There’s a great new product for cola drinkers: Coca-Cola Life. Made without corn syrup*, it has half the calories of regular Cocoa-Cola: 60 calories per eight ounces.

The reduction in calories is done with all natural ingredients. The is half sugar, half stevia.

Stevia, which is 150 to 400 times sweeter than sugar, is derived from a South American herb called Stevia rebaudiana. It has been used for centuries in Paraguay and Brazil to sweeten yerba mate and medicinal teas.

Stevia is almost calorie-free, does not cause cavities, and does not trigger a rise in blood sugar. A small amount of it works in synergy with the sugar to create sweetness with no off taste. (Check out the different types of sweeteners.)

Why the new formulation?

It’s a bid to combat obesity globally (the product first debuted in Argentina!) and offer a healthier option to consumers.

How does it taste? It’s less sweet/sugary than the corn syrup version. There’s absolutely no aftertaste, as there is with the zero-calorie Coke variations. It tastes like regular Coke, just less sweet. Since we’ve always found the regular Coke too sweet, but find the zero-calorie versions too artificial, we’re the perfect market.

The new variety of Coke is also targeting the environmental crowd. Coca-Cola Life is packaged in a fully-recyclable plant-based bottle (although our guess is that if it’s a big hit, can and large plastic bottles will join the lineup). That’s why the label is green.

The plant-based bottle consists of 30% recycled natural materials, and is lighter in weight than regular PET plastic bottles. A lighter-weight shipment requires less fossil fuel.

Coca-Cola Life will roll out globally over the next several months, but get yours today. After all, it’s National Carbonated Beverage With Caffeine Day.

 
*In the U.S., Coca-Cola is sweetened with corn syrup. In other countries, regular sugar is used.
  

We love Burt’s Bees products. We’ve never found a better lip balm. The beeswax the brand is famous for is both soothing, packed with beneficial nutrients and stick-to-your-lips.

This holiday season, the company has created an exclusive with Target stores: Burt’s Bees Pumpkin Spice Lip Balm.

As a party favor or a stocking stuffer, everyone, young and old, can revitalize dry lips with a lip balm that has a gentle aroma of pumpkin and spice. There’s no flavor—just sprightly seasonal aroma (although, since it is said that 90% of taste is based on smell, it appears to have a bit of flavor that we like very much).

The balm is free of parabens, phthalates, petrolatum and Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS). We’ve stashed a tube in the pocket of every coat and winter jacket. Now it’s your turn to spread holiday cheer as well as a little TLC.

The lip balm is $2.99 a tube at Target, and there’s free shipping on Target.com.

If you want a bigger gift, there’s a combo pack of Pumpkin Spice along with a tube of Vanilla Bean, $5.79.

Anyone who covets great cheese knows how pricey it is. That’s because there’s so much labor invested in creating artisanal cheese.

So what better gift for a cheese lover than a box of great cheese? This year, we’re recommending the gift box from one of America’s greatest cheese makers, Jasper Hill Farms.

The holiday gift box contains more than two pounds of award-winning cheese, plus artisanal pairings. The foods are packed in a reusable wooden cheese box, for a memorable gift.

Jasper Hill Farm’s 2014 Holiday Gift Box contains:

 
The gift box, $85, is in limited supply. Reserve yours now from The Cellars At Jasper Hill.

—Steven Gans

 
*The cambium of the pine (between the bark and the wood) is edible. It can be boiled or roasted as a famine food, and makes a reasonable flour. Fried in olive or coconut oil it’s actually tasty. On this cheese, it’s not meant to be eaten, but you could do it. Here’s more about pine cambium.

†Brassica, the cruciferous vegetable family, includes bok choy, broccoli, cauliflower, kale and mustard greens, among others.
  

In addition to pies, cake, cobbler, cookies, fruit and other bounty, guests can help themselves to coffee and tea.

Set out the plates, forks, spoons, napkins, and don’t forget the garnishes. Consider:

 
If you want to over-indulge, add bowls of shaved chocolate and toffee bits, and flavored whipped cream (like bourbon whipped cream or chocolate whipped cream) in addition to the classic.

Set the apple pie, pecan pie, pumpkin pie and other desserts on a sideboard or table and let guests help themselves. Photo courtesy GoodEggs.com.

*Hard sauce is a rich dessert sauce made with butter and sugar plus brandy, rum, sherry, whiskey or vanilla.

Look for limited edition seasonal ice cream flavors to add to your dessert bar. One of our favorite brands, Talenti Gelato & Sorbetto, has four exceptionally delicious flavors:

 
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ICE CREAM & GELATO

In brief, gelato is made with more milk than cream, for a lower butterfat content. While many of us have been led to believe that higher butterfat “superpremium ice cream” is better, the butterfat coats the tongue and dulls the flavors in the process.

Note that in the U.S. there is no government standard to differentiate ice cream and gelato. We’ve found more than one very high butterfat “gelato.”

Why? It’s marketing: “Gelato” sounds newer, more sophisticated and special.

Umpqua Oats sent us samples of their line, and we felt good eating every one. The all-natural flavors include:

Just add hot water. Photo courtesy Umpqua Oats.

Three of the eight grab-and-go varieties. Photo courtesy Umpqua Oats.

The benefit of Umpqua Oats over instant oatmeal is that the brand uses the whole hulled grain, rather than processed “instant” oats, providing more fiber in addition to better texture. There’s also less sugar than sweetened instant oats.

The line is certified kosher by Blue Ribbon Kosher and certification by the Non-GMO Project.

Umpqua Oats is currently sold at more than 2,000 retail outlets across the United States. For more information or to order online, visit UmpquaOats.com.

Founded in Oregon by two moms and now headquartered in Las Vegas, Umpqua Oats was one of the first purveyors to provide a quick-cooking, single-serve oatmeal product based on high-quality ingredients for taste and satiety.

Umpqua is a river in southwest Oregon. The name means “thundering waters” or “across the waters” in the native Umpqua language.