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October 31, 2006
Happy Hallo-Tatta!
It's our second Halloween together, and I'm making another special Halloween dinner for MR. This year I'm making a Hallo-tatta, which is an orange fritatta. I make a CR friendly fritatta (which is a quiche without crust) but using eggwhites and nonfat yogurt instead of eggs and cream. Then I add vegetables and spices. The veggies cook inside the tatta and release all their flavors, which get caught in the eggs. It's a great formula, one I use for at least one of MR's dinners per week. Today I'm making it orange by including carrots, and spicing with curry and paprika. I'm serving brussels sprouts on the side, which aren't really Halloween themed, excpet that some people find them scary! I'll top them with fresh lemon and olive oil. Then for dessert, it's a pumpkin perfect parfait, with 1/2 cup pumpkin stirred with 1/4 cup nonfat ricotta, sweetened with sucralose and topped with a teaspoon hazelnut oil, a bunch of hazelnuts, and some Walden Farms calorie free caramel sauce.
For the kids, we've gotten some non-candy treats because we don't feel like adding to the epidemic of childhood obesity. I know this will get a whole lot of negative comments, but we really don't see the point in filling kids with sugar and transfats on Halloween. To us, it's just like giving kids cigarettes. Let responsible adults put crap in their bodies if they want to, but we're not participating in the collective poisoning of the next generation. So we're giving out:
Monster finger puppets
Glow in the dark snakes
Glow in the dark lizards
High bouncing balls
Shiny heart bracelets
The kids will get enough gak at other houses. At our house, they'll get toys they can play with, not junk they can shove in their faces. They won't be traumatized for life because we don't give them candy. They will be fine.
Posted by april at October 31, 2006 5:17 PM
Comments
Congratulations on living your values! Those sound like really neat, creative things to give to the kids that might even last beyond a day or two! We are sticking with tradition, but giving out only good-quality mini chocolate bars. Happy Hallowe'en! :-)
Posted by: Judith at October 31, 2006 6:28 PM
The sound of this fritatta is making my mouth water. Would you be so kind as to email me with the complete recipie, as a crustless fritatta is great for gluten-free me. Also, I like the tip on the pumpkin and ricotta mixed together -- another must try.
An honest question about CR and food: if life-extension and better health are the goals, isn't it slightly counter-productive to opt for artificial sweetners and non-fat foods given that what is put in to counter the natural sugar and fat are proving to be less healthy than sugar and fat?
I know that your inclusion of nuts and good fats shows that you've overcome your fat phobia. I can join you on that one! In fact, my hair and skin is better for the good fats that I am careful to consume daily.
Posted by: Gina at November 1, 2006 7:46 AM
What a great haul for trick-or-treaters! I read this a day too late, I'm afraid. My parents were fretting about non-candy treats to give out, so they settled on little bags of pretzels (and when those ran out they broke open a roll of quarters, which were a huge hit.) I have to admit, I gave out gak: Skittles and Almond Joys and processed sugars galore. Next year, though, little toys like you guys!
Posted by: stirred_apart at November 1, 2006 7:48 AM
I heard about a great suggestion for non-candy alternatives: fake tattoos. Kids LOVE them. And you might want to grab some chinese jump ropes for the girlie girls who aren't interested in the tattoos.
Posted by: jj at November 1, 2006 9:55 AM