Only three days left until Christmas! That means only three days left to indulge in all of the seasonal goodies. For a different spin on a holiday classic, try these Sweet Applesauce Gingerbread Cookies, courtesy of Care2.com

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup applesauce
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour a 9- by 13- inch baking dish.
2. Melt the butter over low heat. Pour into a medium-sized bowl.
3. Beat in the sugar and molasses. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat.
4. Beat in the applesauce.
5. Sift the flour, baking soda, ginger, and cinnamon into the applesauce mixture and stir well to combine thoroughly.
6. Spoon into the baking dish and bake for 35 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
7. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Turn onto a wire rack; cool completely.
8. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, if desired.

Yield: 18 servings

Amber Pollard Has Expanded!

The latest line of Amber Pollard handbags are soon to hit and people are already a buzz about them. Not only do these new bags contain the insulated Lunch à la Mode™ pouch that everyone loves, but they are also expandable! The Taquerìa, Cantìna, and Dive are sure to make you one haute tamale.

Attention all Amber Pollard's Facebook fans! We have an exclusive offer just for you. One lucky person will have the first chance to own one of these delicious new bags. Simply become a fan before December 31, 2009 and you could be the proud owner of The Dive - some say it's on the inside that counts and this bag has a got you covered. The Dive is expandable for your everyday essentials plus your laptop. The large interior pocket holds the exclusive Lunch à la Mode™ removable insulated lunch sack, keeping your lunch fresh and you organized. To top it off this bag has got it going on outside too, like all Amber Pollard handbags, you'll be looking haute while keeping your lunch cool.

I hope everyone has had a chance to recover from the last couple of weeks. Luckily I managed to get through Thanksgiving still fitting into my jeans and Black Friday without any battle scars. So all in all, my holiday season is off to a very good start. I thought I would spread the joy with this healthy recipe courtesy of Your Total Health

Whether you're packing a snack (in your Lunch à la Mode pouch of course) for a long day of shopping or need a quick appetizer for a holiday party, these Hummus and Pita Wedges are sure to hit the spot.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups garbanzo beans, cooked
• 2 tablespoons unroasted tahini
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley
• dash salt
• dash pepper
• 18 pimento-stuffed olives
• olive oil
• fresh pita bread cut in wedges

Directions:

Throw everything except the olive oil into a blender or food processor, hit the button, and voila! it's done. It should have a nice creamy/fluffy texture. If it's not quite the consistency you want after blending without the oil, add olive oil in small amounts and blend, checking consistency each time. Cut the pita into wedges. Put the hummus in a serving bowl in the middle of a plate and surround with the pita wedges. This is loads healthier than chips and dip!