Snikiddy Snacks a Healthy (and Surprisingly Tasty) Halloween Treat

Aaron Burgess — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 15:04:00 GMT

In my neighborhood, we would always pass over the houses that offered apples and other healthy treats for Halloween, but obviously there've been quite a few advancements in healthy snacking since the Dark Ages. Snikiddy Snacks Organic Cookies are among the tastier natural treats that've landed on our doorstep this season -- so much so that my usually health-food-averse sons actually asked for more when our taste-testing samples ran out. Luckily, since they're on the shelves at our local Super Target, we had no problem restocking the pantry.

USDA-certified organic, Snikiddy Snacks' cookies are free of hydrogenated oils, trans fats, high-fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors, preservatives and GMOs. Mom and I preferred the Cherry Oaties (since the boys couldn't get past the word "cherry"), which aren't overly sweet and have a nice, mellow cherry taste with a hint of cinnamon. Our littlest one regularly eats cut-up bananas sprinkled with cinnamon, so the Banana Nibbles, which pack those flavors into cookie form without the normally overpowering taste of so many banana-derived foods, were all his. And the Chocolate Chippers, which come off like miniature Chips Ahoy without the disgusting processed flavor, were a hit with everyone.

For the full scoop on just what we were consuming, along with what each five-serving pack of cookies will provide your trick-or-treaters, here's the nutritional info from the back of each package. Unfortunately, the good taste means it's hard to consume Snikiddy Snacks in moderation, so if calories and spoiled mealtimes are concerns, you might want to dole out a serving at a time throughout the day:

Snikkidy also has a line of salty treats that work well for lunchboxes and general snacking, and even though they all taste like some yummy variation on the standard-issue cheese puff, the naming choices of Pizza Pie Puffs, Mac n' Cheese Puffs, Rockin' Ranch Puffs and Grilled Cheese Puffs do have an extra level of kid appeal.

Available at Whole Foods, Super Target, Toys"R"Us and grocers nationwide -- see Snikiddy's store locator to find a location near you.

Eco-Friendly Bat Light Illuminates Your Trick-or-Treating Path

Aaron Burgess — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 15:04:00 GMT

Unlike its real-world counterparts, this vampire-bat flashlight won't recoil or give you rabies when you squeeze it. It will, however, give you up to eight minutes' worth of battery-free LED light: Just pump the lever on the bat's side to generate power, and you've got an eco-friendly way to light up the night for trick-or-treating.

£4.99 (about $9 U.S.) from Ethical Superstore -- order now in time for Halloween.

Haunted Candy Stand Insures Against Halloween Candy Theft

Aaron Burgess — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 18:04:00 GMT

Assuming it doesn't scare kids away altogether, this Haunted Tree Stump Candy Stand looks to be a safe insurance policy against the overly sticky-fingered trick-or-treaters who ruin it for everyone else at Halloween. Place a light source inside, and leave your goodies in the tree's maw while you and the kids head out for your own trick-or-treating fun. Horror sound effects not included -- or needed, I'd imagine.

$129 from Shop.com.

droolicious : trick-or-treating

Snikiddy Snacks a Healthy (and Surprisingly Tasty) Halloween Treat

Eco-Friendly Bat Light Illuminates Your Trick-or-Treating Path

Haunted Candy Stand Insures Against Halloween Candy Theft