Trick or Treat - Give Us Something Good to Eat!

Trick or Treat!

Give Us Something Good to Eat

So with the big day soon approaching, it seems as good a time as any for a Halloween Candy Etiquette Primer. There is no doubt that Trick or Treating for Candy is by far one of the best parts of Halloween for both kids and adults alike. Most of us began our Halloween experience on the 'Receiving' end. We were dressed up in funny or creepy costumes, and taken door to door to strangers houses to beg for treats.....and this somehow magically made good sense to us and to our parents. If you were lucky enough to have parental units such as these, who indulged you in this yearly ritual....then please take a moment to sit in silent reflection and gratitude at being the offspring of such fun-loving and cool parents (like this Dad below)!!Alas, time marches on, and after many Moons have waxed and waned....you one day awaken to find yourself on the 'Giving' end of the Trick or Treating Exchange. You've finally grown up....or not in many cases! And you may now have kiddies of your own, or just be too old and gray to pass yourself off any longer as a child...and thus, the right of passage takes place. You spend your first Halloween gearing up to receive Trick or Treaters, and thus pass on the torch of 'Halloween Spirit'! If you are a REALLY cool and fun adult, you will also of course decorate your house inside and out, and don a costume of your own as you pass out the goods to the next generation. But your biggest decision will be....What Candy Do I Give? And this is where an honest assessment is in order.We must ask ourselves these questions? What did I LOVE to get in my sack when I was a young Trick or Treater? What did I LOATHE to get in my sack when I was a young Trick or Treater? What do the kids today want to get in their sacks? What kind of Halloween Legacy do I wish to leave behind?

These are important questions! Now it's true that the first two questions would seemingly be a matter of opinion. However, there is actual research (albeit highly unscientific) that shows that there are indeed a few 'universal items' that fall in each list. But let's begin with the LOATHE list, shall we? And let's first apply lessons we've learned from Charlie Brown & The Great Pumpkin many years ago that still apply today. Kids prefer Candy to Toys and Trinkets....and Rocks! It's the one and only day of the year that people are willing to give you gobs of FREE CANDY that your parents won't let you have any other time. So it's a no-brainer that Candy wins out!Toys might seem like a valid alternative, but save the toys for party favors. And don't even think about any Fruit, lest you wish for reprisals later in the evening! That of course means Apples, but also includes Raisins; according to surveys. Fruit is just too risky, and good parents would just throw it away, so it's also a waste of money. Well-intentioned, utilitarian objects are also a no-no! Such items as books, pencils, fast food coupons and toothbrushes, while indeed useful....will only be met with utter disappointment, and will forever seal your fate as the worst house on the block! You will evermore have to endure The Scarlet Letter of Halloween Shame....UnCoolness! That is NOT the legacy you want to leave is it?! Of course not! So what DO kids want today? Do they love the same things you loved as a child?Maybe....maybe not! Unscientific research presents us with the following considerations...1.) Kids unanimously detest receiving boxes of raisins...but then we already ascertained that. 2.) The 'Sweet and Tart' group of candy items also ranked at the low end of the scale, with the most favorable showing in that class being Starburst. 3.) The 'Chocolate' category always ranks high, and oft times is the clear winner. This group includes all the perennial favorites such as Reeses, Hersheys, Twix, Snickers, Kit Kat, etc. 4.) When it comes to 'Chocolate', kids tend to prefer Milk over Dark....so save the dark for the adults. 5.) Also keep in mind that one big benefit of Chocolate to Trick or Treaters', is its high currency bartering rate in the Post Trick or Treating Candy Exchanges that occur later in the evening. 6.) In a surprise upset back in 2001, the 'Gummi' group actually won out in non-official testing. This group includes many things that are popular today, but probably weren't around when you were young, like Gummi Worms, Creepy Peepers, Twizzlers, Dots, Mike &Ikes, Crabby Patties, etc. 7.) There were also some specific items that ranked consistently low on the scale, which may seem surprising, like Laffy Taffy, Tootsie Rolls and DumDum pops. Those who dissed the DumDums wanted 'real' suckers instead. And last but not least...8.) In what almost constitutes 'legal slander', Candy Corn, the poster child of Halloween Candy, was insultingly relegated to being the "fruit cake of Halloween, it never goes away!" {Gasp} {Truth hurts!}
So there you have it....the informative low-down for In-the Know, Halloween Treat Givers! Choose your currency carefully, and put yourself in the shoes of the Trick or Treaters, for it wasn't so long ago that you were on the receiving end of that big Candy Bucket. Go forth and spread the Halloween Spirit while paying keen attention to the Legacy you will leave behind for other Halloween Enthusiasts through the decades! :o)

Halloween Candy from Hell

Evil Image © Ramon Dirge (I think....it's too small to read)

Okay....consider this post a public service announcement from me to you! By YOU....I mean anyone who consumes candy or plans to give candy out this Hallowe'en!

You may recall that I blogged about going to see 3 movies last weekend. Well, since we were planning to see so many movies, and movies are SO stinking expensive nowadays, and we have to multiply that expense x 4.......I thought we should try to save some money on food and drinks while there. So I, in all my infinite wisdom or lack thereof....thought we should buy some candy at the Dollar Store and take our drinks in a cooler in the car. Then when it was time to go into the movie, my daughter and I would sneak our stash into the movie theater in big purses.

So far, so good....the plan worked beautifully up until the third and final movie of the weekend. That is when things went drastically wrong. However the scope of the wrongness would not be fully realized until several days later. So here's where things took a wrong turn....
For my choice of candy for the last movie I selected 'Sour Skittles'. I love Skittles, but I had only tasted a couple of the 'Sour' variety out of my kids bag in the past. But I liked them, so I figured they were a good choice in lieu of the fact that there were no regular Skittles to be had in the dollar bin. So the movie begins and I embark on my life altering consumption of said 'Sour Skittles'.
Now I am of the 'suck and savor' variety myself....that means that I like to suck the outside of the candy first, be it candy coating, chocolate coating, or sour powder....then I commence to eating the innards. So that is exactly how I consumed each and every 'sour skittle' that I ate....one at a time....slow....methodically....with patience and exact precision. The 'sour' would make my mouth water and pucker, then I would eat the gooey sweet inside as a reward for making it through the 'sour' part.

However, I did notice after a while, that the skittles always seemed to land in the same spot in my mouth when I was sucking the sour coating off. They would tuck up into the top left side of the roof of my mouth. This routine continued for awhile, interrupted only by the occasional swallow of my drink. But then something started happening...I noticed my mouth was starting to feel a little sore. Not sure exactly what the sensation was, I noted it, yet kept on eating my Skittles.

It was almost like I couldn't stop, even though something was telling me I should stop....yet I ate on. Eventually, I discovered a need to actually suck on the ice cubes from my drink in order to soothe my irritated mouth. And FINALLY, I did quit eating them although I had only finished about 3/4 of the bag. So the movie ends, mouth stills feels a little funny and slightly sore, but other than that all seems well.

But I am here to tell you that all was NOT well! When I got home and was brushing my teeth before bed, I opened my mouth because my tongue hurt, and lo and behold, the whole center of my tongue was swollen and red, almost as if it were scalded. I didn't think much about it, and by the next day it seemed to have gone away.But then about 2 days later, I noticed that the roof of my mouth was getting really sore in one spot....the same spot where I'd tucked those skittles into, to strip them of their sour coating. I tried to look at the roof of my mouth in the mirror, but it was impossible to see the spot. So I pressed on it with my finger and it literally felt like it was bruised. So I asked my husband to look at it and he said yes, there was a dark red/purple area that looked like it was bruised and peeling.

By Wednesday of this week, the spot was getting even more sore, and when I went to drink some coffee, the pain was excruciating. This pain got continually worse and made eating pretty much anything; a miserable experience. The spot felt like it had been burned badly. Then the more I thought about it, the more I felt like it was some sort of chemical burn from the acidic coating on the 'sour skittles'. Because the pain originated while I was eating them, I just didn't really heed the warning signs at the time because I'd never eaten a bag of the sour ones before.So I go on-line and search for the term 'chemical burn in mouth from sour skittles', and go figure....there were MANY entries about that very thing?!!! You've got to be kidding me! There they were, account after account of people suffering burns, peeling skin, bleeding tongues, loss of taste....you name it! REALLY?!!! These things happen and yet they continue to produce a candy that mutilates the inside of your mouth?!

Well this is Saturday....tomorrow will be one full week since I ate just 3/4 of a bag of 'sour skittles' and I can still hardly eat anything, even soft stuff and drinks, without being in total pain. My daughter took my iPhone and took a picture of it so that I could see what it looks like, and it was UGLY! No wonder it friggin' hurts so bad! It's chemically burnt and bruised from where I held those tiny 'pellets from hell' in the same exact place each time.

What evil is this that has been unleashed upon me from the Candy Gods? Why do 'Sour Skittles from Hell' have NO warnings of physical damage, or at least a 'Eat At Your Own Risk' with a skull and crossbones symbol? And if this can happen to me from just eating 3/4 of an individual size bag....what atrocities could befall young unsuspecting Trick-or-Treaters from the consumption of these 'toxic poison pellets'?

So I am sharing my nightmarish story here as a public service announcement to those who may be thinking of consuming or gifting this particular candy. As I contemplated my ability to sue the Skittle company for damages incurred, I decided it would likewise be prudent to consider that the same thing could be done to us, should some parent's kid come down with chemical burns from the candy we gave them on Hallowe'en! So tis' probably best that you leave this one off your grocery list this coming season.
Alas, always being one to try and find the positive aspects of even the worse situations....I can happily relay the news that I have lost several pounds from being unable to eat or drink for a week. But chemically burning the roof of your mouth with 'Sour Skittles' should not be considered a safe and effective diet plan, so please don't try this at home! I'm curious if anyone else has ever had this experience? Or if you know of any other deadly candies that I should avoid?

Magically Delicious

Art takes many forms, that's an obvious. But some art is made from less than obvious mediums. One such art, is the art of Andie at Andie's Specialty Sweets. I just adore artists of any kind, but I always have a tremendous amount of awe for artists who work in unconventional mediums.
Andie makes art sweet....literally! Or does she make sweet art? Actually, I believe she does both. Andie's Specialty Sweets makes the most incredibly real looking confections I've ever seen. I could see these fabulous creations being sculpted from clay or poly resin perhaps....but from sugar and spice? How DOES she perform this magic?

She has perfected her art to very high standards. Her goal is..."not just a pretty edible, not just a palatable one either, but one that is visually and tastefully pleasurable in all aspects." And boy has she ever topped her own standards. I'm still amazed that these can actually be eaten!
Looking through the collection of her edible offerings is a treat unto itself. Just the photo of the finished product is 'art' in my book. But imagine these tasty treats in the flesh. How I would just LOVE to serve a collection of these at my Hallowe'en Soirée! They would look incredible displayed inside apothecary jars on the buffet table.
I've included a few examples of items that would be perfect for an Autumn/Hallowe'en affair. But her collection is extensive beyond just these beauties. Visit Andie's Specialty Sweets Etsy site to see more of her confection perfection!
Here's wishing everyone a 'magically delicious' weekend!
(All Images © Andie / Andie's Specialty Sweets)

A Fond Farewell to Halloween 2010 - Recap

Well Hallowe'en has once again slipped hauntingly into the land of pleasant memories. It takes its place in the boneyard of Hallowe'ens past. But like all Hallowe'ens before it....this one too, deserves to have a fitting wake. A trip down memory lane to recap the highlights of the magic it left in the hearts and minds of our Hallowe'en loving family!
Yep, it's official....the post Halloween blues have settled in. You would think it to be a feeling only experienced by children after Christmas. And it's true that I often feel quite childish in my fascination with all things Halloween. The excitement and the anticipation are very real for me. So the build up to the day is every bit as exciting as the day itself. Thus I often begin to mourn its passing even before the actual day has arrived. But I can honestly say that Halloween night this year was just as perfect as it could possibly be. Halloween falling on a Sunday made for a nice relaxing day. The kids and I even had time to catch some Halloween shows on TV and make the Gingerbread Haunted House we were given as a gift. I thought it turned out pretty cute.We had a gathering of friends and family over for dinner and treats before the evening's festivities began, and you can see some of them in the photo below. There are still several others that failed to make it into this shot, including me, because I was taking the photos. Although the intentions were there, some of us, myself included....did not actually dress up in costume this year. We just ran out of time and energy I suppose. But we did wear assorted hats and ears at least!
We had yummy Potato Bacon and Cheddar Soup for dinner with warm bread for dunking. It was the perfect hearty meal to fill everyone up so that our energy would sustain us through the night. And of course there were lots of cakes and cookies and dips and candy as well. The elders of the family come and dress up to stay back at the house to pass out candy, while the rest of us head out into the streets to take the kiddos Trick or Treating. These are my little nieces all dressed up and ready to head out for the night!
My daughter and her quartet of tween-agers giggled and chatted incessantly as they disappeared into the crowd of families. And we decided to take the new Electric Vehicle out and about. You can't really see it here, but we affectionately named our cart "Black Magic", and I designed a decal of the name, with a crescent moon and stars to put on the front. I figured if the neighbors weren't scared enough of us already....they would be now...muwahahahaha!
Now this might seem a bit like cheating, but I can assure you that we were just one of several folks on golf carts Sunday. Our neighborhood is very large, but beyond that, the lots are very large, which makes for a lot of walking. On foot, the kids and adults typically can only make it down 2 streets, 3 streets max, before your feet are aching. And since it's Florida, you're usually drenched in sweat too. But not this year....
Not only was the weather cool and perfect for a change, but we decided to deck the 'Golf Cart' out in jack o'lantern lights and Halloween decals, and use it to transport our large crew around. It seats six adults, but can take more when there are smaller children or smaller tushies on board! So we devised a system to work in shifts. The hubby and I always rode up front, then we'd take my niece, her husband, my two little nieces and my son to a street and drop them off. Next we'd go pick up my daughter and her 3 ghoulfriends from the street they were on, and drop them off on the next street, where we'd pick the first group back up again and take them over to the following street. That way everyone got to ride and walk and it was far less tiring. I had little mini lighted Jack O'Lanterns up on the dash and we had Halloween music on the CD player. It was heaps of fun. That's the hubby up front, and just a portion of the rest of the clan. Our neighborhood has truly morphed into Trick or Treat central. And literally hundreds of people come from all over. I like to think that I have been instrumental in spreading the contagion of Halloween excitement here. Oh...and I don't know if any of you remember earlier this year when I blogged about our neighbor who gives out candy to the little ones and beer in paper cups to the parents, but here is a photo of him. We heard the call as we approached his house..."who wants some beer"?! We took him up on the Heineken he had on tap in a mini keg in that little refrigerator you see in the background! His little beer station has become an institution here....ha! He and his wife have 2 young children themselves, so don't worry, he would never serve any alcohol to minors.
The house on the street over from us has a really good Haunted House every year. It's occupied by college age/young adults who seemingly have some connection to Universal Studios because their props are very professional and high tech. They certainly aren't available in any Halloween store around these parts. They do up the inside of the house, as well as lighting up the entire front yard. And you can hear their 'Halloween' theme music from several streets over. The image below is their yard, but again I just had my small camera so the quality is not that great.
While we were there, 2 John Deer tractors pulling big hayride wagons showed up and an entire fleet of Trick or Treaters young and old disembarked and swarmed the haunted house. I tried to take some photos to show not only the Haunted House, but also the flocks of people milling about. It's really a magical time, and the back section of the neighborhood where we live, is the most festive section of the whole subdivision. It always make me smile and chuckle to see hayrides coming through a golf course community. It lets you know that Halloween is serious business here! :o) Needless to say, there is always some debate over whether the residents approve or disapprove of the fact that people who don't even live here, come into our neighborhood to Trick or Treat. It obviously means that we must buy a LOT of candy which is expensive when you give out the good stuff. You don't even want to know how much we spend just in candy alone....it would SCARE you! BUT....all the extra people make the whole area so festive and exciting. And they are all usually very well behaved. I say....bring em' on! I will note however, that we have seen an ever increasing age to the Trick or Treaters here, including old teens, young adults and even an old granny this year, who had her bag out for loot. I like that...and why the hell not?! Life has 364 other mundane and responsible days to be a grown up....why not be a disguised kid again one night a year?We received many compliments on our yard haunt, especially the real iron gates we use for the little cemetery and of course our 10 ft. scarecrow. My parents said that people were stopping in front of the scarecrow and taking pictures of their kids and families standing in front of him. I love that!
And THAT right there....is why we do all that we do on Halloween. For those kids who will remember fondly when they are grown.....trick or treating in a really cool neighborhood where everyone totally got into the spirit. Where there were haunted houses, and hayrides. Where the candy givers all dressed up and tried to scare them right back, and where they gave out the good candy. The candy that you can't wait to sit down with at the end of the night for the big 'Candy Exchange'! That's one of our own kids' favorite parts of the night!
And one day, those same kids, long since grown up....will dig out their vintage Trick or Treat photos to show their own children and grand kids, or share them on their blogs. And those photos will show them standing in front of my graveyard and scarecrow....and people who love Halloween like we all do here, will ooh and ahh over the customs and costumes of those days of yore!
So it's time once again to wave good-bye to the passing year, and to another enchanting Halloween season! I bid thee a fond farewell old friend, and I await your return again in the coming year!

Parting Shot - Plundering the Loot

Today was a busy day! Actually this weekend was a busy weekend. We celebrated a birthday here, and went to Universal and Harry Potter's Wizarding World. I was really hoping that they might have that area of the park all decked out for Halloween. You know, like the great hall is decorated in the Harry Potter films. But alas, nothing....boo hiss! But we did manage to do 2 fun Halloweeny things this weekend. 1.) We played Halloween Edition Yahtzee. I haven't played Yahtzee in years, and I am happy to report that my Halloween Magic was with me, and I rolled a Yahtzee on my very first turn...a Yahtzee of all Bats! And I beat the other 4 players to win the whole game. Woo Hoo!

The second Halloweeny thing we did was 2.) Read "The Halloween Tree" book by Ray Bradbury. Of course I love "The Halloween Tree" video, it's my favorite Halloween movie of all because it captures not only the magic of the holiday, but also its ancient roots as well. It smartly teaches children why they even bother to celebrate it at all. But the book is SO much better even than the cartoon movie, because it can really get more in depth with the story. And Bradbury's magical way with words and descriptions just can't be beat. If you haven't actually read this book, I would encourage you to read it this Halloween Season, and every month of October from here on out. It's truly a spectacular celebration of the most magical holiday of all!

With that being said...I'm just posting a 'Parting Shot' image. That's my term for images taken from behind, which are some of my favorites. This shot above is of my niece, pillaging and plundering her loot after a hard night's work of Trick or Treating!

My Poem - Ode to Candy Corn

Ode To Candy Corn

By Wendy A © 2010

Candy Corn I love you so

More than you may ever know

Why else would I sit idly by

And let my brain be candified.

I bite into your waxy skin,

And let my sugar high begin.

I bite the white upon your tip.

To taste your sweetness on my lips.

Then I move down just a little.

And gnaw away your orange middle.

The sugar flows right through my veins.

I’m powerless, I can’t abstain.

The last thing left for me to do,

Is finish off the yellow too.

I chew it slowly, just to savor

All that sweet and gooey flavor.

I try real hard to stop myself.

And put the bag back on the shelf.

But now that I have finished one.

My willpower has been overrun.

My brain it squirms and starts to twitch.

I must now scratch this evil itch.

I eye the bag and start to drool.

Reduced now to a candy fool.

I grab the bag and rip it open.

Thrust in my hand and start a gropin’

I feel them in my sticky fingers.

As memories of their sweetness lingers.

I try hard to resist the urge,

Of yielding to the sugar surge.

A futile attempt to halt defeat.

Then I inhale that scent so sweet.

And like a monster now consumed

I won’t stop til’ they’re all exhumed.

I grab them by the handfuls steady,

I’ve eaten half the bag already.

I won’t rest now til’ I devour,

The entire bag within the hour.

I don’t stop to come up for air.

There’s candy corns stuck in my hair.

I shove them in, they taste so good.

I’d stop now if I only could.

Help! I’m in an awful state.

Oh what is to become my fate?

I surrender to my candy binge.

And watch my fragile state unhinge.

Alas, I’ve eaten every one.

My sugar coma has begun.

I lay there in a state of shock.

While, the candy corns they mock.

I hear their voices in my head.

I see the crumbs strewn on my bed.

My belly starts to groan and ache.

As guilt begins to overtake.

I think I hear my teeth decay.

I hope they do not rot away.

I curse you wretched Candy Corn.

For leaving me here so forlorn.

I lay here in a sticky sweat.

Filled with guilt and deep regret.

And even still, I can’t forsake thee.

Tho’ each time a fool you make me.

Oh Candy Corn, why must you taunt me?

Your colors and your sweetness haunt me.

** Truth in Advertising Disclaimer

( I actually hate candy corn, but I love the way it looks!) :o)

Artwork and Poetry © 2010 Wendy A.