Trick or Treat? Sounds like I lose either way.

After an extended hiatus I am back to the blogging.

Summer was a whirlwind of activity and the first month of school was a blur. All of the sudden, I realized I was getting bombarded with Halloween costumes and Thanksgiving invites. Welcome to fall.

With my daughter in kindergarten this year I have taken on the role of room parent for her class and now find myself staring down the barrel of a halloween party. Cupcakes and cookies smeared high with icing, cups of brightly colored drinks, and piles of candy: this is not going to work for me.

But, I'd hate to start of the first party of the year as "mommy killjoy" as my friends (with no kids) have nicknamed me. Thus begins the inspiration.....

How do you appease the frothing mouthes of the five year olds while avoiding the brightly colored faux food of the past?

1. Witches Broomsticks: Insert a pretzel rod into a piece of cheddar cheese. You can use precut cubes or cut thick slices off a large block. Simple and clean, courtesy of my mom.

2. Gingersnap cookies and Pumpkin Dip: Okay there is sugar in here but no artificial colors and pumpkin has nutritional value.

Pumpkin Dip

(Vitamin A, Fiber, Vitamin C, Iron and minimal sugar)

1 package of cream cheese, softened

1 can of pumpkin

Fall spices to taste (nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, etc)

Maple syrup to taste

Mix together until creamy.

If you aren't going to bake your own cookies I really like Trader Joe's Triple Ginger Snap.

3. Greek yogurt and Apple Slices: As is, delicious. Or you could get fancy and stir a little bit or honey and cinnamon into the yogurt to bring in the fall flavors.

4. Blood Red Hibiscus Tea: Kids love bright colors? No problem. Steep dried hibiscus flowers into a fabulous berry flavored brew. Delicious hot or cold. Amazing with fresh oranges floating on top. Add honey if it seems too tart.

So there you have it. A small reprieve from the horrors of the Halloween Sugarfest.

Herbs 101

In our house, there is a wall unit devoted entirely to loose herbs, about 50 different herbs all in all. I use them pretty much everyday. I can't possibly cover all that they do in one blog but I'll start with the basics.

If you want to get into using herbs for healing with your family I recommend buying just a couple basic herbs and launching off from there. I buy all my herbs from Mountain Rose Herbs. They have great prices and amazing quality.

If you are just getting started here is what I recommend:

• chamomile: gas, colic, indigestion, anxiety, insomnia
• catnip: restlessness, anxiety, insomnia, stomach upset
• mint: any stomach issue
• elder flower: fever, colds, flu, excess heat
• lemon balm: anxiety, stomach issues, headaches
• hibiscus flowers: makes tea taste good and is red and pretty
• slippery elm or licorice root: sore throats, coughs

Making tea is one of my daughter's favorite "adult" things to do. Start saving all your glass jars (pickles, salsa, jelly, etc). You are going to need a lot! Get a big mixing bowl and a scoop. Scoop equal parts of different herbs into the bowl and mix them together. Pour the mix into a new jar and label it.

Why do I really love making my own tea?

1. My daughter practices measuring, stirring, pouring and labeling and she thinks its all great fun.
2. I am teaching her knowledge of medicinal plants.
3. When she doesn't "feel good" she asks to make a cup of tea and it always helps.
4. It's so much cheaper than buying prepackaged tea.
5. Hand blended tea makes great gifts.

Making tea blends:

Now you have all your herbs in the jars and ready to go. Here are some of my blends or experiments with your own. I added some extra herbs in green if you decide to go all out.

Nighty Night: Catnip, Chamomile, Lemon Balm, rose, lavender, passion flower

Tummy Soother: Mint, chamomile, lemon balm, catnip, fennel/anise for gas, blackberry leaves for diarrhea, cinnamon for diarrhea

Rise the Sun Tea: (as named by Zoe and I don't know why) 2 parts Hibiscus flower, 1 part mint-- drink iced instead of juice

Stuffy Head: mint, lemon balm, elder flower, thyme, eucalyptus, sage, rosemary, echinacea

Sore Throat: slippery elm, licorice, mint, sage, eucalyptus, thyme, echinacea

Having herbs readily available is such a relief to me when I know my child is suffering and I don't want to give her over the counter medicine. If you want to rely on herbs for most of your "I don't feel good" moments I recommend adding the following books to your library:

• Anything by Dr James Duke, especially The Green Pharmacy
• Naturally Healthy Babies and Children by Aviva Jill Romm
• Smart Medicine for a Healthier Child by Janet Zand

If you read the post on leftover smoothies and you are wondering the answer to what else I put in my popsicle tray, it's leftover tea. Trust me, when your child has a fever or sore throat, an ice cold licorice root and mint popsicle will REALLY help. Just be sure to sweeten it with raw honey.

RAW HONEY? Okay, we will tackle that another time.