Please Only Take 2 Pieces

Let’s use some logical reasoning, as well as some math to figure out this candy situation.  If you have X number of kids coming to your house to Trick or Treat and you tell them that they can only take 2 per person, it is very logical and mathematically sound the buy 2X pieces of candy.  But what happens every time?

You run out halfway through the night.  Why is this?  Well, our wicked-awesome deductive skills tell us that either the no good kids took more than their 2 pieces or you had more kids than last year.

I’m going to bank on the second one.  This is a game.  People will map out their strategy to get the most and best candy for their kids.  They know to hit Apartment 9 because Mr. Bateman gives out full size candy bars and not the fun size.  They know to avoid Mrs. Shannon because she gives out floss.

Where do you stand on the list?  Think about it.  If you aren’t one of the people that gives out the really good stuff, but get a lot of kids anyway, you might want to consider buying the candy you give wholesale, instead of the little bags at the store.  You get a lot more for a lot less money.

The flip side of the coin is that you buy too much and have candy left over.  Or maybe you yourself went Trick or Treating and you got a bunch of Sugar Daddies, or whatever candy you hate the most.  There are ways to get rid of the leftover candy without having to eat it all or throw it out.

If you’re throwing a party and want to serve something else besides for huge buckets of candy, there are plenty of ideas out there.  On the Yahoo! Food Forum, there are tons and tons of easy Halloween-themed foods.  You don’t have to serve a five-course meal or spend a million dollars on cookies that look like pumpkins, either.

Or, if you’re a little more ambitious, you can check out the Food Network.  You know they’ll have tons of things.  Channels like that love holidays because they don’t have to think about their programming.  I know I’m loving it, because it gave me an instant theme that I didn’t have to think about.

However, if you’re not too into the more than one step food preparation, here are a couple equations that can make your life even easier.

• 1.    Hershey’s Kiss + Chocolate Cookie = Witch’s Hat Cookie

• 2.    Oven Bake Breadsticks + Slicing ¼ of the way up one end = Witch’s Broom Breadsticks

• 3.    Hostess Ding Dongs + Black Licorice Laces = Spider Cakes

• 4.    Little Debbie Swiss Cake Rolls or Hostess HoHos + M&Ms or candy corn = Make Your Own Critter Cake

• 5.    Apple Slices + Caramel Dip = Caramel Apples

• 6.    Chopped Ham + Cheese + Bread Slices + Oven = Deviled Ham Toasties

• 7.    Sour Apple Cocktail Mix + Club Soda = Poisoned Apple Cocktails