Halloween

Halloween was not widely observed in America until the 1840's when the potato famine brought thousands of Irish to America. Thus, bringing the customs with them. Now our children have taken over this "holiday" making it an occasion to dress in costumes, carve "jack-o-lanterns" go "trick-or-treating" and share ghost stories. Not many realize that these customs have their own origins in various ancient Halloween festivals.

The jack o lantern is a power house of nutrients, although low in calories, pumpkins are rich in fiber, potassium, riboflavin, vitamin C and vitamin E. Pumkins are also an excellent source of carotenoid pigments such as alpha carotene, beta-carotene and lutein.Carotenoids are thought to protect against chronic diseases such as heart disease and cancer and may help to delay age-related vision loss. Beta-carotene is an antioxidant that is converted into Vitamin A by our bodies. The seeds are an exellent source of iron and protein. They are also high in manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, copper, zinc, and calcium as well as being an excellent source of fibre On November 1st bring in Jack and chop him into squares. Discard the parts that have been burned by the candle or wax dripped on them. Put the pumpkin squares on a baking sheet with the peel side down and bake as you would squash @ 350 for 35 minutes. Serve as a vegetable or scrape the pulp away to use in soups, stews muffins, cakes and of course pie..
For A Pumpkin Head Dinner recipe on my other Recipe Page
click here

Glowing Pumpkins
You don't have to cut all the way through the thick shell to see the light. You can leave a layer about 1/4 inch thick and the light will show through with a stained glass effect. There are plenty of kits available now a days for carving, but it's easy to make your own designs. Let imagination be your guide: for instance, trace around your hands and cut out their shape. You'll have hands glowing in the dark!

How I Remember Halloween

We never thought to much about safety, well not like today For sure you didn't think about getting a razor blade or needle in your apple. We didn't get pre-wrapped candy or chocolate bars. All the mothers made homemade treats, like popcorn balls, candied apples and fudge. There wasn't costumes in the stores, that we knew about anyway. We took soot from the wood cook stove and turned ourselves into Little Black Sambos and there was lots of Little Red Riding Hoods and Aunt Jemimas. After trick or treating we would come home and wrap in blankets and roast potatoes and/or wieners around a huge bonfire.
There were pranks or tricks though as I remember one year the next morning after Halloween at school. ( In lund BC) Our teacher informed us if any of us had to use the bathroom, we would have to go to someone's house that was near the school as someone had flipped our out house over in the night.
One memory that sticks in my mind. Just before bed one Halloween night, my Dad asked "Who fed the chickens tonight?" Someone said "It was Bonnie's turn" ___ "Well you forgot to close the door on the chicken coop and you better do it now." It was about a 10 minute walk to the chicken coop up a pitch black bushy trail and I was scared stiff, but I knew I had to do it. On my way back to the house I saw this big white ghost and could hear it making eerie sounds in the dark of the night and I flew home trembling, telling everyone about it. I was 9. Then the ghost came in the house and it was my Dad under a sheet.

Coffin