Spooky Spiders - Halloween Planning

I love Halloween - mostly, it's the weather, crisp autumn night paired with unlimited candy and kids in costumes, it's a great holiday.   I had a great time dressing up for Halloween when I was younger, but we did not live in a suburb or city setting so trick-or-treating was limited to our small, one traffic light town of 3 blocks in southeastern Ohio or my friend's suburbs.

Nevertheless, it was always fun and I have fond memories of Halloween.

Last year was our first year in the house, and I was able to do a bit of decorating, but not as much as I wanted - spiderwebs on the bushes in front, and a wreath on the front door from my mom.  We had my family over for the night, and made several snacky dishes to munch on while the trick-or-treater's came around.

This year, we have Maku, and I have much bigger aspirations for the decorations!

First, I don't like crazy mixed up Halloween decorations - I'd much rather pick a "theme" if you will, and stick to it.  So, I've decided that it should be SPIDERS!

Here are some of my inspirations:

Elimination Diet...

Ok, if I don't start this elimination diet now, it's never. 

3 Weeks, here's the list:

INCLUDE		EXCLUDE
Fruits & Vegetables	Unsweetened fresh or frozen whole fruits, fresh squeezed fruit juices, sea vegetables (seaweeds), avocados, olives, and raw, steamed, sauteed, juiced, or roasted vegetables	Oranges, orange juice, grapefruit, bananas, strawberries, grapes, corn, creamed vegetables, nightshades (tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, potatoes)
Dairy Substitutes	Hemp, rice, and nut milks (such as almond, hazelnut, walnut, etc.) and coconut milk, coconut oil/butter	Dairy and eggs: including milk, cheese, cottage cheese, cream, yogurt, butter, ice cream, non-dairy creamers, ghee
Non-Gluten Grains & Starch	Brown, red, black and wild rice, millet, amaranth, teff, tapioca, buckwheat, quinoa	White rice, wheat, corn, barley, spelt, kamut, rye, triticale, oats (even gluten-free)
Animal Protein	Fresh or water-packed, cold-water fish (trout, salmon, halibut, tuna, mackerel, sardines, pike, kippers), wild game (rabbit, pheasant, bison, venison, elk, etc.), lamb, duck, organic chicken and turkey	Pork (bacon), beef, veal, sausage, cold cuts, canned meats, frankfurters (hot dogs), shellfish, any raw meats or fish
Vegetable Protein	Split peas, lentils, legumes, bee pollen, spirulina, and blue-green algae	Soybean products (soy sauce, soybean oil in processed foods)
Nuts & Seeds	Hemp, sesame, pumpkin, and sunflower seeds, hazelnuts, pecans, almonds, walnuts, cashews, macadamia, pistachios, brazil, nut and seed butters such as almond or tahini	Peanuts and peanut butter
Oils	Cold-pressed olive, flax, safflower, sesame, almond, sunflower, walnut, pumpkin, and coconut	Butter, margarine, shortening, processed oils, canola oil, salad dressings, mayonnaise, spreads
Drinks	Filtered water, green, white or herbal tea, seltzer or mineral water, yerba mate, coconut water, green juice	Alcohol, coffee, caffeinated beverages, soda pop, soft drinks, fruit juice (unless fresh pressed)
Sweeteners	Stevia, coconut nectar, yacon, whole/fresh fruit, dried fruit (in moderation)	Refined sugar, white/brown sugars, maple syrup, high fructose corn syrup, evaporated cane juice, Splenda®, Equal®, Sweet’N Low®, juice concentrate, agave nectar, brown rice syrup
Condiments	Vinegar, all spices, all herbs, sea salt, black pepper, carob, raw chocolate (dairy and sugar free), stone-ground mustard, miso, coconut liquid aminos, wheat-free tamari and nama shoyu, unsweetened whole fruit jam	Regular chocolate (with dairy and sugar), ketchup, relish, chutney, traditional soy sauce, barbecue sauce, teriyaki, breath mints