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SQUDS On
Avoid last-minute hassles, and enjoy every
minute of your time with your family and
friends by preparing much of our menu
ahead of time.
^ Make soups at your convenience and
store them in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Cook the soups for the minimum time given
in the recipe. (Omit the beet in Winter White
Vegetable
Soup
and
the
tortellini
in
Vegetable-Tortellini
Soup.)
Immediately
place the soups in shallow containers and
chill.
Transfer
chilled
soups
to
freezer
containers, cover, and freeze. To serve, thaw
the soups in the refrigerator overnight.
Reheat just before the party, bringing the
soups to a full boil. (Add the tortellini and
cook for 5 minutes. Roast the beet for the
garnish.)
^ Up to 1
month ahead, bake the cookies
for Chocolate-Mint Ice Cream Sandwiches.
Assemble the sandwiches, wrap, and freeze.
At dessert time, remove them from the
freezer; let stand 5 minutes.
^ The day before your gathering, plan to
shape the Checkerboard Rolls, cover, and
chill until time to bake. Also cook the fennel
and cauliflower for Fennel and Cauliflower
Salad and make the salad dressing.
^ To complete meal preparation, bake the
rolls according to the recipe directions, and
toss the salad.
are sure to spark conversations
about
cherished
loved
ones.
They also help children becom e
familiar w ith their ancestors and
family they may not see often.
Before putting away family
photos, use them to make fun
labels
for
stockings.
O r use
current school photos or baby
pictures for the kids’ stockings.
Label the adults’ stockings with
their childhood photos. W hen
crafting w ith photos, use color
or black-and-white copies and
save the originals.
W ith good food close
at
hand and the stage set for the
holidays,
’tis
the
season
for
sitting back and enjoying the
com pany of loved ones.
ABOVE: The holidays may be an indulgent time, but don't forget to
cater to guests with lighter appetites.
Couple Vegetable-Tortellini
Soup
(front)
with another healthy favorite, Fennel and Cauliflower
Salad
(back)
LEFT:
Everyone
loves
ice
cream,
no
m atter
the
weather outside. Fill the freezer with make-ahead Chocolate-Mint Ice
Cream Sandwiches so you're prepared when a craving strikes. For a
Christmas touch, decorate the treats with crushed peppermint and
spearmint candies.
