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It’s the time of year when kids (and adults) begin over-indulging on sweet treats. The holidays, starting with Halloween and going through New Year’s, are prime times to eat candy, cookies and other empty calories. How can you reduce your children’s (and your) sugar consumption without becoming a monster? Here are some tips and recipes so that everyone has a sweet Halloween without going into sugar overload.
Halloween Trick or Treating
Create a trick or treating game plan that has limits. By setting a limit for the amount of time or the area that your child can trick or treat, you are limiting his or her “haul” of goodies. Your child is unlikely to notice that you are setting limits strictly to reduce candy intake, but will just be overjoyed about trick or treating in general. Also, by setting to limits and having your child agree before you set out on your escapades, you are less likely to experience resistance when you stick to your limits.
Ensure your child takes only one treat at each home. Many families will give out more than one piece of candy. In this case, you are flirting with disaster—because your child may double or triple his booty of candy. Tell your child that one piece is sufficient. This way, your child also learns moderation. Likewise, buy less candy per year and hand out only one treat per child to set a good example.
Make sure your child has a healthy snack before going out to collect candy. Feed kids a light lunch or afternoon snack of healthy protein, produce and whole grains and he or she will be full enough to avoid snacking on candy while trick or treating. If your child becomes hungry on the way, either head back home for a healthy snack, or bring a healthy snack to eat on the road.
After Halloween
Set limits for how many pieces of candy your child can eat per day. Two to three pieces of Halloween candy is enough to satisfy most kids without adding too many calories, and is a good pace for getting rid of Halloween candy by Thanksgiving.
Create an expiration date for candy. By limiting how long candy is in your home, you can control how much your child eats, as well. My rule of thumb is Thanksgiving. By then, most children will have consumed the candy they like the best, and are down to the dregs. This way, you also avoid doubling up on treats. For example, your child will not be eating Halloween candy with pumpkin pie, chocolate Hannukah gelt or candy canes.
Keep the candy out of sight. By keeping the candy in a closet, you force a situation whereby your child must ask for it. Out of sight is often out of mind, and you may find that your child forgets about the candy one or two days.
Buy candy back. If your child has received an unusually large haul of candy, consider buying it back at the same price it would take to buy the candy from the store in the first place. This way, your child can save to money to buy games, stickers, novelty clothing or video games.
Make healthy alternatives fun and delicious. Create tasty healthy snacks like popcorn trail mix, which is chock full of vitamins and fiber, with a sweet kick. Or give regular foods Halloween-type names to make them fun and interesting. For example, to encourage your child to eat whole-grain spaghetti, call it “blood and guts” or something seasonally creepy.
Mix candy in with healthy foods. For example, melt caramels or chocolate candies and serve as a topping for strawberries and apples. Or make the banana “ice cream” and serve a scoop with one fun-sized candy bar.
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Laura Frankel is the executive chef of Wolfgang Puck’s restaurant in the (Jewish) Spertus Museum in Chicago. She was the founder and co-owner of Shallots, recognized as one of the top restaurants in Chicago and one of the best kosher restaurants in the United States. After working in hotel and restaurant kitchens, Frankel had a family and began maintaining a kosher home kitchen. Unable to find a restaurant venue for quality kosher cooking, she opened Shallots in 1999, a restaurant offering kosher fine dining with a produce-driven menu. She has appeared on the CBS Weekend Morning Show, and in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and the Chicago Tribune. She has taught cooking classes in Chicago, New York, Milwaukee, and in multiple places in California and New Jersey. Her website is www.lauraskosher.com.
1.Place the short ribs in a large stockpot filled with water and bring to a boil. Boil the short ribs for 5 minutes and drain. (This helps remove the fat).
2.Pat dry the ribs thoroughly. Season the ribs with salt and pepper.
3.Combine the dried thyme, rosemary, porcini dust and flour in a bowl.
4.Place a large sauté pan over medium heat. Lightly coat the bottom of the pan with olive oil. Dredge the ribs in the porcini mixture. Brown the ribs in batches until the ribs are browned on all sides. Transfer the ribs to the insert for the slow cooker.
5.Pour off the excess fat from the pan. You only need a small amount of fat. Brown the vegetables in batches making sure to season each batch with salt and pepper. Add the garlic to the last batch of vegetables and continue cooking for several minutes. Do not over brown the garlic.
6.Transfer the browned vegetables to the insert for the slow cooker. Add the wine to the pan with the tomato paste. Stir together to break up the tomato paste and deglaze the pan. Be sure to gather the browned bits by gently scraping the pan with a spatula or spoon.
7.Transfer the wine to the insert for the slow cooker. Add the chicken stock and bouquet garni. Cover and cook on LOW for 10 hours.
8.Remove the short ribs from the insert and set aside. Separate the vegetables and bouquet garni. Discard the vegetables. Pour the braising liquid into a saucepan. Skim the fat off the liquid and reduce over high heat by ½ or until the liquid is thick and coats the back of a spoon. Place the ribs on a platter and pour the sauce over the ribs.
9.Serve with creamy grits (see recipe, page) or smashed white beans with roasted garlic.
Cindy Mushet has been a professional pastry chef and baking teacher for over twenty years. Her recipes have appeared in publications across the country, including Bon Appétit, Fine Cooking, Country Home, the National Culinary Review, and the New York Times. Inspired by her daughter, Bella, Cindy has taught baking to many children, both in school classrooms and in summer baking camps. A fun and engaging teacher, Cindy has also taught thousands of adults nationwide. She lives in Los Angeles. We will be discussing recipes from her new cookbook, Baking Kids Love that she wrote along with Sur La Table. The cookbook is full of kid-inspired recipes such as PB& J Muffins, Brownie S’mores Bars, and Gotchya Focaccia that will fill tummies and warm hearts, while providing a fun and tasty way for families to reconnect in the kitchen.
Deana Gunn and Wona Miniati are the authors of “Cooking with All Things Trader Joe’s,” the independent, self-published cookbook for Trader Joe’s fans which has sold over 100,000 copies to date. Their recipes use those unique TJ products to create tasty and healthy meals in minutes, using prepped ingredients and clever shortcuts. Cooking easy meals at home is more relevant than ever, as people have less time to cook and less money to spend. Trader Joe’s is still the place for great gourmet bargains and their cookbook shows you how to use them! Entertaining on a Budget (and in style!), Family meals under $10, Fancy 3-course meal for two under $20…Deana Gunn stops by The Recipe Box to share some tips and favorite recipes with you. As an added bonus, Jonni McCoy of MiserlyMoms.com will join us. Jonni is the author of the best-seller, Miserly Moms-Living Well on Less in a Tough Economy, and her cookbook, Healthy Meals for Less, was released in September of 2009. She is one of the leading experts on shopping and frugal living. You don’t want to miss what she has to say!
One ~16 oz challah loaf (brioche loaf is also ok)
2 cups whole milk
4 eggs
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp vanilla extract
¼ cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp Turbinado sugar for sprinkling on top
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2) Oil or butter a 9×13-inch glass baking pan (use an 8×8 pan if using a smaller loaf).
3) Tear the loaf into bite sized pieces and place in pan.
4) Whisk together the milk, eggs, cinnamon, vanilla, and brown sugar. Pour mixture over the top of the bread.
5) Wait a few minutes to let the liquid soak into the bread, gently tossing bread around a little to soak evenly. Sprinkle the top with a little Turbinado sugar.
6) Bake in oven for 35-40 minutes, uncovered. The Bake will puff up once done.
Servings: about 9 pieces (4-6 hungry people)
Deana Gunn
www.cookingwithtraderjoes.com
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