Having the Right Halloween Treats On-Hand

As you might expect, we spend an inordinate amount of time thinking about belts, blades, and spindle assemblies...and tiller tines...and spark plugs...plastic wheels...tires. The bottom line -- if it has a part number and it is used on a product manufactured by MTD Products, we spend time thinking about it. Members of the team dream in part numbers - this is similar to entering the matrix. Similar, but less cool and without the trench coats.

When October comes around, we're ready to start thinking about something a little different and fun - our favorite Halloween candy.

Things have changed quite a bit since some of us were last in the Halloween game. Costumes were a little less polished. Orange and purple outdoor lights and inflatables - really any decorations outside of jack-o-lanterns - were rare. Handing out loose change seemed to be more common. And, full-sized candy bars were things of legend. But the classic candies have endured.

Though we will freely admit the following list is very cocoa-centric, it is representative of the order in which the haul of candy was prioritized back when we were kids. Halloween wasn't considered 'over' until the pillow case was empty of these gems. They were pushed deep into the pillow case, under a protective layer of candy corn (and anything with coconut). Check out these favorites, some you may want to have on-hand, so that you become a legend in your neighborhood:

1. $100 Grand (This always seemed to be a rare find back in the day. As precious as gold or fire opals, $100 Grand bars required a heightened level of care and security. We are talking a Gollum level of vigilance with hourly piece counts if necessary. Whatever it took to keep them safe from the hands of one's younger siblings. Or worse, Mom and Dad.)
2. Milky Ways
3. Swedish Fish
4. Nestle Crunch/Hersey's Krackel
5. Hersey's Chocolate Bars
6. M&Ms (plain, not peanut)
7. Three Musketeers
8. Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
9.  Dots (five drops of gummy goodness in each tiny little box)
10.  Starburst

And, in Honorarium: the Marathon bar. The Mars Candy Company discontinued this braided rope of caramel and chocolate in 1981. While this epic confection is gone, it is definitely not forgotten.

Sacks filled with candy definitely lose their luster, especially when one is concerned with any of SmartPoints, Paleo Diets, quinoa, or cavities. But from time to time it is worth remembering what it felt like to upend a heavy bag of candy onto your bedroom floor (after it was checked by the parental units of course), if only to revel in something other than part numbers for a time.

Hands off the good stuff though - that's all ours...