We talked with some of the finest producers of prepared foods on the Seacoast: Stonewall Kitchen of York, Maine, The Lollipop Tree of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and Appledore Cove of Wells and North Berwick, Maine. Here are their quick holiday time-savers.

Stonewall Kitchen

Stonewall Kitchen is owned by Jonathan King and Jim Stott. Look for their great products at the flagship store in York, or at their Portsmouth store. You can also order on-line at www.stonewallkitchen.com, or through their catalogues. For more information about Stonewall Kitchen, call (207) 351-2712, or visit the website.

Jonathan King offers a bounty of easy, flavorful ideas. "I love recipes that you can pull together quickly, and I don't hesitate to use prepared product," he says. "If you want to entertain spur-of-the-moment, this is the way to go. Or, if you need help reducing the workload for a party, these work perfectly."

Appetizers   

Jonathan suggests having filo cups from Pepperidge Farm on hand. These little pastry cups can be purchased frozen or completely cooked, and are found in any grocery store. They come in different shapes and sizes so they have a range of uses. If you buy the frozen, be sure to thaw them first. He also doesn't hesitate to use quality store-bought meatballs.  * Fill the pastry cups with goat cheese and top with a savory jam, such as their Pepper Jelly or Holiday Jam. Serve warm.

* Mix a Stonewall chutney with a quality bar cream cheese, shredded cheddar or Colby cheese and scallions for the perfect cheese ball. "I made this for Martha Stewart on her television show," recalls Jonathan. "She loved it. She never knew a cheese ball could be so easy."

* Top a bar of quality cream cheese with pepper jelly or other savory jam and serve with crackers. For a real treat, top half the bar with a savory jam and half with a sweet jam.

* Warm store-bought meatballs in your crockpot, but give them some zip by adding a jar of great grilling sauce, such as wasabi ginger, maple chipolte or mushroom sauce.

Desserts

* Use puff pastry tarts with no center; serve warm and filled with a mixture of lemon or lime curd  and sour cream, and topped with fresh berries. Drizzle the tarts with a high quality warm chocolate sauce or raspberry sauce. "People will think you are an amazing cook," says Jonathan. "And total prep time is only 10 minutes!"

* Buy profiteroles and fill them with high-quality ice cream, then top with a great hot fudge sauce, or to be a bit more creative, and use a cognac or black cherry chocolate sauce.{mospagebreak}   

Appledore Cove

Appledore Cove is owned by Jeff Garstka and Tom Gorski. They have a showroom and manufacturing center in North Berwick, Maine, where you can also purchase product, or look for their items at Through the Grapevine in Eliot, Maine, or Philbrick's Fresh Market, Atrezzi and Mainely New Hampshire in Portsmouth. For more information on Appledore Cove, call 1-888-849-1787, or visit www.appledorecove.com. Jeff offered these quick tips: 

Appetizers

* Try their Cranberry Horse Radish Sauce mixed with a cream cheese spread. Serve with tasty crackers.

* The same spread is great with shrimp; use it instead of a cocktail sauce.

* Their  Strawberry Honey Lavender Jam adds punch when served with cream cheese on bagels or croissants.

Desserts

* Strawberry Honey Lavender Jam is a great filler for a layer cake or as a topping on French vanilla ice cream.

* Consider any specialty jam as a cake filling or ice cream topping.

Side Dishes and Sandwiches

* Try basting chicken or turkey with their Cranberry Horse Radish Sauce.

* Cranberry Cilantro Salsa is perfect on turkey sandwiches after the big day.

* Choose Cranberry Cilantro Salsa again as an accompaniement to baked ham, or veggies.

"I even reach for the Cranberry Cilantro Salsa as an appetizer," says Jeff. "I serve it with tortilla corn chips."

The Lollipop Tree

The Lollipop Tree, www.lollipoptree.com, celebrates their 25th anniversary this year. Founded by Laurie and Bob Lynch, they began with a classic pepper jelly. Today, you can purchase a complete line of breads, jams, jellies and sauces at their Portsmouth Store, at Tuttles Red Barn in Dover, New Hampshire, Philbrick's Fresh Market and Strawberry Bazaar in Portsmouth, or the Kittery Trading Post in Kittery, Maine. "If you use quality prepared foods, you'll have more time to enjoy yourself," says Carol Irving, marketing manager at The Lollipop Tree. "We have lots of great recipes available at our store, as well as on our website, but here are a few quick ideas."{mospagebreak}

Appetizers

* Roll cream cheese, pepper jelly and asparagus in crustless bread, forming a spear; brush with butter, bake, then broil and serve warm.

* Cut a wheel of Brie in half and spread Raspberry Peach Jam over the bottom half, replace the top and set it on a pastry sheet. Fold up the pastry around the Brie, brush with melted butter, and bake. Serve with crackers or sliced baguettes.

Lollipop Tree also has great recipes for stuffings, including Pepper Jelly Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breasts, and Bread Stuffing with Blood Orange Cranberry Marmelade, all available at the store or online.

Gift Baskets

Jonathan suggests preparing a gift basket of jams, jellies or sauces, then including a few recipes on how to use each one.

Carol suggests taking advantage of pre-made jams, jellies and the like as stocking stuffers. "We have the 5.5 ounce sizes of our Original Pepper Jelly and jams, and they are perfect for stockings," she says. "A nice jar of jam or jelly, wrapped in cellophane with a pretty bow is also an easy hostess gift."

At The Lollipop Tree, a wide selection of gift baskets is offered, and you can also make your own. The Lollipop Tree provides the basket, tissue, and cellophane, and you can fill it as you wish. No time? Give them a call, and they'll create a custom basket. They also sell a lot of pre-packaged pairings, such as a bread with matching topping, that make great gifts.

Appledore Cove's assortment is also perfect for gift giving. Create an easy basket by selecting the jams or sauces you want, then add the perfect accompaniements, such as a nice wedge of cheese, quality crackers, and so on.

"People always expect great food from us since we're the owners of Stonewall Kitchen," says Jonathan. "I used to try to live up to that, but it made me so stressed and exhausted that I couldn't have a good time when I entertained. Now, I keep it simple and I enjoy my company. We frequently entertain spur of the moment and those times are always the best. You shouldn't feel that you can't be spontaneous because you're worried about the food. My philosophy is that people won't remember what they ate, but they will remember the good times. Hopefully, ideas like these will let us all have a relaxed and enjoyable holiday season."