Happy Halloween!!!

Where did the time go? It feels like only yesterday that we were scouring the aisles of Target and Walgreens in search of the resurrected Frute Brute and Yummy Mummy cereals.  Now, I have 14 boxes in my kitchen (seriously!) For a season that seemed to never get here fast enough, it sure came and went in a hurry.  Believe me, It was an awesome Halloween season, but I just can't believe that the day is almost over.  Halloween and Christmas battle to become my favorite day of the year, but Christmas 2013 will have to do a lot to top this Halloween.  Granted, the last half of my holiday was spent working a new job, but that didn't really keep me from celebrating this amazing time of year.  Unfortunately, it did take a major toll on this blog that I love so much, but I literally had no time to both personally partake in the festivities and write about it.  Well, that's until now as I attempt to pack in the last few weeks in a one-off post.

Because I'm currently working in Upstate NY, I've been put up at the Holiday Inn courtesy of my employer.  It has it's pros and cons, one being that I'm away from home without any Internet, but there is a nearby Target and that was enough for me.  Most people would stock up on food to survive.  You know, food that is actually nourishing and healthy for your life.  Me?  No.  I picked up Frankenberry, Count Chocula, Halloween Oreo Cookies, a bag of Doritos, Goober Peanut Butter and Jelly, and a case of Cranberry Splash Sierra Mist.  Where are the bananas?  Where are the apples and strawberries?  I'm sure they're somewhere in the artificial ingredients and that's enough for me to justify my actions.

After a long day of work, there's really nothing better than coming back to a lonely hotel room where you find your old friend Frank waiting to cheer you up.  Monster Cereals are truly the kings of Halloween 2013 and, really, it was only right that I enjoyed the Frankenberry flavor on a cold, gloomy night in Middletown, NY.  It really made my night and, until I could get home for the weekend, kept the Halloween spirit alive.

While walking the aisles of Target, I found this Pillsbury Caramel Apple icing and immediately texted my Girlfriend.  In all seriousness, nobody makes cupcakes like Eileen.  I've been to the best bakeries in NYC and, honestly, they don't even come close.  Whatever she does to the batter makes all the difference and I knew these were a must-try.  I said "Hey, if you wanna make cupcakes this weekend, I mean, these would be great.. Just saying."  Or something like that.  Then, when I got home on Friday night...

Caramel Apple Cupcakes!  She not only used the icing, but the batter shared the same flavor.  It was such an awesome surprise and the best way to keep the season flowing.  When you're alone, about an hour away, you tend to forget about what's fun or what makes you happy and tend to just eat and go to sleep.  Every weekend, I tried to create a memory with my Girlfriend and family.  I knew it wouldn't be much, but if I could do something fun and enhance the "Holidaze," that was enough.  Caramel Apple Cupcakes with a can of Jones Candy Corn soda screamed Halloween enough for my enthusiasm to stay awake.

Continuing the weekend of 10/19, we went on a Haunted Hayride with Eileen's family in Marlboro, NJ.  To be exact, it was at C. Casola Farms and it was a great time.  We'd been there before, about 3-years ago, when we took her brother, who was 9 at the time, on his first Hayride.  This time, the acting and presentation wasn't as good, but the amount of people we had there made up for it.  Her siblings and cousins all range from 11-17 years-old, so they either lied and said they weren't scared or said they were too old to admit it.  At the end of the day, they were all screaming, shrieking, and sighing.  It was hilarious.  Yet, still, Eileen was the one who reacted most.  To the point that the actors figured out her name and truly entered the psyche.  That was pretty cool.  Since I'm not easily startled and go more for the environment, I get a huge kick out of others in terrifying fear :)

After another week of work, it was back home this past weekend for the annual Halloween party in Hoboken, NJ.  Usually, I like to make my own costume or do something original that not many take the time to do.  But, this year, I'm one of those who didn't have time and Eileen suggested that we go as zombies.  My love for The Walking Dead made me think yes, but her ideas for make-up made me SAY yes!  She did an amazing job through the use of liquid latex, tissue paper, oatmeal, zombie dirt, and fake blood.  Of course, the contacts were a must for it to all work out!

I'm so so happy that we decided to go as zombies because they were a HUGE hit!  To my surprise, there weren't any other zombies walking the streets which helped us really stand out.  We were getting shout-outs from drunks, scared a few black women who loved the AMC hit, and even won $50 from the DJ at Bahama Mamas.  Overall, it was an amazing night with even better friends and I'm happy it all worked out.

Hanging with this guy, my friend James, has become a Halloween tradition.  While I try to stand out for being something original and cool, he tries to do the same with something so outlandish that nobody would actually dress up in that costume.  Last year, he went as George Washington.  This year, he went as King Tut.  No, he's not a history buff, he's just crazy.  He received just as much attention as I did, with a few more laughs, for being a wild pharaoh.  Thanks for the shots, @Jamesapalooza!

Thankfully, the hangover on 10/27 wasn't bad and we were able to hop on the PATH train for a little bit of Halloween fun in NYC.  4-days before the big day, but everybody was already decked out in Halloween costumes.  We saw kids everywhere and their parents were so proud to show them off.  Some people might think, uh, wait for the 31st, but screw that!  Start Halloween as early as possible and make it last even longer.  These families had it right and it set us up for and even better day at Jekyll and Hyde!

I won't bore you with the details, but this is an amazing restaurant that I've overlooked for far too long.  It's filled with animatronics and props that express the true emotion of Halloween and Horror perfectly.  Each display tells a story and brings you right into their world.  Not to mention, the food was delicious.  We had an amazing time and loved interacting with the costumed characters.  Like I said, I won't get into every tiny detail, but if you're interested in reading more, check out Veggie Macabre's review and really dive into Jekyll and Hyde.

As we walked through the Village, I told Eileen "I'm having a Halloween sensory overload."  She laughed, but I was dead serious - no pun intended.  These people know how to decorate in a way that is too small for a suburban town, but just enough for a major city.  Skeletons hanging from buildings, tiny pumpkin clings on windows, monsters in store displays, and the smell of fall in the air.  We couldn't walk a single block without seeing a decoration and it made me want to visit them tonight for the Halloween Parade in the Village.  Had I gotten out of work just a few hours earlier, I would have ended my season with a bang.  But hey, a long over due Holidaze post doesn't hurt, either!

The famous Magnolia bakery went all out for Halloween, too!  But, by the time we got there, they were all sold out and we settled for regular flavors.  Eh, it was good enough.  They had these oldies in the window, but they were still cool enough for me to photograph and share with you.  While I had to go back to my hotel in NY, it gave me an idea and I knew I'd be home on the 30th and 31s, no matter how tired I'd be, to share those days with my number one Ghoul and family!

On my way home, I stopped at Dunkin Donuts for a mixture of Halloween donuts.  For me, it's a tradition.  If I don't have an orange donut during October, then it wasn't really Halloween.  I had these 6 last night and I picked one up this morning before going into work.  It's mandatory and, if they're still available tomorrow, I'll extend the season into November and get another one.  They're just so much better when they're black and orange!

I got out early yesterday and was back home by 4pm.  That was a blessing because we were able to take our cupcake idea and put it into action.  Okay, it was my idea and I did nothing else after that, but Eileen did wonders with Monster Cereals, Halloween Crunch, and some icing!  Above, you see vanilla cupcake batter mixed with Count Chocula, Halloween Crunch, Yummy Mummy, and Frankenberry!

We've done this in the past, but we didn't have Yummy Mummy and Frute Brute and that meant it had to be done again!  So, to up the ante, we threw the cereal into the batter and dyed the YM and FB cupcakes orange and red, respectively!

They are absolutely delicious and, in my opinion, look just as good as they taste!!  Our only mistake was forgetting to pick up chocolate icing for Count Chocula.  So, in anybody asks, the vanilla icing is milk and the chocolate cereal represents Count Chocula in the bowl.  Yeah, we're going to get technical on Halloween!

Yeah, lots of pics...  But, let's face it, Halloween 2013 belongs to cereal and it's what truly made the season what it was!  It had to be part of my conclusion because it was the only fitting ending to what was the greatest Halloween season in a very long time!

Sure, I have a few regrets.  I wish I would have gone to more Haunted Houses, especially Terror Behind the Walls in Philly, and I wish I spent more time on The Holidaze, but I have to remember why I was held back a bit this year.  I've been blessed with a new job that will allow me to create even better memories in the future and that's enough for me to sacrifice a bit more this year for later.

To all my readers, old and new, THANK YOU!  I had more hits than ever but, more importantly, had great interaction with so many of you!  Before I started the countdown, and even back in May, I purposely deleted a bunch of fake Twitter followers and accounts in order to create better communication with people actually interested in The Holidaze.  That was the best decision I made this year because I've been able to make so many "Internet Friends" who share so many of the same interests and made this blog worth putting time and effort into.  Hey, together, we got Wes Craven to tweet about a fake box of Hi-C.  How crazy is the power of the Internet?  I couldn't have had such a wonderful Halloween experience without all of you and I really do appreciate your time, support, and friendship.  Unless I'm being Catfished, you're all amazing people.

As I write this, the commercial for the Radio City Christmas Spectacular is playing, so I guess Halloween really is over, but I hate to say goodbye.  I love this day, I love this season, and I don't want to see it end.  Does it really have to?  That's up to us..  Personally, I keep things going for another week or so.  Besides Thanksgiving, November doesn't offer much to start so, hey, let's keep watching Horror movies, eat a bunch of sugary cereal, throw back some candy corn and seasonal drinks, and enjoy what's left of the spooky season!  Tonight, I'll be watching Trick R Treat with my lady and, out of tradition, we'll be going to Pizza Hut for dinner.  That goes back to a Universal Monsters promotion that stuck with me since the 90s.  It's all about creating memories and sharing experiences.  That's what we've done here, together, and will continue to do as we celebrate The Holidaze!

Jolly Rancher Caramel Apple Lollipops

Well, it's been a while and I don't like that.  I recently started a new job and that's great news, but it requires so much time and effort that I now find myself in bed by 10pm every night.  That leaves very little time for The Holidaze and, personally, my Halloween season is taking a big hit.  But that doesn't mean the season is dead, that just means I have to go about things differently.  While I may not be able to post as often, I'll still do my best to make the most out of the spooky time of year and share those experiences with all of you.  To make somewhat of a comeback, I bring to you a product I've yet to see on any other blogs..

Jolly Rancher Caramel Apple Lollipops!

My very first Holidaze post focused on Caramel Apple Lollipops.  It featured the classic pops from Tootsie that we've all seen on store shelves.  They used to be a seasonal item, but now you'll find them throughout the entire year.  They're good!  They're green apple flavored with chewy caramel.  9 times outta 10, that equals delicious.  But if I'm being honest, the only reason that was my first post was because it was 9/10/11 and hardly any Halloween products were available.  Yet, I was too excited to start writing and I picked up the first thing I could relate to the season.  Hence, a star was born.  But today, as I tell you about JOLLY RANCHER Caramel Apple Lollipops, it has nothing to do with desperation or needing a filler.  No, these popped out at me and screamed Fall.  Now, if only the weather would be so cooperative.

When I was a kid, my cousin and I used to buy 5 cent Jolly Ranchers all the time.  We loved them.  I used to buy the hard-candy packs and suck on them instead of Halls cough drops when I was sick.  It did nothing to help my cold, but did wonders for the taste buds.  It was like eating Luden's in school.  We all know it was candy we could eat in class and get away with.  I tried doing the same with Jolly Ranchers and my favorite was always Green Apple.  The Watermelon flavor comes in close behind in second, but gets slightly edged out.  So when I saw that my favorite flavor was being combined with the taste of caramel to create an upgraded Caramel Apple Lollipop??  It was on like Donkey Kong.

In terms of packaging, I like these wrappers a lot.  The design doesn't represent Halloween, but it's really not supposed to.  Over the years, thanks to places like Starbucks and Yankee Candle, seasonal products have grown from spooky skulls and Snickers to Pumpkin Spice and Caramel Apple.  Now, as consumers, we get the best of both worlds and, for me, that's what makes Fall the greatest season of all.  Besides the obvious colors, that's what this wrapper symbolizes.

When you compare the way these Jolly Rancher Lollipops look next to the Tootsie variety, there's no contest.  Jolly Rancher wins, hands down.  Unlike the Tootsie Pop, this actually has a shape, size, and texture.  It has a real appearance and isn't just a big blob of candy thrown on a stick.  I know that doesn't seem very important, but I like the extra attention to detail.  These stand out as classics and remind me of when I was a kid and chomped down on cheap Cherry lollipops from the dollar store.  Besides that, I like to think Sam from "Trick R Treat" would use this a substitute if he ever discarded his Pumpkin Sucker.  It looks that cool.

What can I say about flavor?  Well, let me put it this way -- I opened this Caramel Apple Lollipop to try and throw away.  Before I realized it, the entire pop was gone.  It's delicious and, unfortunately for Tootsie, this could put their lollipops out of business.  There's a new hot shot in town and he's sponsored by Jolly Rancher.  With this lollipop, it's completely hard candy.  There's no chewiness or stickiness.  There are no fillings.  It's just a traditional lollipop with two contrasting flavors that work perfectly together.  One second you're tasting the Green Apple Jolly Rancher, then the next you're tasting a Sugar Daddy.  It's a whirlwind of flavor and taste that makes for an awesome Fall treat.  For some reason, these are either underrated or unheard of, but I've only seen them at Rite-Aid and they deserve a chance to shine!

I knew Sam would like the Jolly Rancher Caramel Apple Lollipops!!  They're perfect for Trick R Treating!

Candy Corn M&M's

Last year, I heard all about Candy Corn M&M's.  I saw them, I picked them up, and read the bag.  It clearly said "white chocolate" M&M's.  I thought, if these are just a collection of M&M's that I can get at any time of year, seasonally colored to represent candy corn, then it's not worth buying to try and write about.

But soon after I passed up on the M&M's, I read various reviews that described the flavor and they believed they were actually candy corn flavored.  Well now we're talking.  This year, I wasn't going to let others describe and review for me, I was going to do that myself.  Luckily, I found a tiny bag at Michael's Craft Store and was able to pick it up for cheap.

One thing I never discounted last year was the bag design.  On both the large and small bags, they went all out as they usually do with their seasonal M&M's.  Of course, they went with the obvious color scheme of yellow, white, and orange.  I wouldn't expect anything different, but the fact that they dressed the red M&M in a candy corn costume is pretty cool.  We all know this guy.  He's been in 100s of commercials and he's quite the complainer.  It seems like he's never happy.  But somehow, they convinced him to put this costume on and act like he's proud to be laying in an M&M ball pit.  He's even throwing up the RVD thumb as if to say "Yeah, check me out, ladies."  They must have paid him in gum.

You'd probably notice the size of these M&M's first, but I want you to notice the fact that I flipped every M&M over to be M-Side Up.  That's dedication to The Holidaze, so lie and tell me you noticed that first, okay?

Second, you'll notice the strong scent of sugar once you rip this open.  It kinda smells like cake frosting battling with the stronger scent of vanilla extract.  It's strong, but I like it.

Lastly, before you try one, you have to respect the colors.  Comparing these M&M's to candy corn is easy, but they're perfect for fall as well.  Besides brown, I can't think of three better colors to pour in a bowl and display on your table as a decorative item.  You don't even have to be a fan of Halloween or candy corn, you just have to enjoy the season itself.  And if you don't like Fall, then I have no idea how you stumbled on this site.

Okay, now for the reason behind purchasing these suckers at all - the taste!!  I gotta be honest, all I'm tasting is white chocolate.  I've seen a dozen sites saying that they taste candy corn, but I'm really pushing it if I say I do, too.  I mean, you might get a hint of it every now and then, but I truly feel like I'm tricking myself into believing it.  A lot of people have said "Yeah, it's white chocolate and candy corn combined."  I'll take your word for it and, if that's the case, then I now know what those two flavors taste like when put together, but I can't make the same claim.  

Regardless of what I taste, you taste, I think, or you think, these M&M's are still very good and they're worth buying for the colors and design alone.  I didn't think so last year, but I've had a change of heart after writing about them.  If not for the season, I'd probably avoid them and stick with the classics, but I can't turn down Halloween candy two-years in a row.  Now, from what I'm hearing, there are new pumpkin spice M&M's out for 2013 and those I'll have to try.  I've been on the lookout, but no luck just yet.  When it comes to stocking shelves, stores have been slower than ever.  But soon, Halloween will strike and strike hard.  Until then, go ahead and pick these up.  I'm curious to see what you think.

Summer Oreo Cookies

I wasn't planning on writing about Oreo cookies back-to-back, but today this is just too fitting.  In New Jersey, it's well over 90 degrees and feels like 100 on this first day of Summer.  It's the type of day you either go to the beach and relax, or do the same in the cool air of your own air conditioned home.  That is, of course, if you're not trapped inside a stuffy workplace.  But hey, no matter where you are, there's to excuse to no have your own bag of Summer Edition Oreo Cookies with you.  It's a wonderful way to kick off the season.

I had yet to write my first Holidaze entry last Summer, so I'm not sure if these seasonal snacks were available or if they're entirely new.  Did they use the word "Summer" and not include the awesome graphics?  Has that sand castle stood for 365 days or did some little kid just make that in 2012?  Was the creme blue or did they stick with the traditional white?  I couldn't tell you because I honestly wasn't looking for anything I could write about at the time.  However, had I seen these, I know I would have picked them up anyway because.. BLUE Creme!!  That's an instant purchase.  Who doesn't love blue food?  It's the best and this year, it's mine.

Take a look at the beautiful blue color.  Blue isn't my favorite color, (green is) but blue is a close second and this light North Carolina shade is perfect for their Summer edition.  I missed out on the Spring edition, but that's truly because I just didn't want them.  Like these, the Spring edition features the traditional Oreo flavor, but the creme was yellow.  Yellow?  Who wants that?  That's just boring, especially with all the special/limited edition Oreo varieties out right now.  So move over Spring and let the blue days of Summer make their way through.

Just like the Halloween, Winter, and even Spring versions, the Summer edition features five themed designs to go along with the product.  You should be able to see, but if you can't, we have "Beach Day" with a beach chair and umbrella.  "Happy Summer" with palm trees on an island.  "Start The Fun" with a sand castle.  I wonder if the same kid who made the castle on the bag made this one too?  Corny joke alert.  Sound the alarm.  Moving on, we have "Fun Under The Sun" with a.. go figure.. Sun.  But not just any Sun, he's a happy Sun wearing Sunglasses.  That makes no sense if you really think about it, but who doesn't love a smiling, shaded, Sun?  Finally, we have "Sail Into Summer" above a floating sailboat.  They're all amazing and I love how well they represent the time of year, but that has come to be expected with these seasonal cookies.  Nabisco doesn't mess around.  The blue creme can attest to that!

The blue is SO bright!  I love it.  When I was little, I used to always buy the blue raspberry blow pops.  The flavor was great, but had it been a white or purple lollipop, I would have passed and gone with the watermelon.  There's just something about blue colored food that attracts me.  Is it just me, my generation or guys in general?  I'd love to read a scientific study done on the relationship between the colors of food and those who eat them.  There must be a reason why I love blue so much.  When Ketchup was green, my favorite color, it didn't make me want ketchup any more, so why does blue make me want a regular Oreo that much more?  Craziness!