Halloween Leftover Tips!

The pomp and circumstance of Halloween is over. You spent money on the costume, participated in Halloween parties and events at school and with friends. Now you have boatloads of candy and hopefully some festive memories from all of it.

For many parents this is the time when we now track how much of it our kids are going through and how to keep the sugar intake at a low. It is not easy. It is the one time of year maybe besides Easter kids that get a bag full of candy.

Here are some tips to incorporate the leftover candy cleverly or just get rid of it a bit faster.

• Donate it. Yes, many organizations will take donated candy including some military organizations (Operation Shoebox) to send to soldiers over seas and senior centers or area shelters. 
• Incorporate in a dessert! Fold it in your cookies, add it to granola if you have chocolate pieces or even add it to a homemade trail mix.
• Stir it in ice cream. Kids will love the topping bar idea!
• Freeze it. Yes, you can freeze many types of candy, especially chocolate. This way it can be enjoyed weeks down the line, instead of all in 1 or 2 weeks.
  
• Make candy apples! That's right. Dip apples into caramel and roll into chopped candy and chocolate. 
• Make a festive gift out of the candy. Imagine using a foam cone or foam wreath and using a glue gun, gluing the candy to a wreath. you can choose the candy pattern by colors of the wrappers. Get creative!
• Have your kids separate their favorites, to candy they really do not care for. Take the stuff they do not like to work and leave it in the kitchen or common area for co-workers to enjoy. 
• For the grown ups, put small pieces in your coffee for an added treat.
• Use candy as a learning tool for counting, dividing, multiplying and measuring.
• I am sure many families will be creating gingerbread houses very soon! They NEVER give you enough candy in the kits. Save it for your gingerbread house or holiday craft projects.
• Have a kids birthday coming up? Fill the pinata with it!

Any other tips? Let's hear them!