The Weekend Cook returns with a great selection of holiday recipes and menus for the weekend, along with some tips to start you thinking about the busy season ahead.

Everyone is so busy getting ready for the holidays. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or the Winter Solstice, you need some great recipes. So this weekend is the perfect time to make delicious, easy, and comforting recipes that still leave energy for all of your chores and a little bit of holiday baking.

Many Freeze Ahead Holiday Desserts take only minutes to make and, obviously, freeze beautifully. Pick out two or three to make during the afternoons this weekend and you'll get a great head start on the holiday season.

Enjoy the weekend with these delicious recipes and get cozy in your nice warm house. The holidays are almost here!

Friday Night Supper

• Crockpot Pork with Cabbage
  Purple cabbage makes a fabulous sweet and sour base for super tender pork roast in this super easy recipe.
• Herbed Pull Apart Bread
  Let your kids have fun by making this easy bread while you relax after a busy day. It's flavorful, tender, and spectacular just out of the oven.
• Blueberry Cobbler
  And for dessert, this simple recipe is a snap. You can make the topping ahead of time, then when it's time for dinner, just assemble and bake. Serve warm with some praline ice cream.

Saturday Breakfast

• Cranberry Oatmeal Bread
  This wonderful quick bread uses tart cranberries and crunchy walnuts along with oatmeal to make a healthy, hearty choice. You can eat one loaf and freeze the second for the holidays.

• orange juice, milk, coffee, tea
• Eggs Lorraine
  Sausages, eggs, and cheese bake together in this simple one dish recipe. I love the combination of smoky sausage, fluffy eggs, and savory cheese. Yum.

Saturday Lunch

• Grilled Tuna Melts
  Pull out your dual contact grill and make these crisp sandwiches for your hungry family.
• Gourmet Grilled Cheese
  The George Foreman grill is so easy to use that you can offer more than one kind of sandwich! Better yet, set out the ingredients and let your kids make their own.
• Nectarine Coleslaw
  This creamy and crunchy salad is really delicious, and so easy! If you can't find nectarines or mangoes in the market, use chopped apples or pears. Or use jarred mangoes, found in the produce department of your grocery store.
• Cookie Brittle
  Again, freeze some of this recipe and offer the rest to your family. The crisp and tender shortbread filled with chocolate is simply irresistible.

Saturday Dinner

• Mini Bacon Pinwheels
  These crisp little bites are a great starter for a cozy dinner and you can freeze the rest for your New Year's Eve party!
• Crockpot Chicken Chowder
  Wow - potatoes, onions, carrots, and corn combine with chicken in a rich, thick, and savory chowder.
• Cheese Crackers
  Yet another recipe that freezes beautifully. After you've made a few for dinner tonight, you can freeze the dough or the baked crackers.
• Honeydew Salad Wedges
  This salad is so fun to make and serve, plus it's delicious! Make it a few hours ahead of time so it sets and slices beautifully.
• Easy but Fancy Cookies
  I can get this dough together in about four minutes. After the dough is formed, all you have to do is slice and bake a few for tonight, then wrap and freeze the rest.

Sunday Brunch

• Divinity Frozen Fruit Salad
  This is my favorite frozen salad; it's perfect for a simple brunch. Double the recipe and freeze half for Christmas breakfast.
• Calypso Eggs
  The addition of cottage cheese and vegetables to this easy scrambled egg recipe is spectacular. Double this recipe to serve four people.
• orange juice, milk, coffee, tea

Sunday Dinner

• Perfect Pot Roast
  Have friends over to share in this superb recipe. The pot roast falls apart, the gravy is thick, rich, and full of flavor. And one of the best things about this recipe is that once you get it into the oven, it cooks happily all by itself.
• Cranberry Almond Green Salad
  Sweet and crunchy almonds and tart and chewy cranberries are fabulous additions to a simple green salad.
• Onion Scones
  Double this recipe and freeze half of the scones. To reheat, simply let them stand at room temperature for a couple of hours, then bake at 350 degrees F for 5-10 minutes until hot.
• Peanut Parfait Dessert
  This is one of my favorite dessert recipes of all time. Serve your family tonight, then wrap and save the rest for a Christmas party. Yum.