Back To School Lunch Ideas

This will be my first year sending a child off to school all day long.  That means I will be sending him off to school each day with a homemade lunch in tow.  I have been trying to come up with some easy ideas to try and mix it up a bit for him--he would eat peanut butter and honey every day if I let him.  I've also been questioning my seasoned friends who have been doing the school lunch thing for years.  In his lunch I will include a main dish item, a fruit, a vegetable, something crunchy (chips, crackers, etc.) and a little treat.

I got my son a really great lunch bag at Costco (of course) that came with an ice pack and a stainless steel water bottle.  All for $9!  I also bought one of these.  He loves tomato soup, so it will work perfectly for that.  Some other ideas for the thermos would be:  

Any kind of soup

Hot Chocolate (special treat)

Milk (we always liked it when my mom would send us a thermos of cold milk and then homemade granola so we could have granola cereal--it was the best)

Since I don't want to send him to school every day with a sandwich I got to thinking of some other ideas that would suit his taste.  My friend told me she sends tortilla wraps with her kids.  I went to the store the next day and bought all the necessary ingredients to do a test run.  It was a success!  Here are a list of possible ingredients:

deli meat ( we like the fresh deli meat from costco--ham, roast beef and the herb roasted turkey)

shredded lettuce

spinach

any kind of cream cheese spread that would go well with deli meat (we like the whipped cream cheese and chives)

chopped bacon pieces

peanut butter and jam or honey

The wrap pictured below is one I made for myself, so it has tomatoes in it.  My son does not dig tomatoes in his, but I do.  I use the durum wheat uncooked tortillas from Costco.  I would cook up a bunch and store them in an airtight bag for use throughout the week.  That way you are not cooking one every morning.  Once the wrap is made, roll it up tightly in saran wrap.

Some other main dish items I will send are:

Ham and cheese roll-ups

and

Peanut butter and jam/honey sandwich (of course)

My son won't like me to mix it up to much on him, so I will stick with 4-5 different items to rotate from.

My friend also showed me these awesome containers found at The Container Store.  They are great for dipping vegetables in ranch dressing or any other use you can think of.  Seriously, what child doesn't like dipping carrots in ranch?  

For the fruit part of his lunch I will stick with his favorites.  Cut up apples slices, unsweetened apple sauce, watermelon, cantalope, grapes, strawberries and mandarin oranges (the fresh ones).  I'll have to work with what is in season, but mostly he loves any kind of fruit.

Now for the crunchy items.  I found these reusable snack bags about 6 months ago and love the idea.  I don't own any yet, but plan on purchasing some soon.  I think they are a great way to eliminate overusing plastic bags.  They are easy to clean and easy for kids to use.  They also come in three sizes--small, medium and large--and many different patterns.  Check out Armommy's site for more awesome products.  

Now for my son's favorite part...the treat.  I plan on freezing cookies and bars whenever I make them.  They are really convenient and most anything will freeze well if stored properly in the freezer.  For the times when I don't have something homemade, I will have a little candy stash to pull from.  It will take great self-control on my part to not sneak any away, but I think I can do it.

Oh, and the drink.  I like my kids to drink as much water as possible, but since I'm so awesome, I'll probably send him off with juice 3 times a week.  I like the 100% fruit juice drinks found at Costco.  I can't remember if they are the Kirkland Signature brand or Hanson's.  

That should wrap it up for me.  I'm sure I'll learn as I go of what works and what doesn't, but for now, this is what I have.  I'd love to hear from you mom's out there who have done this before (even if you aren't a mom yet, I'd love to hear any of your ideas).  What do you send in your children's lunches?  

Pineapple Mango Salsa

Pineapple Mango Salsa

from the Pioneer Woman

1 whole Pineapple, Peeled And Diced
1 whole Mango, Diced
½ whole Medium Red Onion, Finely Diced
1 whole Jalapeno, Seeded And Diced
Fresh Cilantro, Chopped
1 whole Lime, Juiced
Dash Kosher Salt
Dash Granulated Sugar (optional)

Preparation Instructions
Combine diced pineapple, mango, red onion, jalapeno, and cilantro. Squeeze in lime juice and add salt and sugar if needed. Stir to combine. Serve within an hour with tortilla chips or on top of chicken or fish.

{cookes note}

I love mango.  We eat at least one a day at my house.  Pineapple mango salsa is a great alternative to pico de gallo if you want to mix things up on your menu.  I like to serve mine with fish.

Gloveables

Who said you couldn't look good when doing the dishes?

I've never looked better.  :)

Cooking Bacon: The Easy Way

This is the best way I have found to cook bacon with NO mess.  Let's go through the steps together.

You will need one baking sheet, bacon, heavy duty foil and an oven.

Line your baking sheet with the heavy duty foil. 

Place the bacon on the lined baking sheet.  Put the pan in the oven and turn the oven on to 400 degrees.  Cook for about 20 minutes.  Cooking times will vary depending on the oven.

You have a nice pile of greasy bacon when you are done.

Let the bacon cool on a plate lined with paper towels.  

Now do the dishes.  Fold up your foil and throw it away.  I told you there was no mess.  I like to cook my bacon all in one day so I can freeze it for later uses.


**My sister just called and told me she cooks her bacon on a rack and then places the rack on the baking sheet to catch all of the drippings.  Then you get even more fat off of the bacon.  I guess that wouldn't go with my "no mess" policy on this one.  :)

Baked Green Beans with Bacon and Cheese

{cooks note}


When I had Blake, my friend brought this as part of her dinner to me.  My family was immediately in love.  She told me how she did it, so there is really no "real" recipe.  I'll do my best to explain.  Either way, it's pretty easy to put together and everyone loves it.  Definitely not on weight watchers plan.


Baked Green Beans with Bacon and Cheese
from my friend Brooke


1 package frozen green beans
Shredded Cheddar cheese (I use a Mexican blend from Costco)
Cooked bacon, chopped (about 6 slices)
Olive Oil
fresh ground peper
Kosher or Sea Salt

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Place frozen beans in a microwave safe bowl and add about half an inch of water.  Cover tightly with saran wrap and place in the microwave for 3-4 minutes, or until beans are not frozen anymore, but definitely not cooked.  Drain the water from the bowl and place the beans on a quarter baking sheet (half the size of a normal cookie sheet).  You can use a cookie sheet, but you will have more room on it.  I would use it if you double the recipe.  Drizzle about 1-2 teaspoons of olive oil over the beans and mix them so all the beans are lightly coated with oil.  Sprinkle salt and pepper over the top and bake in the oven for about 5-8 minutes.  Test one bean to make sure it's getting close to done.  Change oven temperature to a high broil  Add chopped bacon and put back in the oven for another 1-2 minutes. Take out and add the cheese.  Bake for another 1-2 minutes or until the cheese has melted.

Times may vary for each oven.

Sometimes, very rarely, I buy this full cooked bacon from Costco.  It's a complete time saver in situations where I have no time.  Other times, I cook 3 pounds of bacon in batches in my oven and freeze it.  A how-to on that is coming up soon.

The six ingredients.

I like to buy my frozen vegetables at Costco.  They are much cheaper and I like the quality far better than most grocery stores offer.

Bacon is key to this dish.

This totally takes the healthiness out of eating your vegetables, but every once in a while it's okay.

Orange Chicken

Orange Chicken
from Your Home Based Mom (via Tasty Kitchen)


Chicken-
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into 1-1/2” cubes)
1 ½ C all purpose flour
1 eggs (beaten)
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
Oil (for frying)

Orange Sauce-
1 ½ C water
2 Tbsps orange juice
¼ C lemon juice
1/3 C rice vinegar
2 ½ Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp orange zest (grated)
1 C packed brown sugar
½ tsp ginger root (minced)
½ tsp garlic (minced)
2 Tbsp green onion (chopped)
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
3 Tbsp cornstarch
2 Tbsp water

Combine flour, salt, and pepper. Dip chicken in egg mixture and shake in flour mixture to coat. Deep fry chicken in batches at 375 degrees in a deep fryer (or use a wok) until completely cooked.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan combine 1 ½ cups water, lemon juice, orange juice, rice vinegar, and soy sauce. Blend well over medium heat for a few minutes. Stir in brown sugar, orange zest, ginger garlic, and onion. Bring to a boil.
Combine 3 tablespoons of cornstarch with 1/4 cup of water and mix thoroughly. Slowly stir cornstarch mixture into sauce until it thickens. Pour sauce over breaded chicken, and if desired add red pepper flakes and garnish with green onions.

{cooks note}

Let's just put this out there...I am really picky about orange chicken.  I don't care for tons of breading on the chicken. I finally found a recipe that I like.  It's easy to follow and my whole family liked it, so that is a plus.  

Summer Fruit Salad with Honey Lime Syrup

Summer Fruit Salad with Honey Lime Syrup

from Rookie Cookie

1 cup cubed watermelon
2 nectarines, pitted and cut into chunks
1 cup hulled and quartered strawberries
Zest of 1/2 lime
1 lime, juiced
3 Tbsp honey
Pinch of salt

In a small bowl, combine zest, lime juice, honey and salt. Whisk until combined.

In a medium bowl, combine the watermelon, nectarines and strawberries. Drizzle syrup over the fruit. Stir well.

Serve chilled for best taste.

Yields 2 servings.

{cooks note}

We love this fruit salad!  I have made it three times in the last 5 days.  I used mangos instead of necatrines.  I am on a total mango frenzy these days.  Good thing you can buy 8-9 at Costco for $5.99.  This is a fruit salad that is so easy to prepare and a great addition to any summer meal.