Back to School: Lunch Organization Tips
The “Kids in the Kitchen” handout I promised you is ready! Make sure to download it under the “Handouts” section on the right hand side of this post and get your kids in the kitchen with you! 
No on to back to school ideas…Thank you so much to Cami who sent me all of her WONDERFUL ideas on how she gets prepared for school lunches. It’s such a great idea and I’ve heard it from a couple of other people as well (including Tammy who gave us that AWESOME blender no-bake cheesecake recipe) so you know it’s got to be good! You make a bunch of sandiwches and freeze them. That way you have one mess to clean up instead of a the same mess everyday. You could even do this on the weekend and have your kids helping to make all of the sandwiches. (Why do everything yourself? My favorite part about this is that it means you have lunch ready for yourself, as well as kids and husbands! So if you are running errands you can grab a sandwich (instead of buying fast food) and eat it in the car or just know that you’ve already got lunch made with no mess. I love it! I know I rarely get to eat lunch before 2:30 p.m. and by then I’m cranky and much more prone to eat junk food and then I’m not hungry for dinner! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS TIP!! I JUST LOVE IT!!!
**Just one tip before you begin, I know that mayonaise curdles in the freezer so maybe just use mustard…does anyone know how Miracle Whip holds up in the freezer?**
Straight from the kitchen of Cami, in her own words:
Lunch Organization from the Not So Secret Life of a Soccer Mom with FIVE kids!
I have tried to simplify lunch packing this year. Each child gets one bin for all their snacks, drinks etc. for the whole week. If you have a child that is a snack sneaker…this is a good option. They will learn how to pack snacks so that their stash lasts the whole week. They can pack several snacks in one day…and then they will have to compensate by not taking a snack other days if they run out before the end of the week. So far it is working really well.
Another thing that works really well for me is to make sandwiches in a mass production. I made 20 sandwiches half ham & Cheese and half PB&J…label and freeze. By the time lunch comes the sandwich is defrosted and the meat hasn’t been warm all morning. PB&J does freeze well…put peanut butter on both slices of bread and Jelly in between, it keeps the jelly from soaking into the bread.
and a tuna lunch kit for variety (the tuna looks just like this…but tuna instead of Ham!)
p.s. I received a lot of emails while I was at a family reunion last week with no internet access. I’m trying to catch up ASAP! Thanks for your patience!
For more tips and tricks for using food storage in your everyday recipes, please visit www.everydayfoodstorage.NET
Personalized Candy Cakes: Three Month Food Storage Recipes for Kids
Personalized candy cakes are a great way to get your kids cooking in the kitchen. You know me, I love giving kids options. It’s a great way to build their creativity and get them comfortable trying things in the kitchen. This is also great if there aren’t a ton in your family because it means you don’t have to cook an entire cake to have a piece of it! And, frosting it is completely optional! Fast, easy, and delicious…yeah, you know that is how I like it!
You’ll need a sandwich maker, a cake mix of your liking, and candy/chips to put in the batter. Now, this is where powdered eggs come in real handy because if you don’t want to make the entire cake mix you can always cut it in half, thirds, or fourths and actually have a way of putting in a fraction of ONE egg! (Word of caution: I usually double the powdered eggs I put into these cakes so they stay together better) Pour the batter into your greased sandwich maker and let kids put in whatever they want on top. the batter will rise and cover the candy. Of course, you don’t have to add in the candy…it’s just a fun treat.
Chocolate Milk or a Chocolate Milk Shake: Powdered Milk Food Storage Recipes for Kids
Make food storage a special TREAT for your kids! (Yes, you read that correctly!!) Powdered milk makes EXCELLENT chocolate milk or milkshakes using NO ice cream and there is no hint of the powdered milk! Finally, a healthy-ER approach to milk shakes and chocolate milk that will save you money and help you rotate your powdered milk! Thanks to Michelle who told me about this tip from http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/magicmilkshakes.htm. It is so good!!
Chocolate Milk made with Powdered Milk:
I use Nesquik mix. It has less sugar than other leading brands and adds in more calcium. If you are already drinking powdered milk and have some chilled in the fridge, then just follow the directions on the package for mixing it with milk. If you aren’t drinking powdered milk, you’ll want to mix this in a juice pitcher since it needs to be chilled and you’ll want to give it a quick mix before you serve it.
One Quart Measurements (Most juice pitchers are one quart)
One Quart Water
3/4 C. Dry Powdered Milk
1/2 C. Nesquik (other chocolate flavorings may be different-to figure out how much you’ll need, remember there are 32 ounces in a quart which means there are 4 eight ounce cups in a quart. Most directions will tell you how much to add based on one 8 ounce glass, so multiply that amount by 4 for the total amount you’ll need of your chocolate flavoring)
Mix dry ingredients together (this makes it dissolve much easier and faster) and mix into water. Let chill for 4-6 hours.
Chocolate Milk Shake with NO ice cream:-makes two 8-ounce cups
This one I know is hard to believe but it SO delicious! I don’t think I’ll ever make the kind with ice cream again!
1/2 C. Water
3/4 C. Dry Powdered Milk
1/3 C. Chocolate Powder
2 C. Ice
Layer ingredients in your blender as listed and blend until smooth. Serve immediately! Spruce it up with half of a banana for fun!
If you want a great variation, that tastes like it is a Jamba Juice “Peanut Butter Moo’d” then add one banana cut into 1 inch slices and 2 spoonfuls of peanut butter. The peanut butter and banana make it even smoother and add such a great complimentary taste.
Well just writing about this has made me crave another one…so…yeah…I’m going to go make myself one. ENJOY!!
For more tips and tricks for using food storage in your everyday recipes, please visit www.everydayfoodstorage.NET
Black Bean Nachos: Bean Food Storage Recipes for Kids
Does anyone else remember that commercial from about 10 years ago with the guy singing about Nachos to the “Macho Man” song? I always think of that when I make nachos because my 3 year old nephew would go around singing it all day long. Anyway, this is one of my favorite meals because it is fast, easy for kids to help with, has a lot of vegetables and uses food storage! You can either have everyone make their own plate in the microwave or make it family style in the oven. Kids can help cut vegetables (if old enough) put chips on plates/cookies sheet, or help top the nachos with toppings. If you’re worried about children only wanting cheese then let them choose 3 or 4 toppings and have some vegetables in the mix for them to try. You can even make it fun by telling them to experiment with toppings by putting different combinations of topping on top with each section they eat. I’ve got some more tips for cooking with kids at the bottom of this post so make sure to scroll all the way to the bottom. Here’s to happy cooking with kids!
Topping Suggestions:
• Cheese
• Cooked Refried Beans or Black Beans (yeah for food storage!)
• Cooked Ground Beef
• Corn
• Olives
• Tomatoes
• Avocado or Guacamole
• Salsa
• Sour Cream
• Yellow or Green Onions
• Bell Peppers
• Jalapenos or Green Chiles
Family Style:
Turn your oven broiler on. Cover a cookie sheet with tortilla chips. Top with cheese and cooked beans and/or meat. Place under the broiler for about five minutes. Watch it closely or the cheese and/or tortilla chips will burn! (Make sure not to have young children around the oven at this time) You can either put the toppings on out of the oven or let everyone put their own toppings on after they take some chips. The oven will keep the chips crunchy!
Individual Style:
Place tortilla chips on a plate and top with cheese and cooked beans and/or meat. Cook in microwave until cheese is melted and top with desired toppings.
For more tips and tricks for using food storage in your everyday recipes, please visit www.everydayfoodstorage.NET
Safety Tips for Cooking with Kids
Combined from the California Department of Health & Penn State Cooperative Extension
One of the best ways to teach food safety is to practice it—and to be vocal about why it is being practiced. This needs to begin as soon as the child is aware of and is taking an interest in food (beyond throwing it!).
1. Prevent food poisoning by:
• always washing hands before cooking.
• not eating raw eggs or raw meats.
• waiting until the food is cooked before sampling it. Do not sample uncooked foods.
2. Have children stand at the level of the activity. Use a stool if necessary.
3. Use cooking supplies that will not break (such as plastic measuring cups and stainless-steel bowls).
4. Use plastic knives or butter knives for cutting.
5. Provide constant supervision.
• Always watch children when they use knives, mixers, or the stove.
• Supervise the use of ovens, stoves, and other kitchen appliances.
• Remind children that stoves, ovens, pans, and dishes can be very hot.
