I am really torn about Halloween this year.
I have always hated, hated, hated trick or treating, yet every year we end up doing it.
I hate knocking on strangers' doors begging for candy.
I hate freezing outside in the late Northern Utah October weather and trying to find costumes my children will not freeze in.
I hate trying to force some sort of healthy food in them before the onslaught of junk begins.
I hate that they never want to eat because the anticipation of all that candy is just too exciting.
I hate coming home with obscene amounts of candy for my 4 year old and 2 year old.
I hate feeling no self control as I gorge myself on chocolate after they've gone to bed.
I hate stealing from my children.
I hate sneaking candy when they're not looking, because I know if I got caught they'd all want a piece but I'm not willing to let them eat candy before breakfast.
Somehow it's OK for me, but not them.
I really hate that.
I hate trying to find someone to pawn all the candy off on so I can finally stop eating it.
All these are reasons I hated it before.
Now with our new diet of no toxic waste I am hating the idea even more.
Once again we have been invited to a trunk or treat.
Which, by the way, seems worse to me than regular trick or treating.
Let's see how much candy we can gather in T-Minus 5 minutes! Ready, set, GO!
The greed of it all makes me sick.
These are not characteristics I want honed in my children.
So what to do, what to do?
I don't know, I still have not figured it out yet.
Come to the event after trunk of treating is over? Skip the whole thing? Let them truck or treat, knowing they're not getting any of it?
It all seems so silly to me.
I know, I know, I'm weird.
I am imagining the hate mail already!
As a peace offering here is a 100% Whole Grain, All Natural, No Toxic Waste, 100% Yummy Fall Treat Recipe.
(Now I'm not saying it's healthy, but it is a million times better that what they'd get on the street)
Harvest Granola Apple Bars
Ingredients:
Crust:
1 1/2 C Whole grain flour
1 1/2 C Rolled oats
1/2 t Baking soda
1 C Brown sugar
Pinch of Salt, optional
3/4 C Butter
Apple filling:
5 Medium Apples, cored and sliced ( I left the skins on for more texture)
1 C Water
Honey, to taste (No much at all)
1 t Cinnamon
Cornstarch and water to thicken, optional
Directions:
Start the apple filling first. Place the sliced apples and water in a sauce pan. Bring to boil then cover and simmer until apples are fork tender.
Meanwhile for the crust, combine all dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix to combine. Soften the butter and add to the dry mixture. Use a pastry cutter to cut in the butter with the dry ingredients. Place 3/4 of the mixture in the bottom of a 9X13 baking pan. Press to form bottom crust.
When the apples are tender add the cinnamon and honey to taste. Mix with a hand mixer until chunky apple sauce is formed. If this is too runny you can thicken it with corn starch and water.
Pour the apple mixture over the crust. Sprinkle remaining crust over the top. Bake in 375 degree oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.
I have always hated, hated, hated trick or treating, yet every year we end up doing it.
I hate knocking on strangers' doors begging for candy.
I hate freezing outside in the late Northern Utah October weather and trying to find costumes my children will not freeze in.
I hate trying to force some sort of healthy food in them before the onslaught of junk begins.
I hate that they never want to eat because the anticipation of all that candy is just too exciting.
I hate coming home with obscene amounts of candy for my 4 year old and 2 year old.
I hate feeling no self control as I gorge myself on chocolate after they've gone to bed.
I hate stealing from my children.
I hate sneaking candy when they're not looking, because I know if I got caught they'd all want a piece but I'm not willing to let them eat candy before breakfast.
Somehow it's OK for me, but not them.
I really hate that.
I hate trying to find someone to pawn all the candy off on so I can finally stop eating it.
All these are reasons I hated it before.
Now with our new diet of no toxic waste I am hating the idea even more.
Once again we have been invited to a trunk or treat.
Which, by the way, seems worse to me than regular trick or treating.
Let's see how much candy we can gather in T-Minus 5 minutes! Ready, set, GO!
The greed of it all makes me sick.
These are not characteristics I want honed in my children.
So what to do, what to do?
I don't know, I still have not figured it out yet.
Come to the event after trunk of treating is over? Skip the whole thing? Let them truck or treat, knowing they're not getting any of it?
It all seems so silly to me.
I know, I know, I'm weird.
I am imagining the hate mail already!
As a peace offering here is a 100% Whole Grain, All Natural, No Toxic Waste, 100% Yummy Fall Treat Recipe.
(Now I'm not saying it's healthy, but it is a million times better that what they'd get on the street)
Harvest Granola Apple Bars
Ingredients:
Crust:
1 1/2 C Whole grain flour
1 1/2 C Rolled oats
1/2 t Baking soda
1 C Brown sugar
Pinch of Salt, optional
3/4 C Butter
Apple filling:
5 Medium Apples, cored and sliced ( I left the skins on for more texture)
1 C Water
Honey, to taste (No much at all)
1 t Cinnamon
Cornstarch and water to thicken, optional
Directions:
Start the apple filling first. Place the sliced apples and water in a sauce pan. Bring to boil then cover and simmer until apples are fork tender.
Meanwhile for the crust, combine all dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix to combine. Soften the butter and add to the dry mixture. Use a pastry cutter to cut in the butter with the dry ingredients. Place 3/4 of the mixture in the bottom of a 9X13 baking pan. Press to form bottom crust.
When the apples are tender add the cinnamon and honey to taste. Mix with a hand mixer until chunky apple sauce is formed. If this is too runny you can thicken it with corn starch and water.
Pour the apple mixture over the crust. Sprinkle remaining crust over the top. Bake in 375 degree oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.
I want to share this with my family on Halloween instead of huge mixing bowls full of candy.
5 comments:
Sara, lighten up and enjoy holidays with your kids. It's not a daily thing, its a holiday. We have done tons of Halloween celebrating without candy already, the candy part is just the last big "ta-da" at the end.
I know how you feel! They look forward to it so much that I really don't want to take it away from them, but I sure don't love all the candy and the cold!
Hey! I made an apple crisp stuff almost just like that last night! Only...I didn't put anything with the apples other than about a tsp. of lemon juice. I also didn't have a recipe...so I didn't use baking soda...and I used about half the brown sugar...mmmm (Although, I did eat it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top :D)
I have to admit that I HATE Halloween in the first place, not because of the cold or the trick or treating but because I just hate all the scary things and the over the top stuff like that. As for tricking or treating I am having a hard time with that too. we decided to let them run from door to door for a half an hour and then they are done, hopefully most of our neighborhood will be at our trunk or treat!! Good luck!!
What people don't understand is it's not just one night. There will be another holiday or party right around the corner that will make your kids sick again and then you're starting all over. That is not what I want for my life. We need to take a stand.
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