Trick Not Treats!

Halloween is almost there! The kids are all excited, most have picked their costumes and are getting ready to go trick or treating. Fun, fun, fun all around! To most of us though, Halloween means 1 thing: Candies everywhere.

Every business we go to have a candy bowl, the stores are filled to the rafters with the "seasonal treats" (as if candies didn't exist the rest of the year!), the kids come in from trick or treating with bags full of candies, we feel obliged to buy candies for the trick or treaters who will inevitably stop at our door. If you have the tiniest of a sweet tooth, it seems like you're suddenly dropped in the middle of a mine field! Now what?

This week we will talk about ways to manage our sweet tooth during the Halloween celebration. You can enjoy Halloween without turning into a sugar monster!

Here's something that is floating in the Leader's message board (click on it for a bigger version):

Tool of the week

One thing that helps me when I know there will be temptation to avoid, is the Mini Bars! I always have at least one of those in my bag. They are delicious and only 2 PointsPlus. They can give me that sweet fix I need when temptation gets to be too strong.

They are small, easy to carry, and a very PointsPlus-friendly way to fight off a sweet attack without feeling deprived. :o)

In the Kitchen

I posted these last year, and they were a hit, so I figured I would share them again this year! I did these for a party with adults only (I have no kids) and they were a hit! As George Bernard Shaw said: “We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” The Point value will vary depending on the brand/recipes you use and the serving size, but it’s a lot of fun to put together!

Wormy Mud

You need:

A package (or two) of brownie mix. I used the No Pudge to cut down on pts
A pack (or two) of gummy worms
A large shallow bowl

Cook the brownie mix following the package directions, let cool enough to handle. Crumble the brownies in the large shallow bowl and mix in the worms.

Add-on: You can use a handful of FiberOne cereal to throw in. They look like twigs making the “mud” look more realistic.

Funky Eggs

You need;

Hard boiled eggs (shells on)
A glass bowl with enough water to cover all the eggs
Green food coloring (other colors work too, mixes can make some really interesting eggs)

Once the eggs are cooked, crack the shells by rolling the eggs between a hard surface and your hand being careful not to squish them. Do not remove the shells.

Once the shells are good and cracked all over, put the eggs in a bowl of water to which you have added 20-25 drops of food coloring. Let soak 10-15 minutes.

Remove the eggs and peel off the shells. The results should be eggs with a marble effect in green.

Creepy Punch

You need:

A bowl of fruit punch (I like to mix pineapple, pomegranate and tangerine juice).
A clean rubber glove.
2+ cup of orange juice.

Fill the glove with orange juice, tie the wrist securely and put in the freezer.

Just before serving take the glove out of the freezer and peel off the orange juice “hand”. Put the hand in the punch bowl.

It looks creepier as it melts!

There are tons of ideas like that floating around on the web.

Have a Great Week!

Halloween is only one evening, do not let it be the beginning of "food season". There are candies around all year round, they are just decorated differently at this time of the year. Unfortunately, putting a witch or a ghost on a candy wrapper doesn't remove the carbs or the fat from the candy inside! Wouldn't that be neat? This time of the year is just like any time of the year, take the challenges one at a time, plan for them and then enjoy yourself.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!

Melanie