You may not have heard Jingle Bells at your department store just yet, but we all know that it's coming any day now! To help you through the next two months, we have advice on sticking to healthy habits during the holidays as well as some great recipe additions to your holiday menus. And, as always, we have some news from The Laughing Cow® to share!

Sticking to Healthy Habits Through the Holidays

We recently sat down with Registered Dietitian and author of The Small Change Diet, Keri Gans, to ask her to share the advice she offers her clients to stay on track with their healthy habits during the holidays. Here's what she had to say:

• Stick to a regular eating routine. Don't skip meals, even if there's a big event at the end of the day. Saving calories for later is basically saying that you will overeat later.
• Before heading out to an event, grab a small snack. You'll be less likely to eat and drink too much when you arrive. One example: a Mini Babybel® cheese with a piece of fruit.
• Schedule exercise into your week, just as you do your dinners and parties. Now is not the time to let your exercise routine slip. If you need to wake up an hour earlier to squeeze in a workout—just do it!
• At events, concentrate on being social. Having food in your mouth makes it difficult to talk. Another fun strategy: buy a new lipstick (deep red is in) that won't look as great after you have been noshing away. Or, carry a fabulous clutch to cocktail parties, so you have a drink in one hand and the clutch in the other—making it a bit harder to grab food constantly.
• At parties, peruse buffets before getting in line, ID-ing the healthiest choices. Avoid second helpings. And consider wearing a form-fitting dress—it'll remind you that just about everything on that buffet table is better off where it is.
• Make healthy changes now, not later. Forget the New Year's resolution to get on track and lose weight. Truth be told, it's probably already overdue. Make the healthy changes now, and you'll be that much further ahead come January!

Shameless Swaps to Spice Up Your Holiday Dinners

Why not drop a tad of the decadence of holiday meals while keeping the deliciousness? We have some tasty swaps to change things up this year. Instead of the standard butter-laden mashed potatoes, try our Whipped Potatoes That Aren't. Looking to add more green to the menu? How about A Creamy Spin on Spinach? And, for your sweet tooth, instead of piling on the à la mode to your pie du jour, sample The Laughing Cow® Light Swirl Brownies. Their small size will help keep your portions in check and their big flavor will keep you smiling.

Whipped Potatoes That Aren't

Ingredients (makes two servings):

2 cups cauliflower florets, broken into small pieces
1 cup reduced sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons minced yellow onion
3 whole wedges of The Laughing Cow® Light Creamy Swiss
1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Chopped fresh chives (for garnish)

Directions:
Combine cauliflower pieces and broth in a 2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium and cover. Simmer for about 5-6 minutes or until tender.

Drain thoroughly (don't discard the broth; you can reserve it for another use!) and return cauliflower to the saucepan. Cook over medium heat for an additional minute, while stirring to eliminate excess moisture.

Transfer to a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add garlic, onion and cheese; pulse until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. **Cook's Tip: consistency should be thicker, like whipped potatoes. However, you can loosen the consistency with a bit of the reserved cooking broth, if needed.**

Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with chopped chives.

Recipe developed by Soigné Culinary Artistry

PER SERVING: 101 calories, 3g fat, 672mg sodium, 9g carbs, 3g fiber, 4g sugar, 8g protein

A Creamy Spin on Spinach

Ingredients (makes two servings):

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon minced shallot
½ teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon flour
3 tablespoons milk
2 whole wedges of The Laughing Cow® Light French Onion
2 teaspoons grated parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 cups fresh spinach, roughly chopped

Directions:
Heat a 1 quart saucepot over medium heat for 30 seconds; add olive oil.

Add shallot and garlic; sauté while stirring with a wooden spoon for 1 minute, or until soft and translucent. Do not brown.

Sprinkle flour over sautéing ingredients. Continue to stir for an additional minute. **Cook's Tip: flour will tend to stick and 'cake' on the bottom of the pot; utilize the wooden spoon and some 'elbow grease' to scrape where necessary to keep things moving!**

Add milk and cheese wedges; stir well until cheese melts and sauce is smooth.
Stir in 1 teaspoon of parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.

Add spinach; stir 2 to 3 minutes or until spinach has wilted and is fully coated with cheese sauce.

Garnish with remaining teaspoon of grated parmesan.

Recipe developed by Soigné Culinary Artistry

PER SERVING: 81 calories, 4g fat, 556mg sodium, 4g carbs, 1g fiber, 1g sugar, 4g protein

The Laughing Cow® Swirl Brownies

Ingredients (makes thirty-six brownies):

1 box brownie mix
2 whole eggs
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
8 whole wedges of The Laughing Cow® Light Creamy Swiss
1/2 cup sugar

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350°F and generously coat a mini muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray. Make the brownie mix according to the box directions, using one egg, water and oil. Spoon brownie batter into the muffin cups until each is about halfway full. In another bowl, whisk together The Laughing Cow® cheese wedges, the second egg and the sugar. This batter will be lumpy, don't worry about that. Drop one teaspoon globs of the cheese batter onto each brownie batter cup. Then, swirl gently using a toothpick. Bake 8-11 minutes, until the edges have puffed up

Recipe developed by Chef Emily Peterson

PER SERVING: 113 calories, 5g fat, 102mg sodium, 16g carbs, 0g fiber,3g sugar, 1g protein

Share your favorite ways to enjoy The Laughing Cow® Cheese Wedges or Mini Babybel® Cheeses by submitting your original recipes on TheLaughingCow.com! Your recipe may be featured in a future e-newsletter.

Hungry Girl's Supermarket Survival Guide

The latest book from Hungry Girl just hit the shelves! Hungry Girl Supermarket Survival: Aisle by Aisle HG-Style! officially launched on October 11. In the book Lisa Lillien shares all her recommended favorites from each section of the grocery store. We're excited to share that Mini Babybel® Light Cheese & The Laughing Cow® Light Cheese Wedges are named Hungry Girl All-Stars!

Thanks for Participating!

This September, we launched our Back-to-School photo gallery on Facebook. With the help of our Facebook community, more than 500 pictures of enthusiastic smiles and delicious lunches were uploaded to the gallery. Each of the 500 participants were rewarded with a $1 off coupon in October. We also selected one winning group, Olivet Elementary School's fourth grade class from Santa Rosa, California, to receive a snack break package, which includes The Laughing Cow® branded water bottles, refreshments, crackers and of course Mini Babybel® Cheese and The Laughing Cow® Cheese Wedges. Remember, you can always organize your own snack break for your child's soccer team, a football party with friends, or a Saturday treat for the family!

Until Next Time...

Catch up on happy living, smart snacking and other cheesy updates all month long on our blog at thelaughingcow.com. If you haven't already done so, please invite your friends to join us at thelaughingcow.com for recipes, cheese chat, videos and other tasty topics! You can also find us on Twitter @TheLaughingCow and on our Facebook page. There will be chances to win cheesy treats and other prizes throughout the year on The Laughing Cow blog, Twitter and Facebook—make sure you're connected with us!