The Junior League of Birmingham's 18th annual Pumpkin Patch happens this weekend on the terrace of The Community House, bringing Halloween early to downtown Birmingham.

The day includes bounce houses, crafting, photo session and games for children, not to mention a children's parade of Halloween costumes at 4 p.m., sponsored by the Birmingham Bloomfield Chamber of Commerce.

But according to Katie Dunn, chair of this year's Pumpkin Patch for the Junior League, the real focus of the event is about healthful eating and avoiding those post-Halloween stomachaches brought on by too much candy.

During the event, the Junior League will sponsor several healthful, nut-free snack stations for children and parents, as well as a "create your own cookbook" station, where parents can peruse and collect dozens of healthful fall recipes.

To give you a taste of what you can expect, the Junior League of Birmingham offers several recipes sure to please the entire family.

Apple Crisp

• Prep time: 50 minutes
• Difficulty: Easy
• Makes: 6 servings

Ingredients:

4 c. sliced tart apples, pared
¾ c. brown sugar
½ c. all purpose flour
½ c. dry oatmeal
¾ tsp. nutmeg
1/3 c. margarine, softened
½ tsp. vanilla extra

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease square pan. Place apple slices in
pan. Mix remaining ingredients thoroughly. Sprinkle mixed ingredients
over apples. Bake 30 minutes or until apples are tender and topping is
golden brown. Serve warm.

Cow in the Apple Orchard

• Difficulty: Medium
• Makes: 5 servings

Ingredients:

1/3 c. frozen apple juice concentrate
1¾ c. low-fat milk
1 c. vanilla frozen yogurt
½ tsp. ground cinnamon

Directions:

Pour the partially thawed juice concentrate and the milk into the blender. Cover and blend well. Add the frozen yogurt and cinnamon. Cover and blend until smooth.

Amazing Applesauce

• Difficulty: Easy
• Makes: 2 servings

Ingredients:

2 small red apples
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 tsp. sugar
2 pinches of cinnamon

Directions:

Peel the apples and cut them into small pieces. Throw out the core. Put the apple pieces and lemon juice into the blender or food processor. Blend until the mixture is very smooth. Pour the mixture into two small bowls and stir in the sugar and cinnamon.

Recipes provided by kidsinthekitchen.ajli.org.