughts since the start of countdown to Turkey Day (or T-Day, as some are calling it. So disparaging!).

We're not the grinch who took the turkey, though. We give writers a great deal of credit for coming up with new angles year after year for something that is so totally not about "new" anything. Thanksgiving is really about the old and familiar, after all. And that's just what we all secretly like about it.

What we don't like: Dry birds, flabby sides, bad pie. Here is what's out there today that aims to prevent unnecessarily unpleasant occurrences at your table tomorrow.

From Dallas there is a turkey primer from writer Kim Pierce -- yet another one of these, friends. It's got, you know, ideas for how to keep the bird juicy. Come on, every little bit helps. Hot Plates learned that an injected bird is best for deep-frying. Didn't know that. See??

The L.A. Times has a couple of good items today -- one about the perks of hosting a small Thanksgiving, where you can use more lush ingredients and basically think quality, not quantity. We warn you that this article is just dripping with California vibes, so don't even click it if you aren't in touch with your inner West Coaster.

The other Los Angeles piece is great, in our opinion, because we are all about the appetizers. We feel this way especially at holidays, when there is this tremendous meal impending, and you know pretty much what it'll be. Hosts have space to be creative with starters, so that is where we think the most fun can be had. This writer, whose article is about taking a smart approach to snacks, makes such a good point: "Offer something too calorie-free with the preprandial Zinfandel, and the lightness will go to everyone's head. But set out something rich and soulful such as chicken liver pâté, and no one will have room for the big dinner." What follows are ideas for less-filling/tastes-great appetizers.

The Washington Post's Chef on Call feature takes a look this week at making Thanksgiving less fattening. Hmm. We have lived through the low-fat, no-fat craze, and we are still in the fat-is-good mindset. No matter what is currently trendy, people will read almost anything having to do with getting fat or being skinny. So it's a good story idea, but we are guessing most everyone is sticking their health hat firmly on the hook tomorrow.

On the other side of the health-conscious spectrum, our Washington paper does a nice piece on places in the D.C. area where you can purchase a great pie for the occasion. They "explore the upper crust," as the cute title says, and they find some great ones and a few to skip.

The L.A. Times gets in the pie-review game with a similar piece highlighting four insanely delicious-sounding bakery pies for apple lovers. You'll crave this classic just looking at the photos of the ones they write about.

We can count on The New York Times to be one step ahead of everyone else, and of course they have items on what to do with the leftovers while all the others are still stuck on prepping for Turkey Nirvana. One piece, the Minimalist column, is about making the old bird into a turkey risotto (we don't like risotto but we'd eat this one).

The other is the weekly item from Melissa Clark called A Good Appetite, and she writes about turkey pot pie -- most definitely not the kind made from creamy condensed canned soup, though. Sounds good even to Hot Plates, who doesn't like pot pies much more than we like risotto.

Wait, we spoke too soon! From Dallas we get a leftovers recipe that many of you might just try. Crispy turkey mac 'n' cheese is worth a try, esecially with bacon added.

But the Times isn't too cool to publish something helpful for tomorrow. And this piece about turkey-carving is quite good, and funny as well. "It is generally agreed that the art of carving is in sad decline," the article says. Carve like a butcher, not like a chef, is the advice. Also, don't be found guilty of CWI -- Carving While Intoxicated -- if you are the knife guy. Read it and let us know if it improves this year's slicing experience.

Overindulging is the American way, the experts say. Far be it from us to be preachy, though. Sneak off to a quiet corner of an unoccupied room and whisper "kiss off" to those voices of doctors and well-meaning family members. Then, take yourself back to the party and have just one more.