This Halloween, I’m keeping it ghostly simple as well as gluten-free.
I sometimes think back to the Halloweens of my childhood. They were filled with homemade candied or caramel apples and popcorn balls. My parents worked on carnivals for weeks making sure we had dry ice to create creepy fog as we bobbed for apples from a galvanized tub or stuck our hands in spaghetti brains in a haunted house. The doings were quite elaborate. Some years, life delivers too much for Halloween to be a priority.
Nonetheless, I don’t want to disappoint any trick-or-treat regulars. That means keeping the décor, activities, and treats simple. A few pumpkins with drawn faces or trash bag draped balloon ghosts will suffice for decorations. Answering the door in costume (or not) is sufficient activity. All that’s left is to choose and purchase some candy.
Some years, I spend hours researching a range of gluten-free candy or fun trinkets. That can mean searching far and wide to buy the most interesting things I find. This year, I’m skipping all of that in favor of the largest, cheapest bag of candy available from my regular grocer.
As it turns out, a 5 lb. bag of Child’s Play Tootsie® Roll Favorites looks like a good option. Not only is it gluten-free, it’s peanut-free too. Plus, this bag offers me FUN right there on the bag. And I love fun!
I also love Tootsie Roll POPS® and my grandson loves DOTS®. Seems like the way to go. On further examination, I discover even more variety than I expected. The bag contains Tootsie Roll Midgees, Juniors, and Snack Bars. Those are the technical names. You may recognize them as small, medium, and large Tootsie Rolls. I love this because there’s something for every size trick-or-treater.
With all those sizes, the fun has just begun. The bag includes an assortment of Fruit Chews in lemon, lime, orange, vanilla, and cherry flavor. I think vanilla is a little weird for a “fruit” chew, but some people may not.
Gummies are not neglected in this collection. DOTS are packaged in a box that looks like it was shrunk from a movie theater. The boxes feature gummies flavors of cherry, lemon-lime, strawberry, and orange.
If you like to work for your rewards, choose the Tootsie Pops. My bag seems to have mostly cherry, chocolate, and grape, but there may be some other flavors buried in there.
And although this collection is gluten-free and peanut-free, there are some common allergens buried in there – milk, soy, and possibly eggs may be present. The good news is, Tootsie makes it easy to view that information on their website.
If 5lbs is more than you need, the Child’s Play assortment is available at my local store in a 21.98 oz bag as well as 2.5 and 3.5 lb bags. Some sizes will also be offered through your favorite online retailer.
Instead of buying multiple bags or more expensive chocolates, this bag fits the bill for this year’s theme of keeping life ghostly simple.
Happy Halloween!
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”