Jonesing for Gingerbread

Any gingerbread fans out there? If you're like me, gingerbread might be more of a favorite sweet treat on a chilly autumn or winter day...but since today happens to be National Gingerbread Day, who am I to debate the best time to dig into a plate of the spicy dessert? Either way, I love me some gingerbread, whether it's in the form of flavored coffee or the tasty ginger snap cookies gracing the shelves of the local Trader Joes.
Fortunately for all you calorie counters out there, a number of sugar-free gingerbread recipes are now available. Here are two, courtesy of www.Splenda.com.

Gingerbread Cookies

Gingerbread Cake

And if you're worried about a little gingerbread impacting your waistline before hitting the pool this weekend, you can take comfort in the fact that ginger provides a number of health benefits. For one, it has a long tradition of effectively alleviating symptoms of "gastrointestinal distress" - i.e., it's a nice cure for that belly-ache. Modern scientific research has also revealed it has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor effects...all good news!
Another fun fact. According to the Guiness Book of Records, the world's largest gingerbread man weighed more than 372 pounds and was made by the chefs at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Vancouver back in 2003. It was also nearly 14 feet tall and two inches deep. And while today's youth might not be familiar with the old Gingerbread Man fairy-tale -- remember "Run, run, run as fast you can! You can't catch me, I'm the Gingerbread Man!"? -- they surely know Gingy from the Shrek movies.

Speaking of, here is a cute clip featuring the animated fan favorite.