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é Chanukah, Christmas and New Year's Eve are right around the a, corner. That means neighbor- hoods, buildings and stores will soon be awash in holiday splen- dor. Social schedules will be full, and men and women everywhere will shuffle to complete their holi- day shopping. 26 DO set a gift amount limit. Holiday grab bags are more about having fun and exchanging a little something with friends and family members than walking away with amazing prizes. Establish a spend- Grab bags are a staple of khis season of giving. and the follow» ling are a few dos and don'ts to ensure participation in gift ex- changes is fun and friendly for all involved. Gift exchange dos and donf’s DO make it a game. Tossing gifts in a bag only to have others reach in and grab one is certainOy effective. But the concept can be even more fun if you make a game out of it.Try passing wrapped gifts around in a circle to a holiday song. When the music stops, the gift you are holding is the one you DON’T exceed the spend- ing limit. lt can be tempting to spend more to make ybur gift appear more impressive. But overspending defeats the pur- pose of the gift exchange. Grab bags typically are anonymous, so being overly generous will not win you any style points. ing limit so everyone recewes a gift of roughly the same value and no one feels slighted or left out. DON'T fotget to consider ages as well. Gift exchanges may in- clude both children and adults, so include gifts that appeal to all ages when necessary. When the exchange has ended, allow DO ensure your gift is unisex. Unless you know specifically that only men or women will be om- ing the presents, select ltemsthat will appeal to both genders. Food. gift cards, music. or home staples make great grab bag gifts DON'T let anyone see the gift you bring. The idea is to keep things as secretive as possible so as not to sway the selection of presents. open. Experiment with your own variations to make gift exchanges more fun. Sometimes the best gifts are ed» ible. This year, spread some holi- day cheer to a friend, neighbour, or colleague with a freshly baked batch of crisp and flavourful bis- cotti. Package these delicious cookies in a decorative tin and attach a handwritten note con- taining the recipe so recipients can bake them as well. Lightly sweetened with naturally- sourced stevia, no one will guess these thoughtful offerings are only 83 calories per serving. Give the gift of homemade biscofli DO expect some grab bag gifts to be gag gifts. Such gifts are enâ€" tenaining and may make up the majority of the grab bag gifts. Keep your sense of humour and you're likely to enjoy grab bags a participants to swap gifts if they want to. Preparationfl. Preheat oven to 2 tsp (10 ml) baking powder 3 large eggs 3 tbsp (45 ml) butter. melted 2 tbsp (30 ml) fresh Iemon Ma 2 tsp (10 ml) vanm. 2thsp(30ml)gmed Ingredients: 2-1/4 cups (550 mL) all-purpose flour 1 (up (250 mL) Pure Via Granulated sweetener 1 (up (250 ml) dried cranberries Lemon Cranberry Biscotti- Makes 24 servings 5. Reduce oven temperature to 300°F (150°C). Carefully re- move the cooled logs to a cut- ting board. Cut each diagonally into l/Z-inch wide slices. Place on the same baking sheet. Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until slices are dry and light golden in colour. Cool biscottl on baking sheet on a wire rack. Store at room tem- 4. Cool the logs completely on the baking sheet on a wire rack. 3. Pour liquid ingredients over dry ingredients. Stir to- gether using a rubber spatula until a stiff dough is formed. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead in any remaining bits of dough. Divide dough in half. Gently form each half into a log 12 x ll/Z inches. Place on a parchment paper covered baking sheet, leaving at least 3 inches between the logs. Flatten the top of each with the palm of your hand until the log is 2~inches wide. Bake 23 to 25 minutes or until the top of the log is firm to the touch. 2. Combine flour, Pure Via, cranberries, lemon peel and bak- ing powder. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, butter, lemon juice and vanilla until well blended. 350°F (180°C) DON'T regift items to uie as grab bag picks. Should the per- son who gave you the gift par~ ticipate in the grab bag, he or she can trace that gift back to you and may be offended. lot more DO make sure everyone is Nutritional information per serving (2 biscotti): Calones. 83, Sodium: 68 mg, Fat: 2 g, Carbo» hydrates: 15 g, Cholesterol: 27 mg, Protein: 2 g Additional dessert ldeas are available at www.purevm, ca.Note that stevna, the sweet ener in Pure Via, is also known as steviol glycosides. ‘Or substitute 24 packets Pure Via sweetener. perature in container wuth tught fitting lid. aware that there Will be a grab bag gift exchange, as there needs to be an equal number of gifts to participants so everyone gets a treat. Hosts may want to have a few extra wrapped gifts around just in case someone forgets. â€"â€"www.newscanada.com ~â€"www.newscanada.com