Turnips, Pumpkins & Stingy Jack
WHY WE CARVE PUMPKINS INTO JACK-O-LANTERNS: A BRIEF HISTORY
Do you know where the tradition of carving pumpkins into jack-o-lanterns came from? It begins with an Irish legend and ends with Irish immigrants to the United States. Here’s the story. Read it to your kids in your scariest voice!
Many years ago, in a village in the Irish countryside, there lived a miserable man known as “Stingy Jack.” Because he was lazy and opposed to work, he lived by stealing from others.
Jack’s favorite food was turnips, and he often carried a turnip with him—just in case he should get hungry before he found a bit of food to steal.
Read moreHalloween Pumpkin Fun for Everyone
HALLOWEEN PUMPKIN FUN: A BOOK, A SONG & ORIGAMI
Any discussion of pumpkins, especially in October, wouldn’t be complete without a reference or two to jack-o-lanterns.
Some kids embrace Halloween in all its eerie glory: ghosts, goblins, witches and jack-o-lanterns grinning in the night.
Others find the spookiness of the holiday a bit intimidating.
And some, let’s face it, find the whole idea of Halloween just plain shiver-in-your-shoes scary!
Read morePumpkin Seeds: Spicy or Sweet
INSPIRED PEPITAS: KID-FRIENDLY RECIPES
Let’s face it: Kids like to snack. We all like to snack! And it’s so easy to toss a bag of tortilla chips or potato chips in your grocery cart….
And they are OH-so-lacking in nutritional value!
A serving of tortilla chips, for example, has 2 grams of protein–compared to the 21 grams in a serving of Spicy Jamaican Jerk Pepitas.
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