Now, here’s a tip: Hints for holiday ease

Wed., Nov. 23, 2005

JoAnn Derson King Features Syndicate

• If you have a lot of bread left over at Thanksgiving time, freeze it to use as breadcrumbs in later recipes, or as croutons. It’s never wasted in my house!” • “When the big holiday dinners roll around, I get a small brown handle bag for each of my guests and put in it several different sizes of plastic containers and a few plastic zip-lock baggies. When dinner is over, I invite them to pack up leftovers (the stuff they like) and take them home. It means less for me to store, since I always make plenty of food. My guests really enjoy it!” — I.L. in Florida

• “I like to make a big presentation for holiday meals, so I use sliced fruit, nuts and fresh herbs for garnishes. I prepare them ahead of time and store them in the fridge so I can garnish the dishes and get them from stove to table quickly. I have found that if you use a little lemon juice on apple slices, they do not discolor, and you can cut them up ahead of time, too.” — T.C. in California

• “If you make one person responsible for putting prep dishes, pots and pans in the dishwasher while you are preparing the bird and side dishes for the table, you will be halfway done with the dishes by the time the meal is over.” — M.A. in Washington

• “Kids can have a blast making holiday place mats for the table. It keeps them out of your hair while you are cooking and makes them feel like they are part of the preparations. I just buy plain paper place mats (or make them out of construction or poster paper). Then the kids decorate them with stickers or markers. I also cover the kids’ table with plain white butcher paper and stick a big bowl of crayons in the center of the table. They color while we are eating dinner, and it keeps them at the table.” — C.L. in Mississippi

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