Halloween Fun

In just a few days, kids will be roaming the streets in costumes looking for free candy.  That’s right, Halloween is coming!  I don’t know about you, but I love Halloween.  It’s so much fun to see all the costumes and decorations.  Unfortunately, Halloween also has a reputation for being a very sugary, high calorie holiday.  Here are some fun ways to make dinner on Halloween fun and healthy.

Play up the pumpkin theme.

When J.K. Rowling wrote Harry Potter, she created a world that felt like Halloween all year long.  She did this by paying close attention to detail to the scenery and to the food the students at Hogwarts ate.  One of the key distinctions between the Muggle world and the Wizarding world is that in the Wizardng world, pumpkin is everywhere. Want to create a similar atmosphere at your Halloween table?  Make pumpkin a major theme of the meal.  This pumpkin soup from The Pioneer Woman is not only smooth and delicious, but it has a distinctly magical feel about it.  Want to bump up the Halloween theme even more?  Instead of just drizzling cream on top, thin out a little sour cream (or fat free Greek yogurt for a healthier twist) with a some heavy cream and use it to draw a spider web in each serving of soup.

Want to make the kids feel even more like they’ve stepped into the world of Harry Potter?  Make them some pumpkin juice!  

Presentation is everything.

Even the most ordinary of foods becomes fun when presented in a fun way.  This recipe for Jack ‘O Lantern Fruit Salad is a healthy treat that looks slightly creepy.

Want to make dinner a little creepier this year?  Try making these Sesame Soba Noodles and these Asian Chicken Meatballs for “Earthworms and Eyeballs”.

Most importantly, have fun with it!  Halloween is nothing, if not fun, so enjoy the day.

 

 

Catherine Hall

About Catherine Hall

Catherine lives in Bangor, Maine with her family. She gained her appreciation for food and cooking from her grandmother and learned most of her technical knowledge from watching the Food Network. When not in the kitchen, Catherine can be found outdoors attempting to grow vegetables (not always successfully), practicing yoga, and taking Capoeira classes in downtown Bangor. Catherine can also be found walking around town with her Guiding Eyes guide dog, Caleb.