Well Thanksgiving has wrapped up and it is now the official holiday season. This can mean only one thing: Christmas parties!

Holiday parties are my personal favorite thing of the holiday season, a chance when everyone gets together to have fun and eat some fabulous food that only the holidays can bring out.

However, the food of holiday parties can be both good and bad. Good because everything is almost always delicious (minus the fruit cake), but normally we forget to watch our waistline and over-indulge a little.

But, have no fear for dairy is here.

The following are some tips to help you watch your waistline over the holidays and solve that persistent problem of what to bring each time.

When trying to come up with something to bring for a party, dairy products are always the first on my list. Not only do they taste great, but they are loaded with vitamins and minerals that many Americans do not receive enough of on a daily basis.

Dairy products are loaded with calcium, vitamin D, phosphorus and protein just to name a few.

Also, because these vitamins and minerals are naturally occurring in dairy products and not added in as they are in other items, these nutrients are more easily absorbed and digested by your body. So in essence you can eat less but get more out of the food you are eating.

The protein in dairy is also a key player in helping you eat less for the holidays. Protein makes your body feel full more quickly than with other foods such as starch or sugar. This decreases the amount of food you eat because protein triggers your brain into saying, “OK we are full here.” Something that takes longer when consuming other foods.

So, when you are questioning what to bring to your party, the first thing you should reach for is a dairy ingredient may it be milk, cheese, yogurt or another product. They are found in many holiday recipes and by adding them, you and your guests are getting a little extra in that holiday treat.

I hope you all have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, and I will see you again in 2009. And don't forget your

3-A-day of dairy today.

Emily Young is the current Dairy Princess for Cayuga County

Pepperoni Pizza Dip

2 packages cream cheese, softened

1 cup sour cream

2 teaspoons oregano

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper

1 cup pizza sauce

1 cup chopped pepperoni

1/2 cup green onion, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Combine with a fork in medium pot, cream cheese, sour cream, oregano, garlic powder and red pepper.

Spread evenly on a pie plate.

Spread pizza sauce over the top.

Sprinkle pepperoni, green onions, and green pepper evenly over sauce.

Top with mozzarella cheese.

Bake in over for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.

Serve with crackers

Chipotle Pepper Dip

1 teaspoon Chipotle pepper sauce

2 8-ounce containers low-fat plain yogurt

1/2 cup thick and chunky salsa

2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

1/4 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Combine all ingredients except cheese in a bowl, mix until blended and refrigerate.

Add shredded cheese.

Serve with assorted cut vegetables or corn chips