Halloween & the Chocolate Coma
Nov 2nd 2009
Suzanne EnochSuzanne Enoch & When Goddesses Fall To Earth
S
aturday I decked out my front yard with tombstones and cobwebs, lit my jack o’ lantern, and gave out candy to approximately 100 kids of varying sizes. I gave two pieces of candy to each little monster, after having purchased six bags of the stuff.
As usual, I started with the Hershey’s chocolate bars – the little ones with the tombstone pictures on the front. Then I dumped in the Whoppers and Snickers and Almond Joys, followed by the KitKats, Twix, and M&Ms. I held back one bag, watching nervously as the bowl level sank lower and lower and the ghouls and superheroes continued to ring my bell. The clock slowed; more children, and yet more. I went to the 
cupboard for my secondary stash of Hershey’s Nuggets.
Then, finally, nine o’clock. The end of Tricking and Treating. I blew out my jack o’ lantern, deflated the balloon ghost trio, unplugged the black light, and sank down on the couch.
There it was, on the table. My last, held-back bag of candy. Unopened, untouched, unneeded. All for me. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. I don’t care whether someone got their peanut butter in their chocolate, or their chocolate in their peanut butter, but boy did they get it right. 
I’ve had Lady Godiva, See’s, those German chocolates with the liquor inside, truffles, triple chocolate brownies, and nearly everything else you can think of – a peanut butter cup tops them all.
What’s your favorite candy? Did you intentionally save back a bag of Halloween candy for yourself?
48 Comments »
48 Responses to “Halloween & the Chocolate Coma”
B on 02 Nov 2009 at 2:14 am #
Candy’s one of my very favorite things in this world. I live in Brazil, and we don’t have Halloween. We don’t have all that awesome candy you have in the US, either. We have some, mostly chocolate. But, generally, yeah, our candy is very lame compared to yours.
When I was in the US, I acquired a habit: I’d buy candy everywhere I went. I mean EVERYWHERE. The grocery store, Wal-Mart, the mall, a convenience store. I’d go, buy it, and keep it in my closet. It wasn’t until I’d been there for a month that I actually realized how much candy I have. I finally understood it was too much when I had a whole session of the closet full on candy. Worst part, I kept buying it. It lasted a good while, till after I came back home.
My dad was just in the US a couple weeks ago, and, when he asked what I wanted as a present, my first answer was: CANDY. He brought me Starbusts, KitKats and Reese’s, which we don’t have here. They are some of my favorite. My favorite candy ever is “Ouch Bubblegum”, the ‘band-aid’ gum. I also love Wonka candy, pretty much them all. The way I see it, the more colorful your mouth gets, the better the candy
Judy F on 02 Nov 2009 at 5:17 am #
My favorite is Nestle Crunch. There aren’t too many candies I don’t like. Reeces, Nestle Dark, Milky Way Dark are favorites.
I miss my nieces and nephews doing Halloween. I had them trained to save me my favorites. sigh….
Cail on 02 Nov 2009 at 6:46 am #
I’m a hundred grand girl. man i love that candy bar. in HS i worked at the local general store, and one of the perks was that we were allowed a candy bar a day. I sampled the entire stock and settled on 100 Grand as my favorite. I picked up a bag of them, Heath Bars, and Reeses Peanut Butter Cups (for the DH, i don’t like them) at Target on Friday. They are nearly gone, and my stomach still hurts. We don’t get trick-or-treaters at my house, so it was all for us.
our friends who came over on friday for dinner helped us eat it too.
Cail on 02 Nov 2009 at 6:46 am #
BTW, Suzie, I finished your new release this weekend. Loved it!
Beth C. on 02 Nov 2009 at 7:02 am #
I love Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. I steal them out of the kids candy. They can have all the rest.
Actually, no opening and eating the Halloween candy for me. Although when we bought our Halloween stash…there was a bag of Lindor Milk Chocolate truffles decked out as an orange pumpkin that hopped into the cart. Those didn’t last long because they weren’t Halloween candy….I could eat them up.
Lori Handeland on 02 Nov 2009 at 7:13 am #
I vote for Reese’s too! And yep, I’ve got most of the bag left for MEEEEE!!!!
Sabrina Jeffries on 02 Nov 2009 at 7:19 am #
Hubby has this thing about buying “good candy” so we’ll be the house with the “good candy.” Groan. I resisted it pretty well until Halloween day (HE, however, did not). I’ve gotten so regular milk chocolate just tastes too sweet to me, so it’s not as much a temptation, but Reese’s, while still too sweet, have that peanut butter thing going, so I’m very tempted by them. Fortunately, I didn’t discover until Halloween day that there were Reese’s bars and cups in there. I ate … um… a few.
I do my best to make sure we don’t have any left, but it’s always hard to gauge. Some years we’ve run out. This year we had leftovers. I gave some to my son, some to his caregiver, and I did eat two Kitkats yesterday. Sigh. But if I know Hubby, they’ll be gone today. Please, let them be gone today. I do not need to be eating candy!!!
Now I’m off to walk. Trying to keep the candy pounds at bay.
kay on 02 Nov 2009 at 8:07 am #
In order of preference: Tootsie Rolls, Butterfinger, M&M’s, Cherry Tootsie Roll pops. On top of the candy I gave away bags of chips this year. Halloween is so nutritious. I gave away handfuls of candy to the little kids…to the bigger kids, they received one milky way and a question as to their age. The left overs I take to work.
Claudia Dain on 02 Nov 2009 at 8:16 am #
I bought only Snickers and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups on the advice of Number Two Son…and were the trick-or-treaters happy! Apparently, Number Two Son knows his candy.
I bought four bags (such a deal at K-Mart) and gave out two. I encouraged the kids to take more, and then some more. I don’t want candy laying around my house, begging to be eaten! Alas, two bags left. Most of the kids who came to my door only took two pieces of candy (the girls), on the “how to be polite” advice of their respective moms. The boys? They took as much as they could, eyeing me with each handful to see if they’d reached their limit.
Boys and girls. I love watching how different they are.
Favorite candy? I don’t allow myself to think such thoughts. Those two extra bags are in the next room, gunning for me.
Freshechelle on 02 Nov 2009 at 8:35 am #
It’s the new Dark Reese’s PBC for me. drool-inducing.
Also love Crunchie – it’s one of those UK bars that I can only find in one place in town appropriately named The Goddess & the Grocer.
Picked up your book this w/e but it’s in line behind Julia’s latest. Just finished KH’s latest. I’m way behind schedule.
Michelle B on 02 Nov 2009 at 8:36 am #
My DH too has this thing about being the house with the “good candy”. We gave out Snickers, Three Musketeers, Twix, Reeses cups, Tootsie rolls and pops. I bought extra of the Snickers which are DH’s favorite and that is what is left. My favorite is York Peppermint Patties. I’m on Weight Watchers and one small one is one point.
We had about 60 Trick or Treaters come to our door. This is a new neighborhood for us so I didn’t know what to expect and bought way too much. DH and DS were thrilled. I’ll know better next year.
When I was a kid on the farm we only went to one house, a widow who lived a couple miles down the road from us. It was more like a visit than Trick or Treating. However, we came away with apple cider, caramel apples, popcorn balls and tons of candy. Not a bad haul.
Amy Scott on 02 Nov 2009 at 8:36 am #
It was so windy and cold here this year, we only had 70 kids, that is down from our usual of about 150-200. Needless to say I bought enough candy for 200 kids, now I am suck with all these chocolate bars! So, along with my secret bag of Jersey Milks, which I have guarded all week, I have a box of 125 Oh Henry’s, Peanut butter cups, and reeses pieces. What’s a girl to do? The first order of business was to hide them, out of sight out of mind! Yeah right, they are now hiding in a spot of my choosing just waiting for me, knowing I have no will power when it comes to those tiny bits of heaven! So much for the diet!
Julia London on 02 Nov 2009 at 8:38 am #
I ate five Reese’s Peanut butter cups Saturday. Five. I think that was the caloric intake of an entire African nation.
Pesky on 02 Nov 2009 at 8:40 am #
Madeline Hunter on 02 Nov 2009 at 8:45 am #
hee hee. I always hold back my favorite kind. Or bury it beneath other kinds in the hopes it won’t get used. Of course, prior to Halloween that bag sometimes has to be replaced a time or two as well.
I am impressed that you get 100. We normally max out at about 50-60 now. It is so hard to know how many to prepare for, so I tend to buy too much and have leftovers.
Freedom Writer on 02 Nov 2009 at 9:01 am #
I buy the cheap stuff to hand out to the kiddies and then go buy the good stuff the next day when it is half off. I like Reeses, Snickers, Kit Kats, Milky Way, and many others.
ladydawgfan on 02 Nov 2009 at 9:19 am #
We usually have leftover candy (lots), and this year, since we had rain and wind all day on Halloween, right up to about 5pm or so, I thought that we wouldn’t have ANY trick or treaters. However, at about 6PM or so, they came in waves, and we quickly ran out of candy. I was left scrambling in the pantry. By 7:30, I was down to fruit snacks (from my lunch making stash) and mini bags of pretzels. Apparently the neighbors were as surprised by the crowds as we were because outside lights all over the neighborhood, which usually keep burning late on Halloween, were going out like crazy, a sign of “no more candy.”
Gibb on 02 Nov 2009 at 9:38 am #
I don’t hold back candy but I do raid my kids bags. When we do our sort and divide (my oldest is allergic to peanuts and peanut butter), I create a mommy pile. The kids know my favorite and they donate to me. Yay! If that doesn’t satisfy my sweet tooth, I buy a bag of almond joy at the store just for me!
elsiehogarth on 02 Nov 2009 at 9:38 am #
I love chocolate. For Halloween, I had made goodie bags w/Hershey bars, Reese’s, Starburst, Snickers, Milky way, M&M’s and Butterfingers. My back up was small bags of chips, Doritos, cheetos and Fritos. Like Suzanne, I had a lot of kids but I saved the BBQ chips for myself and a few Butterfingers. I also told all my nieces and nephews not to forget to save me some Smarties. I have always associated them with Halloween and just love them.
ladydawgfan on 02 Nov 2009 at 9:40 am #
Oh, as to my favorite candy, does “anything chocolate” count as an answer?? Actually, lately I’ve been hooked on Yorkie bars, a UK bar found in international section of my local market. The chocolate is so creamy and yummy. I can’t get enough of them!!
Karen Hawkins on 02 Nov 2009 at 10:04 am #
Suzie, you’re a woman after my own heart. I was at my mother’s this weekend and it rained and they had no trick-or-treaters. None. That’s a first. When I was a kid, dozens and dozens would come by, but not this year.
Anyway, I made sure before I left to eat all of the Reese’s cups. Gotta love that chocolatey-peanutbuttery goodness!
You know, my parents live on a busy road that’s not in an out-of-the-way neighborhood. It seems to me that more parents are driving their kids to neighborhoods with brightly lit streets and no-thru traffic. It’s just much safer, but it has changed the pattern of trick-or-treating over the years.
Suzanne Enoch on 02 Nov 2009 at 10:06 am #
Oh, I’m so glad I’m not the only one who keeps a bag back. *g*
Fresh, I haven’t tried the dark chocolate Reese’s yet. Are they really better than the regular ones?
Julia, Reese’s have peanut butter in them. That’s part of a real food group, isn’t it? You were being healthy. Really. Because 5 isn’t so very many. I’m certain of that. No, 5 is very reasonable.
Karen Hawkins on 02 Nov 2009 at 10:22 am #
Reese’s cups have vitamins in them.
Rachel Gibson on 02 Nov 2009 at 10:33 am #
The only trick or treater who came to my house was the cutest baby in the world. She was dressed up like a monkey and looooved herself.
I, of course, had to eat all the Milk Duds and Whoopers I’d stocked up on.
nancyg on 02 Nov 2009 at 10:40 am #
My husband is another one that insists on the “good” candy. I bought 2 gigantic bags from Sam’s Club last week. M&M’s, Snickers, Reese’s, Milky Way & Three Musketeers.
We had about 15 trick-or-treaters this year. I 2 bags of 100 bars each, expecting a crush since it was a Saturday night. However, since it was a weekend, I found out most of the “older” kids went to “Fright Night” at Six Flags. My teenagers went to an all-day “festival” concert featuring bands I have never heard of.
I had 150 candy bars left over Saturday. Mr. G took an entire bag of 100 to work to fill his desktop fruit bowl in his office. I ate about 5 Reese’s Saturday, but haven’t touched any candy since.
My faves? Reese’s & Snickers. but the “bestest” of the best for me is Toblerone chocolate bars… pure sin! I will hoard and eat with a very large glass of milk!!
evlqn on 02 Nov 2009 at 10:52 am #
I really love Hershey’s Special Dark anything! Dark chocolate beats milk chocolate every time for me. Kit-Kats are at this very minute laying safely away from undeserving hands in my rolling briefcase. Said briefcase is nestling against my right knee as we speak. Only my sister and now you know where it is. Twelve year old g-son took me candy shopping for the big night, so we got the good stuff. He refused to be embarrassed by our candy choices, which is alright because our Trick or Treaters were down this year too -rain. We took our g-daughters and a couple of our daycare kids around the block. My 2 year old would stand there with her bag open and ask, “You gots more canny???” She gots LOTS of canny!
Off topic, yesterday as I walked past my altar a pink quartz rock that was on it flew past me into my bathroom. No one was anywhere near it, I swear. And about an hour ago, I was sitting right here going through my mail and the entire stack disappeared out of my hands. I had not moved an inch and no one was in the vicinity. I am officially freaked, but I still need that mail back, I have forms to fill out and mail back.
evlqn on 02 Nov 2009 at 10:57 am #
Nancy, didn’t it seem like the Toblerone tasted better when it was only available during the holidays and shipped in from Switzerland? I still love it but it just tasted richer. And Mozart chocolates are wonderful. i had a friend in Germany who would go to Lucerne to buy them for me. I miss those shipments.
Sam on 02 Nov 2009 at 11:05 am #
My 24yo daughter and I participated in a trunk or treat so I purposely bought candy I didn’t care for so I wouldn’t endulge. At the end many of the trunkers had leftover candy so they gave it to me since I donate to an organization for our troops overseas (www.treatsfortroops.info) After that my daughter and 2 of her friends, my sister and my 2yo nephew went trick or treating in the neighborhood. The teenagers were generous with sharing but the 2yo he refused to even let us hold his bag! Finally he told me I couldn’t have any of his candy because he ate it all. Anyways, I did good resisting the candy until I went thru the donation candy and found Reeses. Jackpot!! Those are a weakness. So I’m on a mission to get the candy to the organization before I have nothing left to give!
Deb on 02 Nov 2009 at 11:09 am #
Er, what do you call it when you buy candy and know full well that you won’t even be home on Halloween to hand it out? For the past few years, we’ve all gotten dressed up and headed to Disney on Halloween to trick or treat with Mickey. It’s a total blast. There is no need, however, to actually *buy* candy to give out since we’ll be elsewhere. And yet…this year is was a giant bag of fruity stuff for hubby (skittles, starbursts, etc), a big bag for the kidlet to take to school for classroom trick or treating (that somehow, mysteriously, got opened before he took it in), a ginormous bag of different sizes of tootsie rolls (because who can resist tootsie rolls?), and, uh, a last minute purchase of two bags of mini Heath Bars. Because those? Yeah, I adore those.
*sigh*
nancyg on 02 Nov 2009 at 11:19 am #
deb:
This is the first year in awhile someone was home to hand out candy. We usually go to a friend’s house & depart from there, so I didn’t know what to expect.
My daughter had goody bags to hand out to everyone in her class (5th grade). She couldn’t because it’s against the district laws governing handing out of sweets, etc. They can only have candy/sweets in class during the holiday party in December, Valentine’s party in February, & end of the year party.
evlqn:
You’re right about Toblerone being better from Switzerland. I was at the duty free shop a couple of months ago – the REAL DEAL – yum-o!! but I’ll take it any way I can get it.
Oh, and if y’all go on to http://www.godiva.com, you can sign up for the chocolate of the month club – a FREE piece of chocolate at their stores EVERY MONTH!!
Sometimes I feel like driving to the mall just for a truffle!!
Kathleen O on 02 Nov 2009 at 11:19 am #
My favs are always the Tootsie Roll Midges and M&M’s but just the peaunut ones.. I didn’t end up having that many kids, so lots of both left over….
dbrown3400 on 02 Nov 2009 at 11:43 am #
Since the gd is much too young for candy, I got to raid her little Disney Princesses trick or trick container. There was a fav I hadn’t had in a long time — Baby Ruth. They were much the same. For any season, I like Russell Stover’s chocolate-covered marshmallow treats. So far as a favorite in general, I love Godiva’s white chocolate raspberry stars.
Sabrina Jeffries on 02 Nov 2009 at 11:57 am #
Okay, this is an evol blog!
There’s a DARK CHOCOLATE REESE’S?? Be still, my heart!!! I have got to avoid that! Bad enough that those new Reese’s cookie bar things were DELICIOUS.
And thanks, y’all, for mentioning Almond Joy’s and Butterfingers, two of my favorites. Thank God Hubby hates them, or I’d be trying to resist those, too.
Suzanne Enoch on 02 Nov 2009 at 12:00 pm #
I know what you mean, Sabrina. Everytime somebody mentions a candy I haven’t had in awhile, I want it. Can you gain weight just from mental indulgence? *g*
evlqn on 02 Nov 2009 at 12:54 pm #
We have a local chocolatier here called Euphoria Chocolate Company, and the name says it all. They make everything fresh and there are several stores located around town, every year around Valentine’s Day they co-sponsor The Truffle Shuffle for Committed Partners For Youth and other non-profits. The first year our g-son ran it he came in 3rd in his age group and 97th over all, he was 8 at the time. And best of all everyone who participates gets a Truffle and Coldstone ice cream.
freshechelle on 02 Nov 2009 at 1:26 pm #
Suzanne and Sabrina, I like the new Dark Chocolate Reese’s pbc because, as everyone knows, dark chocolate is good for you. I prefer dark. I like ‘em. My thighs wish I liked them a little less. If they are just a test market thing and not available in your area, I might have to send you some. I went to a few Walgreen’s and couldn’t find them this weekend but I was on a Junior Mint hunt. JMs are my diet candy of choice.
Lisa G on 02 Nov 2009 at 3:33 pm #
I’m a Three Musketeer’s, Twizzlers, Bit-O-Honey and Whoopers fan! I kinda stash the good stuff away when nobody’s looking! A girl’s gotta keep the good stuff handy when you need a fix! LOL!
Suzanne Enoch on 02 Nov 2009 at 4:45 pm #
I think everybody deserves a piece of candy after the time change. Even one that gives you an extra hour of sleep the first day.
Kathy on 02 Nov 2009 at 5:05 pm #
Oh my gosh!!!
I read the main post this morning and didn’t come bacl to comment! bad Kathy!
lol
I bought a box of assortments all for myself. kit kat, aero, smarties and coffee crisp.mmmmm chocolatey goodness over load. we only got about 20 kids this yr. we’re in a neighbourhood on the way to the bigger and better treat streets.
I do like Reeses cups too but one or two does it for me.
I’m an old school person. I like buying a jersey milk bar and putting a spoonful of my fav pb in a little bowl and dip my way to nirvana
Karen Rose on 02 Nov 2009 at 5:06 pm #
Suzie, this year I didn’t eat any of the candy because DH made sure my faves were not included. But if he had, it would have been Reeses and 3 Musketeers.
We only ended up with 10 trick or treaters. My kids and their friends will, I’m sure, eat the rest!
evlqn on 02 Nov 2009 at 5:10 pm #
Karen, that was a wonderful, terrible thing your DH did; kiss him and then kick him.
Cail on 02 Nov 2009 at 6:04 pm #
i just remembered something my parents had us do as kids. our neighbor worked in the pediactrics section of the hospital, and every year we had to separate out a certain portion of our stash to give to the sick children at the hospital. i’m embarrassed to say that they got all my candy rejects (whoever mentioned Oh! Henry’s… those were amongst the first to go.) i’ll have to do something like this for my kids when i have some.
Louisa Cornell on 02 Nov 2009 at 7:11 pm #
REESE’S !!!!!!!!!!!!!! YES !!!!!!!!!! And as I work at Wal-Mart I was right there on my break to buy the Reese’s cups when they put them on sale. I have TWO nice big bags in the fridge to fuel my writing marathons.
I gave away the little treat bags full of the “good stuff” and thank God they all went or I would be lying on the couch in a sugar coma by now. Once the word gets out that the crazy lady who lives at the bottom of the hill with the big dogs in the back yard gives out treat BAGS, the little vultures crawl out of the woodwork and bring their friends !!
Got your latest, Suzanne, and it is lying on my desk to encourage me to finish my revisions. I can’t read it until I finish!
Karen Hawkins on 02 Nov 2009 at 8:40 pm #
Louisa, you are not going to be disappointed — Suzanne’s new book is fabu. One of her best ever, I think! I’d curl up on a couch, unfreeze a few Reese’s, and make a nice reading-luxury day of it.
Chocolate goes so well with romance. It’s just the perfect combo.
Suzanne Enoch on 02 Nov 2009 at 9:01 pm #
Ah, thanks, Karen. And the chocolate can’t hurt. Everything tastes better with a Reese’s. *g*
Tina on 03 Nov 2009 at 12:33 am #
Fav: 100 Grand
Trini on 03 Nov 2009 at 3:22 am #
In Spain we don’t celebrate Halloween like you. Here we call it “Difuntos” and it is tradition to go to the cemetery to take flowers, to eat chestnuts and a candy called “bones of saints” (too much sweet). Actually, thanks to the influence of the United States, the youngest people have begun to disguise themselves with subjects related to Halloween and they celebrate partys in pubs and discotheques. Until a few years ago, it was only a religious celebration.
Anyway, my favourite candy is a chocolate called “Ferrero Roche”, it’s delicious…
KitchenWitch4 on 11 Nov 2009 at 4:32 pm #
Suzanne,
I just reread Sins of a Duke that is after reading your newest book. I had to go back and reread your other books… I really would love to see a book about Anne Witfield. Something about her…. But I regress I love them the second time around…. Any plans for anything else?