photo by jamieanne
Prepare your home for guests by making festive desserts that go well with coffee and tea. They’re a sweet ending to any holiday meal and a nice change from traditional desserts, such as Christmas cookies or fruit pies. The pumpkin squares and coffee cake can be wrapped and transported easily to send home with family and friends, bring to work or to give to a neighbor, too.
Pumpkin …

photo by kimberlykv
Christmas celebrations are the perfect time for pie. You probably have a favorite that you look forward to during the holidays. Making piecrust can be intimidating, but the secret to a good crust is not to overwork the dough. You roll it out once gently. Lard provides a flakier crust and should be cold and cut in until you get pea-sized parts. Water should be ice-cold and added …

photo by plasticrevolver
Try something new for the holidays. Whether dinner is at your house or you’ve been asked to bring a dish to pass around, the following side dishes are crowd pleasers. They’re all familiar, so they won’t be avoided and will go well with most menu plans.
Mashed Potatoes
5 pounds potatoes, peeled and cooked
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup sour cream
2 eggs
1/4 cup onions, …

photo by chispita666
Cooking a one-dish meal is the perfect way to escape the kitchen quickly. Clean up is a snap. The following recipes are made from simple ingredients. And with little prep work, you can fix it and forget it. They’ll make excellent leftovers, too.
Pizza Casserole
2 cups spiral noodles
1 pound ground beef
1 jar pizza sauce
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
sliced pepperoni
Cook and drain the noodles, according to package directions. Brown …