With Thanksgiving just barely behind us it’s hard to imagine in a matter of weeks Christmas and Hanukkah will be upon us!

The holidays bring more time with family and loved ones, more traditions, more memories, and of course… more food! If you’re still stuffed from the stuffing and if that turkey-tired hasn’t quite worn off, you may be considering ways to make the next month as painless on the waistline as possible. The bad news is – candy & cookies are never going to be calorie-free, but the good news is that there are tons of better-for-you options to pick from as you set your holiday menu.

Nibblers: Instead of Spinach Artichoke Dip which has 9 grams of fat and 100 calories per 2-tbs serving, reach for the salsa with 0 fat and just 10 calories per serving.

Sides: Sweet potato casserole is delicious, but with 11 grams of fat and 379 calories per 3/4 cup serving it might be worth passing on and replacing with garlic mashed potatoes for just 4 grams of fat and 170 calories per serving.

The Main Event: Everyone loves a good Prime Rib (including and especially us!), but if you want to keep your Spinach Artichoke Dip and Sweet Potatoes, swapping it for Skinless Smoked Turkey will save you 53.5 grams of fat and 444 calories per 6-ounce serving.

The Sweet Stuff: Can’t decide if you should cut a piece of Pecan, Pumpkin or both?? Pumpkin pie has 1/3 the fat of pecan and 60% less calories — WOW! You could almost have TWO pieces of pumpkin! (We won’t tell!)

Still need a gift for the neighbors? Whip up a batch of homemade Baileys Irish Cream and voila!

• 1 2/3 Cups good Irish whiskey  (Jameson is a nice pick)
• 1 Cup heavy cream
• 1 (14 oz.) Can fat free sweetened condensed milk
• 2 Tablespoons Hershey’s chocolate syrup
• 2 Teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 Tablespoons cold coffee

 Place all ingredients in a blender or high for 20 seconds and transfer to airtight containers. Kerr canning jars from Walmart with a bow around the neck make for a festive presentation.

This makes 4 pints and will keep in the fridge for up to two months! Never be empty handed when a neighbor pops over again — this is too easy!

Happy Holidays!