5 things to do with leftover Valentine's chocolate

So, your sweetheart gave you a big box of chocolate for Valentine's Day?  Yippee!  Until the sugar rush hits from more than a couple of pieces.  So what to do with all the extra chocolate?

1.  If you aren't a big fan of the chocolate (or at least not the kind you received), take it to work or to friends to share.  Someone will surely like it.

2.  Freeze it to use later in recipes calling for chocolate, whether cakes, pies, or melting over fresh fruit.

3.  Freeze it to use in trail mix.  (Freeze it for a day.  Remove from freezer and cut into small pieces.  In resealable sandwich bags, add a small handful of frozen chocolate pieces.  Add a mix of nuts, dried fruit, seeds, etc. with the chocolate for trail mix.  When you are heading out to hike, grab a bag.  The chocolate will not melt as quickly when it starts out frozen.

4.  Keep out 3-4 of your favorite pieces to savor over the next week.  The key is to savor.  When I was a kid we'd make french vanilla pudding once every few months.  I knew I would only get this favorite treat on occasion, so I made a game of how slowly I could eat it and how long a bite would stay in my mouth until I swallowed it.  Make a game of how long a piece of chocolate can last.

5.  Toss it (discreetly).  Not your favorite pieces, of course.  You and your tastebuds are worth enjoying the best.  Part of Intuitive Eating is savoring what you really enjoy.  If there are some pieces you don't like, don't waste yourself on them.   

Happy Valentine's Day!