We always try to make a good first impression. That’s what we are told to do from our earliest adolescence. Packaging does just that in retail commerce. But things don’t always turn out the way they look at first impression.

I eat quite a lot of low-calorie, low-fat frozen entrees. I buy several whenever they are on reduced prices. They make good lunches—easy to prepare, tasty (more or less) and easy to clean up.

The packages are inviting. They display sharply focused plates of chicken or beef with broccoli, carrots, peppers, water chestnuts and always rice or pasta. Occasionally I buy one with shrimp or salmon.

It entered my mind to send my editor a note this week, asking her to re-run last year’s Thanksgiving column.

I thought better of it. I called in a favor along those lines less than two months ago and since I want to keep this gig going as long as possible, I decided I could surely come up with something fresh for Thanksgiving 2012 -- maybe not terribly original, but new.