Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Happy Belated Halloween!

Okay, for all you nuts out there: Happy Halloween (belated). 




As October dies, I wish this rotten holiday would too. The dressing up can be cute, but the rest stinks. Halloween represents a lot of junk to me: greed, selfishness, and the desire to be someone else.


Little B is five and loves every holiday. So, I get out the few decorations we have and plug in our glittering witch night light and electric pumpkin. Besides an increase in pumpkin themed baked goods, there is little else I do to draw attention to the holiday.


This year in particular I have thought much about my choices and what I do that represents greed, selfishness and the desire to be someone else other than what God created me to be. What am I doing that my daughter sees?


A few days ago little B requested a cinnamon pop-tart for breakfast. My heart sunk. I pulled the box out and looked at the ingredients. No milk. No eggs.


Argh.


Me: Mommy would rather you choose something different. There are some things in here that I don't think are good for our bodies.


Little B: What mommy? Tell me about the bad stuff.


Me: A lot of the things I can't read, the words are too hard. Ew, there is gelatin, too. Do you know what gelatin is made from?


Little B: What Mommy?


Me: It's pretty gross, are you sure you want to know? (Her head nods in agreement, so I continue with trepidation). Gelatin is ground up animal bones.


Loooooooong thoughtful pause.


Little B: I am not eating that pop-tart.


Now, I went on to tell her about how those things are devoid of any nutritional value as well. And that we have to examine what we eat very closely. God gave us one body, one life, and we need to honor him by the way we take of ourselves and others.


I felt very nutritionally righteous after this conversation, so I had to bring myself back down by making something to remind me that junkfood can be vegan, too. 


Chocolate Swirl Cupcakes


Mix together:
     1.5c. whole wheat flour
     1c. sugar
     .25c. cocoa
     1t. baking soda


In a seperate bowl, mix:
     1c. unflavored/unsweetened almond milk
     .33c. canola oil
      1T. apple cider vinegar
     1t. vanilla


Combine the wet and dry ingredients. Use about half the batter to fill the bottom of 12 cupcakes.


Then combine:
     .5c. vegan cream cheese
     .25c. sugar
     .25c. vegan chocolate chips
     1t. vanilla
     2T. flour


Drop a spoonful of the chocolate chip/cream cheese mixture on top of the batter in the tin.  Cover with the remainder of chocolate batter. Swirl with a knife.  Bake for 23 minutes in a 350* oven.  Dust with powdered sugar.


Eat one.


Then go eat another one in a dark closet.  You don't want your kid to be a glutton, do you? 

2 comments:

  1. I agree about the "down with Halloween" comments. We don't celebrate it with Emma since she's so little we can get away with her not asking about trick or treat! At least one more year i'm guessing:)

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  2. I'm afraid she's going to end up with a complex - in a few years you'll find her huddled in a dark closet eating ground animal bones.

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