Hanukkah starts tomorrow! This easy and luscious menu will let you enjoy the holiday too. Tender and moist salmon is baked with a honey mustard glaze, then served with a super-rich scalloped potato dish and tender green beans cooked with almonds. Enjoy!

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_{Photo © 2009 Linda Larsen, licensed to About.com, Inc.}

One of the wonderful things about casseroles (besides the taste) is that they are a complete meal in a single dish. You don't have to think about side dishes when you make a casserole because it's baked right into the recipe! This easy recipe is one of my emergency go-to meals for days like tomorrow, when we'll probably be snowed in. Served with a green salad and some easy shortbread, this is a satisfying meal you can make on short notice.

• Chicken Divan Casserole
• Simple Green Salad
• Brown Sugar Shortbread

_{Photo © 2009 Linda Larsen, licensed to About.com, Inc.}

Hannukah, the Festival of Lights, begins on Friday. This easy menu is perfect for the celebration, featuring a tender and juicy roast chicken, the easiest latkes and doughnuts ever, and applesauce cookies. Even if you don't celebrate this holiday, this is a great menu for entertaining. Enjoy!

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Elaine Lemm, Guide to British Food, says Scottish Shortbread is traditionally eaten on New Years Eve, but this recipe is too good to save for just one occasion. Eat it anytime: it's delicious.

And Rebecca Franklin, Guide to French Food offers Madeleines. These plump little sponge cakes are traditionally flavored with vanilla. This version has a small bit of orange zest for added warmth and aroma - perfect for holiday celebrations! When one thinks of palmiers, the tiny scroll-like pastries, sweet and flaky cookies come to mind. These Cinnamon Palmiers are just that: warm and buttery, with a touch of comforting, caramelized cinnamon. You can whip up these treats ultra-fast, so they're perfect for last-minute gatherings or an untamed sweet tooth.

And finally, from Marian Blazes, Guide South American Food, Alfajores made with almond paste are buttery and rich with almond flavor, but not too sweet, which sets off the caramel dulce de leche filling perfectly. Alfajores are a good cookie to send in the mail, as they taste even better several days after they are made.

_{Photo © 2009 Linda Larsen, licensed to About.com, Inc.}

These cookies, although not traditional for Christmas, always evoke the holiday season for me. They are tender, rich, and buttery, with a wonderful mint flavor. You can also give a gift of these cookies, in Starlight Surprise Cookie Mix.

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Kevin Weeks, Guide to Cooking for Two offers Applesauce Cookies. This deliciously spicy treat of soft cookies are spiced with the Christmas flavors of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Try with a cup of eggnog or mulled cider.

And from Jen Hoy, Guide to Macrobiotic Cooking, Chocolate Walnut Biscotti is a rich and not-too-sweet treat made with almond meal and dark chocolate.

_{Photo © 2009 Linda Larsen, licensed to About.com, Inc.}

Hey, I have five ingredient recipes for just about every category. And for the holidays, this collection of winners is just a little bit special. Whether you're looking for easy appetizers, main dishes, side dishes, or desserts, you'll find it here. And with just five ingredients, they are not only quick to make, but less expensive too!

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Teri Gruss, Guide to Gluten Free Cooking offers our first cookie. This recipe for Gluten-Free Gingerbread Men is adapted from a recipe by Jacqueline Mallorca, "Rice Flour Gingerbread Cows", featured in her fabulous cookbook, "The Wheat-Free Cook".

And my recipe for Roll Out Butter Cookies is foolproof. These melt-in-your-mouth cookies are the essence of Christmas. Make a bunch and have a cookie decorating party. And you must try Peanut Sitting-Pretties Thumbprint Cookies because they are one of my all-time favorites. The tender butter cookie is rolled in walnuts, then the thumbprint is filled with a fluffy icing and topped with candies.

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It's hard to believe there are only three weekends left until Christmas is here. And next Friday Hanukkah begins! So let's spend this weekend making wonderful food for family and friends that will still leave you time to shop, wrap, decorate, and socialize. These menus feature easy recipes using convenience foods, your crockpot, and make ahead tricks. Have a wonderful weekend!

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Our Guide to Australian Food, Syrie Wongkaew, loves Chocolate Melting Moments a buttery cookie filled with a creamy vanilla icing and then sandwiched together. They literally melt-in-your-mouth!

And Diana Rattray, Guide to Southern Food suggests Mom's Date Drop Cookies. A delicious date filling makes these easy drop cookies extra-special, and they make a great addition to your Chirstmas cookie list. Or try Raspberry-Filled Almond Cookies, made with a cream cheese cookie dough rolled in coarsely ground almonds, then filled with a dab of seedless raspberry jam. Feel free to substitute candied cherry halves for the filling in these cookies.

_{Photo © 2009 Linda Larsen, licensed to About.com, Inc.}

I love this combination of two easy recipes. Salsa Crockpot Chicken uses just two ingredients. I'm always so surprised that such a simple recipe can taste so wonderful; but you must use a good quality salsa. I call for Peach Salsa in the recipe: you can use any type you choose. It's served over a chili rice casserole that can be made ahead of time and refrigerated until about 45 minutes before it's time to eat. Add a green salad and a simple dessert for an excellent meal perfect for the busy holiday season.

• Salsa Crockpot Chicken
• Chili Rice Casserole
• Pear and Greens Salad
• Dark Chocolate Cookies

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From Stephanie Gallagher, Guide to Cooking for Kids, these Sugar Cookies are classic for Christmas. Soft, tender and buttery, but not too sweet, they are perfect for decorating.

And Fiona Haynes, Guide to Low Fat Cooking offers two choices. It's hard to believe these five-star Chocolate Chip Cookies are low fat. By using half the normal amount of butter, and substituting an egg white for a whole egg, these make a wonderful and relatively guilt-free indulgence. The chocolate flavor is enhanced by using cocoa powder as well as a sprinkling of miniature chocolate chips. And if you're looking for an even lighter cookie option for the holidays, then these fat free Chocolate Peppermint Meringue Cookies will surely fit the bill. Crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside, they make a tasty sweet and minty morsel.

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From Elizabeth LaBau, Guide to Candy, Gingerbread Truffles are soft, fragrant truffle balls that taste just like gingerbread cookie dough! These delicious candies feature gingersnaps, spices, toasted nuts, and white chocolate, for an easy, decadent holiday treat.

And from Jessica Harlan, Guide to Cooking Equipment, these Spritz Cookies are delicate and rich, thanks to the addition of cream cheese in the dough. Use a cookie press to turn the dough into beautiful shapes that can be decorated with sugars and sprinkles.

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