Is a healthy Halloween possible…
Of course it is!
Today, we’re celebrating Halloween early to give you a heads up on the holiday and give you some healthy Halloween options for kids while you’re planning.
We also know that a caramel apple recipe like this can be taken into the CLASSROOM as a healthy alternative… so I would urge you to take control of the health of your children this Halloween and do something proactive!
Take a look…
Your question of the day: What are you going to be for Halloween?
Click here, scroll down to the bottom of the page and leave your comments now!
To order Dr. Ritamarie’s Healthy Halloween Treats book click here:
For the Ebook: www.RenegadeHealth.com/halloween
For the Softcover: www.RenegadeHealth.com/halloween2
Halloween Raw Food Recipe for Caramel Apples
Ingredients
• 1 cup dates (pitted and unsoaked)
• 1/4 – 1/2 cup almond milk (or other nut milk of your choice)
• 1 teaspoon coconut oil (optional)
• 1 dash sea salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, or 1 inch vanilla bean, scraped
• 3-4 apples, depending on size
Preparation
• Mix all ingredients in a blender until smooth.
• Start with 1/4 cup almond milk and add until consistency is such that apples can be dipped and the caramel sticks.
• Insert a popsicle stick into the center top of each apple.
• Dip in caramel sauce.
• Refrigerate until caramel solidifies
Live Awesome!
Kev
7:56 pm on October 7th, 2009
Hi Kevin & Annmarie. Sounds great. I like the idea of a special treat for school. However, a lot of the schools (if not most) in Ontario are nut-free and don’t allow nut products. So, what can I substitute for the nutmilk that won’t sacrifice the taste and texture and will still set properly? Thanks.
7:58 pm on October 7th, 2009
awesome idea!! i can’t wait to try this!
8:17 pm on October 7th, 2009
Thanks guys for another great show. Someday down the line you guys will probably find out about all the great parenting books out there
Many of my friends and I follow a philosophy called Unconditional Parenting (there is an excellent book of the same name). Besides parenting without any punishment (of course no conscious parenting book would advocate punishment of any sort), there is also no rewards or praise. Sounds strange at first, I know, but every single person I know who read the book never EVER uttered the phrase “good job” again to a child. (It’s fine to an adult who is actually doing a job.) Or any variation, “good singing, good clapping” etc. I highly recommend the book because it makes way more sense once you hear the philosophy. I am very lucky to have a large group of friends who are not only AP but also UP, and I know that I can go to any playdate and my child will not be “good jobbed.”
Check out Unconditional Parenting…. you guys are thinking people across the board. Someday down the line when you discover the great parenting books out there (most parenting books are horrible but there are about 15 or so very great conscious parenting books) you’ll be amazed at the difference between evolved parenting and the mainstream parenting. The difference between what we do verses Supernanny is literally the difference between the SAD and what you eat. No exaggeration.
Just wanted to share since every “good job” is like fingernails on a chalkboard to me LOL. Thanks, Tiff
8:41 pm on October 7th, 2009
These look so good! I’m getting me some dates and making a batch tomorrow night. Thanks!
8:52 pm on October 7th, 2009
Cute video, great recipe!
I’m going to be a fairy with wings and a handmade tutu. My daughter is going to be a fairy princess, with wings as well
9:03 pm on October 7th, 2009
Debra- you could use Hemp milk (it’s a seed not a nut) You can even make your own, it’s easy.
9:26 pm on October 7th, 2009
Omigosh, too cute! and yum! I wanna run home and make some for the kid in ME!
Loving my toothsoap, by the way. Maybe it’s my imagination since I haven’t even been using it a month yet, but I swear my gums are stronger and there’s no bleeding when I floss.
After toothsoap brushing, I now do a quick rinse with a Calcium – Magnesium – baking soda mixture before I go to sleep, so my clean, uncoated teeth can soak up the minerals to re-enamel.
REALLY appreciate your info on this! It made so much sense. I feel the difference. Great product. THANK YOU!
9:35 pm on October 7th, 2009
LoL Annmarie is ready to have a baby like yesterday.
10:36 pm on October 7th, 2009
“Good job” Kevin and Annmarie… and the kids were cute too. I’m going to be Brian Clement for Halloween.
10:48 pm on October 7th, 2009
Hi everyone,
Something that some of us Body Ecology Moms do…this will be the 3rd year that I’ll be doing this with my boys (now 5 and 8 yrs old) and they still love it.
Our family personally enjoys all the fun of either buying our costumes (as long as they select one that they’ll want to play dress up in) or making our costumes at home then have a blast all night trick or treating with the neighborhood kids. They get to dig through their bag of goodies to keep any stickers, pencils and such. Then we dump all of the candy into a plastic shopping bag and leave it out on our porch for “The Great Pumpkin”.
I always give my boys the option of letting them keep the candy (that will make them feel sluggish or icky afterwards) OR trading their candy with The Great Pumpkin in exchange for a TOY or something they want. Lucky for me, they always enthusiastically always go for The Great Pumpkin exchange. We always make our own special holiday treats so that they don’t feel deprived of not having something special to eat and enjoy.
The kicker is that The Great Pumpkin doesn’t have a lot of money like Santa since he has no ‘elves’ and since he’s got really skinny arms & legs (and a big pumpkin head), he can’t lift HUGE toys but he generally brings something that each kid really loves and is wishing for whether it’s a toy or arts & craft supplies, tickets to a movie, tickets for the family to go bowling or something cool that the child would like.
I told my boys that I ‘heard’ from another Mom that her son ate a few pieces of candy and left the rest of his candy on the porch in a bag just like they do and wouldn’t you know it? The Great Pumpkin actually LEFT that boy’s ENTIRE bag of candy sitting on the porch exactly where the kid left it! He didn’t want his candy because some was missing since the boy ate it. My boys listened wide eyed as I told the story and asked how many pieces did the kid actually eat? Since I had no idea if it was 1, 2, 3 or 10 pieces my boys are ADAMANT not to eat any candy from their loot just in case The Great Pumpkin will pass them up!
Last year I actually overheard my younger son asking if his older brother thought it would be OK to eat just one and my older son hollard out, “NO WAY! Don’t do it! You don’t want him to pass you up! There is no way I’m giving up my chance at something cool than just CANDY so you’ll be the only kid in our house with no present from The Great Pumpkin!” My little one put the candy back in the bag and said, “You are right! I don’t want him to leave my candy bag here either!”
I’ve since told some of my son’s friend’s Moms so that their child wouldn’t be disappointed to hear that my kids received a cool gift in exchange for their candy…since then, several families I know have adopted this in our neighborhood.
10:57 pm on October 7th, 2009
Another great show!!! I think I’ll be grandma for halloween.
1:02 am on October 8th, 2009
Love the Great Pumpkin story! Thanx Christina!
5:50 am on October 8th, 2009
Thanks for the recipe guys!
Tiff, what other books on unconditional parenting would you recommend?
10:11 am on October 8th, 2009
I don’t know if I will be “dressing up” for Halloween. We’ve kind of backed off from the whole Halloween “celebration” since being enlightened to what really goes on in some places on Halloween and of its gruesome origin. I also don’t agree with making up an elaborate lie to get children to forfeit their candy. …just my thoughts.
12:12 pm on October 8th, 2009
I’m dressing up as Kevin Gianni for Halloween. I bought a big curly blonde wig. -T$
12:32 pm on October 8th, 2009
Tiff, I would also love to know what parenting books you recommend and would love to hear more about the ‘good job’ philosophy. I have heard that before – can you summarize it for us in a nutshell since I don’t really remember what it was completely. Thanks
1:07 pm on October 8th, 2009
For Halloween I will simply Be. <3
1:33 pm on October 8th, 2009
I think the ‘carmel’ will make a nice dip for apple slices. Can’t wait to try it! Thanks for the recipe.
As a Christian, I think Halloween is God dishonoring and therefore I choose not to participate.
2:00 pm on October 8th, 2009
Cute show! Thanks for the regular interesting programming…
2:02 pm on October 8th, 2009
P.S. I don’t “do” Halloween either…but enjoy the fall farmers’ markets and festivities…
5:32 pm on October 8th, 2009
Hey! Didiydi here is the list of the best ones I know of:
Connection Parenting (Pam Leo) and Raising Our Children Raising Ourselves (Naomi Aldort) are the total must-haves
We refer to Aldort so much it is just known as ROCRO. When Anne Marie did the show on Byron Katie I was inspired to read Byron Katie’s books and the philosophy is very similar to Naomi Aldort, great stuff.
There’s also “Everyday Blessings, the inner work of mindful parenting” by Jon & Myla Kabat Zinn. Also Playful Parenting by Cohen is awesome.
I’m also into “You are your child’s first teacher” “The Rainbow Bridge” and “How to talk so kids will listen….” as well as really into John Holt and unschooling, but not radical unschooling (which isn’t Holt).
I know there are more great books that my friends have read but I’m not sure of the names of those others. This list covers all the bases for me.
Nadia–This may sound weird but most people who hear the short summary about good job usually say they aren’t “feeling it”. Kohn wrote an article “5 reasons to stop saying good job” and everyone I know who read just the article itself was not convinced. Everyone who read the book was convinced. That said, the shortest answer I can give is that kids aren’t doing a job, they’re just living. There’s 2 separate reasons…(1) usually “good job” interrupts them and takes the motivation for their task from intrinsic (they were interested in task) to extrinsic (now they are doing task for our approval and therefore will be too self conscious to enjoy task from that point on…) (2) a lot of parents/adults use “good job” as pure manipulation, like behaviorism, this one’s too hard to explain sorry! The book is just awesome
7:17 pm on October 9th, 2009
Coconut is also considered a nut by the FDA, you can’t be a certified nut free facility if you use coconut oil/coconut. When bringing these to the classroom check for nut allergies and coconut allergies! Kids can have an anaphylactic reaction and stop breathing…always ask all parents/teachers first.
Toni
6:57 pm on October 10th, 2009
I’m going to be myself, scarier’n any witch, airier’n any fairy, warier’n any black cat on the hearth, an’ bearier than Goldilox in the forest!
(As the Boutenkos would say, Use the Forest!)
And give David Wolfe the SCAREDEST BEAST DAY EVER, All Hallows Eve!
Shiver yer timbers, K & A~~~~~~~
9:52 pm on October 10th, 2009
Great Receipe
2:06 pm on October 12th, 2009
I have a tree nut allergy, so I made this recipe with pumpkin seed milk and no coconut oil… I had to use a whole cup of the milk because my blender isn’t the greatest but it still came out tasting wonderful, if a little soft.
I cut up apples and used the caramel as a dip instead. It was amazing!
11:13 pm on October 14th, 2009
As a Satanist, Halloween is always a special time of year for us. We’ll be going to Dream Reapers (hopefully our nephews won’t chicken out and will come with) and maybe taking them trick or treating…we’ll watch a lot of horror movies too! Yay for Saw 6!
4:04 pm on October 30th, 2009
my 5 year old daughter says:
I am dressing as a unicorn pegasus for halloween
4:04 pm on October 30th, 2009
my 9 year old son says:
I am dressing as a wolverine this year for halloween
1:51 pm on October 31st, 2009
the caramel looks delicious. i cant wait to try it. Thanks for the recipes and healthy living info. It is greatly appreciated.