FOR RELEASE THE WEEK OF OCT. 14, 2001:

Are there any healthy snacks you can recommend for Halloween?

Believe it or not, there are some low-fat treats that you can give to those gobbling goblins, says Martha Raidl, University of Idaho Extension nutrition specialist. The American Dietetic Association recommends low-fat cookies, low-fat granola or cereal bars, and even single-serving cereal boxes.

You can also assemble your own low-fat Halloween baggies by filling them with pretzels, baked chips, dried fruit , sugar-free gum and fortune cookies. Additional treats, which qualify as low-fat but not necessarily as low-sugar, include jelly beans, licorice and gum drops.

If it’s your kids who are bringing home the Halloween haul, try rationing their candy by dividing it into weekly amounts and freezing it. That will make “portion control” easier and keep your little goblins from gobbling down their goodies in a few days.

“There’s nothing wrong with letting kids eat candy—even chocolate—as long as they consume it in small portions,” says Raidl.

By the way, the American Dental Association recommends that people eat sweets at meal-time—when more saliva is produced that helps neutralize acids—rather than between meals. So, you might want to treat your kids to their Halloween treats as dessert.

Is it safe to use dry ice in Halloween punch?

Dry ice makes fun party effects—bubbling and boiling in “witches’ brews”—but whether you’re using it for kicks or for cooling, be sure to handle it very carefully, says Sandy McCurdy, University of Idaho Extension food safety specialist.

Dry ice is frozen carbon dioxide. As it evaporates from its brisk temperature of –109.3 degrees Fahrenheit, it changes directly from a solid to a gas without ever becoming a liquid. Those characteristics allow it to produce those smoky-creepy gaseous effects at room temperature, but they also put you and your guests at risk. If it touches your skin directly, for example, dry ice will cause severe frostbite and burns. If it’s added to refreshment drinks, it can burn digestive tracts. Consequently, always wear insulated gloves when handling dry ice and never add it directly to drinks.

McCurdy suggests that you place dry ice in a separate container, then set the punch bowl inside that container. If you need to break the dry ice into smaller pieces, take these precautions: first put on some eye protection, then wrap the dry ice completely in a towel. “A small chip of dry ice can cause eye damage,” she says.

Because carbon dioxide is heavier than air, it concentrates in enclosed areas, where it can displace oxygen and cause suffocation. Do use dry ice only in well-ventilated areas, McCurdy says; don’t transport it in closed vehicles.

Are carpenter ants a threat to our hardwood floors? We occasionally see them outside in our woodpile.

Carpenter ants are hard-working members of nature’s Team Decay. You’ll find the large black ants—and some smaller brown ones—in pieces of decaying wood big enough for them to tunnel in and build brood chambers. Unless your hardwood floors have been wet and are beginning to soften, they’re not likely to be threatened by carpenter ants, says University of Idaho Extension entomologist Bob Stoltz.

“We’ll occasionally find them in wood inside in a house, where a faucet or a water heater have leaked or where a crawl space hasn’t been adequately ventilated,” he says. Your clue will be large black ants skittering across your floors or countertops. To get rid of them, hire a professional exterminator, repair your water leaks and improve your crawl space ventilation.

“Most of the time, carpenter ants mind their own business,” says Stoltz. “You won’t have a problem as long as you keep the wood in your house dry.”

My wife and I divorced 6 months ago. She and our children, 5 and 7, live a few hours away. I have the kids for one weekend a month and that’s not nearly enough time to maintain our relationship. I thought phone calls would help, but the children often have little to say. I would appreciate any suggestions you might have for keeping in touch with children from a distance.

Staying emotionally connected by phone can certainly be challenging with young children, agrees Harriet Shaklee, University of Idaho Extension family development specialist. “Little children often don’t know what to talk about. Sometimes they’re very talkative and sometimes they’re not. The trick is to find something shared that you can discuss.”

Shaklee suggests sending the children books and then reading those books together over the telephone. The books should spark conversation as you read along. Also, try exchanging cartoons or photos—or, writing notes to your kids and encouraging them to respond with pictures they’ve drawn.

For the wired family, e-mail can be a very useful tool. “E-mail is wonderful if your kids are just starting to learn to write,” says Shaklee. “You can send a letter but they don’t have to write a letter back. They can write ‘cats’ if that’s all they know.”

Another possibility is watching a favorite TV show, then getting together by phone immediately afterward to talk about it.

“The telephone is a wonderful way to keep in touch,” says Shaklee. “If it fits into the children’s lives, call them three or four times a week.”

Regardless of the method, noncustodial parents should communicate with kids this age at least twice a week, she says. “It’s very hard to be apart. Children miss their parents; they need to know they’re on your mind.”

Do stay in touch with your children’s school lives, too, she says. “Ask the school to send you notices about how they’re doing. That also gives you something else to talk with them about.”

[READERS: Do you have a question about your home, yard or garden? Send it to HomeWise, University of Idaho Ag Communications, Moscow, ID 83844-2332 or e-mail it to homewise@uidaho.edu. Mention of proprietary products or firms does not constitute endorsement by University of Idaho Extension or imply approval to the exclusion of other suitable products or firms.]