Halloween Baggage: A Southern Girl's Confession

I must admit: I have a messed up relationship with Halloween. You all know I love my mama, but I attribute my Halloween dysfunction to her and my conservative Southern Baptist upbringing. Well, I can’t really blame Mama too much. It was the 1980s – the height of the Moral Majority, Focus on the Family and “burn your devil worshipping rock music tapes” movements. She was just trying to do what she felt was the right thing. The right thing back then was to hand out tracks about the evils of Halloween and hold Halloween alternatives at church.

I distinctly remember our Halloween Parade in kindergarten. I wanted to dress up as a witch because some of the other little girls were doing so. Mama said no and that I could be an angel instead. She fashioned a costume for me with feathered wings pinned to a white dress. I think I had a golden pipe cleaner halo. I reluctantly wore my angel costume and walked alongside my witch friends. I remember one little boy saying to me, “What are you, a chicken?” I seem to remember being pretty upset about being mistaken for a chicken. I told my teacher that my mama wouldn’t let me be a witch because it was an “abomination to the Lord.” My teacher called my mother to discuss. She said her daddy was a Baptist preacher and she didn’t see a problem with children dressing up as witches, devils and other “abominations.” Mama stood her ground. I was never allowed to dress up as a witch or anything scary. Instead, we donned the homemade non-PC costumes of the 80s – gypsies, hobos and ladies of the night. (Yes, little girls dressed up like hookers back then!)

Might I add, not all churches had a problem with Halloween. In fact, some of the Baptist churches in the country embraced it by offering their own haunted houses. Tons of churches had them. They usually involved an old chicken house, Freddy Krueger, Jason from Friday the 13^th and somebody’s daddy running around with a chainsaw. At the end there was a crashed car and somebody dying and seeing the Devil because they hadn’t been saved. Mama did not approve of the haunted houses but I think I finally convinced her to let me to go to one with some friends when I was 11 or 12. That’s what I saw.

Flash forward 25 years, and I’m still conflicted about Halloween. I don’t think it is Satan’s holiday (as with most Western holidays it’s a mix of Christian and pagan traditions). However, I do have a problem with super scary, gory or sadistic costumes as evidenced when my 8-year-old chose a bloody Scream face costume this year. I did relent, but convinced him to tone down on the bloody part. I know what Mama taught me. However, I know she later regretted being so legalistic. She did let us go trick-or-treating but we never decorated for Halloween. It just wasn’t a big deal holiday. Now Halloween is the second most commercially successful holiday in the U.S. In my neighborhood people go all out decorating their houses, throwing parties and "boo'ing" each other (a new trend: see Pinterest). I’ve had several friends admit that they enjoy it more than Christmas. There’s not the added pressure of gift-buying and skirting around religious differences. It’s just about fun.

Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy Halloween. Of course, I love all the sweets and wish I had a recipe for you. However, my camera is broken and all the cute things I want to bake haven’t happened yet. Yet, in spite of it all -- in spite of being a grown woman with children of my own -- as I was applying my gross zombie makeup on Saturday for our neighborhood Halloween Parade, I still had a little nagging feeling. You can't help how you were raised. I'm not quite sure how to be. I still struggle with how to balance the fun without glorifying murder, gruesomeness or the occult.  I guess it’s my inner angel battling my inner witch. Or, maybe I’m just a chicken.

Move Over Pumpkin, It's Sweet Potato Bread

The day after Halloween. All Saints' Day for many. A time for come down from the sugar high, remember those who have gone on, and get into gear for the season of feasting and celebration that is to come. It has been a busy time for me and I know it isn't going to slow down. Yesterday afternoon I had the foresight to make something quick and somewhat nutritious for breakfast because this morning was tough, let me tell you. I had a leftover sweet potato that was just begging to have something done with it. Add a little whole wheat flour, an egg, honey applesauce and a few other ingredients and waa laa, sweet potato bread. Move over pumpkin, because sweet potato is town!

I know pumpkin recipes are all the rage these days and I'm just now getting on the pumpkin bandwagon. This past weekend, I made the most delicious pumpkin bars for a bake sale I helped to organize to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's annual Light the Night fundraiser in honor of Owen, my son's best friend who has leukemia. It was a raging success! We raised almost $1,500 for Team Owen -- and oh the deliciousness! I didn't even have time to take photographs, but let me just say that the Ooey Gooey Caramel Pumpkin Blondies, from Tasty Kitchen, were to die for. And there were lots of other delicious pumpkin desserts as well.

I'm learning to love pumpkin, but my first love is the humble sweet potato. I distinctly remember one time when I was little, hanging out with my Granny, while she fixed an afternoon snack of sweet potatoes. She pulled a pan of fresh baked sweet potatoes out of the oven, peeled the skin off, buttered the bright orange flesh, sprinkled it with a little brown sugar and declared it "as good as candy bar." Sweet potatoes are abundant, easy to grow, have a long growing season, are filling and nutritious. That's why you'll find them in a lot of Southern dishes.

If you've never baked sweet potatoes, you'll be surprised at how easy it is. Simply wash them off and place on a foiled lined pan, poke a few holes in them with a fork and bake at 400 degrees F for about an hour. You'll know they are done when "gooeyness" start seeping through the fork holes and the potatoes are soft when pricked again with a fork. Let them cool a bit and the skins magically peel away -- so much easier than boiling or peeling raw!

I don't know if I would declare sweet potatoes better than a candy bar, but I do know that I am sick of candy bars after an evening of sugary indulgence. This healthy whole grain bread was just what I needed this morning. Nonetheless, my aversion to sweets will probably last until about sundown when I'll be riffling through the kids' trick or treat stash conducting yet another "safety inspection."

Not Too Sweet Sweet Potato Bread

1/2 cup raw sugar (brown sugar will work as well)
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
1 egg
3 tablespoons applesauce
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (plus extra for sprinkling top)
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 cup coconut milk (cow's milk or soy milk would also work)
1 cup cooked mashed sweet potatoes
1/2 teaspoon orange rind (or a few scrapes with a grater -- I don't measure)
1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional - I left out but it would have been really good)
1/3 cup flaxseed meal for sprinkling on top

Combine sugar, honey, oil and egg in a large mixing bowl. Stir in applesauce. Combine flour, baking soda, salt and spices in a separate bowl. Gradually stir flour mixture into wet mixture, mixing alternately with coconut milk. Stir in sweet potatoes, orange rind and nuts (if using) until well blended.

Pour into four mini-loaf pans or one large 9 x 5 loaf pan. Sprinkle flaxseed meal and cinnamon on top of each loaf.

Bake at 350 degrees F for about 35-40 minutes for mini-loaves or 1 hour for larger pan. Remove from oven when a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Let the loaf or loaves cool for about 10 minutes before removing. Given the topping, try to lift loaf from pan as opposed to turning it over.

Tips and Tricks

• I'm in love with my new Wilton pan that holds four mini-loaves. Mini-loaves are just so cute and they don't take as long to bake as a full loaf!
• If you REALLY want to cut the sugar, I think you can reduce the sugar even further to probably 1/3 cup. I would leave the honey ratio the same as it promotes moisture.
• Quick breads are fun because you can make stuff up and it is more forgiving than, let's say, a cake. Don't be afraid to experiment and see what you come up with!

How about you ... are you a pumpkin person or a sweet potato person? Either? Neither? And as we approach the holiday season, what kind of recipes do you find you are craving? I love hearing from you!