Holiday Timesavers

Ingredients and Garnishes

Dress up a side dish
with herbs.

No matter how busy you are, there's no need to sacrifice the pleasure of cooking and baking for the holidays. Follow our helpful hints while creating something special in the kitchen.

Convenient Ingredients to Have on Hand

Nonstick spray coating. Forget the mess of greasing pans. Seasoning blends. One sprinkle adds a dose of good taste. Try Italian and pasta seasonings, Cajun seasoning, pepper blends, fajita seasoning, pumpkin pie spice, and five-spice powder. Minced garlic. Buy it in a jar and give thanks; 1/2 teaspoon equals 1 clove.

Simple Garnishes

Dress up a side dish, such as mashed potatoes or sweet potatoes with a long sprig or two of fresh rosemary or thyme.

Herbs also add flair
to dinner rolls.

Add flair to dinner rolls with fresh herbs. Before baking the rolls, brush them with a mixture of 1 egg white beaten with 1 tablespoon water. While the egg white glass remains moist, place fresh Italian parsley or sage leave on the rolls. Brush again with the egg white mixture. Bake as directed.

Jump-Start Baking

Keep these basics stashed in your freezer. Whole bags of toasted nuts and coconut Grated gingerroot and finely shredded citrus peels, wrapped a teaspoon at a time in plastic wrap.