# Rather than buying...



## kittyvibe (Oct 27, 2008)

I know you will be putting in so much of your efforts for this but I have to mention that even when I was a kid anytime we had anything home made, whether its popcorn balls or candy apples, my parents always threw these away during bag inspection. Theres a few bad apples out there that have ruined homemade anything for what I believe into perpetuality. I would love to try homemade snickers, want my address?


----------



## The Archivist (Apr 7, 2010)

Don't really want your address for safety reasons but you could just make the recipe for yourself and your guests if you have an at-home Halloween party. I think that's what they were originally designed for. Like I said, I haven't made them because I'm on Weight Watchers and have been doing quite well on it. (down nearly 60lbs.)


----------



## kittyvibe (Oct 27, 2008)

well, the address thing was a joke  gratz on losing the weight, but you started a thread about making candy to pass out for TOTS not an at home party. So I wanted to tell you your efforts might be wasted on more than a few TOTS. Im intrigued with candy making, I love watching the shows that lay out the whole process behind our snacks and candies. The work involved to make it? nooo way, lol. Too much effort, Id rather just buy.


----------



## savagehaunter (Aug 22, 2009)

I do not think anyone will eat them. Today is a time of fear in TOT. People will not eat prepared treats only the packaged ones. And worse, a person handing out prepared treats may be reported undersuspiciaon of nefarious deeds. Safe yourself a lot of bother by not doing it. Sorry to be a kill joy, but that is the reality we live with.


----------



## the dogman (Jul 8, 2007)

Making your own treats for a party would work out okay, but I'm with the others on this about handing them out. Even if you buy factory candy in bulk and repackage it, parents and even some TOTs are likely to toss it out before they even get home. 

People have been in a perpetual state of fear over Halloween candy because of urban legends and over hyped news stories. A majority (if not all) cases of a kid's Halloween candy being tampered with has come back to the parent of the injured child, which is terribly sad. 

The fear lingers on for homemade treats and in some respects it is rightful. People aren't always super clean or hygienic in their own kitchens and a child who is allergic to peanuts may get a piece of non peanut candy that was exposed to peanuts because something wasn't cleaned properly or the candies were stored together. Worse yet someone may taste test a candy coating off of a mixing spoon and not clean it or use a different spoon and whatever germs they may have could be spread around town.

All in all, homemade treats aren't trusted when they are handed out and all that effort goes right in the trash can. Party food is sometimes all homemade so people are more comfortable and less paranoid about it.


----------



## kittyvibe (Oct 27, 2008)

forgot to mention that even packaged candy needs to be inspected, I was surprised to read the news stories about how things got into allegedly sealed wrappers (razors, needles, toxic liquids). I saw a prank once where someone used a needle to inject diarrhea inducing liquid into some candy. Stuff like that makes me shudder as an adult and am thankful my dad inspected our candy bags after our runs, though not as thankful he would pick out the good stuff for himself.


----------



## IshWitch (May 19, 2006)

Parents usually throw away homemade stuff, too risky. I know I would if it was my kids treats. Only if it was from a friend or relative.

It is a real shame too, because when I was a ToT we got lots of homemade cookies, caramel and candy apples, popcorn balls, bags of Chexmix, etc. The druggies of the 60's and 70's ruined it for everyone with the razors in the apples and the Speed and other drugs put in the candy. Not to mention Pot or ExLax brownies.


----------



## the dogman (Jul 8, 2007)

IshWitch said:


> The druggies of the 60's and 70's ruined it for everyone with the razors in the apples and the Speed and other drugs put in the candy. Not to mention Pot or ExLax brownies.



Um, you do know that most of those instances have been proven to be nothing more than an urban myth right? And that a lot of real cases of tampered candy was caused by parents wanting "to teach their kid a lesson" about accepting candy from strangers.

Saying things like that and perpetuating the myth is like saying Halloween is for devil worshipers and that pedophiles will steal your children away on Halloween. It's unfounded propaganda. 

Yeah, maybe in the 60's some kid somewhere was given a pot brownie, possibly by mistake. It is wholly unfair to use one (possible) instance against A) an entire generation and B) use as blame for the over paranoid parents fearing for every hair on their kids head.

If you want to blame something for the mistrust of homemade goods, blame the media attention given to hoaxes and fear pandering. They do it every year to get people worked up and foaming at the mouth and all it does is damage the holiday's reputation even further.


----------



## kittyvibe (Oct 27, 2008)

a couple of good reads here- Poisoned candy scare - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

snopes.com: Pins and Needles in Halloween Candy

Goes to show even store bought candy isnt always safe! )


----------



## The Archivist (Apr 7, 2010)

I appreciate all of your comments however I would like to reiterate that I was just putting out the IDEA of making your own treats. Whether or not you hand them out is immaterial to me, frankly I'd be surprised if they made it past the kitchen  True, the media is panic happy and probably blows 99% of everything out of proportion but in some neighborhoods, if you're well known by the other families, they usually will trust you not to do something stupid especially if you invite the parents over ahead of time to show them what you are planning and make a few batches to give them a taste of what you had in mind.


----------



## karenlyn (Jul 27, 2009)

Yep-- from what I've read (like the Snopes entry Kittyvibe posted) the whole thing about poisoned candy and razor blades in candy is an urban legend. It just about never happens-- and when it does, it's almost always somebody related to the kid that does it. Craziness!

I'm not too worried about stuff like that myself, but the truth is, most people are. So even though it's a little silly, it would be a HUGE shame to go to all the trouble to make candy, only to have it thrown away.

Have you thought of something else crafty you could make that isn't edible? I bet there are lots more options out there.


----------



## kittyvibe (Oct 27, 2008)

well since I was cash strapped last year I only had enough money for cheap candy and only a couple bags at that. I was worried about running out before we left for the party at my mothers, so I entertained the idea of handing out my game maps and collectors edition art books of everquest 2. My fiance told me kids wont want it and would probably egg our house or something, lol. I thought the art books and black velvet logo pouches with a (fake) gold coin inside would be a fun and neat giveaway. If I was a kid I would probably like it, at least I had enough for like 12 more kids if I passed those out. I eneded up just running out of candy so it was all good. 

When we were leaving there was like a kid boom and I felt bad having to turn off my lights and display. I realized we needed to get something together for next time and I was thinking like the OP, but not making edible stuff, but anything else. Got some good ideas here on the forum, like glow bracelets (plus they are practical), I thought pencils would be fun but I dont know how todays kids feel about holiday pencils. ( I still have my childhood collection lol. ) 

All I can think of is if I get an idea I pass it along to my 13 year old cousin, so she can give me her opinion, though she agrees with me most of the time, shes too nice, I need a more cynical mind to bounce ideas off of, lol. Oriental trading company has some nifty ideas, and theres nothing wrong with candy hoarding a month or 2 before Halloween. (If you get sales and/or coupons).


----------



## Junit (Sep 1, 2008)

Home made candy is a great idea, especially for your party. But like others have said parents usually pitch home made candy just to be safe, mine always did unless it was from a neighbor we knew well. About the snickers though, my mom found recipes for those too, but by the time she added up the cost of the ingredients it was just about the same cost as buying them premade from the store... not to discourage you from specifically making snickers, just something to consider when picking what to make.


----------



## Worm Buffet (Apr 28, 2010)

Whenever I cater, which unfortunately isn't too often these days, I always get a request to bring in something "homemade." I checked out the recipe at the site The Archivist mentioned, pretty good idea. I may use this next time. As for not being able to hand these out to neighborhood ToTs, its true that in our crazed media environment, neighbors that we've known for years are no longer able to give out treats made in their own kitchens.


----------



## Hauntiholik (Jul 13, 2005)

Sock puppets like homemade candy but the candy handed out to TOTs should be store bought.


----------

