have markdowns on holiday food favorites during the entertaining season to draw shoppers in the door.

Another strategy when making your list is to think about what foods you typically purchase pre-made that you actually could make yourself. For example, Alexander makes her own sausage for use in her favorite stuffing recipe by simply running cubed pork tenderloin through her food processor along with fennel seed and other seasonings. And homemade dinner rolls cost pennies apiece, compared to store-baked versions.

However, it might make sense to buy some of your desserts instead of making them yourself – especially those with expensive ingredients.

How you present and serve your meal also can have a budget impact. Alexander keeps her costs in line, in part, by serving appetizers in batches, rather than all at once, because guests are less likely to load up that way. And the dieter’s trick of using smaller plates for a bigger visual impact is another option to help ensure your guests aren’t overstuffed and your bank isn’t busted.

Good-Enough-for-Thanksgiving Sausage Cranberry Stuffing

from Devin Alexander’s The Most Decadent Diet Ever! (Broadway Books, 20008)

• Butter-flavored cooking spray
• 12 slices whole wheat bread
• Olive oil spray
• 1 recipe Sweet and Slim Italian Sausage, uncooked and unshaped (see recipe)
• 1 1/2 cups finely chopped sweet onion
• 1 cup finely chopped celery
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage
• 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 cups fat-free lower-sodium chicken broth, divided
• 2 tablespoons light butter, melted

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Lightly mist a 2 1/2 - 3-quart ovenproof ceramic or glass casserole dish with butter-flavored cooking spray.

2. Place the slices of bread side by side in a single layer (they should not overlap) on a large nonstick baking sheet. Toast in the oven for 14 to 16 minutes per side, until the slices are dry (not at all soft in the center) and very lightly browned.

3. Place a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. When the skillet is hot, coat with olive oil spray and put in the sausage mixture. Cook, breaking the sausage into bite-sized chunks, until no longer pink, 3 - 5 minutes. Transfer the sausage to a large mixing bowl.

4. Turn heat to medium. Spray skillet again and put in the onions. Cook for 5 minutes. Add the celery and garlic. Continue cooking until the celery is bright green and starts to soften slightly, 7 - 10 minutes. Add the celery mixture to the sausage.

5. Raise oven temperature to 350 degrees F.

6. Cut each slice of toasted bread into 9 squares. Add the bread, cranberries and sage to sausage mixture and stir.

7. Drizzle 1 cup broth slowly over the top and stir it in until the liquid is absorbed. Slowly drizzle the butter over the top and stir that in.

8. Transfer stuffing to prepared dish. Drizzle remaining 1/4 cup broth for drier stuffing or 1/2 cup for moister stuffing over top. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the cover and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, until the bread is golden brown and the stuffing is hot throughout. Remove from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes.

Sweet and Slim Italian Sausage

from Devin Alexander’s The Most Decadent Diet Ever! (Broadway Books, 20008)

• Olive oil spray
• 1 pound extra-lean ground pork or pork tenderloin, ground
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon egg substitute
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon plain dried bread crumbs
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly mist a small nonstick baking sheet with spray.

2. Mix the pork, egg substitute, bread crumbs, fennel seeds, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, onion powder, salt, cayenne and black pepper in a medium mixing bowl.

3. Divide into 8 portions (about 1/4 cup each). Shape each into a log about 4 inches long and 1 1/2 inches thick. Place the logs side by side on prepared baking sheet. Mist them lightly with spray.

5. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, until no longer pink inside. Serve immediately. Makes 8 links.