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How many of you remember tricks and treats, for real? That is, real fun and real food? Ivory soap used to be the window smear of choice, while wax lips and fingernails filled with sugary liquid absolutely made the day complete.

Mary Evelyn Arnold remembers that in her Wayne, Penn., neighborhood "someone always made candied apples, the red ones, and cupcakes." Many of us can call up root beer barrels, candy corn, and waxed lips, fingernails, fangs or tongues filled with sugar juice. Kathy Swett recalls "popcorn balls, which you could never pass out now. In our neighborhood in Longview, Wash., we always knew which houses had real sized candy bars - not the little ones, red or caramel candied apples, the popcorn balls and even the people who gave out silver dollars."

My own mother, Emily Thompson, used to pop popcorn, "let" me spoon it into waxed paper bags, and then she tied elegant bows around each pack, and offered a separate basket of shiny apples. This whole "treat" process has moved from its Celtic origins when the Druids and others believed that the dead would terrify a neighborhood but could be appeased if you gave food to the Druids as they visited country homes during Samhain, a festival that celebrates the end of summer.

The next historic step was that Irish peasants would go door to door and collect barnbrack, a sort of fruitcake with a lucky ring or a piece of straw inside, cheese, eggs, butter and apples, to say nothing of money, to get ready for the St. Columbkill festival.

In Europe, beggars would roam villages to collect "soul cakes," and the more soul cakes you gave the peasant, the more prayers he or she would say for you. Apples came into the picture as the goddess Pomona's sacred food when the Romans conquered the Celts, which led eventually to bobbing for apples.

Because we have just enough perverted nuts in this country who put poison, nails and razor blades in apples and homemade treats, everyone now has to buy into the commercialization of yet another holiday, forcing us to purchase pre-wrapped and sealed candy to make kids of all sizes happy and keep their toilet paper rolls to themselves.

Back at the ranch, Tiddle E. Winks has all of the root beer barrels, juice-filled teeth and bottles, candy corn, Mello Cremes, Neccos, and most anything other nostalgia candy or gum that comes wrapped. A timely press release came from Necco (New England Confectionary Co.) saying that after 162 years, Necco just went "all natural," shedding "artificial flavoring and colors" in its four-billion wafers produced and consumed each year. The candies will have more pastel colors, losing green for lack of a tasty color source.

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These days many parents hesitate to take their kids trick or treating, while others truck theirs to candy-lucrative neighborhoods. Please, if you or your children or grandchildren have the flu, stay home this Halloween and celebrate your family with some hot soup.

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Sign of the Bear kitchenware shop invites home cooks or cooks' friends to show up for a knife skills (not fencing) training from Kyle of Wüsthof knives today, Oct. 30. Bring your knives and get two sharpened for free, or donate $6 per extra knife to your favorite local charity. Meals on Wheels volunteers suggest you ask that your contribution go to their program. Shop owners Steve and Laura Havlek will also have candy and vampire teeth for all kids. 3 to 6 p.m. 435 First St. W., Sonoma.

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If you are out with kids Halloween evening, stop at Top That yogurt shop on Broadway. Every child 12 and under in costume will receive a free small yogurt, and everyone gets candy from 5 to 11 p.m.

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Sheana Davis' The Epicurean Connection will give a free cup of coffee to all adults in costume, dogs in costume get a doggie snack, and all kids will receive highly prized chocolate eyeballs.

Davis has added Sonoma Syrups, Fork and Shovel jams, Willie Bird turkey, and Liberty Duck products to her store shelves. Davis wrote 60 "cheese bios" for "The Finest Selection World Cheese Book" a new book for which photos were taken in Davis' living room.

On Wednesday, Nov. 4, Davis will offer complimentary appetizers, served with Highway 12 wines, and Sonoma Springs ales. Ten percent of sales go to Sonoma Valley Youth Soccer Association. 6 to 8 p.m. 18812 Hwy. 12, Suite C., Boyes Hot Springs. 935-7960.

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Landmark Vineyards' Halloween Dog and Wine Party invites dogs and owners to wear costumes. Dogs and humans will enjoy prizes, Joe Chaplain and the Lazy Bones perform and complimentary pumpkin and vanilla gelato served from a vintage Vespa with sidecar. Wine for sale. Free. 1 to 4 p.m. 101 Adobe Canyon Road, Kenwood. Contact Nick Benz at 833-0226.

Landmark's Damaris Reserve Chardonnay 2006 was the only Sonoma Valley wine to make Sunset magazine's "Top 50 Bottles to Buy" in its November issue.

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CBS News dropped into the girl and the fig last week with Williams-Sonoma founder Chuck Williams for a taping for their morning show. We'll let you know if the segment makes the cut.

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Cookbook author Paula Wolfert is off to New York next week after her Harvest Moon Café dinner to tape two segments for the "Martha Stewart Show."

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While Santé restaurant at the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa is the first Sonoma Valley restaurant to achieve a star in a Michelin Guide, it is also the first Fairmont restaurant in the entire worldwide chain to be awarded a star by the prestigious guides.

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One of Nancy and Don Sebastiani's SUVs sports magnetic signs advertising daughter Mia's sauces. "Dip in and get saucy," presumably within the jar. The Web site, miaswinesauce.com, goes directly to the Don Sebastiani and Sons site, where we find three Mia's Kitchen saucy varieties: cabernet and chardonnay reduction wine sauces and a balsamic reduction sauce. They sound good, but we haven't tried them yet.

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Sonoma Community Center Executive Director Kathy Swett says the center's new kitchen will be functioning for the annual free Thanksgiving dinner next month. "Some things may not have arrived, but we will be cooking our annual community dinner for sure."

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The Spencer Family's steaming hot crescent puffed crust apple pie triumphed over four other pies entered in last Saturday's pie contest at the Sonoma Garden Park's Fall Harvest Festival. Other pies included apple and custard, figs and berries, an apple torte and apple. They were all terrific and we applaud the entrants, whose names were not revealed to the judges, Mayor Ken Brown, restaurateur Sondra Bernstein and myself. Tough job...

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Vella Cheese just won three more gold medals at the Los Angeles County Fair - High Moisture Jack with Rosemary, Mezzo Secco and Colby.

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Nancy Granger, who is married to Cline Cellars winemaker Charlie Tsegeletos, attended B.R. Cohn's auction dinner with David Wish, a teacher who founded Little Kids Rock and lives in New Jersey. Thousands of kids learn music through this great program, for which Granger, intimately involved in the London music scene for years, is our local maven and fundraiser. Apparently Little Kids Rock will benefit from Cohn's fundraiser next year. Contact Granger at 494-1424 or grangerarts@aol.com to help.

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Organizing for America-Sonoma Valley and the Sonoma Valley Democratic Club co-sponsor a "Community Harvest Party" to celebrate the anniversary of President Barack Obama's election, on Monday, Nov. 2.

Organizer Lilla Weinberger says, "The Eve of Hope will be a collective feast featuring wine, flowers, fruits and herbs from our gardens, orchards and vineyards." Bring "produce to add to a community soup, to pizzas baked in a mobile wood-fired oven and to an autumn fall crisp." Show up after 1 p.m. to help chop and cook. Bring your own dinnerware and utensils. Simka and other friends will play music. Donations accepted at door for hall rental, no one turned away. 5 to 9 p.m. Burlingame Hall. 252 W. Spain St., Sonoma. 939-1779.

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Robert Arnold spent this week in Washington, D.C., and poured "Super Tuscan" wines for Chandelle Winery wine club members at the historic Army and Navy Club overlooking Farragut Square. Family members since 1912, Arnold's grandfather, Gen. Hap Arnold, lived there as a young lieutenant while flying at College Park, Md., and courting Bob's grandmother, Bee.

The event took place in the Arnold Room. Chef Raymond Thompson's cheese and fruits; beef kebabs; peppered duck breast over mâche salad; and crispy pork belly with frisée salad and apple slaw made up the tasting menu. Some of the wines are available at the Cellar Door at the Lodge at Sonoma.

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We were among a very lucky few to indulge in a feast of super fresh scallops, prawns, and abalone at Kristi Hallamore Jeppesen's Glenelly Inn and Cottages recently. The entire feast was grilled delicately and lovingly by Armida and Kevin Abe, the latter of whom dived for all of the abalone. Vince Cabrera, a meat expert at Glen Ellen Village Market and friend of both the Abes and Jeppesen, carefully grilled a large tri-tip for Kevin who doesn't like to eat seafood, "having grown up on it in Hawaii." Fabulous salads, wines and conversation. We particularly enjoyed travel writer Tom Adair of Northern Ireland who happened to be staying at the inn and was invited by Jeppesen.

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Several locals have encouraged us to try Fremont Diner again on Highway 121, reporting that the attitude and menu have both improved. Will do so and report back.

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Jeff Mayo is offering custom crush space with a 10 ton minimum up to 40 tons. 484-0526.

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To letter writer Meghan Leerskov: I have absolutely nothing against visitors or motorcyclists. In fact I am envious. I am wearing my black Harley-Davidson boots as I write, in my "all boots and no bike" sort of way, and used to write the program for a huge motorcycle show. Several years ago a friend and I started calling each other "dudettes" when our sons seemed to say "dude" every fifth word. Unfortunately, none of the bikers I spoke to in Sonoma Plaza described their visit as a "charity ride." Hopefully they raised a ton of money for children's diabetes research. Happy Halloween!

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