With the holiday of Purim being behind us, many people feel overwhelmed with the amount of goodies that fill up their snack pantries from the many Mishloach Manot they received. With Passover right around the corner, anxiety typically sets in when it comes to figuring out what to do with the abundance of Chametz that is now taking residence in your home. On top of all of that, the items people receive in their baskets on Purim is not always the healthiest of foods.

Here are some really great tips on how to minimize that stress and start cleaning for Passover all while promoting healthy living.

1. Start by Ogranizing

Dismantling the Mishloach Manot you received on Purim is something you can choose to do alone, but that may get you into some trouble. If you have others in the family that would want first dibs on certain items, it’s important that they are able to.

Go through each goodie bag and box and determine what you want to keep and what needs to go. Try not to hold on to things that won’t get eaten in the next week or so unless you have the freezer space.

2. Serve to Company

Mazza, challah, and baked goods that you get in Mishloach Manot are always great to keep and serve for Shabbat.

This takes the time and effort out of making your own appetizers and desserts and is always a crowd pleaser.

3. Bake With It

Want to keep all the good stuff but need to use it up in a timely manner? A great way to do this is baking with it.

Any recipe that calls for chocolate chips can usually be substituted with chopped up candy bars. They can be used to top a cake as well.

Got an excess of cookies? Those are great for pie crust or a makeshift tiramisu. There are endless recipes online that include all kinds of candy, so start googling!

4. Freeze It

Frozen chocolate can be useful for milkshakes, sundaes, and and many more treats.

Most importantly, your treats will always be there if you ever need a quick sugar fix during the day!

5. DIY Trail Mix

Use some granola or pretzels as a base and pour in any small bags of M&Ms, nuts, and dried fruit for a yummy and filling snack.

6. Put Chocolates in Your Morning Coffee

This is a quick and delicious way to make your day a bit sweeter.

Drop a small chocolate in your hot coffee for an instant mocha beverage.

7. Use it to Teach Your Kids Science or Math!

An engaging way to get your kids to pay attention to a quick math lesson is to put it in terms they understand: candy!

Use small candy to teach counting, addition, and subtraction. There are tons of science experiments you could try with candy online as well.

Get creative with it! The possibilities are truly endless.

8. Keep Cavities at Bay by Making a Swap!

Sometimes between school and friends, children accumulate their own goodie bags with taffy and other types of junk food you may not want them to have. If you’re children are willing to, offer them a swap.

A certain amount of dollars can be an option in exchange for the sweets that threaten to decay their pearly whites. Make it quick and easy by paying per pound, not per item.

9. Donate It.

There are a bunch of things you could do with unwanted junk food or candy that’s unopened. Food pantries will usually accept these treats happily.

Another option is to send it to the troops that are deployed around the world. Many organizations are set up to help you do this.

If you really don’t want to go out of your way, just bring it into the office or have your spouse bring it into their office. It will most likely get eaten by busy co-workers pretty quickly.

Frieda Schweky

Frieda@sephardic.org

Frieda Schweky is Sephardic.Org's official community events reporter. For inquiries and to get involved with our site, please contact Frieda via email.