Healthy Lunches for Halloween

Halloween is here, and so is the candy.  It is the time when pounds of neon-colored, sugar laden, artificially flavored, fun-sized pieces march their way into our house like a parade of villians. As much as I hate having it in our home,  I want my children to enjoy the holiday, and partake in some of the sugary goodness.  This is what being a kid is all about, right?  Although my kids eat healthy lunches every day,  I kick it up a notch during the week leading up to Halloween by adding a bit of creepiness synonymous to the holiday.

Many healthy foods can be renamed to resemble gross and creepy things perfect for the upcoming ghoulish and scary holiday.  For example, red grapes can become "purple people eater eyeballs" or crackers that have flax seeds in them become "bug encrusted crackers".  Fangs, anyone?  I pack slivered almonds to match that description.  Have fun with it.  A little imagination goes a long way.  You just need to make sure your children can stomach some of the descriptions of the food; otherwise they won't eat it!

Here are some of the lunches that I made for my daughter.    Once the lunch is packed, I add a themed cloth napkin, a menu of what is in her lunch, and a daily joke that she can use when she goes trick or treating. At the end of the day, my husband asks her what the joke of the day is, and she is happy to share what silly joke she found in her lunchbox.  Unfortunately, my son, who is a middle-schooler, has reached the "I refuse to take a themed lunch to school" attitude, so I add items such meringue bones in his lunch.



Lunch # 1: Tombstone Turkey Sandwich, Little Brains (cauliflower) with dressing, Cyclops's Eyes (kiwi).

   

Photo by Lisa Fulsom

Lunch #2: Bat wings (blue corn chips) and blood dip (salsa), apple bites (apples with slivered almonds),"booberry" yogurt, and skeleton heads (white chocolate).

Photo by Lisa Fulsom

Lunch #3: A "Hoot and a Holler" Owl Sandwich, bat teeth (raw sunflower seeds), Frankenstein skin (roasted seaweed), and Dracula's vitamins (pomegranate seeds).

Photo By Lisa Fulsom

Lunch #4:  PB & J Bones (used all natural pb and organic grape jelly), a "pear" of ghosts, monster toes (cinnamon pecans), and meringue bones (http://lifeasahealthymom.blogspot.com/2011/10/meringue-bones.html)

Photo by Lisa Fulsom

With a little planning, you can create a fun, creepy healthy lunch for your little goblins!  Happy Halloween!

   

Meringue Bones

Photo by Lisa Fulsom

I make these edible "bones" during the Halloween season for my children.  It's inevitable that kids are going to eat candy on Halloween, so I try to provide them fun snacks prior to the holiday that keep with the Halloween theme, but are free of preservatives and artificial colors and flavors. I feel they will get enough of that stuff on October 31st.

Brittle Meringue Bones
(featured inside the book Eerie Elegance)

3 large egg whites
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
1/8 tsp. salt
2/3 cup white sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
cocoa for dusting

Preheat oven to 200F. Line cookie sheet with brown paper bag or parchment. In a medium sized bowl at high speed, beat egg whites, cream of tartar and salt till fluffy. Gradually beat in sugar. Add vanilla.

Place in pastry bag fitted with a medium plain piping tip. Pipe 3" bone shapes onto parchment or brown paper bag. Bake 1 hour until set. Turn off oven, dry in oven 1 hour. Sprinkle cocoa on top to resemble "dirt".  Be sure to store in airtight containers or they will become soggy. Makes 4 to 5 dozen small finger-sized bones.

Decorating Naturally for the Autumn Season

The changing of the leaves on the trees is a clear indication that autumn is here.  This is my favorite season of the year, and I try to decorate my home by using items that can be recycled, reused, or repurposed.  Here are some ideas to make the inside and outside of your house look festive for the season.

1.  Decorate Using Seasonal Produce
         
          Different colored pumpkins and gourds,
          bales of hay, and cornstalks give your front
          porch a welcoming feeling.   Use apples,
          pomegranates, and pears among
          other seasonal produce to make a beautiful
          centerpiece.  After the season is over,
          everything can go right into your compost
          pile, if they are too ripe for eating. Also, be 
         sure to harvest the pumpkin seeds to bake in
          the oven for a quick snack!


2.  Plant Chrysanthemums

          These cool loving perennials give a burst of  bold color to your landscape.  You will find them   
          in an array of different colors such as red, yellow, purple, and orange.  Plant them before the
          first frost, and you can enjoy them year after year. 

3.  Go on a Pine cone and Leaf Hunt 

          Take a leisurely walk in the woods with your children to hunt for pine cones and
          leaves.  Bring a little of the outdoors in by arranging pine cones in a bowl  or preserve the 
          beautiful, rich colors of the leaves by soaking them in 1 part vegetable glycerin to 2 parts
          water.  After they are supple and the mixture is wiped off, scatter them down a dining room
          table to create a natural table runner.
  
4.  Plant Ornamental Kale in Containers 

          This vegetable is a great ornamental annual that is super healthy, as well. You can harvest the 
          outer leaves and add them into a soup;  sprinkle olive oil and salt over the leaves and
          bake them into a delicious and nutritious snack.

5.  Make a Scarecrow

          What a great way for the kids to get involved in making the outside of the house festive!  Stuff
          old clothes with hay or recycled newspapers to create a friendly greeter to your home. Use a
          pumpkin or a burlap bag as the head.  Let your children use non-toxic paint to make a friendly   
          face. After the season, take the old clothes to a local recycling center that accepts textiles.

6.  Use Soy or Beeswax Candles

          Petroleum based candles can emit harmful fumes into your home.  Surround the eco-friendly
          candles with different nuts inside a glass container to add warmth to your dining table.

You can create a home that is filled inside and outside with items that are not only beautiful and reusable, but also respectful to our planet. 
  

Do you Find Pomegranates Intimidating?

One thing that I love about Autumn is........pomegranates!  Pomegranates are one of my favorite fruits to eat, and for good reason.  When you cut through the leathery skin to expose the inside, you will find it bursting with dozens of the reddest, little seeds you will ever lay your eyes on. Not only are the seeds delicious to eat, they are also high in vitamin C, numerous B vitamins, and antioxidants.

The first time I bought a pomegranate years ago, I was quite intimidated by this little apple shaped fruit on my counter.  Fear not, I learned that one just has to be patient with the process.  Once you cut through the skin and expose the seeds, the trick is to remove the seeds with as little of mess as possible. 

Here are  steps I follow in the removal of the seeds:

1. Use a cutting board when cutting the fruit. Juices from the fruit can stain clothes and counter tops!
2. Fill a bowl with clean water.  You will use this during the removal of the seeds.
3. Cut the fruit into 4 pieces for easier handling.
4. For each quarter, hold it over the water bowl and begin slowly pushing the seeds out from the fruit.  The seeds will sink to the bottom of the bowl.  Don't worry if the white membrane falls into the water. 
5. Repeat until all seeds are removed from the fruit. 
6. Once all the seeds have been removed, you will notice the white membrane is floating on top of the water.  Skim off any membrane or white part of the fruit from the water.
7. Strain the seeds.
8.  Enjoy!

This is the tried and true technique to opening a pomegranate.  I heard that freezing it also always from easy removal of the seeds.  I may have to try that sometime.

Pomegranate seeds can be eaten alone, added to a salad for a burst of color and flavor, or mixed into your morning yogurt.  Drying them is also an option.  I bet they would be quite delicious mixed into a trail mix or added to you favorite granola bar recipe. 

Any way you choose to eat them, pomegranates provide a delicious and nutritious way to enjoy the Autumn season.