For decades, I've started Holiday preparation the first or second week in October. Stuff that freezes well, Dressing/stuffing (I mix everything together & freeze raw) All cookies Quick breads Sweet potatoes (we like them slow roasted until caramalized & then mashed with a bit of butter & they freeze beautifully) Granola/trail mix (this is our favorite munchie to have out during the Holidays & I actually made this Monday & it's in the freezer now) Pie crust dough Fillings for fruit pies (I freeze the filling separately & assembly/bake the pies on the morning of the Holiday) Filling for pumpkin pies (frozen raw - it keeps beautifully...thaw & bake the morning of the Holiday) Gingerbread & Lemon Sauce (maybe a bit surprising but Lemon Sauce freezes just great) Plum Puddings (will be made next week...I shopped for ingredients last weekend) I order the meats the first couple weeks in October. By the time the Holidays arrive I've got most of the cooking already done. Things I also do well in advance are take the linens to the cleaners, polish silver, wash the china/crystal if it's not been used for awhile, check decorations to see if anything's self-destructed since last year & replace, if necessary (how does that happen anyway??), & I order my fresh floral decorations from the florist we've used for years very early...like around Halloween (then, I can just forget about it & they arrive right when I need them). There's lots of other stuff I do very early also but it's only 6:30 a.m. & I can't think yet! I'm limited physically & hurrying around last minute doesn't work for me. I also have my Holiday shopping done & wrapped before T-day. Components for business gifts are prepped early so all I have to do is assemble for DH the night before he delivers. We don't send out as many Holiday cards as we used to but there's still a couple hundred cards & I've been working on those since July. We start putting up the Christmas village the weekend after Halloween because it takes forever. I'd like to stop putting it up but the g-kids would freak. This year, we're serving dinner at the food bank on T-Day so much less cooking. I'm just going to make a roast chicken dinner for the 2 of us & include stuffing the Friday after T-Day...maybe one pie, probably pumpkin. Also, no business gifts this year. Instead, we are donating one turkey to the food bank in lieu of those gifts & just sending cards notifying people of the donation. Our food banks are in dire need of support this year. Actually, it's at critical mass levels. /tricia

Thanks for the super-fast response! Those Danish are such a staple at Christmas on this board that I've just been watching for someone to post about them :) Freezing ahead would be perfect! I can re-heat them a little and then glaze--practically effortless. Thanks again--I can hardly wait to try these!

Interesting dips!

Peter Piper...lol, 2Many! This is the Spinach Balls Recipe. I got it from one of Susan Branch's cookbooks long ago. I love the make-ahead convenience of these. Spinach Balls (from Susan Branch) 2 (10 oz.) pkgs. frozen chopped spinach, thawed 4 eggs, beaten 2 cups herb stuffing mix (such as Stove Top or Pepperidge Farm) 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated 1 garlic clove, minced 1 small onion, minced 1 tsp. dried thyme 3/4 cup butter, melted Salt and pepper, to taste Squeeze the liquid from the spinach ( use a ricer if you have one). Mix all the ingredients well and chill for 2 hours. Roll into 1-inch balls. Freeze on cookie sheet, and then store in plastic bags till needed. Thaw before baking. Bake at preheated 325 for 25-30 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. Note: If you like, it can be a good idea to make one ball after mixing to bake and taste to check seasoning. I know someone who likes to mix in a pinch of cayenne...up to you.