Leftover Valentine’s Day Candy Treats

I don’t know if you are anything like me, but I kinda hate holidays where kids come home with a bunch of candy.  I love Valentine’s Day, but all the candy hearts and sugar just is not my favorite.  I don’t want to be the mom that says they can’t have a candy every once in a while, but I don’t think they need as much as they cart home.  Confession time, I chuck half that garbage as soon as they separate it from cards and put it in the candy bowl.  Guess what, nobody complains, because nobody has figured out that I do it yet.  I found a couple ways last year to stretch the Valentine’s Day candy a little further.

Daddy brought home some Petite Palmiers (because they are kinda shaped like hearts) for us to all enjoy as a family.  We decided to combine these cookies with some melted down chocolates, some candy hearts, and a dash of sprinkles!  This was a really fun crafty cooking sesh for the kids.  I think because it took some time, and the crafting part was fun, they REALLY enjoyed the candies we used.  This wasn’t a healthy treat by any means, but it went a long way as far as enjoying it.  Also, we started with plain cookies and we dressed them up with ingredients sent home in the kid’s valentine’s day bags.  Harry could have easily bought fancy, decorated cookies at the store, but instead we used up some of what we had.  We all enjoyed the treats and nobody noticed when several boxes of conversation hearts were gone the next morning (the whole cookie sheet took less than one box – hehe)

The second idea is actually even a little bit healthy!  Instead of tossing each kiddo a ‘fun size’ bag of Valentine’s Day Candy on their lunch plate, I take ONE fun size container and split it between the three.  That is not very much candy, but when you make fun “Valentine’s Day Trail Mix” they don’t get upset that they only got three tiny little chocolaty thingies.  I made a mixture of pumpkin seeds, peanuts, pecans, raisins, craisins, and either a packet of chocolates or a packet of conversation hearts – it was always SUPER popular. The kids have this trail mix on the side of a healthy sandwich and fruit or veg – I think trail mix with a wee bit of candy is totally fine! I really think it is all about presentation!  Give it a try =)