Have A Sweet (Potato) Halloween!

Happy Halloween, Everyone!

Tomorrow is the big day, so I hope you are ready to be visited by all manners of spooks and specters. Halloween is a wonderful holiday - you get to dress up, people give you free candy, you can stay up late telling ghost stories, and did mention the free candy!  Of course all that sweet stuff makes it hard to think about nutrition on Halloween, but there are few ways that you and your kids can sneak in some delicious nutrition.  After dark many of us will have a dinner that consists primarily of miniature snickers bars and pumpkin shaped marshmallows, so I suggest getting the healthy stuff in early. Here are some ideas for breakfast and lunch.

Jack o'Lantern Sweet Potato Smoothie

This recipe comes from Spark Recipes, it is fun to make, tasty to eat, and cut to boot!  The faces are painted on the inside of a clear glass with chocolate.  Get you whole family involved with this one, it's a blast.  Best of all, each smoothie has only 147 calories while packing in 3 grams of fiber, and 7 grams of protein. Plus loads of potassium and vitamins A, C, D B6, and B12.

Ingredients

• Sweet Potato, baked, 1 cup
• Greek Yogurt, Plain, 1/4 cup
• Brown Sugar, 2 Tbsp unpacked
• Banana, fresh, 1 small
• Milk, 1%, 2 cup
• Vanilla Extract, .5 tsp
• Cinnamon to taste
• Ice cubes, 5 or as desired to increase volume
• Chocolate chips 1 Tbsp, melted

Directions

1. Melt chocolate chips for 15 second increments in the microwave, stirring between each increment.
2. Use a paintbrush (food safe) to paint jack o'lantern or other Halloween themed picture on the inside of chilled glass. Put glass in freezer while you make the smoothie.
3. Add all ingredients (except chocolate chips) and blend until frothy.

Serves about FOUR 8-oz glasses.

Kid-friendly Halloween recipes: Jack-o-Lantern fries

Continue the fun at lunch with these cute sweet potato fries. We've talked about how good sweet potato fries are before, but these are extra special.  Before baking, cut Jack-O-Lantern faces into the strips. Remember to make these a little wider and not quite as thick as your usual fries, so cutting the face will be easier.  Since a knife is involved, this project is probably best for older children, or maybe just Mom and Dad. Kids of all ages will enjoy eating these tasty treats, so if you don't have them for lunch, make them for your Halloween Party.

Ingredients

• Sweet potatoes, 3 - 4 medium sized
• Salt to taste
• Sugar and cinnamon to taste
• Olive oil

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Peel sweet potatoes and carefully slice lengthwise so they look like long ovals. Adults should do this with a sharp knife and use caution when cutting.
3. Older children can help cut faces into your jackolanterns using a dull knife. If they're not old enough to carve a real pumpkin, they're probably not old enough to do this step.
4. Once you've cut eyes, noses and mouths into your potato pumpkins, place in bowl of water to soak.
5. Once all are completed, drain and lay each slice flat on a baking sheet.
6. Lightly brush oil across the faces of your pumpkins and sprinkle with salt.
7. Bake for about 20 minutes. Be sure to keep an eye on your pumpkin fries because thickness of your slices and altitude can effect cooking time.
8. When they're done, lightly sprinkle with a mixture of cinnamon, sugar and salt.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!