Halloween Candy

This is the one-minute writer's prompt today. I am to write about my favorite candy but I prefer to write about a memorable flop. I was baking for a particularly tough customer, my daughter. She's in the natural crowd; need I say more? We're talking organic, sugar-free, gluten-free, aspartame-free, non-gmo, and no kittens were harmed in the production.

I've got my own list too as a mature type-2 diabetic. I want some fiber in there for satiety, low in fat, and high in protein. This was a production of love, as my daughter was expressing symptoms of weakness and fatigue in the afternoon. One of my principles in controlling blood sugar is no skipping of meals! Have a snack during that afternoon slump.

I decided to make stuffed dates. I simmered the dates in orange juice with a little nutmeg. Softened and cooled, I dabbed light laughing-cow wedges in the cavity of each date and wedged in walnut quarters.

Sweet, tasty, and natural (not counting the violation of California mamma cows somewhere in the production).

Next came the packaging. I was pretty sure my daughter would be non-plastic, so I laid out a half-dozen dates on waxed paper, rolled it up, and twisted between each date to make a long string of treats.

The final product looked like a string of...dog poop.

Which my daughter noticed when I swept out my offering to her while we were out shopping.

I'm not sure if she ever tried it.

Faith's Common Threads

I imagined the precepts of various faiths as buttons on a string. This is how we are alike rather than what separates us.

Thanks to Karen Armstrong and her Charter for Compassion for the inspiration.