“Little Red Bear’s Hand-picked Recipes — Happy Halloween Spooktacularly Good Recipes Special!”

October 15, 2017October 12, 2020 / jrmilson / 10 Comments

Welcome to Little Red Bear’s special Happy Halloween Spooktacularly Good Recipes!

We thought it good to share Halloween recipes now to give you ample time to assemble ingredients and get treats made up and ready for parties and trick or treaters. Because by the time you hear hooves and feet dashing up the street — it’s too late. And then a ghoulish trick may be your fate . . . .

It’s Autumn and October,

Scary things will soon be waking,

Rising from tortured, restless slumber,

To find what treats we have been making!

So gather ‘round for recipes,

Come in to see what we have in store,

It’s time to head into the kitchen,

Before hungry ghosts and ghouls are at the door!

The recipe for Caramel Apple Bread Pudding seemed to garner the most oohs and ahhs last week. Take a look by tapping on the link if you missed it.

If you are new to our Sunday morning recipe sharing and missed the first Little Red Bear Recipes Post explaining what we are doing, simply tap on the link to check it out.

We have a good assortment of Halloween inspired treats and goodies picked out this week for you, so grab your apron and let’s get started. “Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn and caldron bubble,” as William Shakespeare put it. Let’s get stirring, shall we?

Halloween Cupcakes

This recipe features five easy decorating ideas to make special cupcakes for coming Halloween parties and events.

Halloween Cupcakes Recipe

Rice Krispie Treat Pumpkins

Rice Krispie Treats are one of my favorite things, so making them up with the Mini Rollo stem and green M&M leaf is perfect for a Halloween party.

Rice Krispie Treat Pumpkins Recipe

Jack Skellington Oreo Pops

“The Nightmare Before Christmas” is a favorite movie here, so these Jack Skellington Oreo Pops are a sure hit. If you cannot find the special Halloween Oreos, any will do. But the Halloween orange middles would be a fun surprise for little ones when biting into them.

Jack Skellington Oreo Pops Recipe

Halloween Candy Corn Fudge

Sharing two Halloween Candy Corn Fudge Recipes, one including the special Fall M&Ms for an added chocolate flavor, and the other cut into realistic little Candy Corn shapes for fun. Little Red Bear liked one — I liked the other — sharing them both!

Candy Corn M&M White Chocolate Fudge Recipe

Easy Candy Corn Fudge Recipe

Ghost Popcorn Balls

I honestly do not remember how many popcorn balls that I received trick or treating over the years, back in the day. But I know for a fact that none of them looked this cool.

Ghost Popcorn Balls Recipe

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Ghosts

These are just too cute (and delicious!) for Halloween guests to leave out. And as a bonus, there are links to Halloween Eyeballs and Candy Corn Rice Krispie Treats included at the bottom of the recipe, as well.

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Ghosts Recipe

Ghost Pretzels

These yummy little pretzel treats are so easy to prepare and cool looking for Halloween parties. Better make a bunch and then watch them disappear!

Ghost Pretzels Recipe

Paranormal Pretzel Cookies

While in the snack aisle of the grocery store picking up a bag of mini pretzels for the Ghost Pretzels, pick up a bag of the little square pretzels to make up these ghostly-themed chocolate chip cookies, too. Mini pretzels dipped in white chocolate riding on a chocolate chip cookie. Guaranteed to warm the hearts of little ghouls and goblins!

Paranormal Pretzel Cookies Recipe

Easy No Bake Peanut Butter Treats

Doing a two-fer here. Both recipes feature Creamy Smooth Peanut Butter as the main ingredient, one to make delightful little Pumpkin Bites and the other to make really scary looking Zombie Eyeballs for teen boys and those that are into that sort of thing. You could do the Pumpkin Bites for Thanksgiving, just as easily. Not so sure about the eyeballs.

No Bake Peanut Butter Pumpkin Bites Recipe

Peanut Butter Zombie Eyeballs Recipe

Halloween Harvest Hash Chex Mix

We always make up a Chex Party Mix for Christmas and New Years, and love the idea of this Halloween mix with not only my favorite Candy Corn, Candy Pumpkins, and Reese’s Pieces treats added, but also incorporating a brown sugar, butter, and vanilla extract mixture to flavor it all with. Oh, we are definitely going to need to find some bigger snack bowls this year!

Halloween Harvest Hash Chex Mix Recipe

Halloween Swirl Cream Cheese Brownies

That title about says it all — a dark chocolate brownie covered by a layer of orange cheesecake. All swirled together to make it look spooky for Halloween. It’s always good to have some special treats for the grown-ups, as well.

Halloween Swirl Cream Cheese Brownies Recipe

Halloween Marshmallow Pops

Little Red Bear thinks these Halloween Marshmallow Pops are the coolest things for a Halloween party or get-together! Easy to prepare and fun. Please note that the recipe calls for the large size, Campfire Giant Roasting Marshmallows. You could use regular ones, too. They would just be smaller, of course.

Halloween Marshmallow Pops Recipe

Halloween Spider Cookies

This delightful Halloween treat is a peanut butter cookie with a Mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup on top, decorated with candy eyes and melted chocolate for the legs. Little Red Bear reminds — each spider has eight legs. If you just make six legs then it’s technically an insect. And who wants to eat a bug for Halloween? Well, zombies maybe. But who really wants those fellas hanging around? Be safe — eight legs.

Halloween Spider Cookies Recipe

If you enjoy these weekly recipe features, please tap the Like button below and feel free to Comment and let us know, and we will be on the lookout for more interesting and fun recipes to share with you each Sunday morning as we go along.

And remember, all of these recipes are added each week to our “Little Red Bear’s Hand-picked Recipes” board on Pinterest for you to access anytime and find those from previous weeks if you missed them. I invite you to follow and check out my other Pinterest boards while there, including the Halloween Recipes & Ideas Board for many other great treats and decoration ideas.

Family Time is the Best Time!

Trick or Treating is not the same as when we did it as small kids years ago. With a small group of close friends, we would head out together as it was beginning to get dark like a band of tiny pirates with the whole subdivision lying ahead of us to plunder and loot for goodies.

Homemade treats were the norm then, coming home with bags of homemade cupcakes, brownies, cookies, popcorn balls, caramel apples, loose candies tossed into our bags, and more. And slices of cake wrapped in plastic wrap. Those never survived the trip home intact and I wondered then and still do what those people were thinking. But, cake crumbs are cake nonetheless, so nothing ever went to waste!

Pre-packaged candy bars were rare, and treasured! And then there were the helpful grandparent types handing out apples, oranges, bananas, and pennies. And an occasional pencil, believe it or not.

So much has changed. We liked to imagine spooky dangers lurking around every corner, and never thought of them being real or having to go thru and inspect our treats for hidden hazards, or to have them x-rayed. The only reason we dumped our trick or treat bag goodies on the floor upon our return home was to let our parents have a chance to grab some and share in the bounty. On a good night and in fair weather, we sometimes came home, unloaded a heavy bag and headed right back out the door again for more! After 3rd grade or so, we never felt the need to have our parents accompany us for safety.

But as I said, times change. All of the treats above are clearly for home parties and family in today’s world, not intended to be distributed at the door any longer.

Here is an informational link to the National Safety Council’s Halloween Safety Tips and Guidelines for children and motorists, alike. Have a wonderful Halloween, keeping yourselves and the little ones safe this year. Remember — Scare Safe!

“There is little in life that could not benefit from a little Love, a little Time, and a Stick of Butter.”

Thanks as always for spending part of your day with us! We hope you enjoyed the special Spooktacularly Good Halloween Treats this week and would be honored if you recommended our site and pages to friends and family. Little Red Bear and I look forward to your visits here, and hope that in our own way we help to make your day special, too!

We’ll be back next Sunday morning with more of Red’s selected special recipes for Autumn, so be sure to subscribe in the top right column and follow along to be notified of every new post.

Wishing everyone a beautiful coming week. The leaves here should soon be changing colors, maybe they already are in your area. Speaking of changing, dare to change a life. Be the reason someone smiles this week! You may even end up changing your own. – Jim (and Red!)

“No amount of money or success can take the place of time spent with your family.”

“A full bag, tired feet, dry socks, and sticky fingers meant it was a Happy Halloween.”– JRM

“The Adventures of Little Red Bear” Short Stories on Amazon.

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~ About an Uncommonly Special Bear and His Friends ~

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“A grandmother pretends she doesn’t know who you are on Halloween.” — Erma Bombeck

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Happy Halloween! Featuring “The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe

October 31, 2016 / jrmilson / 2 Comments

There are many works of literature and poetry that have stuck with me and been favorites, long after being required to dissect, analyze and memorize them for testing purposes in school some years ago. Now, they can simply be enjoyed as entertainment on their own merits as originally intended by the authors. I intend to pass along and share some of these personal favorites from time to time going forward.

One such piece is Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven”, a very appropriate share on Halloween. This narrative poem was originally attributed to Poe in the ‘New York Evening Mirror’ on January 29, 1845. Though not bringing much financial benefit on its own, “The Raven” served to make Poe very popular in his time. It remains one of the most well-liked poems ever written, and always one of my personal favorites. The poem features a distraught lover sadly lamenting the loss of his love, Lenore, on a bleak December night. He is visited by a talking raven, and the poem follows his slow descent into madness.

“THE RAVEN”

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,

Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore—

    While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,

As of someone gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.

“’Tis some visitor,” I muttered, “tapping at my chamber door—

            Only this and nothing more.”

    Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December;

And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.

    Eagerly I wished the morrow;—vainly I had sought to borrow

    From my books surcease of sorrow—sorrow for the lost Lenore—

For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore—

            Nameless here for evermore.

    And the silken, sad, uncertain rustling of each purple curtain

Thrilled me—filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before;

    So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating

    “’Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door—

Some late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door;—

            This it is and nothing more.”

    Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer,

“Sir,” said I, “or Madam, truly your forgiveness I implore;

    But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping,

    And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door,

That I scarce was sure I heard you”—here I opened wide the door;—

            Darkness there and nothing more.

    Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing,

Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before;

    But the silence was unbroken, and the stillness gave no token,

    And the only word there spoken was the whispered word, “Lenore?”

This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word, “Lenore!”—

            Merely this and nothing more.

    Back into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning,

Soon again I heard a tapping somewhat louder than before.

    “Surely,” said I, “surely that is something at my window lattice;

      Let me see, then, what thereat is, and this mystery explore—

Let my heart be still a moment and this mystery explore;—

            ’Tis the wind and nothing more!”

    Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter,

In there stepped a stately Raven of the saintly days of yore;

    Not the least obeisance made he; not a minute stopped or stayed he;

    But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door—

Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door—

            Perched, and sat, and nothing more.

Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,

By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore,

“Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou,” I said, “art sure no craven,

Ghastly grim and ancient Raven wandering from the Nightly shore—

Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night’s Plutonian shore!”

            Quoth the Raven “Nevermore.”

    Much I marvelled this ungainly fowl to hear discourse so plainly,

Though its answer little meaning—little relevancy bore;

    For we cannot help agreeing that no living human being

    Ever yet was blessed with seeing bird above his chamber door—

Bird or beast upon the sculptured bust above his chamber door,

            With such name as “Nevermore.”

    But the Raven, sitting lonely on the placid bust, spoke only

That one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour.

    Nothing farther then he uttered—not a feather then he fluttered—

    Till I scarcely more than muttered “Other friends have flown before—

On the morrow he will leave me, as my Hopes have flown before.”

            Then the bird said “Nevermore.”

    Startled at the stillness broken by reply so aptly spoken,

“Doubtless,” said I, “what it utters is its only stock and store

    Caught from some unhappy master whom unmerciful Disaster

    Followed fast and followed faster till his songs one burden bore—

Till the dirges of his Hope that melancholy burden bore

            Of ‘Never—nevermore’.”

    But the Raven still beguiling all my fancy into smiling,

Straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in front of bird, and bust and door;

    Then, upon the velvet sinking, I betook myself to linking

    Fancy unto fancy, thinking what this ominous bird of yore—

What this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt, and ominous bird of yore

            Meant in croaking “Nevermore.”

    This I sat engaged in guessing, but no syllable expressing

To the fowl whose fiery eyes now burned into my bosom’s core;

    This and more I sat divining, with my head at ease reclining

    On the cushion’s velvet lining that the lamp-light gloated o’er,

But whose velvet-violet lining with the lamp-light gloating o’er,

            She shall press, ah, nevermore!

    Then, methought, the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censer

Swung by Seraphim whose foot-falls tinkled on the tufted floor.

    “Wretch,” I cried, “thy God hath lent thee—by these angels he hath sent thee

    Respite—respite and nepenthe from thy memories of Lenore;

Quaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe and forget this lost Lenore!”

            Quoth the Raven “Nevermore.”

    “Prophet!” said I, “thing of evil!—prophet still, if bird or devil!—

Whether Tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore,

    Desolate yet all undaunted, on this desert land enchanted—

    On this home by Horror haunted—tell me truly, I implore—

Is there—is there balm in Gilead?—tell me—tell me, I implore!”

            Quoth the Raven “Nevermore.”

    “Prophet!” said I, “thing of evil!—prophet still, if bird or devil!

By that Heaven that bends above us—by that God we both adore—

    Tell this soul with sorrow laden if, within the distant Aidenn,

    It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels name Lenore—

Clasp a rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore.”

            Quoth the Raven “Nevermore.”

    “Be that word our sign of parting, bird or fiend!” I shrieked, upstarting—

“Get thee back into the tempest and the Night’s Plutonian shore!

    Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul hath spoken!

    Leave my loneliness unbroken!—quit the bust above my door!

Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!”

            Quoth the Raven “Nevermore.”

    And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting

On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;

    And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon’s that is dreaming,

    And the lamp-light o’er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;

And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor

            Shall be lifted—nevermore!

By — Edgar Allan Poe

One of my favorite renditions of “The Raven” was performed by James Earl Jones on “The Simpsons” first “Treehouse of Horror” Halloween Special, on October 25, 1990.

Thanks as always for visiting! Wishing everyone a fun and safe Happy Halloween!

Sunday Family-Pumpkin-Costume-Prepare for Halloween Day!

October 30, 2016October 30, 2016 / jrmilson / 2 Comments

Happy Sunday Family Day — the day before Halloween! Do you have the pumpkins carved and costumes ready? Today is the day to get the kids together and prepare for the big day. The little Trick-or-Treaters are anxious to get started!

Via 6sqft.com

Carving pumpkins in our day was a much simpler task. Two large triangles for the eyes. A smaller triangle for the nose. And a big mouth with as many or few teeth as the artist spirit called for. Some years I went with a lot of teeth, sharp and pointy, interlocking in a scissors bite like a Great White Shark. Frightfully scary. Other years, my pumpkin friend took on a much more simple look with just a few, broad, flat teeth in a wide, friendly, beckoning and happy smile. It all depended on the seasonal mood, I suppose.

Nowadays it can be much more complicated, with traceable designs that are very intricate and complex, truly raising the bar on skill, talent, perseverance and Pumpkin Art in general.

It seems important to mention, whether you go “old school” or “new school” with your Jack O’Lantern designs, safety is paramount when working with children and little carvers, and close supervision required around sharp tools and knives. A small hand is no match for a paring knife.

And for heaven’s sake, please do not toss away the seeds! Pumpkin seeds are a healthy, nutritious snack and unbelievably tasty when made at home. If you have never made them yourself before, trust me — roasted pumpkin seeds are quick, easy to prepare, and delicious! Here is my favorite way to prepare them, plain and simple.

ROASTED PUMPKIN SEEDS

1 cup Pumpkin Seeds, 1 teaspoon safflower or canola oil, 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce or salt, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, and paprika to taste.

Carefully clean any pumpkin pulp from the seeds and wash them if necessary. Brush oil on a rimmed baking sheet, place the seeds on the sheet, spread out evenly, and roast in a 350°F oven until they begin to turn golden, about 10 minutes or so. Add the remaining ingredients and stir to evenly coat the seeds. Continue baking until the seeds are crispy, about another 10-15 minutes, keeping an eye on not to burn. This method can be used to roast any squash family seeds for snacks. (Adapted from the “Vegetarian Times Cookbook”, 1984)

Here are some more links to my Autumn Board on Pinterest for more adventurous ways to prepare them — Honey Roasted Pumpkin Seeds with Cinnamon and Roasted Pumpkin Seeds in Six Different Flavors.

How about the costumes for the little ones? All set? How about one for yourself, either greeting neighborhood Trick-or-Treaters at the door or at a party? I do not recall ever wearing a “store-bought” costume when I was little. All of my mine and my friends’ were homemade. At the time when Walt Disney’s “Legend of Sleepy Hollow” was new and all the rage, the boy across the street’s father made him a Headless Horseman outfit one year. Needless to say, he had to pull a wagon to haul home all the treats he received in the neighborhood for that one!

When all else failed and we did not have a costume prepared ahead of time, the last minute fall back for all of our group was the never-fail “Hobo” outfit. Grab up some baggy clothes and suspenders from Dad (or Mom, depending), tie a rope around your waist to hold up the pants in case the suspenders snapped, grab one of Dad’s old hats, smear some coffee grounds (and once outside and out of parents’ sight — real dirt) on your face and you were set. One of Dad’s big red, work handkerchiefs tied to a stick over the shoulder completed the outfit. Pick out an old pillowcase to carry home the loot and out the door we went, flashlight and high hopes in hand.

Via SheKnows.com

Via Costume Works

Back in the day, the practice of Trick-or-Treating was much safer in every respect than it has become now. Parents only accompanied the very smallest kids, and the rest of us were on our own to go as far as our legs and the weather would allow. I remember Trick-or-Treating in the snow one year — 1954 in St. Louis, Missouri. I was only going on five at the time, but memories like that tend to stick with you.

Children in Halloween costumes

Child in pumpkin suit on background of autumn leaves

Via History.com

Via Brittanica.com

Via PreparingForPeanut.com

Treats into the bag included apples, oranges, and bananas. Homemade treats like cookies, cupcakes, slices of cake, candy apples and popcorn balls rounded out the list. I never did get a slice of cake home in one piece though, and always really wondered what was on that lady’s mind with that, to be honest. But we all gave her credit for trying. And I have never known the kid who would toss away a piece of perfectly good smashed cake and crumbs, anyway.

Some homes tossed coins into your bag, ranging from a few pennies to a by-gosh, honest-to-goodness Silver Dollar. But those were admittedly rare and given only by neighbors who recognized and thought very highly of you, of course. It goes without saying, that the most sought-after and coveted treat prize was a Candy Bar. And that was before some silly-head invented “Fun Size.” Seriously? Fun size? I have never really seen ‘loads of fun’ in a bite-sized candy bar, myself.

Via TwoSistersCrafting.com

Anyway, ‘fun sized’ aside, wishing everyone a ‘Full Sized’ safe and fun Halloween! Make today a family day carving the Jack O’Lanterns, getting costumes and make-ups assembled, and getting everything ready for the big night. And for goodness sake — make up some Pumpkin Seeds for a real treat. The family will thank you.

And I thank you as always for visiting! Family time. It’s the best time. — Jim (and Red!)

A Princess and Lava Girl Amongst the Pumpkins by Charles Morris Photography.

“The Adventures of Little Red Bear” Short Stories on Amazon.

Old-fashioned, Family-friendly Stories and Fun for All Ages and Fitness Levels!

About an Uncommonly Special Bear and His Friends.

Sunday Family Day — At the Pumpkin Patch!

October 23, 2016October 24, 2016 / jrmilson / 3 Comments

Shhhh! . . . . . Quietly . . . . . Listen . . . . . . Wait for it . . . . . .

Do you hear it? The almost imperceptible sound of a straining vine under pressure. A snapping and heavy rolling along the ground. And . . . . the ever-so-soft sound of dried hay, tumbling to the ground off a wagon . . . . and wheels . . . . tractor wheels rumbling along a dirt road. Could it be . . . . a hay ride? Dry, rustling leaves in the breeze. And crows. Do you hear the crows, caw-caw-cawing from a field along the stream bank?

Thill and excitement fill smiling faces of young adults enjoying a seasonal hay ride. A scene of wholesome outdoor entertainment for a group of well dressed group of four people. Action filled shot as man on left throws hay into the air to the others surprise.

Family Fun on a Hayride (via GatlinburgLodgingGuide.com)

And do you smell it? It’s very faint in the breeze . . . . the unmistakable scent of apple cider being poured into a glass. And, oh! Did you hear that? And again? The undeniable giggles and squeals of children playing and having fun.

country-autumn-via-the-homespun-wife-uncredited

Happy Autumn! Getting full swing into the beautiful autumn season now, with only eight days to Halloween. Time to round up the family and head to the Pumpkin Patch!

autumn-pumpkins-disply-via-begin-with-yes-fb-uncredited

Pumpkin Patch- Studts Pumpkin Patch. (StudtsPumpkinPatchandCornMaze.com)

Pumpkins in the Field via Country Living Magazine

It’s a beautiful autumn day to track down that perfect pumpkin for the front porch and partake in that grand old tradition of carving a pumpkin with the kids. Carefully opening the top, scooping out the seeds (be sure to roast them and let none go to waste!), coming up with a design and carefully carving an eye-popping Jack O’Lantern for Halloween to summon the little Trick-or-Treaters next week.

holiday-halloween-smiling-pumpkin-3

But first, a visit to the Pumpkin Farm is in order to locate the ideal pumpkin. Rows and rows of pumpkins patiently awaiting your arrival, each hoping to be the one selected for the ride home. Tractors bumping along dirt roads and thru the fields, pulling wagon-loads of laughing children and families on hay rides. Face painting. Refreshing apple cider. Delicious apple butter and more for sale. Corn mazes and hay castles to crawl thru and climb. Good times! Fun times with the family!

Pumpkin Patch- Petersen Family Farm. (PetersenFarm.com)

Fun in the Pumpkin Patch (via MeFitStudios dot com)

Welcome to the Pumpkin Patch! (via mommypoppins.com)

Make this Sunday a family day and head out to the local pumpkin patch for a healthy day of fresh air, exercise and delightful family fun, good times and memories.

Creating Memories at the Pumpkin Patch (via WoodTV.com)

Wishing everyone a beautiful, Sunday Family Day! — Jim (and Red!)

The Smith Family, by Sarah Whitwell Photography (SarahWhitwellPhotography.com}

“The Adventures of Little Red Bear” Short Stories on Amazon.

Old-fashioned, Family-friendly Stories and Fun for All Ages and Fitness Levels!

About an Uncommonly Special Bear and His Friends.

Trick or Treating in Days of Yore — Cookies, Cupcakes, Candies & More!

October 30, 2015 / jrmilson / 4 Comments

Halloween has changed much over the years. Halloween Trick or Treating in my neighborhood in St. Louis, Missouri growing up in the 50’s and early 60’s frequently featured homemade baked goods like cookies, cupcakes, brownies, Rice Krispie treats, popcorn balls and more — all carefully wrapped in cellophane, along with apples, candied apples, homemade taffy, the occasional orange, banana and assorted nuts, and lots of pennies and other loose change. Some homes offered apple cider to refresh, or hot chocolate on especially chilly nights. Bubble Gum, Tootsie Roll Pops, Tootsie Rolls, Wax Bottles, Caramels, Jaw Breakers (always a favorite of mine!), Sugar Daddies, jelly beans, candy corn, Milk Duds, suckers and boxes of Cracker Jacks helped fill out the treat bag. Not to mention the truly treasured prize, of course — candy bars. There were only two sizes of candy bars then — ‘Full Size’ and the ‘I Need Help Carrying This One Home Size’.

Of course, every stop required us to come inside the house and perform in the living room — tell a joke, tell a story, sing a song, dance, do a trick or do “something” to earn our Treats. Somersaults were always a big hit for the littlest kids to do. We had to work for our candy and treats. “Knock Knock” jokes, while usually not earning the highest performance awards of a candy bar, were always reliable in a pinch to rescue the situation when the strange kid in front of you stole your best joke or trick, so the astute Trick or Treater always kept a few in reserve just in case.

Knock, knock.
Who’s there?
Orange.
Orange who?
Orange you going to give me some candy?

Although that particular one did run the risk of getting you an orange instead of a Baby Ruth. But a good “Knock Knock” joke could usually be relied on to be rewarded with at least a popcorn ball. If the household had just heard the same joke three times before you arrived, you were probably doomed for pennies, though. And it did happen occasionally, as hot new jokes seemed to cycle thru the neighborhood in a given year. “Better tell me another one son, or it’s three pennies for you. I just heard that one five times before you got here! What else you got in your trick bag?”

Trick or Treating done correctly was literally a performance art, requiring lots of pre-planning, preparation and dedication. And on Halloween night, it was a process that could not be rushed if anticipated rewards were to be realized. A good performance took both time and dedication to the craft. On a successful night, multiple stops home might be needed to offload full bags and then head back out for more. Candy bars were the real sought after prize, of course!

It was good to work together, not only in your group so everyone had their own unique performance art for the night, but also coordinating with other groups on the street, as it could save a lot of time. “Don’t bother stopping here, Jim. Old lady Jones is already out of candy and dumped pennies in our bags. Haskins has still got Snickers.” Forewarned, time could be saved to head towards the high rollers still handing out candy bars and cupcakes. By 6:30, everybody on the street knew which house was giving out what, which naturally led to candy bar homes running out before the Bazooka Gum, safety suckers and fruit houses. When you spied groups of kids running towards a particular house, you knew to hurry there next. When you saw kids walking down the driveway shaking their sacks and hearing “thump, thump, thump,” you knew they’d been fruited. So unless really hungry for an apple, best to pass that one by and come back later. Chances were pretty good they’d still be open for business at nine.

Can’t speak for others, but on a few occasions I was treated with Silver Dollars. Honest-to-goodness, better-than-Musketeers Silver Dollars! Which was without a doubt at the same time the awesomest but bothersomest treat one could receive, being simply too special to spend and convert to candy. I still have them in the back of a drawer tucked beneath underwear for safekeeping. Same silver dollars, not the same underwear, of course.

Costumes were usually homemade, wholly or at least partly made by the kids themselves. Big-footed clowns, cowboys and Lone Rangers with masks, knights with aluminum foil helmets carrying cardboard or wooden swords and shields, Indians in feathers and war paint, policemen, miniature firefighters, princesses, angels, red caped devils complete with garden pitchforks, army soldiers in their fathers’ oversized WWII and Korean War gear, scarecrows stuffed with straw, and ugly-nosed witches with brooms. A few Tinmen but that was a hard costume to pull off without a lot of help from parents. Along with many a hobo, most patterned after Red Skelton’s famous “Freddie the Freeloader” character at the time. And the obligate number of white-sheeted ghosts floating over the sidewalks, of course. Skeletons were fairly rare in those days, because that was mostly a store-bought costume that neither kids nor parents wanted to admit to having to resort to. We talked about them a lot in name, but no one ever knew what a Goblin really was to make a costume for it. It was just a creature of myth and folklore that we did not want to run into on the street that night, because chances were good it wouldn’t be a kid in a costume. Ghosts with eye holes were generally considered pretty safe to approach, though.

Clearly the most outstanding costume I remember was when the older, bigger and “I’m-better-than-you-are” neighbor kid across the street’s father made him the scariest and true-to-life realistic Headless Horseman costume since Ichabod Crane galloped on a plow horse thru Sleepy Hollow, complete with dripping blood around the collar and a glowing pumpkin carried on a stick for his head. Apparently, his dad had worked on it all summer in the garage, keeping it a secret from the neighborhood. Yeah, every block had one of those kids. Looking back on it now, he rather sadly always went out on Halloween as a group of one, by himself with his father in tow. Sometimes I wondered if he might have been happier in a white sheet with the rest of the neighborhood candy scroungers. It was hard to tell, even back then, if a jerk was alone because he was a jerk or a jerk because he was alone. Whichever, receiving double rations from almost every house, the Headless Horseman made a record haul of candy that year that no one ever came close to matching and that we never heard the end of! Runner up for best-ever costume was the same kid the year before, a square-headed Frankenstein costume his dad whipped up complete with bolts coming out of his neck and walking on platform shoes and getting double-treated again. Jerk.

Trick or Treating certainly isn’t anything like it used to be. Many more costumes come off racks in the store rather than homemade with love nowadays. Kids in our neighborhood look at you like you have worms crawling out of your ears (which might actually be a good look for Halloween) if you ask them to do anything beyond hold their bag open to toss the candy inside. Some don’t even hold the bag open, expecting you to bend over and do that, too. And regrettably, there are all the safety issues that never crossed anyone’s mind in our time. And most curious of all, candy now comes in “Fun Sized”, which try as I might I still don’t see much fun in it.

Times change. But the little kids trick or treating aren’t seeing the night thru our memories, and are busily having fun and making memories of their own. Want to make a special memory for a little princess or cowboy? Give them a full sized candy bar and watch their eyes light up! Although, you better be prepared for the onslaught up the driveway when the word hits the street! Some things never change.

Happy Halloween to everyone! Please keep an eye out for the little Trick or Treaters in the streets and keep everybody safe. Thanks as always for stopping by for a visit! — Jim (and Red!)

For some more reading fun, check out “The Adventures of Little Red Bear” on Amazon. Old-fashioned, Family-friendly Adventures and Fun for All Ages!

An Original Short Story– “Haystack Harry”

October 29, 2014 / jrmilson / 1 Comment

Hey folks! Happy Halloween Week! Hope the pumpkins are carved and candy bins resupplied, because the little ghosts, goblins, superheroes and Disney Princesses will all be making their rounds very soon. It’s not wise to disappoint. As the old saying says– “Trick or Treat!” I find treat wrappers a lot easier to clean up the next morning than dried up trick leavings.

Speaking of Halloween and the Autumn Season, what do October, fall harvest time, sweet potatoes, Missouri Mules, old wagons, hay bales, cornfields, crows and a scary character in a dilapidated old barn all have in common? They’re all featured in a new, original short story, of course. It’s entitled “Haystack Harry” and appears under the “Free Reads” heading at the top of the page. Is it scary? Is it not? You’ll have to read to find out for yourself. Here’s a little bit to get you started.

“Sunday. Thinking back, yes, I believe it was a Sunday. An exceptionally warm day as I recall now. Maybe even a little hot for an early October morning on my Uncle Coley’s farm outside McKittrick, Missouri.

“I had traveled out to the country that morning with my parents to visit and look for a Halloween pumpkin, and we were not surprisingly recruited into digging sweet potatoes from the field and storing them in the root cellar. “Gotta beat Ol’ Jack Frost!” he barked while bringing the mules up to hitch. It seems Uncle Coley always had a “helping out” chore to “lend a hand” on when visiting.”

Here’s a quick link to read the rest of the story → “Haystack Harry” Short Story.

“Haystack Harry” is a farm and country story for all ages. Please feel free to read to little ones, and pass along to share with others. Hope you enjoy the story.

Thanks as always for the visit and reading! — Jim