Ah yes, the end of October. It’s the unofficial start to what I like to call the eating season. It’s more than a season, though. It’s actually approximately half the year. 

October brings with it Halloween, which used to mean a night of trick-or-treating and the bowl and sack of candy that accompanied it. Not anymore. Now it means specialty cupcakes and impossible to resist orange filled oreos. I know. I’m weak. And I should never grocery shop when I’m hungry.

After the sugar high of Halloween, we get into the comfort food of Thanksgiving. Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and gravy. Yum. And if we must throw in a veggie or two why not put them in a casserole with extra calories and deliciousness? Of course we finish the whole thing off with pie. Um, I mean pieS. Who can choose between apple, pumpkin, and pecan? Why choose? Have some of each. And yes, please, I would like some whipped cream on it.

Then, the very next day, we’re into the Christmas season. Hot chocolate and Christmas cookies are in abundance (even if the low temperatures in my area don’t even require mittens).  Specialty items are everywhere, including those cursed Trader Joes candy cane chocolate dipped oreo knock-offs. They are insane.

And don’t forget Hanukkah. Whether you celebrate it or not, those hot golden fried potato latkes are a tradition not to be missed. And what’s Hanukkah without a little bit of chocolate gelt?

Before you know it, February shows up on the calendar, with heart shaped boxes declaring your love for your sweetheart. The bigger the box, the more you love them. Or the more of them there there will be to love, anyway.

It seems that the minute those heart shaped boxes hit the clearance aisle they are replaced by Easter candy. It used to be jelly beans and chocolate bunnies, but now it’s so much more.  My personal Achille’s heel are the Cadbury mini eggs. These are not the chocolate goo filled eggs (which, not surprisingly, I also enjoy), but the small candy shelled bits of yumminess. They must be milk chocolate, though. The dark chocolate ones just don’t do it for me. And the Christmas version of candy shelled red and green balls isn’t quite the same either. Apparently I’m a Cadbury mini egg snob.

So there you go, a breakdown of the October to April feeding frenzy that I’m hoping to navigate with some type of success. My only saving grace is that I also bought fruit, and I know how to eat it!