Halloween is not a particularly Australian institution. To me, it belongs in the final scenes of ET and the occasional US sitcom. But this day is the birthday of a family member and so, all day long I mutter to myself "don't forget to call, don't forget to call", not "lay in a store of Mars Bars".

So when there was a knock at the door in the early evening, I opened it in some surprise to find a small warlock, his feline sister, a half-pumpkin half-child and a miscellaneous costumed one standing there expectantly. Their faces were so sweet that I couldn't bear to dash their hopes immediately. "Um, just hang on a second" I said and I ran into the kitchen. There were no sweets to be found, no random packets of Milo bars or Cherry Ripes. I could have given them an organic date each, but I suspect they'd have been pushed back into my letterbox later in disgust!

Looking around frantically, I spotted a box full of chocolate callets. I grabbed some mini ziplock bags and scooped a couple of handfuls of chocolate into each one. The kids seemed pleased and I'm glad I didn't have to break the news to them that they were being given an orange or a stick of celery. And the best part is, I now feel perfectly justified in buying this chocolate. Just for this type of emergency, you know!