The Trick or Treat Conundrum

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: Now comes the week of Hallowe’en, and with it, my perennial question: to buy candy, or not?

I live on a rural road with seven house close together - the way New Englanders settled, with your neighbors near and a LOT of acreage behind. The year Ross and I moved in with 17 month old Smithie and the one month old Boy, we were hitting a wave. Four of the houses had turned over in the past two years, and we all had babies and toddler. 

 

For the first years, that worked out delightfully. Seven houses is more than enough for three to five year olds, and because we didn’t live in a place where others came to Trick or Treat, everyone was generous with their candy bowls. Special shout-out to the late Steve Heroux, who gave out cold Shipyard Pumpkinhead Ale to all the grownups.

But kid get older, and they make friends well outside of your small neighborhood, and they start to hear about the hauls their classmates made in nearby developments and at their grandmother’s suburbs. My kids went to Catholic school in the big city of Portland, Maine (pop. 70,000) and their tiny urban friends made serious Trick or Treat hauls. I’m talking house giving out full sized chocolate bars.

So we began spending the evening at a friends house; Shari would make a delicious chili and homemade bread for everyone, we’d take our pack of youngsters out and about, and everyone had a good time. (Yes, concerned parents, Ross and I did sequester the trick or treat bags and doled out  reasonable portions of the candy. Starting on November 1st.)

Fast forward to 2026. There are still seven houses in our neighborhood, but only two families have children. There’s a new couple with a teenager part-time, and the rest of us are all on Medicare. For at least the past three or four years, no one’s come to my door, despite my lit candles and friendly pumpkins. And here’s the rub - part of the reason I’ve lost thirty pounds over the past 3-4 years is by not buying any sweets. Never have them in the house. Niente.

But. But….

Reds, what would you do? And how is trick or treating in your neighborhood?

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: No one ever comes. No one. Ever.  Comes. We live in a neighborhood that has a lot of houses, but they’re far apart, and we have a long driveway. I have always thought that trick-or-treaters make a return- on investment assessment, and decide it’s too far to walk for what they could possibly receive.

But I look out for them every year, with high hopes, because I absolutely love to see little kids in costumes.

We faithfully buy trick-or-treat candy, and we have some unopened bags in our pantry from, I’m afraid, years ago. (But it’s still fine, right?)

Last week at Costco we bought a massive box of individually packaged chips and pretzels, Funyuns and Bugles and stuff like that to hand out instead of candy. Do you think kids would like that?

I am still going to buy some Twizzlers, even if I have to dress up and knock on our door to get them. 

JENN McKINLAY: We were not prepared when we moved into the suburbs surrounded by three elementary schools and a middle school. Lord-a-mercy, we ran through three bags of candy in a half hour and had to shut out the lights and hide. The next ten years we went through 10-15 bags of candy (thankfully, this was the Hooligans’ trick or treating era and they enjoyed it to the fullest). Then the recession hit and so many families moved out. Our neighborhood became an ASU suburb and it was all man-buns and the faint whiff of weed smoke for a few years, then the families came back but not as many. Now we go through a respectable five bags of candy, if we’re home and not traveling.

 

 
HALLIE EPHRON: FIFTEEN BAGS?!? Yikes.

I love Halloween, and we have a pretty active trick-or-treat neighborhood with a fresh crop of kiddoes. We only go through 2-3 bags of candy. I try to buy the kind *I* like just in case there are leftovers, but usually by morning the candy’s gone. 

We get a blast of little ones at around 6PM, then a lull, then older kids. After 8 I just put the leftovers in a bowl on the front steps and by morning it’s all gone and I’ll be lucky if no one’s smashed the pumpkin we had on the front steps. 

I don't buy kids liking these, even back in 1958

DEBORAH CROMBIE: Wow, fifteen bags, that’s a LOT of candy!! I never remember to buy candy in time and the supermarkets are always sold out by the time I think about it. Maybe Hank should send me some of hers?? We haven’t done trick or treating in quite a few years now. There are some blocks in our neighborhood that get Jenn’s amount of traffic, but we’ve never had more than a few. Also, we have to shut up the dog, who barks like a maniac even if the little fairies and goblins don’t ring the doorbell, so it’s easier just to turn off the porch light.

And now I feel like a grinch!

 

 

 

 

 

RHYS BOWEN: I live up a steep hill so have never had many kids coming. When we first moved in there were other families on our block and one big boy was a witch with a cauldron that terrified my kids. Recently it’s two or three at the most, although John always bought several bags of Kit Kat. Oh dear. Now I guess I’ll just have to eat these!

I never did much in the way of decorating, but now I have Anne living with me… former theater person.. And we’re having a pumpkin carving party tomorrow. My house already looks like this:  Going to be fun!

 

 

 

 

LUCY BURDETTE: Rhys, those decorations are priceless–if they don’t give you a heart attack! We’re like Hank, we just don’t get kids. The payoff in our neighborhood is poor. Yesterday at the Stop and Shop I had the candy or no candy debate, and ended up with one bag of Nestle’s Crunch just in case. I looked at the Twizzlers and thought of you Hank! But I knew I would eat them all so I left them on the shelf.

When I got home, I said to John, “I tried to choose something we don’t much like.”

“You were successful,” he said. Now we hope a few kids come because WE WILL EAT THEM ANYWAY. There would never ever be bags of candy left lingering in our pantry!

 

JULIA: And of course, if you or your spouse don't leave for the office, the old trick of taking the temptation away to work isn't available! One year when Hallowe'en was on a Saturday, I dumped the rest of the candy in a bowl and set it out for coffee hour at St. Luke's. Sorry, fellow parishioners on a diet.

How about you, dear readers? Do you expect trick or treaters? And how will you prepare for them? 

 

Happy Halloween!!!

 JENN McKINLAY: I love, love, love passing out candy and checking out the Halloween costumes that parade across my porch. My favorites are when entire family dresses up together, but I am a generous candy giver regardless. There might be an extra fun sized chocolate bar tossed into the jack-o-lantern bucket for obvious extra effort but otherwise it's all good and everyone's a winner at my house.

One of my favorite things about October is the costume pics that come across my feed, starting in September. Since it's Halloween today, I thought I'd get us all in the mood with a few recent favorites.

Being from AZ, this was a winner for me:

Look at those baby Granny faces: Cuteness Award!

For those who remember Ye Old Blockbuster:

After Wednesday's post, I fear this is me:

Brilliant couple costume and very funny:

Another one for the couple/group:

I think that's Kenough - LOL.

What about you, Reds and Readers? What are some of your favorite costumes that you've either seen or worn yourself? Lookin' at you, Karen!

Halloween Surprises

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN:
So here's one of the things that absolutely floored me. Did you know this? That if you stack candy corn like this, it becomes a cob of corn? this was jawdropping  the first time I saw it--and continues to wow me. Amazing. I mean, someone thought of this, and designed the little candy corns to be ACTUAL candy corns. Remember, I am from Indiana, so this is not city-girl Hank being baffled by corn. (I am not fond of candy corn, but I love this every time.) Did you know it?

ANYWAY.

I was so impressed to hear of our Jungle Red blogger pal Jay handing out comic books to his trick-or-treaters on Halloween. What a wonderful and generous idea. And it beautifully crosses the cool line. If we handed out, say, pencils, it would not have the same cachet. Or, a little notebooks, that trick-or-treaters could fill in with their deepest thoughts and poetry.

I’m just imagining that for a minute.

I remember the dismissive sneering we did, as kids, when we got apples, or raisins. Items that are forbidden now, aren’t they? Because of what might be hidden inside. Homemade anything, I guess, is suspect.

Personally, I use Halloween as an excuse to get Twizzlers. Individually wrapped Twizzlers. Then I am always loathe to put them out by the door, because someone will take them all. I know, you are saying, Hank, that is the point. But I selfishly save some back for myself. Along with the Snickers. And the Almond Joys. And the Mounds Bars.

So now while there's still time to plan, I am trying to think if there is anything else as clever as comic books to hand out for Halloween trick-or-treaters. What do you all have at your door? And might you… have any alternative ideas?

RHYS BOWEN: Okay, I confess. I only buy Kit Kat and Snickers in large numbers because I know almost no children come to our house and there will be at least two bags left. And someone has to do their duty and eat them, right?

I used to go through my own children's bags and throw out anything that looked as if it was homemade or had been tampered with, unless I knew the neighbor who had made the popcorn balls. 

Other things I have given away? Fake spiders, Halloween puzzles, but now I figure it's just once a year and kids should be allowed to binge on chocolate once. They certainly look forward to the holiday enough! For most kids it's bigger than Christmas.

JENN McKINLAY: I want to trick or treat at Jay's house! Giving out Comics is brilliant!

 I am bummed out this year because I'll be at Bouchercon and the Hub refuses to pass out candy so I can't even decorate the house because I don't want to give kids false hope. And I usually deck out the whole house - full sized skeleton, strings of light up skulls and pumpkins, a scarecrow, headstones, a huge spider, ghosts, etc. And I give out tons of candy. ALL the candy! 

So, there's your answer, Hank. This candy freak gives out about ten bags of candy per year and I love every second of it. No ore conferences on Halloween - grump, grump, grump.

DEBORAH CROMBIE: I think Jay's comics are so brilliant!! I've never given out anything nearly as fun on Halloween. My mom used to love to sit on our porch swing with me and give out treats, but these days we don't have many trick-or-treaters and last year I never even managed to buy candy. Boo. And now I'm craving KitKats, so maybe it's a good thing I won't have an excuse to buy them this year.

HALLIE EPHRON: I agree, Jay's comics are brilliant. I'd have been lined up at his front door.

Jerry's Pumpkin!

We NEVER keep candy in the house so Halloween is my one excuse (and Christmas) to have some. Chocolate! Almond Joy. Hershey's kisses. (They come in dark chocolate now.) I buy what I like so that I'll enjoy the leftovers. Because life's too short...

My husband carves a brilliant pumpkin.

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: Thank heavens almost no one comes to my door for Hallowe'en, because my house sitter would be stuck with the job this year, and I strongly suspect that as a young single woman, she'll have better things to do than stay at my place, waiting to hand out candy. (I, also, always get something I love - the Hershey's mini collection with the mini Reeses cups.

One of my nephews is extremely peanut-allergic, which made me aware of the importance of also having non-candy items so kids with any sort of allergy can take part in the fun. One of my go-to places is Party City, where they have fun little goodies. 

There are Hallowe'en specific things like spider rings and bloody eyeballs, but their birthday party favors section also has tiny toys, games, and disguises.  Another good place for cheap non-candy fun? The Dollar Store. Coloring books, crayons, fairy wands, pirate hats, etc., etc., etc.

LUCY BURDETTE:  We live off the beaten track so I don't buy candy. I would eat it, period. I bought candy corn a couple of weeks ago for a Halloween recipe for Mystery Lovers Kitchen. After I made the cookies (a kitchen disaster!), half the bag was left. It sat in the pantry, calling to me--and I don't like candy corn very much! After I'd eaten half the bag, I had to throw it out.

Back on topic, I love Jay's comic book idea. Coloring books and crayons brilliant too, but that would get expensive!

HANK: And oh, Jenn you are right--we'll all be at Bouchercon for Halloween. Hmm. Wonder how Jonathan will handle that. Wonder if there will be any Snickers left...
Oh, and look at these Twinkie minions a pal of mine made!
How about you, Reds and readers? What's your Halloween strategy?

RED HOT NEWS
Hank is still on tour for THE MURDER LIST! This week in Wisconsin with Jennifer Hillier, in Minnesota with three fab authors, and in Rhinebeck, New York with Carol Goodman. Check my website for all the details. 
AND I have one review copy of THE MURDER LIST--if you are interested and do reviews, be the first to email me at hryan at whdh dot com. 
 And for a big excerpt of  THE MURDER LIST  audio, click here.

JULIA: I's October, which means the third Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne mystery, HID FROM OUR EYES, is on sale for just $2.99 all month! 

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How Sweet It Is!

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN:  I get it now, I do. They invented Halloween not as an opportunity for kids to dress up, but as an opportunity for adults to buy candy, all they want, with the built-in excuse that it's "for the kids"

Halloween is also an excuse for women of a certain ilk to dress up in skimpy outfits and pretend it's a costume. One year, one of my pals wore black tights and a black leotard--and that is all! And then she the swirled herself in pale blue gauze, and called herself a hurricane. I beg you. In fact, I bet the sales of black tights and black leotards skyrockets at Halloween. but I digress.

Seriously, Reds, I buy Twizzlers and Snickers and Almond Joy, my very favorites, and then I hope nobody comes to the door. :-)  Well, no, that's not true, I love trick or treaters, actually ,and get a huge kick out of them.  But I am also happy to be able to buy Twizzlers and Snickers.

This year I also bought pencils. Yes, pencils. They are cool, funny, Halloween pencils, and I wondered if that was a better (healthier and more useful) treat than candy. I mean--I LOVE pencils! They are not as sweet and swirly as Twizzlers, but they last longer and do not melt. And although you can write with a Twizzler, you cannot read it. And you can never erase Twizzler marks.

But I fear the goblins and hurricanes will not appreciate pencils.

So two things: Are you getting candy?  What kind?

And: Do you think the kids will go for pencils? Or any candy alternative?

No, three things. Do you eat candy corns color by color? Or all at once?

LUCY BURDETTE: Speaking of costumes, Hank, as you well know, the Crime Bake conference banquet is famous for costumes. I wanted to go this year with 2 pals as James Bond and two of the Bond girls. (Speaking of leotards and all...) But whispering now, instead we're going as Poirot and 2 Miss Marples. Sigh. It turns out that I used to dress as Miss Marple in my therapy practice days, so the outfit was a snap.

No candy, we don't live in a neighborhood so no one comes. Pencils for the gluten-free or sugar averse? And the few candy corns I eat, all at once.

RHYS BOWEN: This is so funny, Hank, because John and I were in Safeway yesterday and he actually said, "We need to stock up on Kit Kats for Halloween. Look, two big bags for ten dollars." And I replied, "We only get about five kids at the most."  And he grinned and said, "So?"  He loves kit kats. I deplore this devious way of stocking up with Kit Kats. If I do it it will be with healthy Snickers and Milky Ways!

 

I've been to a couple of fun Halloween parties--I once went as a fallen angel when John was the devil. In those days he had black hair and a little black beard and he stuck on fake horns and looked very scary. But I fear our dressing up days are over.  I'm more concerned about sexually provocative costumes for little girls!

HALLIE EPHRON: Always candy! My neighborhood is full of kids. They play out in the street, such a lovely quaint idea, and Halloween is about the biggest holiday of the year. I mean the street is seriously lit up, more even than Christmas. I used to buy the candy I don't like because otherwise it would all be gone by Halloween. Turned out it was still gone. Now I buy what I like (Hershey's chocolate, Swedish fish) but not until just before Halloween so it can't get Hoovered if up before the kiddies arrive.

My granddaughter will visit us for Halloween and I can't wait to re-experience a 2 1/2-year-old's Halloween. Remembering when my daughter was that age and helped answer the door and told us "Man with four faces" had come. Four was her generic number for anything more than 1. Translation: man wearing a mask.

Pencils? Not so much. But I haven't got a better idea.

I feel outed on the Candy corn. I like the brown/orange/white ones and I bite off one color at a time.

HANK: Well, I do, too,  of COURSE, because that’s the only way to eat  those things. Yucky as they are...

DEBORAH CROMBIE: They truck in trick-or-treaters to a street a few block from us. I'm serious! It's a madhouse. But we don't get many. If it's nice I'll sit on the front porch for an hour or so just in case any "littles" come by. (Once we start getting teenagers in hoodies, that's it.) So of course I have to buy candy! Mini Hershey's from the supermarket yesterday. Now to keep Rick from eating them all between now and Halloween, that's the trick. (I might eat a couple, I admit. I love the crackly ones.)

Hank, good luck with the pencils... I would like them.  As for candy corn, ugh. Cannot stand. Even when I was a kid. It makes my teeth hurt.

Oh, and actually I think the hurricane Halloween costume was pretty clever! Did she have a blue drink to match?

HANK: Yes, fine, it was cute. Sigh.

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: Debs, that makes me think of one of my life lessons: just say no to blue drinks. I don't know what that blue liquor is, but it's a killer.

We live in the country, and have hardly any trick-or-treaters, but Ross buys the giant bags of Hersey's Miniatures just the same. It used to be my job to get the Hallowe'en candy, but he and the kids complained that I was the only person left alive who still likes those caramels-wrapped-around-the-white-center candies. Our location was wonderful for the children when they were little; we could hit every house within walking range in a half hour and they knew all the grown-ups answering the doors, so it wasn't scary. When they got older and more, shall we say, result oriented, we'd drive into Portland and hook up with friends. Half the fun of taking the kids trick-or-treating is wandering a few steps behind with another couple moms, drinking Sam Adams Pumpkin Ale and critiquing everyone's decorations.

Hank, I think your pencils will go over fine. Every year, Youngest got Hallowe'en pencils, stickers and plastic tchotkes like spider rings and eyeballs. She loved them. And I eat candy corn by the colors, of course. Anything faster is just tooooo sweet - those things are solid corn syrup, right?

So two questions, Reds—what candy do you get? And is it for the trick or treaters? Or for…you?

And the mystery of the universe: do the sections of the candy corn taste different?

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And HANK ON TOUR news: are you in Indianapolis (Carmel Clay Library), Madison WI (Mystery to Me Bookstore)  or Oakmont PA (Mystery Lover’s Bookstore? That’s my Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday schedule—before I come home to see Susan! Please come visit and talk about WHAT YOU SEE!   Click here for the details!  

And Susan's MRS. ROOSEVELT'S CONFIDANTE is out tomorrow! YAY!