Part of the deal I made with my wife to become a work-at-home writer is that I would take over more of the cooking duties.

That was fair enough. After all, I suddenly had tons of flexibility and I always enjoyed cooking, even if I possessed rudimentary skills.

With my cooking came a problem: I tended to limit myself in the kitchen. That was fine when my cooking was occasional. But when my time in the kitchen became regular my lack of skill was exposed with too many nights of casseroles, tacos or easy pastas.

My sauces, if you could call them that, were always bought prepackaged.

Then this fall, a bounty of tomatoes came from the backyard garden thanks to our unusually warm September and October. Trying hard not to waste a tomato, I decided to try my hand at making some homemade sauces.

I was shocked. Not just with how delicious (and healthy) my favorites like chicken parmesan could be, but just how easy it was to whip up a decent sauce. The key, though, was to finally take a chance on venturing outside my cooking comfort zone.

With the holiday season upon us, a season of once-a-year gravies and red, fruity sauces, it is time again to get past my intimidation. So I enlisted the help of Wendie Every, a foodie herself and owner of Every Idea Marketing, the company behind the creation of Newport Ave. Market’s holiday guide, Shindigs.

What makes a great sauce?

Before you head to the grocery store to buy a jar of unhealthy and not-quite-delicious gravy, it might behoove you to remember that fresh, natural ingredients are often the keystone to great cooking.

“I like to create recipes from real food. I’ve made plenty of mistakes over the years, but I’ve learned to just jump in and try new things,” Every said.

With that in mind, Every gave some suggestions for holiday sauces: a traditional homemade cranberry sauce, a maple brown sugar sauce that can be served over yams or brie, and of course, turkey gravy.

These are all simple by design, and meant to be helpful during the holidays to get you past your own intimidation. And with a little risk-taking and confidence, just about anybody can be successful.

“These are good choices, because there aren’t a lot of ingredients and the instructions are simple. However, guests will be delighted by the taste and impressed with your creativity,” Everysaid.

CRANBERRY SAUCE

No holiday table would be complete without the brilliant, rich burgundy color provided by the cranberry sauce or jelly. It gives you a little zing of sweet, tartness that pairs great with the turkey, but far too often the sauce comes from a can. Cranberry sauce is a breeze, needing just fresh cranberries, some water, a little sugar, a couple of oranges, and salt. Be brave and try making your own.

MAPLE BROWN SUGAR SAUCE

Served over yams as a delicious side dish or over warmed brie as a crowd-pleasing appetizer, Maple Brown Sugar Sauce adds decadence to any holiday menu. It adds that sweet, sort of holiday taste to an otherwise plain yam. The extra calories are worth it.

“This is one of our guests’ favorite dishes at our holiday parties,” Every said.

TURKEY GRAVY

There always seems to be stress about making the perfect turkey and gravy. The funny thing is that turkey gravy is not particularly difficult to make, but rarely does a home chef have a chance to practice it. It’s not that hard, but you do need to pay attention.

Start with a high-quality turkey for the best results. Drippings from the turkey are the key for a flavorful gravy. One must take care as to what falls to the bottom of the pan, being sure to not let those drippings burn. Adding a touch of water when needed as the turkey roasts will help prevent burning. Also, the turkey should be cooked slowly at a lower temperature to reduce the risk of burning. If the drippings burn on the bottom of the roasting pan, then the gravy is going to taste burned.

If the bird is fatty, allow the drippings to cool, the fat will separate and raise to the top. Remove the excess fat, and then you are ready to make your gravy.

Be patient while making the gravy and don’t over salt. And remember one important truth: there is never enough gravy. You want to make sure it’s not too thick or too watered down, but has lots of turkey flavor.

Cranberry sauce, turkey gravy and a sweet, decadent maple brown sugar sauce? Sounds like the holidays to me. All I need is some guts to give it a try.