Mashed potatoes. Cranberry sauce. Apple pie. Who can resist the thought of such mouth-watering cuisine served at Thanksgiving dinner?  From now through the day we give thanks, we’ll be featuring a delectable creation inspired by foods found at a fall feast. The best part? You can enjoy these appetizing morsels without worrying about your waistband. Bon appétit!

While your fridge is full of fall ingredients — sweet potatoes, pumpkin, cranberries, and apples galore! — why not put them to work feeding your stomach and your skin? Skin care guru Narine Nikogosian’s new cookbook-style beauty book Return to Beauty: Old World Wisdom and Recipes for Great Skin gives you the scoop on how to make a feast for your face.

Her colorful book is overflowing with simple make-it-yourself recipes for your skin, and has an entire section dedicated to the seasons. It’s subdivided into skin type segments (dry, normal-to-dry, oily and normal-to-oily) so you’ll easily find a regimen that caters to your skin’s needs on a more personal level. The ingredients are everyday kitchen items, and the formulas are backed by Narine Nikogosian’s renowned skin care expertise. We love that every recipe has a blurb under its title that explains what each ingredient does for your skin.

The book also includes sections on sun signs, simple solutions and an ingredients glossary.

It will be on sale starting November 9. Get your own! Available online at Barnes & Noble ($25).

A sneak peek: For normal-to-oily skin, try this hopped-up sweet potato mask!

HOPPED-UP SWEET POTATO MASK
Sweet potatoes contain vitamin A (beta-carotene) as well as vitamins C and E. These are all effective antioxidants for skin protection. The hops in beer are known to have a relaxing, cleansing effect on the skin.

1 small sweet potato

1 tablespoon beer

PREPARATION: Peel and cube the sweet potato and boil it for 10 minutes, drain, then smash it with a fork. In a bowl, combine the potato and the beer. Mix well.

APPLICATION: Apply a thick layer of this to your face and neck and relax for 20 minutes. If you’d like, drink the rest of the beer to receive the full effect of the hops! Rinse off with warm water, then apply your moisturizer.

Photo Credits: Book – Simon & Schuster; Sweet Potatoes – Flickr member Iirraa