Happy Halloween! I’m not much into Halloween – big surprise. One time a dentist told me that the best thing for kids is to let them gorge themselves on Halloween candy all Halloween night, as much as they want, and then donate it the next day. I tried it a couple of times and it was great. My daughter’s orthodontist buys Halloween candy off of kids starting the day after Halloween. Kids can donate their candy to the troops, and get fake bills in exchange, which they can trade for gift cards and other prizes.
As a last resort, I do let the kids keep their candy in the kitchen and have a piece in their lunch and another piece after dinner for dessert. But as long as they have candy, they cannot have whatever dessert I make from myself and my husband. I remind them when I’m serving dessert, “You have Halloween candy,” and that’s what they get. A few weeks after Halloween, I make a couple of irresistible desserts or someone’s favorite and they toss the rest of their candy voluntarily. Let me know what other tips you have for parents, because letting kids graze on candy until Christmas is not a good solution.
For two weeks in October my mother-in-law had more green beans coming in than she knew what to do with, so I had beans and more beans. These beans had a fibrous string down each side, so I snapped the top off, pulled the string off down one side, snapped the bottom off and pulled the string off the other side (shown in photo).
I’ve never been excited about green beans other than for their protein content, but scientific findings show nutritional benefits, particularly their inflammation-fighting properties.[1] They are high in antioxidants and carotenoids even though they don’t have a bright orange or red color; you don’t see it because of the high concentration of chlorophyll. They’re particularly beneficial for providing silicon.[2] This mineral is very important for bone health and for healthy formation of connective tissue.
This is a recipe from Tony’s favorite Good and Cheap.[3] The red pepper flakes make it hot, so add a tiny bit at a time. You can’t take it out after you add too much for your family’s taste buds. And I honestly just realized I should have done something with pumpkin today. We’ll have some belated pumpkins seeds later to make up for it!
Spicy Green Beans
1 t avocado oil
1/2 lb + green beans trimmed and chopped
2 crushed cloves garlic
1 t soy sauce
1 t red pepper flakes
1 t lemon juice
Heat oil on medium heat and add beans. Let them cook while you whisk the remaining ingredients. Add 1/4 cup water to the beans and cook another couple of minutes until the water is almost gone. Pour in the sauce and toss gently to coat. Cook another few minutes until you can easily poke them with a fork – about 5 minutes. Taste and add more red pepper, soy, or chili sauce if you want them hotter.
[1] “Antioxidant and Anti-inflammatory Activities of Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) Hulls,” BD Oomah, A Corb, P Balasubramanian, Journal of Agricultural Food Chemistry, 58 (14), pp 8225-8230, 2010.
[2] “The comparative absorption of silicon from different foods and food supplements,” S Sripanyakorn, R Jugdaohsingh, W Dissayabutr, et al, The British Journal of Nutrition. 102:6; pg. 825-834. Sept, 2009.
[3] Good and Cheap, Eat Well on $4 per Day, by Leanne Brown. http://www.leannebrown.com/buy/good-and-cheap
