Jackie at The Vegan Diet shares the virtues of those jack-o-lantern pumpkin seeds, some wonderful recipes, and great vegan Halloween links! - Halloween will be here in a few days and Jack O Lanterns will need to be made. Do not throw the pumpkin seeds away as they are as healthy and nutritious.  Pumpkin seeds contain a very good supply of phosphorous, magnesium and tryptophan with a good supply of vitamin K, iron, copper, zinc and unsaturated fatty acids. They are also a good protein and fiber source.

Stumped by special diet needs?  Tired of promoting tooth decay? Last week I came across this wonderful website called Green Halloween. Started by a mom in the state of Washington, this new idea seeks to promote healthier alternatives for kids at Halloween. Sponsored by big names like Whole Foods, this little movement is in its inaugural year.  The website has tips for hosting a kids’ Halloween party, and several suggestions for “tricks and treasures.” Really, it hadn’t occurred to me to hand out non-candy treats, but some of the ideas are pretty good...

Hannah Kaminsky, Bittersweet Blog and My Sweet Vegan - To the sugar-crazed youth of America, Halloween must be one of the most highly anticipated days of the year. After all, what could be better than dressing in some crazy garb, going out in the dark of night (or mid-afternoon), and getting free candy from any house you stop at? Kids have all the luck on this one magical evening, and the world is their oyster… But once you hit a certain age, this sort of parading about becomes unacceptable, and you are forced to hang up your treat bag for good...

To help us kick off our Vegan Week, VeggieGirl has several quick meal ideas - As a busy college student, I am always on a mission to find a dish that fits the following criteria: 1) It must be nutritious, filling, and satisfying; 2) It must be a dish that incorporates easy-to-find ingredients, but presents them in a new, innovative, and appetizing manner; 3) It has to be able to be prepared, cooked, and served in a flash (i.e. under an hour); 4) It must be vegan or at least easy to veganize. While it may seem impossible to find dishes that fit this strict list of criteria, I have been able to create quite a few meals recently, that fit the bill, and can be prepared in no time:

November 1st is World Vegan Day.  This holiday (sans vacation time) has been celebrated since 1994, but it represents the beginning of the world’s first Vegan Society, established 50 years prior in 1944.  No, I am not a vegan facts junky, I had to look all this stuff up.  But, I have been toying with the idea of trialing a full vegan diet for years, and what better time to do it then World Vegan Day!  In fact, my household is going vegan for a week, beginning Sunday, October 28.  Vegetarians may consider meat and eggs the easy part, but going in reverse (dairy-free first) can actually be just as difficult.  Read along at my personal blog, One Frugal Foodie, as I will post up our eating ventures each day.  Also, Go Dairy Free will feature special vegan (egg, meat, dairy, and honey-free) posts on the front page throughout the week.  Enjoy!

Erika Waz, Kids Cuisine & Tummy Treasure - The internet is aflutter these days with talk of hiding vegetables. Sneaky parents everywhere are enamored with “the puree,” the concept of hiding pureed fruits and vegetables in every nook and cranny possible on the plate. And while I completely confess to a little sneaky mom trickery every once in a while, it seems to me that hiding those vegetables long term is not the way to convert a picky eater. Children need to be shown the fruits and vegetables what they are eating so that they can develop their own informed decisions and develop their own little palates. Take, for example, these Spiced Pumpkin Waffles...