My Halloween Memories

I don't recall any pictures taken of me in costume. Hmmm... I don't recall any store bought costumes either. Mom always did a wonderful job of making sure we had wonderful costumes. I always wanted to be a fairy princess though.

Halloween was always such a fun time for me growing up. It was a time when Mom and Dad could send me and the rest of my siblings off all by ourselves with a time to return and didn't have to worry about us. Since we generally lived on or near a military base, it was considered safe. And, at that time in the world, there wasn't any reason to believe it shouldn't be safe. The news didn't report child kidnappings, objects planted in candy or anything else that could harm children. People even gave away home-baked items then and you took them.

I remember what was probably my last night of Trick or Treating. All of us kids left the house with our return time. Mom left instructions for us to not eat any of the candy until we returned home. We went by one house and I saw the lady put a packaged small pecan pie into our Halloween bags. I knew I wanted that and didn't want to share so upon our return home I went into the laundry room. Using only the light from the hallway, I found the pecan pie, opened it up very quietly and began eating it. Halfway through the pie, one of the kids discovered me and turned on the light. Then, much to my surprise and disguist, I discovered that my coveted and desired had mold growing on it. I made a fast dash to the bathroom to wash out my mouth and brush my teeth. I should have listened to Mom.

Our First Wyoming Halloween

Ever since Corey was in kindergarten, I have made my "Nutter Butter Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookie Halloween Ghosts" for Halloween. I made several of them this year for some of my friends to enjoy this year.

The hardest part of making them this year was finding the Nutter Butter Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies. Then they are dipped into melting almond bark and the two eyes are made with miniature chocolate chip cookies. Afterwards, they are laid on waxed paper to cool and then are ready to eat.
For our anticipated trick-or-treaters, I bought two large bags of Dum-Dum Chewy Pops with 200 in each bag. Boy was that a mistake! Although we do live in a regular neighborhood with children we only had the grand total of 4 children. Three of them rang the doorbell after we'd turned the light off. Don't think I'll buy much next year, if any. Now I just gotta figure a way to get rid of 390 Dum-Dum's.

Belated Halloween Candy Information

I ran across this article on another blog about Halloween candy and what it says about you. Read on...Analysis says:

Butterfinger givers might be slippery; Snickers givers are dependable.

Three 3 Musketeers: Does well in groups but is somewhat pompous. Prone to fancy costumes and arcane weapons. Wears hats in public that are ill-advised. History: Created in 1932 by Mars, the candy bar got its name because it originally had three pieces in one packet: vanilla, strawberry and chocolate. Calorie count: The Fun Size (17 grams) has 71 calories.

Almond Joy: I'm going to put aside my aversion to coconut in praising these folks as happy-go-lucky. History: Introduced in 1946 by the Peter Paul Candy Manufacturing Co. in New Haven, Conn. It's a companion to the Mounds bar, which arrived in 1920. Calorie count: The snack size (19 grams) has 91 calories.

Bit-O-Honey: They have contradictory personalities, hoping to express generosity but also having the passive-aggressive desire to damage the fillings of trick-or-treaters. History: The honey-flavored taffy was first manufactured in 1924 by the Schutter-Johnson Co. of Chicago. It is now made by Nestle. Calorie count: The snack size (7 grams) has 26 calories.

Butterfinger: Evasive, slippery, not necessarily to be trusted. History: Invented in 1923 by the Curtiss Candy Co. of Chicago. The crunchy bar wrapped in chocolate is now made by Nestle. Calorie count: The Fun Size (21 grams) has 100 calories.

Candy Corn: Purely deluded people. They don't get that candy shouldn't attempt to imitate other food groups, particularly corn. History: Invented in the 1880s, it was first manufactured commercially by the Wunderle Candy Co. in Philadelphia and by the turn of the century at the Herman Goelitz Candy Co. in Cincinnati.Calorie count: A serving of 22 pieces (40 grams) has 140 calories.

Good & Plenty: Optimistic, perhaps overly so; acquainted with the bitterness at the center of most lives. History: The licorice candy was first produced in 1893 by the Quaker City Confectionery Co. in Philadelphia and is considered the oldest branded candy in the country. Calorie count: A serving of 33 pieces (39 grams) has 140 calories, or 4.2 calories per piece.

Reese's Peanut Butter Cups: Generous souls. Those who understand the salty in life, as well as the sweet. History: Created by Harry Burnett Reese in the 1920s. Reese was a former dairy employee of Milton Hershey, founder of the Hershey Co. In 1963, the Reese candy company was sold to Hershey for $23.5 million. Calorie count: A one-cup package (17 grams) has 88 calories.

Snickers: Just going with the crowd, the safe candy choice, guaranteed to please the masses. Not ambitious, but dependable. History: Created in 1930 by Mars, Snickers bars sold for a nickel. The Fun Size was introduced in 1968. Calorie count: The Fun Size (15 grams) has 72 calories.

Twix: Both brittle and supple in social situations; sort of trapped between personality types. History: A Mars product, caramel-and-cookie Twix bars were created in the United Kingdom in 1967 but weren't sold in the United States until 1979. Calorie count: The Fun Size (15 grams) has 80 calories.

Twizzlers: Sickos. Truly demented. Plastic people living plastic lives. History: The Twizzlers brand was introduced in 1929. The red licorice strips are manufactured by Y&S Candies, a company established in 1845 that is now a Hershey subsidiary. Calorie count: One package (70 grams) has 240 calories.

So which one is your favorite? I personally love Reese's and Snickers.