Macaroni and Peas

Halloween is tomorrow. So if you don’t have your fill of Halloween treats just yet, try one of these recipes:

Caramel Apples

Image Credit: Nina Shannon

You’ll need roughly three ounces of caramels per apple. I prefer the individually wrapped caramels. They’re cheap and easy. Have the kids help unwrap them and put them in a microwave safe bowl.

Melt the caramels in the microwave on about half power. Remove the bowl from the microwave and stir it every minute or so.

Have the kids wash and dry each apple very well. Then push a popsicle stick into each one.

Line a cookie sheet with wax paper. Put a pile of decorations/toppings on the cookie sheet for each apple. These can be anything you want - nuts, chocolates, sprinkles, etc.

Roll the dry apples in the melted caramels until well coated. Place coated apples on the cookie sheet and roll them around in the toppings of choice.

To make them a little more festive, melt some white choclates or almond bark. Stir in orange food coloring (or a combination of red and yellow - I can never find orange). Drizzle the mixture over the finished apples.

Eyeballs and Crackers

Buy a whiteish cheese ball and stick it in the freezer. When the cheeseball is nice and hard, cut it in half. Place the halves on a serving dish.

Drizzle with tomato sauce or ketchup in the shape of veins. Pour some into a plastic baggie and seal the top. Snip one corner off and squeeze gently.

Top the cheese ball halves with an olive slice or a raisin. Refrigerate your creations.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Grab your best Halloween cookie cutters and flour tortillas or pita bread. Try tomato tortillas - they’re orangeish red and very festive.

Cut out fun shapes with the cookie cutters. Lay your shapes on a cookie sheet coated with cooking spray. Spray the tops of the shapes too.

Bake for 5-8 minutes - keep an eye on them. You want them crispy but not burnt. Turn them over about half way through the baking time.

Spread the crackers around your eyeballs and serve to your ghoulish guests.

Duncan at Halloween 2007

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Halloween is by far my favorite holiday. Yeah, I dress up to take my son trick or treating. And yeah, we do a gazillion Halloween related activities. And of course, Halloween is full of tons of treats in our house.

Halloween has offered up one of my biggest challenges. I’m all about healthy food that kids still love to eat and Halloween is all about candy and other sweet treats. It’s not easy to transform candy corn into a healthy food without losing all of the kid appeal.

Here’s my theory on Halloween (and most other major holidays): It’s special, right? It only comes once a year. So a complete and total ban of treats is akin to cruel and unusual punishment.

Like everything else in life, it’s all about balance.

That being said, parts of the treat I’m about to suggest are healthy and others are decidedly not. It is intended to be prepared with the help of your kid(s).

Pumpkin Cupcakes

These are painfully easy to make and they’re always a hit.

Mix a can of plain, pureed pumpkin (not the pumpkin pie stuff) with a box of spice cake. The mixture will be super thick and gooey…that’s normal, don’t add any liquid. Scoop the mixture into a muffin tin lined with festive Halloween themed papers. The cups should be about ¾ full. If you’re not going to use papers, spray the muffin tin very, very well with cooking spray. These cupcakes are very sticky.

Depending on the age of your kids, they can help stir the mix and scoop it into the pan.

Bake your masterpieces at 350 degrees F for 25 to 30 minutes. Since these cupcakes don’t really turn brown as they cook, check one of the center ones with a toothpick to see if it’s done. It should come out with crumbs or nothing at all.

Let the cupcakes cool for about 10 minutes. Remove them from the pan and let them cool completely on a cookie rack. While they’re cooling, you can mix up the frosting and get out your decorations.

You’ll need two tubs of white frosting, funky food coloring (purple, black, orange, and lime green are great), and other goodies like sprinkles and candies. Mix up a small batch of each color of frosting. Once the cupcakes are cool, get a base coat of frosting on them. Mix it up, you’ll want a few in each color.

Put each type of decoration in a small bowl or cup. I love using colored sugars, sprinkles, mini m&ms, and chocolate chips. Don’t be afraid to add bigger things like marshmallows, chocolate kisses, peanut butter cups, or licorice.

Now, step back and let the kids go to town. Oh sure, you can find all sorts of recipes for perfectly cute Halloween cupcakes, but most of them require you to follow directions and stuff. That’s not nearly as fun as going crazy with the toppings.

I’d love to see pictures of these creations (and any other Halloween treats you and your kids make).

I’ll post a new treat every few days between now and Halloween, so check back often. Better yet, you can subscribe via RSS or email to get updates automatically.

Allergy Kit from Check My Tag

Ria Sharon over at Ria Sharon over at Check My Tag wrote a great post about how she found out her son had allergies. I think she summed up nicely the panic that goes through a parent’s mind when they realize their child has severe allergies. Check My Tag was born from this experience. Ria now offers a variety of shirts and other allergy management tools.

I love that everything she offers is field tested. The idea of shirts with allergy information on them is truly inspired. I don’t know many toddlers that will keep a wristband or necklace on without trying to eat it. Shirts…those are easier to keep on.

All of Ria’s stuff fits into a complete allergy management system and she talks a lot about that on her blog. Food allergies require a pretty big commitment, but they are very manageable.

Ria’s son has severe allergies to peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, and penicillin. Although an anaphylactic reaction is terrifying, it’s pretty clear what’s happening. Fortunately, these reactions are relatively uncommon.

Most food allergies present themselves as skin (eczema or hives) or tummy (gas, bloating, vomiting, cramping, etc.) problems. As you know, skin and tummy problems go hand in hand with children. So how do you know if it’s food allergies?

If your kid is really sick or has bad hives, please take them to the doctor immediately. Hives can cause enough swelling that breathing becomes difficult and excessive vomiting can cause dehydration.

Assuming your kid is not headed to the emergency room, you’re probably looking at a milder, chronic problem. First thing’s first, you need to rule out non-food causes. Was your kid exposed to poison oak or recently given a new medication? Have you begun using a different soap or brand of milk?

No? Then it’s on to the fun stuff.

At this point, I usually recommend that parents go to an elimination diet. It sounds gruesome and torturous, doesn’t it? It’s actually a pretty simple concept. Remember when you first introduced your baby to solid foods? Your pediatrician probably advised you to wait a few days after trying a new food before you introduced a new one. That’s so you can spot any reactions and immediately know what caused them. We’re going to employ the same principle for the elimination diet.

The big difference between introducing your baby to solid foods and doing an elimination diet with your older kid. Your older kid is probably suffering from an allergic reaction right now. You want to keep them on the most strict version of the elimination diet until all their symptoms go away.

Then, slowly introduce one new food at a time, watching closely for reactions. Keep track of what you add and how they react. Which foods you choose to introduce and how will have an impact on whether or not you can rule them out as allergens. For example, don’t add egg noodles until you’ve ruled out both eggs and wheat as allergens.

If you’re interested in putting your child on an elimination diet, send me a note. We’ll work together to decide which package will help you with your specific concerns. If we can’t find a good fit, I’ll get you in contact with someone who can help.

Pasta is one of my family’s favorite foods. We eat it once a week almost without fail. This week, I decided to try something different.

I should probably preface this post with a disclaimer. I’m not affiliated with Barilla in any way, shape, or form. I love this pasta. The quality is exceptional. Barilla Plus has long been our standard because it contains extra fiber and protein without losing any of the great pasta taste or texture.

Barilla Piccolini

Instead of picking up our regular Barilla Plus, I asked my son to pick out a box of the Barilla Piccolini. These are tiny versions of your favorite shaped pastas. He chose the mini wheels.

I like the tiny pasta largely because tiny food is fun food. However, I picked it up this time because it was on sale. Finding out how very quickly it cooks was a bonus.

We also picked up a bag of frozen mini meatballs, baby broccoli florets (his choice, I swear), corn, and a basic marinara sauce. I cooked the pasta according to the directions on the box. It cooks in just 7 minutes! We nuked the broccoli and corn and I baked the meatballs for 20 minutes at 425 degrees F.

Rather than toss everything together, I opted to create a pasta bar. Each item was set out on the counter in its own container. Everyone picked what they liked and dished up only as much as they wanted.

My husband opted to skip the broccoli, but added extra corn and meatballs. I chose more broccoli and my son had a little of everything. Since he dished himself up, he couldn’t really complain that he didn’t like it or that he had too much food. Not surprisingly, he polished it all off without a problem.

Here are some other ways I’d use this quick cooking mini pasta:

Cold Pasta Salad: Toss cold mini pasta with mini veggies (like halved grape tomatoes, diced bell pepper, corn, or peas), tuna (a water packed can or a pouch), and your favorite vinegrette.

Bonus: This can all be prepared ahead of time and tossed together at the last minute.

Soup: About ten minutes before your soup is done, add a handful of your favorite mini pasta.

For an easy chicken noodle soup, add shredded chicken to your favorite low sodium chicken broth. Toss in a pre-mixed chicken noodle soup seasoning packet and bring to a boil. Add your pasta and you’ll have a fun, comforting soup.

Creamy Pasta: While you’re waiting for the water to boil and the pasta to cook, whip up a delicious homemade cream sauce.

I know it sounds complex, but it’s super simple. My mom taught me how to make this one when I was in 5th grade. If a ten year old can master it, you won’t have any problems.

Mix equal portions of butter or margarine and flour in a sauce pan over medium high heat. You’re trying to create a whitish paste…keep stirring and don’t let it get too brown. Once it’s thick, like peanut butter, add milk in small quantities. Whisk and whisk and whisk. Eventually, you’ll end up with a thick, creamy sauce. If you want to add cheese, take it off the heat first and then stir it in a little at a time.

Finally, mix the cream sauce with the cooked mini pasta and your family’s favorite veggies. Top with grilled chicken slices for a fancy gourmet style meal.

Your Turn

These “recipes” are the type of basic instructions I provide with all my meal plans. If you have any questions about how to prepare something, just holler (either via email or in the comments). I’d also love to hear stories about how you prepare pasta with your kids.

Halloween is far and away my favorite holiday of the year. I love dressing up, trick or treating, pumpkins, bonfires, corn mazes, and everything else about Halloween. Today, I’m sharing my favorite tips and tricks for getting the most out of the holiday.

Trick or Treating

• Go door to door with your kids. If they’re old enough to go alone, they’re probably too old to go door to door begging for candy.
• Only hit up the houses with their lights on. The unofficial “I’m out of candy” or “I hate Halloween” sign is a house with the porch light off.
• Try to avoid taking homemade treats from people you don’t know. I think homemade treats are great fun, but be sure you know who made them before you take them.
• If your neighborhood isn’t very big or Halloween friendly, look into other places to go trick or treating. Our local mall has a great Halloween event and many schools have carnivals or parties.

Creative Costuming

• Making a unique and fun Halloween costume is a huge deal for me. Last year, my son wanted to be a zombie punk rocker. We created an awesome costume that got tons of compliments. I’m not sure if we can top it this year.
• If you’re planning on trick or treating outside, take the weather into account. Dressing like a cheerleader or Captain Undrepants isnt’ a great idea if you live in a cooler climate.
• Make sure the costume itself shows on the outside of whatever layers you need to add to keep your kid warm. I grew up in Alaska and often had to hide my costume under a big winter coat and hat. Not fun.

Candy Collections

• Give your kid one trick or treat bag. Make sure they can carry even when it’s full. Do not bring extra bags. Once the bag is full, it’s time to go home.
• This is a great way to limit the total volume of the candy stash. It also takes into account a kid’s size…bigger kids will be able to carry bigger bags and will end up with more candy than small kids.
• When you get home, go through all the candy yourself. Chances are, there’s no need for an x-ray, but a once over is a good idea. Make sure all the candy is individually wrapped and still sealed.
• Remove any candy your kid shouldn’t eat. For example, little ones shouldn’t have hard candies that aren’t lollipops and kids with braces shouldn’t have sticky stuff.
• Beware of caffeinated candy. Snickers Charged has about 60mg of caffeine and Jelly Belly Extreme Sport Beans have about 80mg. Just for comparison…a Red Bull has about 80mg of caffeine.

Healthy Handouts

There are a few theories here. Don’t try all of them in the same year.

• Pick only candies you and/or your kids don’t like. This keeps you from nibbling while passing out candy to the local trick or treaters.
• Make something yummy. Popcorn balls, trail mix, and caramel apples are all great choices. Just make sure you know the kids and their parents before handing out homemade stuff.
• Give out something other than food. Just make sure it’s fun. No pencils or toothbrushes. Check out your local dollar store or one of the gazillion Halloween stores online for cheap goodies.