NEWS for North Dakotans
Agriculture Communication, North Dakota State University
7 Morrill Hall, Fargo, ND 58105-5665
October 21, 1999
At first I was reluctant to tote the bag Mom had selected to hold my Halloween candy. The bag was made of clothing castoffs, as those crafted scatter rugs are, and it exactly didn't scream, "Lone Ranger." But when I discovered that I was able to slip my shoulders into the straps of the bag so that it hung on my back much like a back pack, I relented.
By the time I'd made my third or fourth house call, I had established my routine. I enthusiastically sang out, "trick or treat," after which I turned around so amenable friends and relatives could lob handfuls of candy into my pouch. This particular Halloween memory is of a time before seat belts and child safety seats, a time I simply could climb back into our warm, idling, overly chromed car and stand on the back seat for the ride to our next destination. This "luxury" of yesteryear prevented any of my candy from getting squashed.
Our last stop that night was at Wood and Hazel Lodoen's, good friends of Mom and Dad's who invited us in for lunch. While the adults were enjoying their coffee, cookies and conversation, the youngest Lodoen boys, Mylon and Myron, were "entertaining" me in another room. What the boys were up to was convincing me to share my sugary booty and encouraging me to eat up. By the end of the evening, my candy was gone.
The next day I awoke with an aching body displaying all the symptoms of flu--candy flu. Feeling the need for fresh air, I went outside into the chill of a Nov. 1 morning ... and proceeded to get my tongue stuck to our front gate.
This is a Halloween story of lessons learned, painfully hard. Never again did I eat Halloween candy as if it would be spoiled by the next dawn, and only that one time did I come under the tantalizing spell of frosted metal. Hopefully, the recipe that follows will lure trick-or-treaters away from their bags of goodies long enough to avoid some of the misfortunes lurking about.
Pumpkin Cookies
Adapted from SOARthe Searchable Online Archive of Recipes, University of California, Berkeley ( http://soar.Berkeley.EDU/recipes/ )
Yield: 4 dozenIngredients:
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup light brown sugar
½ cup canola oil
1 egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon milk
1 cup butterscotch chips
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup chopped pecansProcedure:
Combine pumpkin, sugar, oil and egg. Stir together flour, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Mix all together, along with baking soda dissolved in milk. Add chips, vanilla and nuts and mix again. Drop by teaspoon onto ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 350 F for 10 to 12 minutes.
What's Your Take on This, Julie?
Although tampering with treats is rare, it can happen. Parents should offer children a meal or snack before they leave so they aren't tempted to sample their loot before it's been inspected. Anything suspect should be discarded.
To help your little ghouls and goblins avoid a bout of the "candy flu," fuel them with a pumpkin cookie or two before they haunt the neighborhood. Each pumpkin cookie contains 80 calories and 10 grams of fat, plus about 23 percent of the daily recommendation for vitamin A as beta carotenes. The fat content is mainly monounsaturated, a more heart-healthy type of fat.
An upset stomach certainly can result from candy overload, but no scientific research has shown a connection between excessive sugar and hyperactivity. Dressing up as their favorite cartoon characters or goblins, staying up past their bedtimes and scaring their indulgent neighbors silly may have more to do with children's exuberant behavior than the sugar in the candy.
Just how much should you worry about candy consumption? As long as there are no medical conditions to consider, such as diabetes, sweet treats aren't really an issue if your eating plan also includes ample healthful fare. But including sweets at the tip of the Food Guide Pyramid doesn't make them the most important--or even a food group at all. Instead, being a small area of the Food Guide Pyramid is a visual reminder to consume sweets (and fats) in moderation.
Children need to eat a variety of foods from all the food groups--just like adults. Sticky sweet treats can promote cavities, so remind young trick-or-treaters to thoroughly brush their teeth. They can practice moderation beginning Nov. 1.
If you're looking for healthier treat options, you might consider individual packs of raisins, pretzels, animal crackers, fruit leather, single-serving cereal boxes, juice packs, pudding packs or applesauce packs. If you decide to go with candy-less treats for your visiting tricksters, there are many options. Stickers, colored pencils, erasers, coins, note pads, and gift certificates for a local fast food restaurant or ice cream shop are just a few. Also, consider the age of the recipient and avoid treats that could pose a choking hazard.
By the way, the recipe for Pumpkin Cookies has been kid-tested--and highly approved--by my two little pumpkins.
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Sources: Dean Hulse (701) 231-6136
Julie Garden-Robinson (701) 231-7187
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