It always had takers, from calorie counters to healthy eaters to people avoiding lactose, gluten, refined sugar, whatever, to people who were too full to eat something rich.

But as much as we treasure memories of mom sectioning all types of citrus for her fruit salad, this strawberry wreath is an even better idea.

Buy four or more pints of strawberries with fresh green crowns (your grocer may have jumbo value packages). Wash and pat dry, leaving the crowns intact. If the crowns are dried out, remove them and accent the berries with some green grapes instead.

Lay the berries out in a wreath shape on a tray or cutting board. Cover with plastic wrap to keep in the moisture until you’re ready to serve the wreath.

Provide a low-calorie yogurt dip, such as:

If the berries aren’t sweet enough, provide a bowl of sugar and noncaloric sweetener, or a squeeze bottle of agave or honey.

We actually sprinkle Splenda over the berries before plating them, which solves the problem. But not everyone likes the idea of artificial sweetener.

We wish you a berry happy holiday!
 
 
*You can use any vanilla yogurt, but Siggi’s is one of the lowest sugar vanilla yogurts on the market.

Do your guests have sophisticated palates? Do they drink carbonated beverages?

While it’s tempting to buy those two-liter bottles of soda for 99 cents for parties and dinners, consider treating your New Year’s Eve guests to a better carbonated drink from DRY Sparkling.

One of the pioneers in adult soft drinks, DRY was founded when a mother-to-be, unable to drink alcohol, wanted something more tantalizing than typical American soft drinks. She developed an “haute” line of sodas: all-natural, caffeine-free and lightly sweetened with pure cane sugar.

The company, currently celebrating its 10th anniversary, continues to charm foodies with its sparkling beverages. The original four flavors have expanded to include:

 
Fans in the Pacific Northwest, where DRY is produced, can also find the limited edition Lemongrass flavor, a perfect pairing with Asian cuisines and an exotic experience drunk on its own.

A 12-ounce bottle has just 50 to 70 calories, and is just as enjoyable as a cocktail mixer (see the website for cocktail recipes) as an adult soft drink. Serve it straight in a wine glass or champagne flute for even more panache.

TOP PHOTO: Lavender lovers, rejoice! BOTTOM PHOTO: Most flavors are available in bottles and cans. Photos courtesy DRY.

The line is also sold on Amazon.com, in 12-ounce bottles, 12-ounce aluminum cans and the special edition Lemongrass bottling.

A four-pack has an SRP of $9.99. There are also 750 ml bottles, the standard wine bottle size. Impressive looking, they make great gifts for those who don’t drink.

For more information, visit DrySparkling.com. Your designated drivers and other non-drinkers will thank you.

TOP PHOTO: Bacon and sweet potato biscuits from PorkBeInspired.com. BOTTOM PHOTO: When you cook bacon for the biscuits, you can make extra for your eggs.

Is there a better breakfast bread than warm biscuits? This recipe, from PorkBeInspired.com, seems especially right for Thanksgiving and Christmas mornings. If you want, you can use a biscuit mix instead of combining everything from scratch.

Prep time is 20 minutes, cook time is 45 minutes. Split leftover biscuits in half horizontally and add sliced ham or other sandwich fixings.

RECIPE: BACON & SWEET POTATO BISCUITS WITH HONEY BUTTER

Ingredients For 12 Biscuits
 
For The Biscuits

 
For The Honey Butter

1. WRAP the sweet potato with a damp paper towel and microwave on high until very soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, mash with a potato masher and set aside to cool. Meanwhile…

2. COOK the bacon in a medium skillet over medium heat until golden and crisp, about 8 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate, then set aside to cool. Carefully set aside 2 tablespoons of bacon drippings from the skillet.

3. PREHEAT the oven to 375°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

4. COMBINE the flour, baking powder, sugar, baking soda, salt and allspice in a food processor, and pulse a few times. Add the cubed butter and pulse to make a coarse meal with a few pea-sized pieces. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and gently mix in the bacon, buttermilk and 1 cup of the mashed sweet potato (save any remaining potato for another use—including folding into an omelet to go with the biscuits).

5. TRANSFER the mixture to a floured work surface and knead a few times to form a dough. Pat the dough to about 1-inch thick, then gently fold in half. Gently repeat 4 more times. Roll the dough out to 3/4-inch thick, then use a floured 2-1/2-inch biscuit cutter to cut dough into biscuits, arranging them on the prepared baking sheet. Gather the scraps and repeat to make a total of 12 biscuits. Bake until the biscuits are browned and a tester comes out clean, 15 to 18 minutes. While the biscuits bake…

6. COMBINE the softened butter, honey, and reserved bacon drippings, mixing until smooth. Add salt to taste. Serve the biscuits with the honey butter on the side.