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Sandwiched into the Fall of back-to-school, football and soccer, and chants of "Hooray for Halloween," we do enjoy hearty helpings of soups and stews around here. And, strangely enough it seems, the closer those meals can be in hue -- be it orange or black -- to the official colors of Halloween, then the more popular they're likely to be... particularly with the announcement at the beginning of your meal that "Tonight, we thought we'd start thinking about and planning for this year's Halloween festivities." With Halloween such a kid-favorite "holiday," we also like to use it as a natural opportunity to explore and try different foods, the easiest forays centering on those that are in the Halloween colors of black and orange.

Our all-time favorite "get in the spirit for Halloween" dish is Cuban Black Bean Soup. You can download the recipe at Practical Whimsy.

The recipe calls for dry beans, which I prefer, because it may be the first time kids have been exposed to beans in a bag. As you'll see from the photo, the beans look similar to canned beans, but they are hard -- and definitely in need of cooking before eating. A 16-ounce bag (which will make at least 8 hearty servings) costs less than a dollar. Once kids see the dry beans, they may be prone to ask, "Hey, where'd these come from?," or they may relate a tale of growing vegetables in their classroom, or even want to talk about "Jack and the Beanstalk"... all discussion topics which will undoubtedly also find everyone (almost impossibly) segueing to talk about possibilities for Halloween costumes.

Alongside the soup, you can present several black-and-orange options as savory sides, such as roasted orange bell peppers threaded through bamboo wood skewers with kalamata olives. (Depending on your kids' age and dexterity, adult supervision may be required, or you may want to opt for a different way to serve this combo). Or try blocks of cheddar cheese with sliced black olives piled on top. Either of those combinations also make delicious tortilla fillings for specialty quesadillas. Pile the olives and bell peppers, or olives and cheese, in between two flour tortillas. Saute in a lightly-oiled pan over medium heat to warm. Remove from heat, and let cool slightly. Cut the tortilla into pie-shaped pieces, and then serve with the soup.

If you decide to open up your pre-Halloween meals with such an offering, you can start getting the kids to brainstorm, become familiar with, and get excited about foods they see during your grocery store expeditions that will jibe with Halloween colors and textures. Consider butternut squash, sweet potatoes, yams, overripe plantains, and squid (black ink) pasta; try to think of foods with the colors in the name, like "Black Forest" ham; and of course, don't forget about such sweets as black licorice, candied orange slices, and orange Jell-O. The kids'll be delighted at the black and orange fare they find, and you all may be inspired to more delicious Halloween-themed meals in giggly anticipation of the spirited day and night.

Check out Disney Family.com's group Halloween blog, The Ghoul's Guide, for more stories and tips.