Happy Halloween!

Today's Assignment

Kick Back and Enjoy the greastest candy holiday of the year.

10 Things to Do with All that Halloween Candy

The best thing about Halloween for most kids can be summed up in one word: candy.
Every family has its own methods of getting through the post-Halloween mounds of joy. Some let their kids gorge themselves for a day or two. Others dole it out a little at a time. Some parents even ban the candy bars altogether. For some nutritionists (and dentists!), Halloween candy is downright scary. Whatever candy camp your family falls in –– there’s more to do with candy than eat it. Check out these ideas of what to do with leftovers:

1. Recycle it. Practice instant recycling. Screen the candy your kids bring home. After throwing away any unwrapped goodies, take out any candy your children don’t like or you don’t want them to have and then send that candy back out the door with other trick-or-treaters.

2. Freeze it. Put the chocolate bars right in the freezer to save them for later. Frozen chocolate takes longer to eat, so children can’t wolf it down so quickly.

3. Bake it. You don’t have to freeze the candy to keep it fresh. Kept in an airtight container, it will last long after Halloween. Later, you can bake surprise cupcakes. Push a soft candy into the middle of the batter in each cup before baking. Decorate the icing with more candies. You can also substitute bits of chocolate bars in your favorite chocolate-chip cookie recipe.

4. Melt it. Save chocolate to bring a taste of summer into your home long after you’ve put away the sunscreen. Melt chocolate for s’mores any time of year. Place a chocolate bar and a marshmallow between two graham crackers on top of a paper towel. Microwave for about 20 seconds.

5. Stuff it. Gather the leftover goodies and stuff them into a (homemade or store-bought) piñata. Crack the piñata open at Thanksgiving or wait until your child’s birthday.

6. Create it. Professional artists create sculptures from candy, why not kids? Make mosaics with hard candy. Cover sturdy cardboard with wax paper, aluminum foil or paper. Then instead of tiles, use candy to create a design and “grout” it with stiff icing. To make sculptures, stick soft candy, apples and marshmallows together with toothpicks.

7. House it. After Halloween, kids can’t wait for Christmas. Save Halloween candy for gingerbread houses.

8. Wear it. Make a candy necklace. You’ll need an assortment of lollipops and colorful candies with twist-wrap ends to make this idea from the National Confectioners Association. Cut a 14-inch strand of thin twine or fabric ribbon. Tie one end of a wrapper of candy or lollipop stick tightly to one end of ribbon or twine (leave about two inches of ribbon free for tying at the end). Attach candy by knotting the ribbon around the wrapper ends or lollipop sticks until the necklace is complete. Leave two inches at the end. Tie the ends together and wear the latest in edible jewelry!

9. Decorate it.Create Christmas ornaments from candy. To make a train, take a long pack of gum and glue on round candy for wheels, a square piece for a smokestack, and something round for the bell on top. Attach a loop of gold thread or ribbon for hanging. Look at simple geometric illustrations (such as are in coloring books) for other ideas. Coat your ornament with an acrylic sealer so it won’t deteriorate and you don’t draw bugs.

10. Share it. Take your leftover candy to the office. Even if your co-workers who are parents are sick of the stuff, chances are your younger colleagues will relish childhood memories as they reach for another Mary Jane or Butterfinger.

Or better yet, fill a coffee can with candy and bring it to your local nursing home, homeless shelter or a charity for the staff to enjoy. Add a note that says, “Thanks for all the good work you do.”

Writer and mother Kathryn McKay is the author of Around Washington, DC, with Kids, a Fodor’s Guide.

Caught up in the financial panic?

Today's Assignment

Plan to attend the FREE Financial Fest in phoenix on Saturday Nov. 1

Learn how to maximize the return on your money. There will be hourly seminars and 50 exhibitors to visit.

Where? Phoenix Convention Center 100 N. Third St
602-262-6225 www.phoenixconventioncenter.com

Keep Abreast of the Situation

Today's Assignment

Learn what you can do to prevent breast cancer

October is breast awareness month so BE AWARE!!!! Here are a few simple lifestyle changes to help you :

1. Limit alcohol
2. Maintain healthy weight
3. Stay physically active
4.Consider limiting fat in your diet
5. Talk to your doctor about discontinuing long term hormone therapy
6. Avoid unnecessary antibiotic use ( NO SELF MEDICATING!!!!)
7. Avoid pesticide exposure
8. Consider adding a flaxseed and retinol regimen to your daily routine

In addition to lifestyle changes, be vigilant about early detection of breast cancer. Start having yearly mammograms at age 40. If you notice any breast changes, such as a new lump or skin changes, make an appointment to see your doctor for evaluation.

Nothing you do can guarantee your life will be cancer-free. But if you practice healthy habits and consult your doctor about extra measures you can take, you may at least reduce your risk of this potentially fatal disease.

For more detailed information, visit THIS website

Wanna Be Smart?

We are counseled to “seek … diligently and teach one another words of wisdom; yea, seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith.” (D&C 88:118.)

Today's Assignment

Choose your next book for it's ability to make you SMARTER.

Some I can personally recommend:

Temples and Cosmos by Hugh Nibley
A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking
The Read Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease
The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
Approaching Zion by Hugh Nibley
The Book of Mormon

Keep Kids Safe Preparing for Halloween

Help your child pick out or make a costume that will be safe. Make it fire proof, the eye holes should be large enough for good peripheral vision.

If you set jack-o-lanterns on your porch with candles in them, make sure that they are far enough out of the way so that kids costumes won't accidentally be set on fire.

Make sure that if your child is carrying a prop, such as a scythe, butcher knife or a pitchfork, that the tips are smooth and flexible enough to not cause injury if fallen on.

Kids always want to help with the pumpkin carving. Small children shouldn't be allowed to use a sharp knife to cut the top or the face. There are many kits available that come with tiny saws that work better then knives and are safer, although you can be cut by them as well. It's best to let the kids clean out the pumpkin and draw a face on it, which you can carve for them.

Treating your kids to a spooky Halloween dinner will make them less likely to eat the candy they collect before you have a chance to check it for them.

Teaching your kids basic everyday safety such as not getting into cars or talking to strangers, watching both ways before crossing streets and crossing when the lights tell you to, will help make them safer when they are out Trick or Treating.

What if I don't have any....

Baking Substitutions

Baking Powder: To replace 1 teaspoon baking powder, use 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar plus 1/4 teaspoon baking soda.

Honey: For 1 cup of honey, use 1-1/4 cups granulated sugar plus 1/4 cup liquid. You could also try using 3/4 cup corn syrup plus 1/2 cup granulated sugar. Molasses can be used in equal measure as a honey substitute, but it will affect the flavor.

Fresh, Whole Milk: For 1 cup fresh milk, use 1 cup skim plus 2 teaspoons butter.

Heavy Cream: A good substitute for heavy cream in baking can be made with 3/4 cup whole milk plus 1/2 to 1/3 cup butter and a little flour. You can also try using an equal quantity of plain yogurt in some dishes.

Shortening: Butter or margarine may be substituted for shortening in equal measure.

Brown Sugar: Use 3/4 cup granulated sugar and 1/4 cup molasses to replace 1 cup brown sugar.

Powdered, Confectioner's Sugar: For every 4 cups powdered confectioner's sugar, use 3 cups granulated sugar well dissolved.

Chocolate Square: You can replace 1 chocolate square with 3 tablespoons cocoa and 1 tablespoon butter.

White Granulated Sugar: 1/2 cup molasses or corn syrup can be used for 1 cup sugar, but liquid in the recipe must be reduced by 1/2 cup.3/4 cup honey can replace 1 cup granulated sugar, but reduce liquid in recipe by 1/4 cup.If you don't mind the change in flavor, you can use 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar for 1 cup granulated sugar.

Corn Syrup: For a simple corn syrup substitution, replace 1 cup corn syrup with 1 cup granulated sugar and increase liquid in recipe by 1/4 cup.

Raisins Almost any kind of chopped dried fruit can be substituted for raisins. Currants or chopped dates can be used in a recipe with good results.

Chocolate Chips: Chop about 6 ounces of semisweet chocolate to replace 1 cup of semisweet chocolate chips.

Eggs: 2 egg whites or 2 egg yolks can be used for 1 whole egg. OR gelatin (To replace each egg: Dissolve 1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin in 1 tablespoon cold water, then add 2 tablespoons boiling water. Beat vigorously until frothy.)
OR cornstarch (Substitute 1 tablespoon cornstarch plus 3 tablespoons water for each egg called for in recipe.

Sour Milk: Simply stir in about 1 tsp of white vinegar to 1 cup milk. Buttermilk can also be substituted in equal measure.

Sour Cream: As a substitution for sour cream, simply use an equal measure of plain yogurt in most recipes.

Cornstarch: For thickening purposes, you can use 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour to replace 1 tablespoon cornstarch.

Cinnamon: Use 1/2 teaspoon ground all spice to replace 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon.

Cream of Tartar: There is no effective cream of tartar substitute, but you can try using an equal quantity of white vinegar in a pinch.

Molasses: Honey may be used in equal measure, but it will affect the flavor.

Buttermilk: For 1 cup buttermilk, add 1 teaspoon white vinegar to 1 cup whole milk. You can also use 1/3 cup whole milk with 2/3 cup plain yogurt as a buttermilk substitute.

Allspice: Use 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon to replace 1 teaspoon allspice.

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Gardening in the desert southwest is challenging, to say the least. If you are one who is ambitious and willing to give it a try... Here's what you should consider planting during the month of October:

In Zones 9 and 10, plant beets, bok choy, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, chinese cabbage, collards, endive, fava beans, fennel, garbanzo beans, kale, kohlrabi, lettuce, mustard greens, bulb and bunching onions, parsnips, peas, radishes, rapini, rutabaga, spinach, Swiss chard and turnips.

You can also plant bulbs of garlic and shallots. Garlic takes a long time to mature and needs to be planted by the end of the month to assure that the bulbs will be well formed by next summer.

Today's Assignment

Plan your garden and get working!!!