Holiday sprinter treats

It's hard for most people to have sweet treats during the holiday season without packing on the calories.

With my first track meet 2 weeks away, I want to be below 140 lbs when I race, so I watch what I eat. That doesn't me I'm depriving myself!

Here's a favorite dessert and drink that I enjoy, a better alternative to the traditional cakes and cookies.

Fried spiced apple:

one apple sliced

1 tsp honey or maple syrup

1 ounce water (or tea or juice)

cooking spray

dash: stevia, cinnamon, nutmeg

6-8 crushed toasted almonds (or walnuts or pecans)

Spray non stick pan. Arrange apple slices on pan. Mix honey or syrup with tea (or water or juice) and pour over apples. Sprinkle spices and stevia to taste while cooking slowly over medium heat for several min. Add water if mixture begins to dry up - boil water down to a thick cinnamony sauce. Serve with topping of crushed almonds.

This has about one-fifth the number calories per gram of cookies. Good, warm, sweet, tasty.

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As an alternative to egg nog - which can have close to 400 calories per glass, a very delicious and dangerous bourbon drink:

1 or 2 shots of good Bourbon (I like Blanton's, Bulliet, Wild Turkey)

4 - 5 ounces of organic 2% milk

Honey, maple syrup, or stevia to taste

dash vanilla

cinnamon and nutmeg

Add ingredients to a shaker or jar with crushed ice. Shake, strain, serve. Can also be served hot. About 1/3 the calories of egg nog.

Two of these will put me right to bed. Happy Holiday!