School lunches show

Jolie_Paradoxe

Oh Trish, I love you! There are some great new ones I can incorporate for my kids....as my 4 yr old says, "we're gonna be so becited! = )

Thanks!

TrishPCMommy

lots of crash-course experience with packing lunches for my first grader this year!!! 20 minutes for their entire lunch period and I refuse to pay $1.25 for a lunch that she'll throw most of away (she's an EXTREMELY SLOOOOOOOOOOWWW eater)

She loves when I pack a hot dog - octopus-style (already cooked...power cooking hot dogs... need 4, make 10--HA ha), a stick of string cheese and a baggie of carrot curls. I know that lunch box is coming home empty that afternoon!

Big Pigs in a blanket (hot dog in a crescent roll) baked on a stone are easy to make and you have leftovers to last the week too

ChefPaulaB

Those are all great ideas! I might have to see if my very picky 2nd grader will eat any of those things. Never thought about sending a hot dog... do you heat it before and try to keep it warm or do you just put it in cold and she eats it cold? I know that most kids don't care if their dogs are hot or not anyway. I am going to experiment with some of these ideas, hoping that she will eat them, so tired of packing the same boring lunch every day. Our biggest problem is that Peanut butter and cheese sandwiches are her favorite but she goes to a peanut free school, so no PB sandwiches for her. (I know, most people get all in a huff when they hear Peanut Free School, but since my 4 year old DS is severely allergic to peanuts, I have absolutely NO problem with it! We just have to work around it.)

ChefPaulaB

I'll have to try that for the apples, DD always wants to take apples to school but she won't eat them unless they're cut up and she won't touch it if it's brown, so I never send them. Love this idea! We'll have to skip the PB for dipping, but that's okay she's not much of a dipper anyway (she's the minority in kids, I know).

aslion

At our house we sprinkle cinnamon all over the cut apples that way you can't tell if they are brown from the cinnamon or the air. I have also heard about the partial cutting of the apple then using a rubber band around it to hold it into place.

ChefPaulaB

That would work for my DS, but DD is sooooo picky that she would flip over that. She doesn't even like to dip her chicken nuggets in ranch (she doesn't like Ranch, can you believe it!?) Anyway, I can really see DS liking the cinnamon thing, I even have a Flour/Sugar Shaker full of cinnamon and sugar that would work! thanks!

TrishPCMommy

Yes, the hotdogs are already cooked... Not really cold or hot by the time she gets to eat lunch; I put it in a snack baggie. I try not to pack anything that has to stay warm or stay cold (if need be, I put a juice box in the freezer the night before and it becomes her "cold pack")...
Sorry about the peanut butter issue... my kids would "die" if they couldn't have peanut butter (peanut butter lollipops are an easy snack/kid pleaser at my house - peanut butter on a spoon).

JennLizFran

I have a question for those making the PBJ with the cut n seal. Does anyone make a bunch and freeze them. One thing we love about uncrustables is we take one out of the freezer and by snack time they're still cold (but unthawed) and not at all soggy! Just wondering if this would work with regular bread at home too?

KaiKendall

SO FUNNY JENN! I was just going to come on here and ask that, then I read this! I would LOVE to know the same thing, cause I do buy uncrustables, they are only $2.00 a box at the commissary so it's not a budget breaker, but would love to use our wheat bread and organic peanutbutter.... (not all crazy bout organic, but some things I like to sub with O)... anyone tried it?

JennLizFran

I'm glad others were thinking along the same lines!! I did a google search and found lots of sites where people say they freeze PBJs for their kids! I think I'll try it. And I'm hoping if I do it like the uncrustables (PB on each piece of bread and jelly in the middle) it won't get soggy! I'll let you know how it goes!