Easy on the Budget Jolly Holiday Brunch

Up to 1 or 2 Weeks Ahead

• Bake your choice coffee cake; wrap and freeze. (Wait to frost and finish until thawed.)

• Make Roasted Sesame and Honey Snack Mix or Sweet and Savory Snack Mix, using recipes’ Do-Ahead Tips.

The Day Before

• Make Cranberry-Orange Slush (if served); freeze.

• Chill beverages for Noel Spritzer (if served).

• Make Creamy Poppy Seed Dressing for Pomegranate and Poppy Seed Salad (if served); refrigerate. Prepare salad ingredients; store in separate containers in refrigerator.

• Thaw coffee cake overnight. Frost and decorated, if needed.

• Get head start preparing Easy Cheese and Bacon Quiche, using recipe’s Do-Ahead Tip.

As Guests Arrive

• Finish beverage preparation; offer to guests.

• Set out snack mix.

• Cheer the holidays with a toast!

About 1 Hour Before Serving Brunch

• Bake Easy Cheese and Bacon Quiche.

• Make Winter Fruit Waldorf Salad (if served).

• Make French Breakfast Puffs (if served).

About 10 Minutes Before Serving Brunch

• Toss Pomegranate and Poppy Seed Salad.

Foiled Place Settings

• Make designer holiday place mats and place cards using heavy foil gift wrap. For place mats, cut gift wrap into 18x12-inch pieces. If desired, use a little glue to attach doilies to the center, or decorate with glitter paint or stickers.

• For place cards, cut gift wrap into 4x2-inch pieces, and fold in half so they stand up. On one side, glue a piece of plain paper and add each guest's name, then attach a sparkling snowflake made from paper or a purchased ornament.

• Roll silverware in napkins, and tie with metallic ribbon or foil-wrapped wire.

Butter 'em Up

• Cut thin slices of butter into pretty holiday shapes using tiny cookie cutters in star, tree and bell shapes. Or place softened butter in holiday ice-cube molds.

• Freeze, then pop out the shapes and refrigerate or freeze in a single layer.

• Look for these holiday cutters and molds at kitchen and home stores.

Great Garnishes

• A few sprigs of fresh rosemary or frozen cranberries are lovely dusted with powdered sugar to look snowy.

• Or cut shapes from slices of bell pepper with those little holiday cookie cutters to garnish quiche.

Mealtime Makeover

• There's no need to buy holiday dishes or glassware to set a festive table. Just decorate what you already own. Tie holiday ribbons with jingle bells or a keepsake ornament around napkins to make napkin rings.

• Decorate the base of stemmed water or wine glasses with ribbons or metallic cord.