What to do with all that candy???

If you're like us, you more than likely have a ton of candy from last night. We hardly did any trick or treating and still ended up with alot of candy. Below I have adapted some ideas mixed in with our own ideas of some things you can do with all that candy!!

We usually lay it all out on the table and sort it, bag it up and farm it out. Read all the ideas below:







1. Recycle it. Practice instant recycling. Screen the candy your kids bring home. Take out any candy your children don’t like or you don’t want them to have and then send that candy back out the door with other trick-or-treaters.

2. Freeze it. Put the chocolate bars right in the freezer to save them for later. Frozen chocolate takes longer to eat, so children can’t wolf it down so quickly.

3. Bake it. You don’t have to freeze the candy to keep it fresh. Kept in an airtight container, it will last long after Halloween. Later, you can bake a make things. Click here for some yummy candy recipes. My favorites are the chocolate dipped pretzel rods.

4. Melt it. Melt chocolate for s’mores any time of year. Place a chocolate bar and a marshmallow between two graham crackers on top of a paper towel. You dont necessarily have to do this over an open fire, microwave for about 20 seconds.

5. Stuff it. Gather the leftover goodies and stuff them into a (homemade or store-bought) piñata. Crack the piñata open at Thanksgiving or wait until your child’s birthday.

6. Create it. I love making cards with candy. They are called "Candy Bar Cards" You dont have to do all the candies on one card, you can add these witty one liners with the associated candy.

You were a Life Saver this week! (Life savers)
Bar none - You're the best! (Bar None candy)
Here's a kiss and a hug for someone special! (Hershey hugs & kisses)
Thanks for adding "Joy" to a child's life! (Almond Joy)
You're a star in our galaxy! (Milky Way)
It's a real treat to work with you OR to know you! (any candy)
Thanks for your whopper ideas! (Whopper candies)
You're making a Mound of a difference! (Mounds)
You're a real slugger! Keep on batting for children! (Baby Ruth)
We're nuts about you! (anything with peanuts)

7. House it. After Halloween, kids can’t wait for Christmas. Save Halloween candy for gingerbread houses. We did this last year and was a huge hit! Dots, Gum balls, m&ms, and skittles were wonderful to have plenty of.

8. Wear it. Make a candy necklace. You’ll need an assortment of lollipops and colorful candies with twist-wrap ends to make this idea from the National Confectioners Association. Cut a 14-inch strand of thin twine or fabric ribbon. Tie one end of a wrapper of candy or lollipop stick tightly to one end of ribbon or twine (leave about two inches of ribbon free for tying at the end). Attach candy by knotting the ribbon around the wrapper ends or lollipop sticks until the necklace is complete. Leave two inches at the end. Tie the ends together and wear the latest in edible jewelry!

9. Decorate it. For fun you could create a mural out of candy. Or create Christmas ornaments from candy. To make a train, take a long pack of gum and glue on round candy for wheels, a square piece for a smokestack, and something round for the bell on top. Attach a loop of gold thread or ribbon for hanging. Look at simple geometric illustrations (such as are in coloring books) for other ideas. Coat your ornament with an acrylic sealer so it won’t deteriorate and you don’t draw bugs.

10. Share it. Take your leftover candy to the office. Or better yet, fill a coffee can with candy and bring it to your local nursing home, homeless shelter or a charity for the staff to enjoy. Add a note that says, “Thanks for all the good work you do.”

We are giving some to Joels hard working staff, and put some in a bowl in our entry way for guests to enjoy.

And of course, we are keeping our favorite candy to enjoy for ourselves.. (This is a pic I took of Taylor sneaking in the candy first thing this morning. He had eaten 5 Hershey Kisses, a couple of suckers, and a few smarties)