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BY METRO Halloween is a magical time of year. Homes are adorned with festive fall ac- coutrements, including hay bails, pumpkins and mums as well as the black, purple and orange decorations that are unique to a season of ghouls and goblins. Although decorating is a large part of the fun of Halloween, the sweet treats that are distributed to trick-or- treaters and presented at Halloween parties are arguably the most popular component of this beloved holiday. Candy is everywhere come Halloween. The National Confection- ers Association reports that Halloween is the largest confectionary holiday, followed by Easter and Christmas. The National Retail Federation and NCA indicate the average American consumes 3.4 pounds of candy around Halloween, and 600 million pounds of candy are purchased across the country for the holiday. Is it possible to es- cape the Halloween sugar overload? For those who want to enjoy some healthier options than candy corn and other sweet staples, these ideas are not so frightening. Pizza mummy Use slices of toasted sandwich bread or English muffins to make some spooktacu- lar fare. Coat the bread with pizza sauce. Then place thin horizontal slices of mozzarella cheese in a haphazard pattern to replicate the look of gauze on a mummy. Two pieces of sliced black olives serve as the eyes. White, orange and yellow platter Simulate the look of candy corn's white, orange and yellow color palette with healthier offerings. Stack cauli- flower, or another white food such as Monterey Jack cheese, baby car- rots and yellow bell peppers on a platter. Serve with your favorite dip. Deviled brains Turn regular deviled eggs into something more sinister for Hal- loween buffet tables. Simply add food color- ing to the filling to cre- ate a pinkish-brown hue that resembles a human brain. Then use a pip- ing bag fitted with a thin icing tip to pipe the shape of brains onto the hard-boiled egg halves. Veggie skeleton Use assorted vegeta- ble slices, cheese sticks, fruits, nuts and more to inspire a Halloween- inspired charcuterie board. Arrange every- thing to resemble a skeleton on the platter. Ghostly bananas Insert Popsicle sticks into the bottoms of ba- nanas and freeze until solid. Prepare white melt- ing chocolate according to directions, then dip the frozen bananas into it. While wet, stick on two mini chocolate chips to make the eyes of the ghosts. Place in the refrig- erator to harden. Spider crackers Use buttery Ritz crackers or something similar for this recipe. Spread a relatively thick layer of cream cheese (or peanut butter if al- lergies are not a con- cern) on one cracker. Cut thin pretzel sticks in half and use four on each side to make spider legs, sticking them into the cream cheese. Top with another cracker and secure to the cream cheese. Raisins con- nected with more cream cheese complete the eyes of the spiders. Anyone can use his or her imagination to make delectable and healthy Halloween of- ferings in lieu of more sweets. Closing the year with deals at 4 Blue Mountain communities This model home is one of three final homes available with huge flexible incentives in the sought-after Granite Bay neighborhood of Carnelian by Blue Mountain Communities. With four new- home neighborhoods in Northern California, Blue Mountain Com- munities is offering buyers an opportunity to take advantage of some great year-end deals. Impressive flex- ible incentive packages and attractive pricing are available at four of the area's top commu- nities for a very limited time. For prospective homebuyers who are interested in a new home in the Sacra- mento area, Provence in Natomas is just right. Ten minutes from downtown Sacra- mento, it offers select homes with packages of up to $25,000 in flexible incentives. Currently, there are two quick-move-in homes with great deals catching people's atten- tion. Homesite 137 — a 1,920-square-foot home — features four bedrooms, three-and- a-half bathrooms, and a two-car garage. Of- fered at $529,999, this home provides more for your money including a gourmet kitchen, smart home thermostat, video doorbell and other up- grades. Homesite 129 is a spacious 2,298-square- foot home with four bedrooms, three-and- a-half bathrooms, and a two-car garage. This beautiful quick- move-in home also comes with an array of designer-selected op- tions and is priced at $549,990. Revere in Rescue is a new luxury neighbor- hood located just east of El Dorado Hills. A rare opportunity is available at Homesite 14, a Shasta floor plan. Set on a mas- sive pool-size homesite, over a half-acre, this home offers the best of indoor and outdoor liv- ing with plenty of room for everything and ev- eryone, including a mul- tigenerational suite, six bedrooms, and a three- car garage. With an unbelievable $50,000 in flexible incentives, this is one property that will not be available for long. Carnelian in Granite Bay is home to a fabu- lous collection of qual- ity-crafted homes that are both thoughtfully designed and competi- tively priced. The final new homes available are three quick-move- in homes, each boast- ing amazing flexible incentives. With a $30,000 flex- ible incentive at Home- site 4, the Goldfield offers an exceptional opportunity to own a model home that is over 2,500 square feet with three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a loft and a two-car garage. Full of model home upgrades and priced at $799,990, this home proves to be a significant value. Finally, those look- ing for the perfect home/career balance in Santa Rosa will be able to capitalize on this in- credible opportunity to purchase Homesite 6, a Plan E, which is the last home in the highly sought-after commu- nity of Village Station. With $25,000 in flex- ible incentives being of- fered on this property, this three-story home serves as both a place of business and residence in one. When asked if now is a good time to buy, Will Scott, director of sales for Blue Moun- tain Communities responded by saying: "In anticipation of the large demand for new homes in 2022, many builders have homes ready to close this year and it is a great time to take advantage of these incentives, larger than we have seen in recent history." He continues: "Once these end-of- year deals are gone, it is unlikely to see simi- lar opportunities next year." With these great deals from Blue Moun- tain Communities, there has never been a better time to make your move. They have new-home sales advis- ers available by phone, text and chat. To learn more, view the commu- nities, floor plans and virtual tours or sched- ule a tour, visit Blue MountainCommunities. com. Content provided by Blue Mountain Communities Healthy Halloween snack options H6 BAY AREA NEWS GROUP 001 Homes | Advertising Section