Let your heart be light...you don't always have to go ALL out!

The Holidays are for enjoying family and friends, not necessarily slaving in the kitchen. We have a few tasty recipes and tips that are guaranteed to please the crowd without taking you away from the festivities for too long!

1. Never underestimate the power of high quality simple ingredients! Cheese is one of the best ingredients to have on hand when you need to put together a hearty bite! You can make a cheese ball, cheese popcorn, or just serve it as is. Seasonal fruits like clementines, grapes and pears can be a nice break between heavier holidays foods.

2. Slow cookers are your friend! Using a slow cooker will save you lots of hands-on time and will still result in a hearty holiday meal! There is a section in the bookstore just for slow cooker cookbooks, like this Williams-Sonoma book. If you don't have a slow cooker you can cut down your hands-on time by making semi-homemade recipes. Sandra Lee has amazing ones that will give you fantastic flavors with a lot less time!

3. Get everyone involved! You can do this by making homemade individual pizzas together! Everyone will get what they like and it is easier than you think. Your favorite pizzeria will usually sell their dough, if you just ask, you can pick it up at a specialty foods store like Whole Foods or you can go for it and make it yourself. The dough can be handy in making a myriad of other treats as well!

Whatever you decide to make this holiday season these options will ensure you don't miss a moment of the festivities!