October 27, 2016 general

Trick or treat?

Halloween candy is both. It is a tasty treat that becomes a trick when it shuts down our immune systems for hours, starts a winter-long sweet-craving and throws the rest of our metabolism out of whack. (Author Nancy Appleton lists over 144 ways sugar is hard on your health.)

Health nuts like Bill and I might wish we could give out something wholesome. Unfortunately, parents are afraid of anything but factory sealed candy. (And we don’t want our house decorated with eggs or toilet tissue.) If we just turn off the porch light and hide, we’d miss those few cute kids who visit in homemade costumes (and the late-arriving teens who think that a flannel shirt is a costume). So, we give in and give the kids what they want. Parents have a bigger problem if they are concerned about their children’s health…they must figure out what to do with a pillow case full of collected goodies. There are some good uses for extra Halloween candy.

 Here at least are some ideas for what to do with leftovers:

• After one stomach-churning binge, parents sometimes trade toys for the balance of the loot and send the leftovers in care packages to the troops. They don’t have a convenience store on every corner and are more likely to burn it off than seniors in a rest home. (I understand they sometimes use little treats to make friends with native children.) Here is a good group: Operation Gratitude. It is a chance to teach children something about nutrition and appreciation for our freedoms. We can even teach them the power of action by starting a neighborhood collection for this organization to send: Do Something
• Creative dentists trade items donated by local businesses for the kids’ candy which is then sent to the troops. For instance: Halloween Candy Buy Back
• If you have been assigned to bring a decadent dessert to some function, instead of buying more sugar, here are ideas for 27 Desserts made with leftover candy.
• Hide some away for Christmas stockings? Some candy freezes for use next year.

I hope your holiday is fun and safe.