Today is a snow day… no school and 6+ inches of snow, with more falling every second.  So, we have been hunkered down with no way to go anywhere we wanted to today (I did plan to go buy some snow boots today!  I guess I’m a day late!)

Lunchtime rolled around and Mo decided to make lunch.  Did I mention that she is in 2nd grade?  This can occasionally be a frightening idea!  Today, however, it was a very good thing!

May I present for your lunch or snack-time enjoyment… Fruity Sandwiches!

• 2 slices of bread for each person
• cream cheese
• banana slices
• cinnamon (optional)

Spread a nice thick layer of cream cheese on each slice of bread.  Spread out the banana slices to cover one slice of bread.  If you are feeling especially frisky, lightly sprinkle cinnamon on one slice.  Put the 2 slices together, cream cheese sides together.  Enjoy!

Not to be outdone, her little sister came up with her own sandwich.  This time featuring peanut butter and apple slices.

• 2 slices bread for each person
• creamy peanut butter
• thinly sliced apples (I find that an apple corer-peeler-slicer works well for these)
• dash of cinnamon

Spread a layer of peanut butter on the bread.  Lay the apple slices on one slice, and sprinkle with cinnamon.  Put slices together and enjoy!

While I realize that these are not “new” ideas by any streatch, I was thrilled that they came up with them.  I know that they get tired of the same old sandwich in their lunch boxes each day – ham or turkey and cream cheese on fresh bread – and I’m not sure I would have thought of these as alternatives.

These would be great for an after-school snack, as the fruit would be fresh (I would be afraid of the reaction to them in a sandwich that sat for hours in a lunch box).

I hope you enjoy them as much as we did!

I received an email feed from Smitten Kitchen the other day with something utterly delectable… a photo of food that instantaneously caused your mouth to salivate in anticipation of taking a bite of something that is on the other side of the country. Cruelty, plain and simple.

What was this photograph? Bourbon Peach Hand Pies. Oh. Yes.

Here is my take on the hunger inducing recipe…

For the pastry:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
16 tablespoons (2 sticks, 8 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/3 cup sour cream
1/3 cup cream top vanilla yogurt – mixed
1/3 cup ice water

For the filling:
4 cups blackberries
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp. sugar

The rest of this recipe is basically taken from the Smitten Kitchen blog… and I hate stealing someone else’s words!

The 2 differences I made are as follows:

I was a little short on the sour cream, so I substituted some yogurt and cut back on the water. It still worked out to be very tasty!

I was short on peaches… but the blackberry thicket on the hill is full – FULL – of sweet, ripe berries. So, we used those instead. And since they were berries, I cooked them down a bit before putting together the pies.

Other than that, it’s pretty much the same deal. Oh, except for one little thing..

…the glaze

For the glaze:
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup milk

Whisk powdered sugar and tablespoons milk to blend. Make this up to 3 hours ahead.

Set up the cooling racks on top of some aluminum foil to catch the drips. Yes, there will be yummy drips.

When the pies come out of the oven, move them to the cooling racks and drizzle the glaze over them immediately. Cover them well.

Once they have had about 20 minutes to cool, you can enjoy them! Yes, you do need to wait a few minutes so you don’t burn your mouth!

Another great thing – if you just can’t wait – is to eat them with a scoop of ice cream… after all, it is pie!

Enjoy!

Quinoa is an ancient grain that is making a huge comeback! It has a nutty flavor and is full of protein! Just make sure that you rinse it 5-6 times in a bowl of water before you cook it, as it has a naturally occurring coating that repels bugs and makes it a bit bitter.

1 cup quinoa
1 cup water

1 small heirloom or roma tomato
1 small zucchini – sliced
1/3 cup broccoli florets
1/3 cup sliced cucumber
1/8 cup sliced hot Asian radish
1/4 cup diced green onion
1/2 cup chopped fresh herbs*
~ mexican oregano, chives, rosemary, basil, sage, savory…

1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar (white or dark)

1/4 cup crumbled feta
1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese
3/4 cup leftover roasted chicken – cut up

Rinse the quinoa 5-6 times, or until the water is clear. In a small pot with headroom, boil the quinoa as you would rice and allow to cool.

When the quinoa is cooled, add in the vegetables and herbs. Combine the oil, vinegar and crushed red pepper and pour over the quinoa and stir.

I generally make this the day before, so that the flavors have time to blend. If you are serving it the same day, add in the cheese and chicken, otherwise save them to add in about 30 minutes before serving. For a vegan salad, leave them out.

This is a great salad for hot weather, as the vinegar and veggies have a wonderfully cool flavor! It is great for picnics.

*to chop the herbs, roll them up like a cigar and slice across the roll.

Ingredients:

3 corn cobs
1 can black beans
1/4 cup finely diced red onion
1 cup chopped cabbage
1 cup cubed mango
1/2 cup zucchini wedges

3 Tbsp lime juice
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
2 Tbsp olive oil
dash garlic powder
dash salt
dash pepper

Combine veggies in a bowl. I cut the zucchini in quarters lengthwise and then sliced it to make wedges.

In a measuring cup, combine juice, vinegar, oil and spices. Whisk together and pour over the veggies. Toss lightly and serve!

Breakfast may be the most important meal of the day, but lunch is what gets you through until dinner time. The price of school lunches rises each year and it is hard for some parents to keep up. This is besides the fact that many lunch menus – not just in schools either – are not as nutritious as they could be. Here are some money saving lunch ideas for frugal families.

Take your lunch. This goes for parents as well as kids. We are tempted to eat out with the group everyday, too. That adds up after awhile. Those cute insulated lunch bags make it easier to carry hot and cold items. We can throw even throw out the brown bags in favor of reusable options which are more environmentally friendly. We recommend Laptop Lunchboxes – they come in a lot of colors and have small containers to keep everything separate. Having the containers makes you think creatively about a couple of extra options too! When you pack your own lunch, you know what is in it so it is easier to avoid a lot of unhealthy fats and junk food.

Make a sandwich. I’m not talking about just any sandwich. This can be a wrap, pita, crust less bread, or bun sandwich. Varying the bread each day will help you decide what ingredients to put on it. You may want turkey with alfalfa sprouts, tomato, and onion on a pita or chicken strips with barbecue sauce, lettuce, and shredded cheese in a tortilla wrap.

Many kids like bread without crust for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. This makes lunch fun and your kids are more likely to eat it if they have a creative variety. Use a large cookie cutter to cut their sandwich into fun shapes like hearts or flowers. Invest in single packs of condiments. They can be used in lunches as opposed to putting them on the sandwich and saturating the bread before lunchtime rolls around.

Bottled water and drink crystals. Water has never been the same since they came out with those handy packs of flavorings. You can find them everywhere. Best of all they have five calories or less. You can turn a bottle of water into a drink that is better than soda. Kids love them too. Keep in mind that some of them aren’t quite as healthy as others though – read the ingredients lists to find the ones that are more natural & less chemical. Get a metal water bottle to re-use day after day to cut down on plastic waste too – Sigg makes a variety of sizes, as does kleen kantene Kids love them too!

Dessert courtesy of home. Stop! Put down that candy bar and walk away from the vending machine. Instead, choose a better option. Homemade granola can be shaped into bars and used as an after lunch snack. Try our Tooty Fruity Nutty Oaty Nut Cakes!
How about dried fruit pieces? They are sweeter than candy bars and won’t spike your blood sugar. It’s okay to have a naughty treat every now and then, but even at those times you can choose a healthier option than chips or candy. Make a batch of homemade chocolate chip cookies and pack a few in your lunch.

Ice packs. These nifty items will keep lunch from spoiling. The perfect complement to an insulated bag, they allow you to take yogurt or a sandwich with meat and not have to worry about it getting warm before it’s time to eat. In the Summertime you can find lots of fun shapes that you can toss into your kids lunch boxes.

Veggie sticks. Eat them with your sandwich and add some Ranch dressing for dipping.

Lunch doesn’t have to come from the school cafeteria or the fast food joint around the corner to be good. Coming from home, it can be healthier, taste better and cost less. Now that’s a combination you can’t beat.

Is your family getting tired of the same old lunch day in & day out? Mix it up a little bit with this great turkey sandwich – it has some surprising ingredients that they are sure to love!

Ingredients:

1/3 cup apricot jam
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 cup whipped cream cheese
2 tablespoons chopped dried apricots
16 slices cinnamon raisin bread
8 slices whole wheat bread
1 pound thinly sliced smoked turkey or fully cooked ham

Instructions:

Fold together the dried apricots and cream cheese until fully blended. Add the mustard and mix well. Stir in the apricot jam being sure to blend all ingredients together well.
Start with the cinnamon raisin bread. Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly on one side. Place the meat (as much as you like) on top of the cream cheese mixture. Spread the cream cheese mixture on one side of the whole wheat bread and place on top of the meat. Take one more piece of the cinnamon raisin bread and spread mixture on one side. Place face down on sandwich.

Continue with each new sandwich until all the bread is used. Cut in half, wrap in foil and place in your child’s lunchbox for a healthy sandwich they will enjoy.

This makes 8 servings – toss them in the freezer to use all week!

Try this sandwich for a change of pace on the traditional PB&J. This is especially good for cold days!

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons butter
2 slices bread, white or wheat
1 teaspoon peanut butter
2 teaspoons any flavor fruit jelly

Instructions:

Place butter in a skillet. Allow butter to melt completely. On a piece of bread spread peanut butter just on one side. Place bread in heated skillet with the peanut butter face up. Take another slice of bread and spread one side with jelly. Place the jelly side down on bread in skillet. Grill sandwich until brown, flip and grill other side until done.

These delicious fries are sure to be a hit with your family and friends. Since they are baked rather than fried, they are more healthy too!

2 large sweet potatoes – orange or white
olive oil
1 tsp kosher salt
1 Tbsp. grated parmesean cheese
3 Tbsp. minced fresh rosemary

Peel & juliene the sweet potatoes. If you aren’t using them right away, place them in a bowl of cold water.

Preheat oven to 400 F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper.

In a bowl, drizzle potatoes with olive oil – enough to cover them. In a smaller bowl, combine salt, parmesean and rosemary. Sprinkle the seasonings over the potatoes and mix with your hands. Lay the potatoes out on the baking sheet with space around each of them so they will crisp up nicely.

Bake the fries in the over 5-7 minutes per side – flipping them halfway through baking. Watch them closely to make sure they don’t burn.

Remove and serve immedietly with Garlic-Chive Aioli or ketchup.

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Update!
We made these for a BBQ on Memorial Day, and I used rosemary and spicy oregano instead of parmesan, and used a mixture of sweet potatoes, yams and russet potatoes – they were fabulous!

Are you looking for a way to get yogurt into your kids diet? This is a fun and tasty way to get them to try it!

Ingredients:

2 almond biscotti
1 cup vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup frozen fruit of your choosing, thawed
4 teaspoons orange blossom honey
4 tablespoons sliced almonds, toasted

Using your blender puree the fruit with the yogurt. Be sure your puree mixture is completely mixed together. Puree will thicken. Break biscotti into small pieces into bowls. Place the fruit mixture on top of the biscotti. Add honey and almonds. Enjoy

2 packets dry Italian or Zesty Italian dressing mix
Water, Oil & Vinegar to make 1 packet of above dressing

1 box pasta – cooked (we use bow ties, shells or radiattori)

dry salami – about a 1″ long section

1/2 lb Cheddar cheese, cubed*

1/2 lb Monterey Jack cheese, cubed*

1 head broccoli, washed & divided into florets

1 red bell pepper, julienned

1 cup carrots, sliced

fresh ground black pepper, to taste (or a dash of white pepper)

Make 1 packet of Italian dressing according to package directions, then pour the contents of the other packet into it & mix well. This gives the dressing a little extra punch!

Combine all ingredients in a bowl & mix well. Chill for at least 1 hour before serving. Some alternate vegetables are listed below.

*If you are planning to have lots of leftovers, or not planning to eat it for a couple of days, leave the cheese on the side for people to add – it can get slimy if it sits too long in the fridge.

You can also add olives, pimentos, capers, onions, etc. Use the veggies your family prefers! We will often add more cheese, as we all really like cheese! Mozzarella works well too.