The holiday treat season is about to kick off! Over the next few weeks, I want to share with you how you can maintain a healthy weight and your sanity throughout the holidays, starting with tomorrow. You may discover if you have not already, that you inherited a lot of candy without intending to do so. Each year, I host a neighborhood trick or treat party with many families bringing their candy to pass out at our home. However, at the end of the night, they usually opt to leave all of their leftover candy with me. This usually leaves me with two options:
- Eat all of it, or
- Throw in all in the trash.
I don’t want the temptation for me or my family to have unlimited access to an abundant amount of candy and I don’t want to see money thrown in the trash. So what to do with leftover Halloween candy? If you can relate, my solution is to freeze it!
Yes, pack it all up and freeze it; and here is why.
- Out of sight…out of mind. If you can resist the temptation for the first few days when you can remember it is in the freezer, you may forget about it all together.
- Certain candies can be used for baking a quick simple dessert, if needed in a pinch. By taking an easy recipe, and adding something extra like those leftover little chocolates, it appears you have slaved in the kitchen all day. The best part…it gets it out of your freezer for others to enjoy.
Here is an example: I believe a dessert is a must when entertaining. It is the southern girl in me (plus it is my favorite), but I have very little time to bake completely from scratch. I have learned that most people want just a small sweet after a meal (and that’s all they need). Elaborate desserts are not always necessary, especially when trying to maintain a healthy weight. My favorite is to make brownies with homemade icing from leftover chocolates in my freezer; or use them to add into the brownies. It is an easy way to kick things up a little, use what I have, and eliminate candy sitting out all of the time.
So instead of wondering what to do with left over Halloween candy this year, remove it from all of the dishes around your house and pack it up. It will remove the temptation and prepare you for an upcoming holiday event when you may need a quick and easy dessert.
In Good Health,
Crystal
