Healthy Easter Treats

Easter is coming and that means a sugar high that will last the month of April. Yet is there such a thing as healthy Easter treats? Yes but there's some work involved.Are they worth it? If it is a fairly healthy then the answer is yes.

Peeps abound right now,The seductively cute chicks and bunnies beckon us to take a bite. Yet they're full of sugar and artificial coloring, not a good thing for raising an all natural kid.However there is a bright spot. Peeps can be made at home.What you will need is honey, unflavored gelatin, vanilla extract and a pinch of salt. For the colors get India Tree Natural Dyes. This is a great company specializing in chemical free spices and decorating ingredients . Use their dyes or pretty sanding sugars which can be bought at La Cuisine or Amazon along with Chef Shop and Far Away Stores..The recipe can be tricky because home chefs will be working with a 270 degree F syrup that has to be beaten with the gelatin. Cookie cutters can be used to make the chicky and bunny shapes.If you are adept at decorating you can make the chicks using a piping bag and different tips.

Chocolate is an Easter must. Everyone loves filled eggs and chocolate lollipops. Instead of coconut  and marshmallow eggs, think about chocolate dipped fruit. Use strawberries, bananas and even grapes.You can also make different kinds of chocolate treats using  70 to 80 per cent dark chocolate .If you still crave coconut , think about making nests. This is a simple haystack recipe, toasted flaked coconut melted with dark chocolate. Instead of the usual mound, flatten with an oiled spoon with a deeper indentation in the middle. You can even fill them with all natural (yes all natural) home made jelly beans. It involves more gelatin however you can add all natural juices such  as lemon and orange to flavor them. To make them healthy use Stevia , an all natural sweetener along with the dyes from India Tree.There is one caveat, Creating  them is labor intensive and you do need jelly bean molds which can be bought , again, at Amazon.Have an assistant to help out especially with filling the molds.

Yes, you can have healthy all natural treats. They may be extra worth but the results re well worth it, Having kids eating chemical homemade, and best of all, less sugary, Peeps, chocolates, and jelly beans