The Hottest Halloween Items of 2022

October is the best time of the year for people who absolutely love Halloween! This year, companies like McDonald’s and Squishmallows are taking part of the fun. Get them before they run out of stock or disappear after a limited amount of time. Bloomberg reported that McDonald’s has announced the return of the trick-or-treating trio. These are three, colorful, Happy Meal Pails that can double as a carrying case for kids who want to go trick-or-treating.  These colorful Halloween buckets first debuted in 1986, and could cause some nostalgia for parents who had one when they were kids. The Happy … Continue reading

Salvage the Halloween Sugar

What’s a more frightening prospect for most for moms and dads; navigating through a maze of downed trees, wires and other debris with their children, or being left home alone with multiple bags of Halloween candy? In many communities along the East Coast slammed by superstorm Sandy, trick-or-treating has been postponed or cancelled for safety reasons, leaving hundreds of thousands of parents in a precarious spot: Having to explain to their mini ghouls and goblins how a fierce weather phenomenon dampened an annual tradition, and then finding ways not to waste the mountains of sweet treats that were bought for … Continue reading

Last-Minute Homemade Halloween Treats

I dread going to Target on Sundays. However, I dread the place even more on Saturdays, which is why I was there today. Procrastinators were out in full force today scooping up half-price Halloween candy like it was the November 1st. Frankly, I was surprised Target slashed prices on some of its trick-or-treat candy. I thought that’s what post-Halloween sales were for. Regardless, there is some cheap candy to be hand out there. Still, I didn’t cave. By this time tomorrow my kid will have hauled in her weight in cheap treats and she’ll want something with a little more … Continue reading

Valentine’s Day School Treats: Make or Buy?

Valentine’s Day is like Halloween 2 around here. Spring Halloween. Parents with young children know what I’m referring to: Another round of running from store to store trying to find the perfect treat for your kid to pass out to his classmates… all of his classmates. Gone are the “Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown” days when the wishy-washy, round-headed kids got shunned by the popular students. These days you bring a card or treat for the entire class or don’t bother coming to school at all. My daughter’s first grade class consists of 21 kids—14 boys and 7 girls. Whereas … Continue reading

Healthy Halloween: Healthy Handouts

Halloween has always been my favorite holiday. It’s the dressing up, mostly… the chance to be someone or something else for a day! I don’t mind the candy, either. But the candy is definitely a mixed blessing. Halloween can be a BIG test of your willpower and diet abilities! So what are some healthy alternatives? Fruit. Apples and oranges are usually easily found during the fall months — and they’re good for you! Handing out fruit might not make you very popular with the kids… but the parents might appreciate the healthy snack appearing in the goodie bags. 100 calorie … Continue reading

Turning Leftover Halloween Candy into Culinary Masterpieces

It was a Halloween for the history books at my parent’s house this year. For the first time since they became homeowners (decades ago), my mom and dad had less than a dozen trick-or-treaters come to their door. The topic dominated our telephone conversation last night. My mom was in utter shock. She couldn’t figure out why the kids were not out in full force this year, but even more disturbing to my mom, was the dilemma of being stuck with five huge bags of Halloween candy. We bounced around a few ideas, including making the following recipes. I have … Continue reading

Recipes for Leftover Halloween Candy

Instead of taking your leftover Halloween candy into the office to join the other 15 pounds of chocolate that came from other co-workers with the same idea, consider these decadent recipes. Both features popular Halloween candy, but instead of eating the sweet treats straight up, you’ll feast on them in spectacularly delicious cakes that I can assure you will be gobbled up a lot faster by your colleagues than stale candy strewn around the break room. CHOCOLATE TOFFEE CAKE Ingredients: 2 cups brown sugar 2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 cup butter 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 egg … Continue reading

Sinfully Sweet Halloween Candy Cakes

What’s your favorite Halloween candy? Butterfinger, Kit Kat, Milky Way, Snickers, Hershey Bars, Twix, M&Ms? I happen to love them all, which is why I try not to buy them in bulk to pass out on Halloween. The leftovers would kill my diet. If you plan to purchase enough Halloween candy for the entire neighborhood you might consider taking a note of the following recipes. They are ideal for using up any leftover Halloween chocolate you might have come November 1st. These Halloween Candy cakes are sweet, delicious and breathe new life into calories you’d probably consume anyway. BUTTERFINGER TORTE … Continue reading

Perfectly Delicious Pumpkin and Chocolate Treats

There’s no time like the present to make the most of a fall favorite: pumpkin. Of course, with Halloween upon us, chocolate is also in abundance as well. So why not marry the two ingredients in mouthwatering creations that will have your guests begging for more? The following recipes make great additions to holiday parties. Both the Chocolate Pumpkin Bars and the Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins can be made in advance and travel well. What’s more, both dishes follow standard recipes for bars and muffins, so if you’ve made either in the past, you will have no problem baking these. … Continue reading

Bewitching Halloween Treats

Here’s a terrific edible project to add to your Halloween party. It’s ideal for children of all ages and can be tailored around food allergies. Essentially, you will be making a food station in your home so young guests can create their own Witch Hats filled with all sorts of goodies. The treats don’t have to be packed with sugar. In fact, I’ve listed some healthy alternatives in the recipe below. You can make this project as elaborate or as simple as you wish. In addition, you can substitute carob chips for chocolate and eliminate the peanuts if your children … Continue reading