Thanksgiving is almost here. It is one of my favorite holidays because not only does it usher in the festive season, but I get to cook all day. I usually wake up at 8 a.m. and have a timeline prepared so that I can maximize oven space.

The turkey usually goes in around noon, while I make cranberry apple pie and green bean casserole - from scratch. Basically, I don’t sit down until dinner time at 6 p.m., totally pooped while my family enjoys their home-cooked meal. To be honest, it’s quite exhausting.

Now don’t get me wrong. I love to cook, and Thanksgiving is a table top smothered with my favorite foods like mashed potatoes, gravy and my lemon sage turkey. But I think it’s the time of year when we should give thanks – thanks to the products and foods that make college life easier.

Let’s get real – we don’t cook everyday. We don’t even look at our kitchens during midterms and finals, and if you work too, you are probably a professional take-out chef with your top five restaurants on speed dial.

My "foods I'm thankful for" list that follows might not include the most epicurean treats or meals, but like Tim Gunn says on Project Runway, we “make it work.”

So, thank you Vitamin Water for making me feel like I am being healthy at the vending machine. Sure, I know you are coated in sugary goodness, but the Defense flavor really makes me feel good.

No thanks to you, coffee. Sure you keep me awake, but you stain my teeth and give me insane cravings, not to mention, you have zero vitamins. Get with the program!

Thank you, noodle soups, for being cheap and easy. I only need a microwave, and I’ve got a quick lunch on the run. Pour the water in, two minutes in the microwave, a spoon and you can get to class. Sure it’s not gourmet, but it's delicious, and you can spice it up by adding flavors you love to it. I like a squeeze of lemon juice in my shrimp-flavored broth.

No thanks to you, ramen. You don’t come in a convenient cup, and you require me to get a pot, put water in it, and approach the wasteland that is my stovetop. And you just don't offer the easy, fast, on-the-run aspect that the cup of noodles gives me. Like I told coffee, it’s time to get with the program.

Thank you, rotisserie chicken. Oh, my mouth waters just thinking about how speedy it is to run into a supermarket and pick up a hot meal. In 10 minutes tops you can run in, grab your favorite seasoned chicken , whether it's lemon pepper or BBQ, and you have a hearty protein you didn’t even have to cook.

My favorite part of rotisserie chicken is how diverse it is.

First, on Monday night, eat your chicken right off the bone. Then on Tuesday, throw your carcass of bones in a pot of boiling water with some veggies. Don’t worry about picking the fresh, pretty veggies, or even chopping them into symmetrical pieces – remember we are giving thanks to easy, not complicated.

Choose your bruised veggies, give them a rough chop, and throw them into the water. In a few hours, after straining, you have a stock that you can refrigerate or freeze, so that when you get that post-midterm flu, you can have some homemade chicken soup all for the price of one rotisserie chicken.

No thank you to having to worry about side dishes. Publix should really get on that, and package some corn on the cob right in the bag. Don’t they know we have a life?

Finally, thank you chocolate. Whichever form you take, whether you are a candy bar or cake, you are the number one "de-stresser" and foodgasm-giver in this article. Without you, PMS would destroy our campus like Godzilla did Japan. I would cry uncontrollably under pressure, and I would not be able to make it through the 10 hours of home cooking on Thanksgiving.

This holiday season, grab your favorite form of chocolate. Whether it's a Pepperidge Farm Milano cookie, or an old Kit Kat bar, take a deep breath and relax because cooking on Thanksgiving should not make you want to kill yourself.

The best part is that no preparation is required. Quick and easy, that’s what I’m talking about. Your only job is to unwrap it, put it in your mouth and then of course- foodgasm.

Have a happy holiday, hopefully filled with foodgasms. Enjoy this time of year because it is probably the only time your shopping list consists of more ingredients than are on this list of college life foods. Remember, if you're just adding hot water, it's not home cooked.

Need help with a recipe or finding a place to eat? Bianca is here to help! Send any questions, comments or Foodgasm ideas to bianca.rojas@fiusm.com.