Halloween Treats with no Tricks

Everyone knows that I always have candy in my van so when people ask for a sample I am ready to go. For the newer readers here is what I drive

About a year and a half ago Fox Business dubbed me the Kosher Willy Wonka (click to see video).  As a result, I decided for Halloween to go out and purchase a Willy Wonka costume.

Now you are probably wondering where is he going with this entry...

After Halloween last year, my wife had a great idea that I should drive around in the candy van dressed as Willy Wonka and do a "reverse trick or treat."

I thought it was a great idea so a few weeks ago I called our local Police Department and spoke with Officer Friendly who recommend that I contact the Skokie Park District since.  Naturally they did not want kids getting in the habit of taking candy from strangers.

That brings me to what I am doing today -- in conjunction with the Park District early education program I am visiting 4 of their schools, and with a little help from Gimbal's who provided me with Nut Free / Gluten Free / Egg Free / Lactose and Casein Free  (but not taste free) samples, I am stopping at these schools and delivering allergy free treats.

It was a lot of fun. .

So, whether or not you celebrate Halloween, it is quite a treat to see the smiles on the kids faces, (except for the one who was afraid of Willy Wonka and cried, I am sorry to report.)

And yes, several people did the stop the van as I drove around today and said "Trick or Treat."

Have a sweet day!

It's the Jewish Holiday Season

I have written it before in this blog that Illinois Nut & Candy is an extremely seasonal business.  Fortunately, we have been busy the last few weeks during the Jewish Holiday's of Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year), Yom Kippur and where we are now were in the middle of Sukkoth (Sukkot).

Sukkot hearkens back to times in ancient Israel when Jews would build huts near the edges of their fields during the harvest season. These dwellings called a "sukkah" (or "sukkot" plural) not only provided shade, but allowed the workers to maximize the amount of time they spent in the fields, harvesting their food more quickly as a result.  Click to learn more about the origins of Sukkot.

So rather than bore you I thought I would show you some of the interesting items that we offer during this season.

Clockwise from Top Left: Chocolate Apple filled w. Honey Candy, Chocolate Bee Hive, Chocolate Rams Head,
Mini Chocolate Sukkah, Chocolate Sukkah, Mini Chocolate Shofars.

Have a Sweet Day, and a Happy New Year!