This short episode is imaginative and features Joycelyne on a special Halloween episode. Joining her is William the Wizard, who appears in a portal (really a doorway) following a puff of smoke. Joycelyne is dressed in a hat and has a wand in hand, and she is ready to perform some cooking magic. In this case, she shows the viewer how to make caramel- and chocolate-covered apples.
One of the nice things about the program is that Joycelyne emphasizes the words “please” and “thank you,” which are nice words in teaching politeness. And, there is humor added for fun. When William the Wizard appears, he looks around at the nice kitchen, and says, “This is beautiful!” Joycelyne takes the compliment for herself and replies, “And the kitchen’s not bad, either.” The wizard laughs and quickly says, “But you’re beautiful too!” Joycelyne adds, “So, you’re William the ‘Wizard’? Just don’t whiz on my recipe!
Included in the cooking lesson are the various ingredients and toppings that can be added to the apples. Included is the caramel, butter, sugar, and condensed milk. Interestingly, she notes that a microwave can heat the caramel but the longer it heats the harder the caramel becomes, and that it’s best to check every 15 seconds as each microwave can heat at a slightly different temperature. She then adds an innuendo, which would go over most young kids’ heads, to William, and that is that a shorter heating time is better “so it won’t be stiff — although I know you like it stiff!”
Joycelyne has William place sticks inside the apples, and she toasts pumpkin seeds, slightly, in a toaster oven. She makes it clear not to scorch the seeds. And as far as chocolate, she adds that any that is handy can be used, such as Hershey chocolate. She winds up with a chocolate/caramel-covered apple. And she says using various amounts of drizzle can determine how you decorate them. She uses baker’s chocolate for her demonstration. She also cuts up almonds in a rocking motion, giving the viewers another option. She gives William a couple of seeds to eat, and he suggests she could give him three or four. “With that stomach, no!” she tells him. Soon, William takes his caramel apple and heads back to the portal and with another puff of smoke he is gone. “Thanks for joining us on our Halloween show,” says Joycelyne, and the program ends.
This show is a pretty wholesome program, and has a nice Halloween theme, along with a simple way to make caramel- or chocolate-covered apples, and it has earned our Dove seal for All Ages.
The Dove Take
Halloween fun along with making caramel apples is a nice combination and families will enjoy watching this episode together.
