We carve our pumpkins on Halloween day. They are fresh and ready for lighting during trick-or-treating and it's a fun holiday custom. This year, I'm saving the seeds for a delicious gluten-free snack.

Pumpkin seeds have a nutty flavor. They satisfy salty and crunchy cravings and are a good energy-packed snack to munch on while you're on the go. Experiment with flavors for a variety. Try Cajun seasoning on your seeds, or cinnamon and sugar.

Pumpkin seeds are a nutritious snack, packed with minerals and an excellent lean source of protein, as well as beneficial polyunsaturated fats that nuts don't have. The seeds contain iron, magnesium, phosphorus and zinc. For more on pumpkin seed nutrition (without salt), click here.

How to Roast Pumpkin Seeds

1. Scoop seeds and pulp from a medium to large pumpkin and separate into a large colander. Rinse under cold water, picking out additional pulp and strings.

2. Place the pumpkin seeds in a single layer on a baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil and roll seeds around pan with hands to coat. You can also spray with Pam (non baking is gluten-free).

3. Sprinkle with salt or desired spices and bake at 325 F until toasted, about 25 minutes, checking and stirring after 10 minutes.

4. Let cool and store in an air-tight container or large plastic bag.

It was a Sunday afternoon and we anticipated a long day. The kids were dressed in their finest Halloween garb and were anticipating a ghoulish adventure at Huckleberry Railroad in Flint. I packed a few treats (such as Enjoy Life chocolate bars, Glutino pretzels and gummies) I knew were safe, some Celiac Specialties doughnuts and we were off.

The sun was shining and the kids were in high spirits as we joined other little monsters gathered at the Genessee County park for the event. They started off sluggishly holding our hands and dragging their feet but after merely moments, they perked right up.

A lineup of 20 trick-or-treat stations did to them what 2-3 cups of coffee do to me the morning after working the afternoon shift at the paper. Add a 40-minute train ride and my little ones were pretty scary themselves. All the Starburst candies, Skittles and Smarties (all passed out at the event!) had my picky eater living up to the name of his alter ego of the day, "Buzz" Lightyear.

A dose of "real" food was needed so that he would come down from outer space in time for bed. Good thing we planned ahead.

Grandma and grandpa came armed with a pot of potatoes, carrots, green beans and tomatoes around 11 a.m. We dumped it in a large slow cooker, added some broth and plugged our brew in. When we got home around 5:30with a car full of ghoulish and hungry trick-or-treaters, it was bubbly and delicious and just what we all needed for goblin after an afternoon of outdoor fun.

I grabbed some slices of bread from the Breadsmith* to serve with the feast. It was a hearty meal we all were looking forward to after our jaunt through the many candy stops, hay maze and train trip of the day. And a few of us even ate a few more bites of candy afterward ;)

Happy Halloween!

Witches' Stew
1-2 pounds lean beef (grandma used sirloin), cubed
1 can diced tomatoes
4-5 whole carrots, cut into large chunks at an angle
1 pound small russet or white skin potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 pound green beans
2 stalks celery
Olive oil
1 box beef stock (such as Kitchen Basics)
Dried spices to taste (we used Penzeys Beef Roast Seasonings), such as paprika, garlic, savory, basil, thyme, salt
2 teaspoons pepper
2 bay leaves

Brown beef in about 1 teaspoon olive oil for about 5 minutes. Transfer into large stock pot or slow cooker. Add can of tomatoes to pan and scrape bottom to get all the beef drippings up. Pour tomatoes and scrapings into pot. Add remaining ingredients and season. If cooking in large stock pot: Bring to boil, then reduce heat to simmer and cook at least 1 hour or until beef and vegetables are tender. If cooking in slow cooker: Turn to medium setting and cook 4-6 hours. Serve with bread or rolls of your choice.

* We recently received a loaf of gluten-free sandwich bread from the Breadsmith in Bloomfield Hills. The owner told us the bakery takes every precaution to assure there is no cross contamination. The bread is baked in the morning before any other bread is prepared and is tested for gluten contamination, packaged and stored separately. We have had no problems with the bread and I anticipate receiving more information about the Breadsmith's gluten-free breadmaking practices. It was soft and tasted like homemade bread I would have made in my own oven. I will post updates when they come to me!

Halloween is almost here and I'm pretty confident I can keep my picky eater from turning into a little monster as the night of receiving treats approaches. Some tricks I learned to keep up my sleeve throughout the years:

1. I like to pack a "safe" candy bag and keep it at home. He still will go trick-or-treating, but when he came home, I can reward him for taking part in the very social and stimulating (especially for those little ones with autism) practice by giving him his goodie bag of his very own. I have even added some dollar-store toys to his bag in the past to make it extra special.

2. I have in the past only passed out gf candy, such as Tootsie Rolls and M&Ms. That way I can keep the leftovers. I also keep plenty of gfcf candy on hand, such as Skittles, Mike and Ikes and Laffy Taffy.

3. We have stuck to non-candy treats. We have passed out glow-sticks, raisins and fruit snacks.

4. We have pretty much steered clear of candy corn. Gluten hides inside its "modified food starch." Some people say Brach's brand is gluten-free, but I have yet to hear from the company on a definite answer, so I'm not going to risk it. Jelly Belly brand definitely is, but I haven't seen that kind in stores. Click here to order online.

5. I keep up on doughnuts. We may not need them during trick-or-treating, but many holiday events include the glutenous treat. I like Celiac Specialties the best, but Kinnikinnick also has some tasty offerings and can be found at Hillers, Kroger and Westborn stores.

6. We have had lots of fun making some spooky treats, such as Kraft marshmallows dipped in melted gfcf chocolate chips. I've put a stick in each marshmallow and let my picky eater do the dipping. I also have made chocolate-covered gf pretzels and pumpkin-flavored pancakes -- just add a spoonful or two of pure pumpkin puree to your favorite pancake mix and shape them into little pumpkins in the pan. Add a few chocolate chips for eyes for a special touch.

7. Apples are gluten-free. They may not be as fun as brightly-colored candy, but even my gluten-eating monster was spotted chomping on a yellow delicious treat before touching his candy bag!

8. I know to do my homework. Well, I'm learning. There are lots of lists out there, but I have found out the hard way on more than a few occasions to always read labels. If in doubt AT ALL contact the company. Sometimes they reply with "we can't guarantee..." or "it is gluten-free, but is made in a facility that also produces..." A list is good as a starting point, but think about it before goblin that candy. Our picky eater munched on a candy necklace last year that made him mighty loopy. I was reminded of it this year again when I made the same mistake and didn't double check the label. Within minutes he wanted to lay down :(

Here are a few lists that may come in handy as starting points:
NFCA gluten-free candy list (updated October 2010)
Celiac.com's list (updated Oct. 11, 2010)

Hopefully, it will be more treats than tricks this year!

One cool way to get kids to eat fruit is actually through a straw. Blend frozen berries, banana slices or fresh peaches with some creamy yogurt or coconut milk and you will see the little ones slurping up some delicious, healthful drinks that are full of vitamins that can contribute to a healthy immune system going into flu season.

Eating fruits and vegetables high in vitamin C instead of vitamins help to keep immune system stronger because they also contain vitamins A and E, as well as the flavonoids that work along side vitamin C to keep your immune system and your whole body healthy. Citrus fruits, such as pineapple, mangoes and oranges pack the most punch. They also add a strong flavor to the more bland fruits, such as berries, bananas and apples.

So, pull out the blender or food processor and grab some bendy straws the next time you're at the store. It's a good time to drink a smoothie, both for your health and for the fun of it!

Tropical Treat (casein-free)
1 banana
1/2 cup frozen pineapple chunks
Up to 1/2 cup coconut milk

Blend fruit and add coconut milk a little at a time until desired thickness. Makes one serving (photo above)

Purple Slurple
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1/2 cup frozen mango chunks
1/2 cup vanilla yogurt (I like Stoneyfield's fat free French Vanilla)
Milk

Blend fruit with yogurt and add milk a little at a time until desired thickness.

Orange Dream (casein-free)
1/2 cup frozen mango chunks
1 cup Purely Decadent Vanilla Bean ice cream (made with coconut milk)
Very Vanilla Silk (cold)

Blend ice cream with mangoes, adding a little milk at a time until desired thickness.

While some are saying the recession is over, it is easy to see that most of us are still struggling. Many still need jobs, housing prices are below what most people have paid for them and things may look a little better in some places --- but are still very bleak here in Michigan. Add on gluten-free diets and the price tag on most gluten-free novelties and those with celiac are well aware of the need to buckle down and live frugally.

On that note, I got a tip about this website with excellent coupons, one of which is for free gluten-free bread from Uli's.

Here is a blog with a few recipes worth revisiting. For those with special diets, tough economic times or not, it is always time to think of the best and most frugal recipes to serve our families. These two fit the bill.

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Whenever I am having trouble taking care of my picky eaters and it seems a little too impossible, I think of two women: my grandmothers. Both are women that grew up in the Depression era and raised large families as stay-at-home mothers. They got dinner on the table and fed 12 children in total. When I think of all they accomplished, my feat seems less challenging and I am inspired to bring the best I have to my boys' little plates.

So, in these troubled economic times I take a cue from my grandmothers, who are no longer here. Fortunately, their recipes and memories remain. And two of my all-time favorite recipes from these women just happen to be gluten-free.

All seven of my Grandmother Mary's children enjoyed this recipe:

Mary's Porcupine Meatballs
2 pounds lean ground beef
1 cup rice
spices to taste
3 cans (15 ounces) tomato sauce (or 1 box of Garden Tomato soup by Imagine)

Mix beef and rice in large bowl, using your hands. Season and roll into 1/2 inch balls. Place in slow cooker or stock pot. Add tomato sauce and simmer 1 hour, or slow cook for up to 5 hours. When rice cooks, it will stick out of the meatball and resemble a porcupine.

This recipe was made with onion soup mix, which I am happy to report is gluten free. Lipton, like Kraft, will list any allergens on the package. So far, I haven't seen any gluten-containing ingredients listed. But always make sure to check the ingredients because you never know when a company will change them. Anyway, this is a hit in our family because it is crispy and buttery and delicious:

Elaine's Rice Crispy Chicken
2 chicken breasts (4 pieces)
4 cups gluten free rice crispy cereal (Erewhon, Nature's Path, Enviro Kids -- KELLOGG'S IS NOT GLUTEN FREE)
1 cup butter or buttery spread, melted
1 packet Lipton Onion Soup Mix

Place rice crispies and soup mix in large plastic bag and seal. Crush crispies slightly. Dip chicken in butter, then shake coating onto each piece of chicken inside bag. Place in 9x13 pan, lined with foil, and bake at 375 F for 35-40 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.

Cold winds and runny noses are keeping us indoors a little more than I am comfortable with, but it's a good time to turn the oven back on. I had some zucchini on hand and shredded it for some loaves of zucchini bread when I realized quickly that I had a little too much on hand for just a few breadpanfuls. So, I looked ahead to dinner.

I had a small pile of canned tomatoes I bought on sale at Hiller's the day before, and ground beef from the meat counter at Kroger on Coolidge (the very friendly employee I talked to also had celiac in her family and was sensitive to gluten, by the way!), so I already had a meal plan in the works.

I was planning to make stuffed peppers, which I generally just wing, when I had another thought. Why not add the pile of zucchini leftover and dice some of the green pepper into the "filling" for a one-pot unstuffed recipe? The results were delicious. I topped mine with some Parmesan and my non-dairy eater's with Vegan Gourmet Mozzarella (found at Whole Foods). It made many, many servings. I plan to freeze the leftovers and stuff an acorn squash or two in the future.

Unstuffed Zucchini
1 pound ground beef (I used Laura's Lean)
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 sweet onion, diced 2 medium zucchini, shredded 1 small green pepper, diced 1 can diced tomatoes 1 can tomato sauce 2 1/2 cups cooked rice
Generous amounts of each: Dried oregano, bail, marjoram, thyme and cracked rosemary (Penzey's Italian Herb Mix) Salt and pepper, to taste
Parmesan or mozzarella if desired

Cook rice. Meanwhile, in large skillet, saute green peppers and onion in olive oil for 5 minutes. Add beef and fully cook and drain. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, zucchini and spices. Simmer for 10 minutes then add rice. Simmer another 10 minutes or until rice absorbs all the sauce. Serve with cheese if desired.



And in case you missed it the first time...

Gluten-free Zucchini Pineapple Bread
1 cup gf flour mix (I used Bob's Red Mill)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 egg
2/3 cup sugar or other sweetener to taste
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup crushed pineapple, well drained
1 1/2 cup grated zucchini

Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray loaf pan with cooking spray.
Combine dry ingredients (first seven) in medium-sized mixing bowl. Place egg, sugar, vanilla and pineapple in stand-up mixer. Mix on medium speed a few minutes or until smooth. Add zucchini and then dry mixture and incorporate. Batter will be runny.
Pour into prepared pan and bake 45 minutes or until knife inserted into center comes out clean.


For sale prices at Hiller's, or to request a specific gluten-free item, check out their website here.