My little monsters and I took a trip to Flint recently, where we rode the Ghost Train and did a little trick-or-treating at Crossroads Village. At the end of the trip, we had a little bag full of candy. I quickly sorted through all of it before my little goblin could get his hands on any gluten-containing goodies. I brought my own bag of "safe" candy, which I poured into his little white trick-or-treating bag first. Then, I only added the things I knew for sure were gluten-free: Smarties, fruit snacks, Air Heads. The rest went into another bag for closer inspection.

A lot left me with questions, so I scoured a few lists online when I got home and did a little more research.

Here is the best quick list I found. It was helpful, especially with many of the "mainstream" candy brands. It also has a short list of the "don't eats" that I found helpful.

Here is what we ended up with in our bags (probably a good indicator of what's coming on Saturday):

An apple (gluten-free and casein-free)

Act II Butter Mini Bag (gluten-free)

Smarties (GFCF)

Betty Crocker Halloween Fruit Flavored Snacks (GFCF)

Almond Joy bar (GF)

Hershey Bar (GF)

Butterfinger bar (GF)

Clark bar (GF)

Nestle Crunch bar (NOT GF- Contains barley)

Air Heads strip (GFCF)

Kit Kat bar (NOT GF- Contains wheat)

Caramel squares - no label

Judkin-Adkinson Candies assorted fruit slices (NOT GF as far as I can tell by the ingredients - "modified food starch" and "natural and artificial flavors" makes me nervous)

Mounds bar (GF)

Tootsie Rolls (GF)

Ce De Candy Necklace (GFCF, it is made by Smarties)

In the backup candy bag:
Skittles
Starburst
Enjoy Life chocolate bars
Yummy Earth gummy bears
Yummy Earth organic suckers (Whole Foods has this brand)

Enjoy the Halloween. There are plenty of yummy treats out there that everyone will be goblin!

Tip: Going to a special event or party? Pack some doughnuts (such as Kinnikinnik), especially if you want little ones to feel included.

It's scary how fast Halloween is approaching. Our pumpkins will need to be carved, our costumes put together and, of course, treats will be needed to avoid the proverbial tricks. I need a ghoulish game plan...

Here is what it brewing:

1. Jell-O. It's quick, the kids love it and it's gluten-free, of course! I will make jigglers for school and a fun activity at home. See recipe here.

2. Fun with crispy rice. I use the traditional Rice Krispies recipe, but use Vegan Smart Balance to replace butter, Kraft marshmallows and a gluten-free cereal (Kellogg's is NOT gluten-free). Melt one bag of marshmallows with 4 tablespoons butter and add in cereal. Stir and pour into 9-by-13 pan, smooth with cool spoon (or hands rinsed in cold water) and cool for squares --- or have a little fun. My nieces made some fun "lizards" by shaping the treats into the little reptile and adding Starbursts and Skittles for eyes and spikes. I'm thinking of making them orange (maybe by adding a little pumpkin puree or colored marshmallows) and shaping them into pumpkins.














3. Peeps. Almost always (check ingredients) a gluten-free favorite. Click here for a recipe for a Peeps candy bowl (Note: Mike and Ike are gluten-free, but chocolate Peeps have dairy in them.)

4. Chocolate candy. Check out JoAnne Fabrics for spooky Halloween molds or click here. Melt some Enjoy Life chocolate chips over double burner (add crisco if you want a runnier chocolate) and pour into molds for a quick (and not too difficult) Halloween treat.

5. Stock up. Check out your favorite lists of gluten-free candy online (I'll be providing a few here in my next post) and keep a stash. You can have all gf candy to pass out on the big day. I like to make treat bags for my little one so he can be prepared for parties. I like to have a bag ready for at home. When he's done trick-or-treating, I give him his "own" bag full of gfcf candy. I add a few goodies, such as a Halloween books, crayons and little trinkets so he doesn't miss all that "other" candy.

Ah, fall. My favorite time of year. It's hard not to love it in Michigan, as the leaves put on an amazing display. And the food's not half bad, either.

Over the weekend, I checked out the farmer's market at Greenfield Village. My bag was stuffed with fresh apples, squash, pears and a few heirloom tomatoes (they didn't fare too well this year.) Pumpkins and guards could be found, and Michigan maple goodies lined the tables. It was fun to stroll through the stands in the village, and let my little one ride the carousel. Many markets are only open until the end of the month, so get your fresh farm fare while you can. Click here for a list of local farmers markets.

The stars of the show right now are the winter squash. I am a squash lover, and enjoy cooking acorn squash by cutting in half, scraping out the seeds and filling with diced apple, cinnamon and a pat of butter. I bake the stuffed halves on a cookie sheet for about a half hour. I also enjoy a good butternut squash. It is delicious chopped and boiled in chicken broth, then pureed with a pinch of sage for a creamy fall soup.

But, the farmers had piles of a small (8-10 inches) bowling pin shaped variety they called delicata (they are also called peanut or bohemian squash). The delicata is an heirloom variety and is harvested in late summer and early fall. It is a creamy yellow color with green, vertical stripes. I was pleasantly surprised at the sweet flavor, which had a hint of corn and sweet potato. The skin is edible and they are a good, individual size. A friend of mine got some and put them straight into a campfire to roast!

Another variety I just tried is called buttercup. These squash have a very hard, dark green shell with a deep orange flesh. But the taste lived up to its name. It was buttery and delicious. I baked mine in the oven, but I can also see this one being mashed or pureed. My only mistake was slightly overcooking it, as the hard shell threw me off. This variety should be available all winter long, so give it a shot!

Here is a good filling for oven-roasted squash (I used 3 delicata):

Wild Rice and Mushroom Stuffing
3 cups wild rice cooked in broth (I used Lundberg wild rice blend)
2-3 cups mushrooms (such as shitake, button, portabello), diced
1/2 sweet onion, diced
1 pound lean beef of your choice
1 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon each: salt, pepper, coriander, garlic, mustard powder, marjoram, mace and savory (or Krakow Nights seasoning via Penzys)
1 cup fresh Parmesan cheese (optional)

Season beef with spice mixture. Cut the beef in tiny, bite-sized pieces and stir fry in 2 teaspoons canola oil. Remove beef and stir-fry mushrooms and onion. Add broth and scrape bottom of pan. Add beef, rice and cheese. Combine and scoop into cooked squash. Sprinkle with more cheese if desired. This would also be a delicious vegetarian dish with veggie stock or white wine, and sans the beef.

Tip: when picking a squash, make sure the stem is in tact and not damaged or mushy.

GLUTEN-FREE FAIR AT HILLER'S: Check out gluten-free vendors 11 a.m. -3 p.m. Sunday at the Plymouth Hiller’s: 15455 Haggerty Road (at 5 Mile Road). The grocery store will be full of new, exciting things to try.