Written by Barbara J. Mathison
In celebrating the Halloween season, I love to have fun with healthy snacks and desserts. Here are two of my favorites.
Gooey Eye of Newt
1 cup pitted dates (medjool, about 14)
1/2 cup raw almond butter (a little peanut butter if not enough almond butter on hand)
2 Tbls Natural cocoa powder
3 Tbls ground chia seeds
Add all ingredients to a food processor and blend until very well combined.
Remove mixture from food processor and form into balls or mold into spiders, worms, or whatever creepy creature is desired. Can be decorated with nuts, seeds, or dried fruit.
For the eyes, I used natural, no sugar added rice puffs. Another option is a cooked pearl couscous.
For a more adult treat, roll balls in cocoa powder, ground raw almonds or unsweetened shredded coconut.
Raw sunflower seed butter may be substituted for almond butter.
Source: Adapted from a recipe by Joel Fuhrman, MD.
Pumpkin Ice Cream Inside a Carved Orange
35 minutes with ice cream maker or 1 1/2 to 2 hours in freezer in shallow pan to reach desired consistency.
Instead of making a traditional pumpkin pie, just make a batch of this ice cream, smooth it into a pre-baked graham cracker or nut crust, and freeze until firm enough to slice. Perfect to make ahead of time, too!
Pumpkin is low in saturated fat, and very low in cholesterol and sodium. It is also a good source of Vitamin E (alpha tocopherol), Thiamin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Foliate, Iron, Magnesium, and Phosphorus, and a very good source of dietary fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Riboflavin, Potassium, Copper, and Manganese.
Coconut milk is very low in cholesterol and sodium. It is also a good source of Manganese. Also, coconut milk is high in saturated fat — eat sparingly.
1 15-oz Pumpkin puree
1 15-oz coconut milk
1/2 cup brown sugar (packed)
2 Tbsp Bourbon (optional)
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp cloves
1/8 tsp white pepper
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
Blend all ingredients in blender or mix together in a big bowl until smooth and homogeneous. Chill if not already cold and process in ice cream machine. Without ice cream maker, transfer into an air-tight container and freeze until solid before serving.
Servings: 8
Yield: 1 quart
Orange Jack-O-Lantern instructions:
Use oranges that have a flat bottom so they can stand upright.
Slice off the top quarter or so of each orange and reserve for lid. Using a grapefruit spoon or paring knife, scoop or cut out interior of oranges. Reserve flesh for another use, such as fresh orange juice.
Save the top.
Carve a face or some other Halloween image on the orange. Use a small knife like a paring knife.
You can decorate the lid with a cinnamon stick. Break a cinnamon stick in half. Poke a hole in the top of the orange lid with knife, poke cinnamon stick through the whole.
Stuff the oranges with your ice cream (after it has frozen enough to not run through the cut-outs). Put the top on and place back in the freezer until almost time to serve. Serve within a few minutes from taking out of the freezer before the ice cream melts.
When ice cream has been eaten, place a small candle votive inside and light. It makes a fun table decoration while having after-dinner conversation, games, etc.
For more ideas on carving your orange, go to Google Images and search “orange jack-o-lanterns.” Lots of fun!
Barbara J. Mathison changed her life and body when she became vegan at age 63, losing weight and gaining health. She now dedicates her life to her company, Nutritious Way, and spreading the word about the incredible benefits of the whole food plant-based lifestyle. 
