Well, I don't want to come across as Scrooge, but hum-bug to both of these holiday indulgences. Let's start with eggnog, which comes to us from Europe originally. They say that the name is a derivative of egg and grog (a winter punch), which eventually became eggnog as we know it. It's not the rum that is problematic for your health (unless you're driving, then skip it) and I can even live with the sugar. But wow! Raw eggs are surely a risky venture. Every recipe for eggnog reads the same – keep the refrigerator very cold (33 degrees F); buy the eggs the day you are making the drink; keep the eggs cold; keep the rum cold; chill the egg whites until folded in. All of these precautions lessen the risk of salmonella, but do not eliminate it – not good enough for me.

And if the risk of salmonella doesn't dampen your holiday spirit, consider the saturated fat, cholesterol and calories (343 per cup, with 171 from fat alone, yikes!) you consume with each festive sip. A lovely alternative is an egg-less nog, made with soymilk and silken tofu, whipped together until smooth, chilled and combined with rum and cinnamon, just like tradition calls for. You get the same creamy texture, lovely sweetness with no risk to your health and lot less damage to your waistline.

Eggless Nog

21 ounces silken tofu
2 cups chilled soymilk
2/3 cup honey or brown rice syrup
Generous pinch sea salt
1 cup cold water
1 cup cold rum
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
20 ice cubes
Cinnamon

Blend tofu, soymilk, sweetener, salt until smooth. Whisk together water, rum and vanilla. Cover and refrigerate. When ready to serve, blend half the mixture with 10 ice cubes until smooth. Repeat with remaining nog and ice. Serve cold with sprinkles of cinnamon on each cup of nog. Makes 10 servings.

And then there's fruitcake, the oldest Christmas joke of all time! While not the worst indulgence of the season, the sugar, the artificially-colored dried fruit and the calories are a nightmare. With 140 calories and 25 grams of sugar for a skinny slice, you really have to love fruitcake to make it worth it. Try these whole grain and natural mini cakes to make your yuletide celebration bright and healthy!

Fruitcake Cups

2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 cup avocado or light olive oil
1/2 cup brown rice syrup or honey
1/2 to 1 cup unsweetened almond milk or soymilk
1/2 cup dried currants
1/2 cup minced, dried apples
1/2 cup minced, dried cherries
1/2 cup coarsely minced, lightly toasted pecans

Glaze:
1/2 cup unsweetened apricot preserves
2 tablespoons brown rice syrup or honey

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and lightly oil and flour a 24-cup mini-muffin pan (or line with mini papers).

Combine flour with cornmeal with baking powder, salt and spices. Mix in oil and rice syrup. Stir in almond milk to form a smooth, thick cake batter. Fold in minced fruit and nuts. Spoon batter into cups to fill them three-quarters full. Bake until the mini-cakes are raised and spring back to the touch, 25 to 30 minutes. Allow to cool for about five minutes before carefully removing cakes from the pan. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To glaze, slip a piece of parchment under the rack. Combine preserves and rice syrup in a sauce pan and cook over high heat to a foam. Quickly spoon over the cakes, allowing excess to run down the sides. Allow to stand for about 10 minutes to set glaze before serving, Makes 24 mini-cakes.

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