Chit-Chat: What's On Your Mind Today?

[Laura Holt]

We had exactly 31 kids as of 8.10.  We will probably leave the lights on until around 8.30 but I doubt we'll get any more kids.  And I agree @Browncoat and @ABay buy the good stuff!   We always buy too much just in case as I hate the thought of turning kids away, but really next year I think we need to accept that we should plan for 50 at most.

[oliviabenson]

The clown from IT movies is terrifying.

[PRgal]

I had trouble controlling my little guy tonight.  He was running all over the place and I was really concerned for his safety.  He kept on wanting to walk across people's lawns and climbing over hedges to get to the next house.  No.  HE CANNOT DO THAT.  We managed to go to, maybe 25-30 houses?  Got a decent enough stash.  Not as much as last year, but okay enough.  It should last him for the next couple of weeks before he gets tired of them.  By then we would have moved on to the holiday stuff anyway.

[GHScorpiosRule]

51 minutes ago, Browncoat said:

It is 7:45, and there have been zero trick-or-treaters in my neighborhood.  How long do I have to keep my light on?

 

ETA: One kid just came!  (at 7:50)

 

33 minutes ago, Browncoat said:

I'm turning off the light now -- it's after 8.  And this is why I buy good candy that I like.  

Even in 2020, I had more than one trick-or-treater.  I don't know where they go these days, but it isn't my neighborhood!

I didn’t have a single kid ring my door bell this year. And my floor has lots of kids, not to mention the building. Weird.

[Laura Holt]

1 minute ago, PRgal said:

He kept on wanting to walk across people's lawns and climbing over hedges to get to the next house. 

Every year we get at least one child who walks right into the house.  The poor parent is standing on the porch going "no no we don't go in people's houses!"  But really much as I love Halloween it must be so confusing for little ones.  All year we tell them not to go up to strange houses and to never to take candy from strangers and then one day a year all the rules get thrown out the window!

[PRgal]

1 minute ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

 

I didn’t have a single kid ring my door bell this year. And my floor has lots of kids, not to mention the building. Weird.

We're not allowed to trick or treat in our building so we always have to go to a residential area with houses.  We picked a decent neighbourhood, but the place we went to last year was way, way busier.  We might have wrapped a bit too early though.  We started around 6:30 pm and finished an hour later since it was getting close to his bedtime.  But that was when the 8-12 year old kids started going out and things were getting busier...

[ECM1231]

The numbers have been dwindling over the years and last year I had but a handful. I actually got smart last year , only opened 1 bag at a time as needed, and returned the unopened bags to the supermarket with the receipt. Otherwise I'd eat it all. If I bought the crappy kind of candy, I wouldn't be tempted to eat it, but I don't want to give the little goblins crappy candy.

So this morning I ran out and only bought 5 bags. Wouldn't you know it, but between 3:30 and 6, the kiddos were out in full force. I opened the last bag, but after 6, the bell hasn't rung. 

[partofme]

I’ve never lived anywhere that had trick or treaters.   

[Laura Holt]

1 minute ago, ECM1231 said:

I actually got smart last year , only opened 1 bag at a time as needed, and returned the unopened bags to the supermarket with the receipt.

In our old neighbourhood we usually got anywhere from 120-150 kids and we would make up little treat bags with licorice, gum, a chocolate bar etc. - stuff we would have wanted when we were kids but mostly don't eat now.  Anyway we moved to a much quieter area but didn't realize it at the time - and ended up with almost a 100 bags that we didn't give out!  Lesson learned!  

3 minutes ago, partofme said:

I’ve never lived anywhere that had trick or treaters.   

I think my husband would be beside himself if that ever happened!  I can see us someday in a retirement home and he'll insist "you never know" and sit by the door with a bowl of candy ever hopeful!

[BooksRule]

I moved into my neighborhood about 20 years ago (in mid-October) and had a lot of trick or treaters that first year (I had already been warned to get lots of candy).  Every year after that it's been fairly busy, but the numbers have dwindled each year.  I'm wondering if people just don't go out on Halloween any more because so many places have 'trunk or treat' events (some even have 'truck or treat').  I know of at least four in my town since Friday. Kids get loaded up on candy long before the actual holiday.  I haven't been home for Halloween visitors since pre-Covid.  I stayed at work tonight until I knew kids would be home and not roaming the streets.

Back in my day (yes, I'm of a 'certain age') we would go out at dark and could go anywhere with a certain range from the house (about three blocks in three directions, the fourth ended after the first block at a waterfront).  We could go anywhere a porch light was on as long as we were back home by 9pm.  I remember we would fill up shopping bags with candy.  Funny, though, I can't remember specific kinds of candy we would get (the usual stuff, I assume), but I remember the elderly woman a few houses up from us who would give out unshelled pecans and satsumas (both from trees in her yard).  As far as I know, no kids ever fussed about getting them.  I liked the satsumas (I never get enough of them) and still connect seeing them in stores and produce stands with Halloween.

As for costumes, I do remember my younger brother and sister wearing 'store bought' costumes (bunny rabbits, batman, clown, etc. with those goofy thin plastic masks) but all I can recall about my own choices were that I seemed to be a hippy, witch, or gypsy almost every year (easy costumes to put together, I guess). 

Edited November 1, 2023 by BooksRule

[annzeepark914]

We had 68. My husband doles out the candy (& keeps count each year). And we had several little ones walk right into our house to point at the candy they wanted (the candy is in a huge bowl on a little table right inside the door). So funny!! They started at 6PM and it quieted down by 7-ish with some stragglers coming until almost 8:15. It's a cold school night. He's going to take the rest of the candy to the firehouse 😸🎃🍁

[oliviabenson]

1 hour ago, partofme said:

I’ve never lived anywhere that had trick or treaters.   

I had 1 in like 30 years lol

[jennifer6973]

Around here the town does Halloween the Sunday closest to the holiday, from 2-4 pm.  The church my dad goes to has an event with hot dogs, water and candy.

Since he does that I close the blinds and ignore the Littles walking around the neighborhood. 

[Spartan Girl]

We usually get kids being driven to our neighborhood because we live by a church that does a trunk or treat.

I sat on our porch and passed out candy. It also happened to be snowing, so I alternated with my mom. I was leery about not wearing a mask but as long as it was outside, we were probably okay, right?

[PRgal]

I was surprised at how mid-tier the candy my son got was.  It's a fairly well-off area, but we got a lot of things that were, how shall I put it....low-tier.  I was expecting better.  We went to a different area last year, but we were invited by a friend and it was a long drive.  Might go somewhere else next year.

I think the mid-tierness of the selection was because half the homes were empty-nesters/boomers who now have a more limited budget.   

[Laura Holt]

I've been reading a lot of articles about how much more expensive Halloween candy was this year @PRgal.  I guess that must be true but personally I don't think we paid any more for what we bought this year than we paid last year.  But maybe that's because we're "low-tier"?  If by that you mean bags of chips and treat size chocolate bars 😀.

[PRgal]

1 hour ago, Laura Holt said:

I've been reading a lot of articles about how much more expensive Halloween candy was this year @PRgal.  I guess that must be true but personally I don't think we paid any more for what we bought this year than we paid last year.  But maybe that's because we're "low-tier"?  If by that you mean bags of chips and treat size chocolate bars 😀.

Chips are okay.  I consider that in the mid-range.  I think my idea of "low" are those that my parents would have thrown out back in the days of "check your children's candy!  There may be blades!" in the 80s and 90s.  My husband's idea of low-tier are lollypops.  Treat sized chocolate bars are perfectly fine!!!  Back in the day, that was those sizes were the only ones I was allowed to eat whole.  Shrinkflation has also gotten into the Halloween business. Halloween Aero bars (for example) used to be much bigger!

[peacheslatour]

1 hour ago, Laura Holt said:

I've been reading a lot of articles about how much more expensive Halloween candy was this year @PRgal.  I guess that must be true but personally I don't think we paid any more for what we bought this year than we paid last year.  But maybe that's because we're "low-tier"?  If by that you mean bags of chips and treat size chocolate bars 😀.

My husband bought me my very own bag of Mounds bars because apparently, I'm the only person in the world that likes them.

[annzeepark914]

22 minutes ago, peacheslatour said:

My husband bought me my very own bag of Mounds bars because apparently, I'm the only person in the world that likes them.

Hah! 😁 MrP914 kept bringing home those long packages of miniature Almond Joys. I finally said that I preferred Mounds, that the Almonds Joys are OTT sweet. So now I get Mounds and I too thought I was the *only* person in the world because you can't find Mounds just anywhere any more. Back in the 60's, my mom & her best friend used to go on shopping trips to White Plains (NY). On the trip home they'd snack on Mounds and apples (take a bite of one, then the other). It's a great combo with semi-tart Granny Smiths. Right now, though, I'm eating miniature Snickers that I popped in the freezer last night. So much better this way 🧡🎃

[peacheslatour]

7 minutes ago, annzeepark914 said:

Hah! 😁 MrP914 kept bringing home those long packages of miniature Almond Joys. I finally said that I preferred Mounds, that the Almonds Joys are OTT sweet. So now I get Mounds and I too thought I was the *only* person in the world because you can't find Mounds just anywhere any more. Back in the 60's, my mom & her best friend used to go on shopping trips to White Plains (NY). On the trip home they'd snack on Mounds and apples (take a bite of one, then the other). It's a great combo with semi-tart Granny Smiths. Right now, though, I'm eating miniature Snickers that I popped in the freezer last night. So much better this way 🧡🎃

Right? I love the dark chocolate of the Mounds bars. And you mentioning apples cracks me up. Last night I made a salad for dinner- red lettuce, chicken, toasted pecans, apples and scallions. Mounds for dessert, natch.

[stewedsquash]

I like Mounds and Almond Joy. Homemade ones are to die for. Find an old lady who does baked goods around Easter and get one of her peanut butter eggs and coconut eggs. Yumyumyum.  Almond Joy was trending yesterday because apparently people think it is the worst candy bar. Worst for me that are popular for others are Twix and KitKats. Yuck city. I don’t even really like Snickers. My favorite candy bars are hard to find 5th Avenue (far superior to Butterfingers), Zero, and Reeses Pieces. I prefer Trader Joe’s peanut butter cups to Reesie cups (regional nickname for Reeses).  
 

Edited November 1, 2023 by stewedsquash
Extra are’s

[shapeshifter]

2 hours ago, PRgal said:

I think the mid-tierness of the selection was because half the homes were empty-nesters/boomers who now have a more limited budget.   

This post👆 is very comforting to me, @PRgal.
Lately when I read comments to NY Times articles, there are quite a few self-described 20-40-somethings who have misconceptions about the financial state of most so-called Boomers. I'm okay, but only because I am frugal. 

The bitter complainers on the NYT site say they have huge student debt and little income, so I get that they want to complain about having gotten a raw deal.
But I didn't have any savings in my bank account until after my kids graduated from college. I suppose it was different for 2-income families, especially those with one salary 20-20% higher than mine in part because of the gender-wage gap. But given that statistically about 20-25% of "Boomers" are divorced women, I don't like being painted with the same economic brush.

I mostly blame whoever allowed credit card companies to set up folding tables in student unions the year my still-indebted-40-year-old started college. Thank goodness they disallowed that by the time my youngest started college.

 

**********

 

Given that the main ingredient in Mounds candy bars is corn syrup this sounds like a good idea:

51 minutes ago, annzeepark914 said:

Back in the 60's, my mom & her best friend used to go on shopping trips to White Plains (NY). On the trip home they'd snack on Mounds and apples (take a bite of one, then the other). It's a great combo with semi-tart Granny Smiths.

 

[stewedsquash]

Oh jeeze forgot to add Tootsie rolls. Not the nasty flavors but original Tootsie. Only update that is superior are the also hard to find individually wrapped bite size Tweetsie eggs at Easter. They have a candy coating that give it a crunch. 
 

I don’t eat a lot of sweets but do ration out those things I listed through the year. About a month ago I finished the last Tootsie egg.

[oliviabenson]

I love almond joy candy. Followed by Kit Kat, twix and snickers.

and candy is much more expensive than last year IMO. If people were buying multiple bags maybe they bought whatever was the cheapest.

[PRgal]

35 minutes ago, stewedsquash said:

Oh jeeze forgot to add Tootsie rolls. Not the nasty flavors but original Tootsie. Only update that is superior are the also hard to find individually wrapped bite size Tweetsie eggs at Easter. They have a candy coating that give it a crunch. 
 

I don’t eat a lot of sweets but do ration out those things I listed through the year. About a month ago I finished the last Tootsie egg.

I had Tootsie Rolls for the first time (yes, EVER) yesterday.  Sorry, but it's NOT for me.  I don't like anything that gets stuck on teeth.  Give me a KitKat or a Coffee Crisp and I'm a happy camper.

[peacheslatour]

1 hour ago, stewedsquash said:

I like Mounds and Almond Joy. Homemade ones are to die for. Find an old lady who does baked goods around Easter and get one of her peanut butter eggs and coconut eggs. Yumyumyum.  Almond Joy was trending yesterday because apparently people think it is the worst candy bar. Worst for me that are popular for others are Twix and KitKats. Yuck city. I don’t even really like Snickers. My favorite candy bars are hard to find 5th Avenue (far superior to Butterfingers), Zero, and Reeses Pieces. I prefer Trader Joe’s peanut butter cups to Reesie cups (regional nickname for Reeses).  
 

That old lady would be me. I make a version of the Cadbury fruit and nut candy with semisweet chocolate, raisins, almonds and rum extract. I've made peanut butter cups and chocolate-butterscotch peanut clusters too.

[oliviabenson]

1 hour ago, peacheslatour said:

That old lady would be me. I make a version of the Cadbury fruit and nut candy with semisweet chocolate, raisins, almonds and rum extract. I've made peanut butter cups and chocolate-butterscotch peanut clusters too.

Can you adopt me and feed me your yummy candy daily? 

[Bastet]

2 hours ago, PRgal said:

I had Tootsie Rolls for the first time (yes, EVER) yesterday.  Sorry, but it's NOT for me.  I don't like anything that gets stuck on teeth.

Yeah, I hate the texture of those, but I don't care for the taste, either.  There's something weird about it.

[oliviabenson]

Not a fan of tootsie rolls either. I mean I’d eat them if I got them as a gift lol. But no buying.

[isalicat]

I hereby bequeath my lifetime allotment of all manufactured candy bars to you all. I only like plain dark chocolate (preferably 70% cacao) and nowadays gravitate to the kind that is eco-friendly when I buy it at all.

When I was a kid, frozen Three Musketeers bars were the bomb and I had a ritual around eating candy corn (bite off the white part, then the bottom yellow part and then you eat the orange center), but nowadays anything with corn syrup tastes too sweet to me and since I am quite vain, I follow Kate Moss' edict ("nothing tastes as good as skinny feels") within reason (because fanaticism is boring).

[oliviabenson]

I have a terrible sweet tooth lol. I can’t give up candy and cakes. a little slice of cake or pie and I’m as happy as can be.

[stewedsquash]

46 minutes ago, oliviabenson said:

Can you adopt me and feed me your yummy candy daily? 

No she can’t she is busy making stuff for me.

[annzeepark914]

I forgot that Snickers are only delicious to me after they've been in the freezer for a while. It removes that OTT sweetness, IMO. Have to be careful eating them, though (biting into them with my molars, so you *know* this is only done in private 😁).

[PRgal]

3 hours ago, isalicat said:

I hereby bequeath my lifetime allotment of all manufactured candy bars to you all. I only like plain dark chocolate (preferably 70% cacao) and nowadays gravitate to the kind that is eco-friendly when I buy it at all.

 

You sound like me!  But KitKat and Coffee Crisp still have a special place in my heart. 

[theredhead77]

I will hold a grudge and be bitter until the day I die over the discontinuation of this amazing candy bar. Skybar is not the same.

[ECM1231]

9 hours ago, peacheslatour said:

My husband bought me my very own bag of Mounds bars because apparently, I'm the only person in the world that likes them.

I LOVE Mounds and Almond Joy bars, but my husband is not a fan of anything with coconut. 

[EtheltoTillie]

10 hours ago, peacheslatour said:

My husband bought me my very own bag of Mounds bars because apparently, I'm the only person in the world that likes them.

Oh I love them too!  

 

6 hours ago, Bastet said:

Yeah, I hate the texture of those, but I don't care for the taste, either.  There's something weird about it.

It’s sort of the same texture as candy corn, which is really awful!  Maybe I’m remembering chocolate babies, the racist candy no one makes anymore. That was also the candy corn texture. 

@Mondrianyone please fill us in on that costume if you get an answer. Personally I’m also going with blue period. 

Edited November 2, 2023 by EtheltoTillie

[Phebemarie]

I bought full-sized Sour Skittles for my trick or treaters.  I knew having left-over chocolate in the house was not a good idea, and kids love those sour Skittles.  They don't tempt me at all.  I had a few left over to share with my little niece when she visits next time.  

Candy/cookie related:  Did anyone enjoy the original Nestle Pinwheel?  Pinwheels had a dark chocolate exterior, marshmallow interior, with a cookie base.  Delicious.  I associate them with my dad, who loved them.  I finally picked up a package a few years after my dad had passed away.  As with so many good things, the good people at Nestle had changed the recipe and what was once delicious was cloyingly sweet.  Very bittersweet.  

 

[Ancaster]

17 hours ago, Laura Holt said:

I've been reading a lot of articles about how much more expensive Halloween candy was this year @PRgal.  I guess that must be true but personally I don't think we paid any more for what we bought this year than we paid last year.  But maybe that's because we're "low-tier"?  If by that you mean bags of chips and treat size chocolate bars 😀.

I'm not a big fan of Halloween, mainly because I don't like the whole candy excess and waste and greed, but I somewhere today that had leftover candy out so I took a piece.  It was a Snickers that was so tiny the chocolate itself must have been practically non-existent.  I don't actually know because I was so shocked at its worthlessness I just put it back.  Why?  The environmental horror of the packaging is just mind-blowing.

[Ancaster]

6 hours ago, ECM1231 said:

I LOVE Mounds and Almond Joy bars, but my husband is not a fan of anything with coconut. 

I think these are similar to British Bounty Bars, with or without the almond.  I came to them late in life as I used to be like your husband, but I made the sacrifice and overcame my former dislike in favour of adding more chocolate to my diet.

[Ancaster]

I just came across this and I think I'm going to adopt it as my new mantra.  Seems like common sense and good advice.

 

Edited November 2, 2023 by Ancaster

[Ancaster]

15 hours ago, peacheslatour said:

Right? I love the dark chocolate of the Mounds bars. And you mentioning apples cracks me up. Last night I made a salad for dinner- red lettuce, chicken, toasted pecans, apples and scallions. Mounds for dessert, natch.

Coincidentally, last night I had arugula, gruyere, apple (a fabulous new-to-me variety called SugarBee) and spiced candied peanut salad with Ben and Jerry's Salted Caramel Almond Ice-cream for dessert.  I like to balance my healthy for the body with my healthy for the soul when I eat.

15 hours ago, stewedsquash said:

I like Mounds and Almond Joy. Homemade ones are to die for. Find an old lady who does baked goods around Easter and get one of her peanut butter eggs and coconut eggs. Yumyumyum.  Almond Joy was trending yesterday because apparently people think it is the worst candy bar. Worst for me that are popular for others are Twix and KitKats. Yuck city. I don’t even really like Snickers. My favorite candy bars are hard to find 5th Avenue (far superior to Butterfingers), Zero, and Reeses Pieces. I prefer Trader Joe’s peanut butter cups to Reesie cups (regional nickname for Reeses).  
 

 

14 hours ago, peacheslatour said:

That old lady would be me. I make a version of the Cadbury fruit and nut candy with semisweet chocolate, raisins, almonds and rum extract. I've made peanut butter cups and chocolate-butterscotch peanut clusters too.

 

12 hours ago, oliviabenson said:

Can you adopt me and feed me your yummy candy daily? 

That lady would also be me, and in another coincidence or two, my family makes a chocolate, dried fruit, hazelnut, digestive biscuit (think superior graham crackers), refrigerator cookie kind of thing that we call Chocolate Yum Yums.  I'd be glad to make some and share, once everyone's done with their Halloween candy.

[Mindthinkr]

3 hours ago, Ancaster said:

That lady would also be me, and in another coincidence or two, my family makes a chocolate, dried fruit, hazelnut, digestive biscuit (think superior graham crackers), refrigerator cookie kind of thing that we call Chocolate Yum Yums.  I'd be glad to make some and share, once everyone's done with their Halloween candy

Oh yes please. I used to love the European version of Cadbury Fruit and Nut bars until (like @Phebemarie stated above) the original company was sold. I’d love that recipe or a taste. 

[Ancaster]

2 hours ago, Mindthinkr said:

Oh yes please. I used to love the European version of Cadbury Fruit and Nut bars until (like @Phebemarie stated above) the original company was sold. I’d love that recipe or a taste. 

No recipe I'm afraid.  It's all by eye and personal taste - basically for me a mixture of the above-mentioned crushed Digestive biscuits (much better than they sound and available at Cost Plus World Market, or Hobnobs can be used but the texture is different), sultanas (golden raisins), maybe dried cherries or apricots, lightly crushed hazelnuts, decent quality chocolate that you like (no Hersheys allowed!), butter, Golden Syrup (kind of like corn syrup, but I've never used that).  Melt the chocolate, butter and syrup and use it to bind everything.

Sorry that's a pretty useless recipe, but Chef Google can probably be helpful.  (Or whatever probably less invasive search engine you use.)

The virtual taste is much easier to supply - sending you all one now!

[BooksRule]

 

Quote

I like Mounds and Almond Joy. Homemade ones are to die for. Find an old lady who does baked goods around Easter and get one of her peanut butter eggs and coconut eggs.

My mom used to make the Mounds candy (the recipe was called Martha Washington candy).  I think the only difference was that an option was to put some ground pecans in the mixture.  I mainly remember them tasting exactly like Mounds candy bars, but in 'ball' form.  I have the recipe somewhere in my stuff.  She did make homemade peanut butter cups one time, but decided that it was easier just to buy Reese's cups!  

I'm not a huge candy person (I prefer something like a piece of pound cake or Snickerdoodles), but I do like Reese's cups, and maybe a Three Musketeers bar.  For candy, I usually go for sour, such as Sour Patch Kids.

[peacheslatour]

Quote

She did make homemade peanut butter cups one time, but decided that it was easier just to buy Reese's cups!  

And she was right.

[Laura Holt]

We were supposed to be visiting extended family this coming week but everything got cancelled at the last minute.  On the plus side we're not doing a day and a half's worth of driving just to get there, which, yay, but on the down side we were looking forward to a mini break even if it wasn't a tropical lazing on the beach one.   Now we need to figure out if we want to substitute a shorter trip closer to home or just save our pennies towards Christmas.

Edited November 3, 2023 by Laura Holt

[shapeshifter]

23 minutes ago, Laura Holt said:

We were supposed to be visiting extended family this coming week but everything got cancelled at the last minute.  On the plus side we're not doing a day and a half's worth of driving just to get there, which, yay, but on the down side we were looking forward to a mini break even if it wasn't a tropical lazing on the beach one.   Now we need to figure out if we want to substitute a shorter trip closer to home or just save our pennies towards Christmas.

If it were me, I'd go for a walk in nature and save the pennies.

[ABay]

I spent last weekend visiting family and, while I'm glad to have seen them and to have met my 2 grandnephews for the first time (and stock up on sponge candy and other local delicacies), I couldn't wait to get home. One sister had Covid--which she didn't know until the second day--and the children had runny noses and loud voices...yikes.

Now that the toll barriers are gone and 3/4 of the rest stops on the Thruway are closed for renovations (no restrooms! For miles and miles!), and the lack of troopers and construction, I made really good time both ways.

You know...The Massachusetts turnpike has maybe two signs between Springfield and the NYS state line letting you know they'll mail you the toll bill if you don't have EZPass. New York has like 5 signs around every exit and more in between telling you to call the number on the sign or else. And when you call, it's the same as MA--they'll mail you the bill.

[Laura Holt]

3 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

If it were me, I'd go for a walk in nature and save the pennies.

Definitely leaning towards this option.  We've cast around a few alternatives and nothing is all that appealing.  Probably will get some stuff done around the house and make a few day trips.  The family get together has been pushed forward to the spring, which all things considered is probably for the best.  I do admit driving any distance in November had me a little concerned.  We can have gorgeous weather or a blizzard...

5 minutes ago, ABay said:

One sister had Covid--which she didn't know until the second day--and the children had runny noses and loud voices...yikes.

Covid is the reason our family get together can cancelled.  Luckily for us my sister realized the runny nose she was experiencing wasn't allergies after all before we set off!