Many hands make light work. It's an old saying, but it's the guiding principle behind progressive dinners, in which a meal is served course by course, usually buffet style, at a succession of houses. Come holiday time, Tara Barton is the toast of her McDonough, Georgia, neighborhood. She organizes an 11-family house-to-house feast every year. "The kids love our party and look forward to it, because they know they'll get to run around and visit lots of friends," says Tara. Each family opens its home for a single course -- appetizer, salad, and so on -- of what amounts to a spectacular holiday meal. While most courses take no more than 15 to 20 minutes, guests linger at the last house on the itinerary to savor red velvet cake, a traditional southern favorite, and to revel in the good company and holiday spirit. Other families wrote in with simpler setups, such as sampling an hors d'oeuvre or dessert at each house.