One of the things that I really dislike about summer vacation is lunch time. I hate giving the kids peanut butter sandwiches, cheese quesadillas or chicken nuggets every day. I'm looking for a few ideas to shake things up... but, you need to know a few things first. I would prefer...
- Ideas that don't require me to turn my oven on for long amounts of time. The last thing I need is to heat the inside of my house to the same temperature as it is outside (110 today). The less actual cooking or baking involved, the better (for me and my electric bill!).
- Simplicity. I can cook, but I'm no gourmet, and let's face it: I'm fixing lunch for my three kids. They don't care how much time it takes as long as it tastes good.
- Ingredients that can be found at a local supermarket. I don't want to hunt down some exotic spice or a cheese that comes from an Iberian goat. Wait, are there such things as Iberian goats?
- My last request: kid friendly. If you've got a great recipe with all green ingredients, I'll have to pass. My kids won't touch it with a 10 foot pole.
So, share your thoughts and ideas so that my kids don't die of lunch time boredom over the summer!
14 comments:
Do you remember the lunches our mom used to make for us? The apple slices eyes with raisins in the middle, carrot stick noses, cheese smile... Stuff like that. Something from every food group, fun to eat and very easy to make!
Well I got no ideas...All we eat is peanut butter sandwiches and cheese quesadillas! LOL
Thinking...
Mine always loved grilled cheese sandwiches. How about cheese and crackers. Do they like tuna? How about nice salads?
I gotta admit, we love peanut butter sandwiches or cheese quesadillas, too.
I'm still trying to figure this out too. We do a lot of mini pizzas and waffles. I loved the idea you shared for snacks though: the snack bowl and when it's empty, it's empty. It works like a charm!!!
I do a few variants of grilled cheese, including one that used prego pasta sauce, sliced turkey, and a nice white cheese like havarti or gouda or something. Grill it up and yumm!
We also do a lot of veggies and dip, fruit platter with some crackers and cheese. Rolled up deli meat and cheese (so easy, that). Whole grain toaster waffles with peanut butter and honey. Whole wheat tortillas with peanut butter and banana chunks rolled up and then sliced into bite sized pieces.
Do a lunch meat and cheese on a quesadilla and roll it up, slice into pinwheels. pizza pockets are another fav. with my kids. I just asked my kids what they like that I make for lunch and they said. Micky D's Big dorks!!!!
How about a grilled cheese sandwich with pizza sauce, pepperoni, mozzarella and olives inside? We love that.
Uh, eagerly combing your comments for ideas myself - I'm afraid we're already dead over here, having already died of lunch boredom. :-P
Sorry.
Although, one thing I tried, is the new wraps. You know, they look like tortillas, but are made out of spinach (green color) or tomatoes (red color), and our 4yo really likes it. I was surprised, but she'll just eat 2 of them in no time - nothing in the middle or on it, just plain.
Anyway. Good luck!! We try not to turn on the oven here either - even though I'm positive it doesn't get as hot as where you are! 110??? SHEESH!!
I've been feeling very uninspired when it comes to lunches of late too. We always do a sandwich (PPJ, Ham, cheese toast, or pizza sandwich where I use leftover pasta sauce on the bread with cheese and just toast it in the oven) and then we have yogurt, and then usually a cookie or something. We have a fruit "platter" for morning snack time, so I usually don't push it then, and then do the veggies at night.
i remember those days... i'm so glad i'm past that.
i do remember eating lunch in the back or front yard or at a park to take the focus off of "what" they were eating and put it on "where" they were eating. but i know that would be hard for you with the summer time heat that you have.
so, the bottom line is... i'm of no help to you. sorry.
Make it one less thing you have to think about - Monday is PBJ sandwiches, Tuesday is chicken nuggets, Wednesday is mac and cheese, Thursday is tuna sandwiches, Friday is quesadillas - (fill in your own item for each day since these were the foods you wanted to get away from... lol) kids do not really mind repetition. Let them have their favorite thing on "their" day of the week. Have one day of trying something new if you want or put Red in charge of lunch one day. He needs to learn to cook! Let him try a new recipe. There is probably a cub scuot thing related to cooking.... Having a set lunch "menu" just makes it easy all the way around!! :o)
No ideas here....but I got some good ideas. I loved the day of the week idea. Great one. Too bad my husband wouldn't go for that for long!
Zach is lucky if he gets something other than a peanut butter sandwich! If he does, it's a grilled cheese sandwich or a cheese quesadilla with some refried beans smuggled inside of it!
Whoa. I would so not be helpful with this. Jake gets the same thing every day because he won't try anything new.
(Would you accept a recipe with ingredients from a Pakistani goat?)
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