There was a moment on the old Roseanne show where she explained to one of her daughters why the dead walk around on Halloween night. "It's for the candy," she explained. Well, I wonder if the dead have candy preferences? The children who've come to my door over the years certainly do. The brands that I preferred as a child--Snickers, Milky Way, Tootsie Roll--are often termed "old people" candy. I've actually had kids complain about or refuse the aforementioned brands. Instead, they like candy that does special things. Several years ago, I handed out Mentos and wondered why they caused trick or treaters to scream, "She's got Mentos!" Later, I learned they put them in soda, causing mini gushers of foam to spew out of the can. And I recently witnessed several children go berserk when they saw Pop Rocks at the grocery store. So, this year, I have candy the kids clamor for when they come here on Halloween, Pop Rocks and Eye Balls. And I'll throw in some Snickers for their parents. There's also some cheap peanut butter kisses that act as a backup, for when I run out of the good stuff. We get hundreds of kids each year.
As for me, I bought a big package of Medjool Dates last week, and that's been my special treat.
Limiting myself to just two a day required exquisite self control. (And I confess that one day I had four.)
But, it wasn't all about the sweets. I made Lo Mein one day.
And another day, I stir fried a huge bag of spring greens with garlic and sesame seed oil. Yummy. But I doubt the kids would appreciate it as a treat on Halloween. It would make a good trick.
That's so funny - I would have been so excited to get a Snickers when I was a kid. Does that mean I'm old?
Posted by: Deborah | October 30, 2007 at 02:55 PM
Wow have you opened my (real)eyes, there aren't very many trick or treaters here. I had no idea that now I am in the old person candy category. Is it possible for Snickers to be passe??? I like filling my dates with peanut or almond butter...
Posted by: Callipygia | October 30, 2007 at 04:07 PM
I can't imagine that a kid complains when handed such treats! As a child, I certainly would have been happy to get Snicker bars or Milky Ways...
Happy Halloween!
Cheers,
Rosa
Posted by: Rosa | October 30, 2007 at 07:07 PM
hahah, i guess its all relative back when when we trick or treated geting smarties were the worste and snickers was way up there in the ratings.
ooh, i once had a salad with some kind of baked madjool date on top, shewy and sweet it was so good!!
Posted by: aria | October 30, 2007 at 07:29 PM
Wonderful post-- Happy Halloween!
Posted by: Chef JP | October 30, 2007 at 08:11 PM
I just love the tradition of handing out candy to kids!
of course there is not much overlap between what I am willing to have in my house and what kids want, but this year I found organic chocolates with collectible insect cards. old-people candy, or something we can all enjoy?
Posted by: the chocolate lady (eve) | October 30, 2007 at 08:55 PM
Snickers bars are and have always been my favorite halloween candy. Go ahead, call me old, I don't care.
We always had lots and lots of kids at our door until we moved up here - up a long, dark, gravel road. In the country. Not a kid in sight, and still I had a bowl of halloween candy by the door for more years than I care to admit. I finally stopped. Still no kids.
Your Lo Mein and stir-fried greens look so good I just want to poke my chopsticks through the screen and take a bite!
Posted by: Christine | October 30, 2007 at 09:53 PM
Oh my... When I was young enough to trick-or-treat, I LOVED to get Snickers and Milky Ways. The crappy candy was the cheap stuff like off-brand taffy and pressed sugar shapes. And I am only 22!
Posted by: Jamie | October 31, 2007 at 12:43 PM
Forget the candy - I'll take the dates! I love eating them with a sharp goat's cheese.
Well, maybe, just one snickers....
Posted by: Katie | October 31, 2007 at 01:19 PM
Those date looks good and so does the Lo Mein.
Posted by: Kevin | October 31, 2007 at 05:20 PM
My husband gobbles up 6-7 dates a day during fasts(in the Ramadan month)....my mom says it creates heat in the body but I can't stop at 2 either!
Posted by: Nabeela | October 31, 2007 at 11:34 PM
Just goes to show you one man's . . .
I'll take the trick please.
Posted by: Tanna | November 01, 2007 at 01:46 AM
Oh man I heart those cheap peanut butter kisses!! I can't find them around here anymore. I'm comin' to your house next halloween. :P
xoxo
Posted by: Lisa | November 01, 2007 at 06:35 AM
Pop Rocks!!!! I haven't seen those in ages.
Posted by: Lydia | November 01, 2007 at 06:45 AM
Kids are so weird. I gave out a ton of candy last night and all they wanted were the circus animal cookies I had as back ups.
Posted by: peabody | November 01, 2007 at 11:54 AM
I thought I was cool handing out all-chocolate candies this year! When I was little, that house would've been marked out for repeat visits.
eyeballs? jeez....
Posted by: s'kat | November 02, 2007 at 08:59 AM
oh oh oh - this means I am REALLY getting old, am I?
I do love snickers and mars or milky way or even kitkat. well, when I was a child you could not easily get them here in Austria - maybe that's why I still think of them as a special treat (at least for me)
hope you and Upsie are doing fine?
love'n'hugs
Posted by: astrid | November 02, 2007 at 09:33 AM
Dates really are a wonderful treat! I have a bag I treat from, too. It's hard to not just stand there and munch on them.
Posted by: Julie | November 02, 2007 at 12:29 PM
Oh dear. I handed out Snickers, Hershey bars, and Reeses Peanut Butter cups. Perhaps it wasn't the squirrels who destroyed my pumpkins after all. ;)
Posted by: kristi | November 02, 2007 at 06:54 PM
Mmmm...dates. Those are treats to me too. I know what you mean about the candy. When we were kids it was new and special to get the mini candy bars now it's so "been there". At our house the kids, also, fought over the poprocks, lemonheads, and fireballs.
Posted by: Glenna | November 05, 2007 at 11:59 AM