Ashlyn Ritch remembers running to the grocery store on Thanksgiving Day for a “stupid onion,” an ingredient she thought she already had on hand.

That experience made her a little smarter.

Like many other Romans, Ritch will be cooking a Thanksgiving meal on Thursday, and she is hoping she won’t forget any key ingredients.

“One year we had to go to the convenience store and we had to make a substitute and used potato chips instead of crackers,” Ritch said.

Three ingredients she suggests cooks make sure they have on hand ahead of time are onions, celery and eggs.

The real problem, she said, are those family recipes that are must-haves or everyone gets “bummed out.”

She also has advice to protect the chef from scavengers: “Lock the refrigerator doors so the family wont eat what you need for Thanksgiving dinner.”

Barbara Carter also suggests cooks make sure you get your ingredients together today.

“Yes, I have had to go the grocery store,” on Thanksgiving, said Carter, former nutrition director for Rome City Schools.

“What I want to make sure is everyone has their cranberry sauce, and you always need some extra cream cheese because that makes about any dessert you might like,” she said.

She also once had to go for sugar.

“I think the most unusual thing I forgot one year was baking soda. I sent Jack (her husband Jack Carter) and he came back with baking powder, and there is a difference.”

She suggests that cooks read all their recipes ahead of time to make sure they have all the ingredients.

The good news is some grocery stores will be open Thursday for those who forgot something.

Who’s open, who’s not on thursday

• Food Lion, 3365 Martha Berry Hwy., – 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• GMC Value Mart, Shorter Avenue, closed
• IGA, 610 Shorter Ave. SW – 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• Kmart, Hicks Drive – 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. to 3 a.m.
• Kroger, 1476 Turner McCall Blvd. – open 24 hours
• Piggly Wiggly, 3880 Martha Berry Highway – 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Piggly Wiggly, Lindale – closed
• Sav-a-Lot – closed
• Sam’s Club – closed
• Walmart, East and West Rome, – open 24 hours