Halloween Scare Package Treats
Oh my gosh, the last two weeks of October were a whirlwind.
The hubby and I headed out the weekend before Halloween to celebrate a dear friend’s son’s wedding before continuing to Excelsior Springs, Missouri, for a quiet and relaxing mini-vacation to celebrate our 31st anniversary. (This hardly seems possible since I’m pretty sure that I’m only 29.)
We stayed at The Elm’s, which is where we spent our first anniversary. There were certain restrictions due to Covid-19, but we enjoyed the local shops, eateries, and beautiful scenery. It was a bit cold for October, and it even snowed a little, but we didn’t mind.
Before we left, I was busy putting together this year’s Scare Packages. I managed to get them shipped out the afternoon before we left, and each reached their destination in time for Halloween.
Due to the tight time-line, I kept things pretty simple with easy-to-make mixes and ready-made packaging, a slight change from last year’s Halloween Scare Packages.
“Mix It Up” was the unofficial theme this year as I ended up with three candy mixes. Each was relatively quick and simple to create, which I needed to get these out in time.
First up was the must-have, Halloween Mix of candy corn and peanuts. I think I would be in big trouble if I failed to include this favorite. No small servings here! I loaded up large clear cellophane bags printed with a Halloween scene and tied them shut with silver twist ties.
Next, I whipped up some homemade caramel corn using a recipe from Kelly over at Foodtasia. Billed as the “Ultimate Easy, Homemade Caramel Corn Recipe,” I was excited to try it out. It was super easy, and oh, so yummy! The caramel corn fit perfectly into the Happy Halloween lidded cups I picked up on clearance at Hobby Lobby last year.
The final mix was a Halloween take on one we consider a Christmas favorite.
Our oldest loves Puppy Chow, also known as Chex Muddy Buddies. Quick and simple to make, I decided to include it this year but kicked it up a notch with some candy bits. The sweet additions included Hershey Cookies and Cream bars, Reeces Peanut Butter Cups, Kit-Kat bars, candy corn, and peanuts. Hefty servings were packaged in plain black treat cups, wrapped in cellophane, and tied off with black and orange ribbon.
Jumbo marshmallows on a stick dipped in chocolate and holiday sprinkles make for a fast and yummy treat. I wrapped these in cellophane, tied them off with some Halloween tinsel, and slipped them into a paper treat cup.
I wanted to add a brownie to this year’s package and decided to try Nancy’s Brown Butter-Hazelnut Blondies inspired by Nancy Drew, a fave from my childhood. These are a great option away from the standard chocolate brownie.
Last but not least, are the Sea Salt Butterscotch Pretzel Cookies by Cookies & Cups. These made their debut in last year’s package, and they became an instant family favorite.
The cookie and blondie get slipped into spooky sweet treat bags leftover from last year’s package.
I filled black gift bags with packaged treats. Now the Halloween Scare Packages are ready to be boxed for mailing.
We arrived back from our quick getaway Thursday before Halloween. While we were away, there was talk of hosting a Trunk Or Treat at the car dealership the hubby manages. He gave the ok, so on Friday, we stopped in to help with the plan.
I’m not sure exactly how it happened, but next thing I know, I have to get together decorations and theme six cars in less than 24 hours?! Luckily, we have enough Halloween decorations here to stage an entire haunt, but it kept me busy up until kickoff time.
We had people lining up well in advance of opening time, and we estimate over 1000 trick or treaters came through.
I didn’t get any good photos of the finished cars and trucks, but that’s not important. It was great to watch kids be able to trick or treat on Halloween.
Whew! What a crazy couple of weeks.
Now, as we roll into November, we get another party started as we celebrate the hubby’s birthday and go about planning for the holiday season. I’ve got a few ideas I’m looking forward to sharing, so I hope to see you back here soon.
