Talk with kids about brown bag lunches
When it comes to school lunches, parents and children often disagree on what makes a good meal. But one thing everyone should agree on is that a brown bag lunch should not end up in the trash. So before shopping for lunch materials, brainstorm food and snack ideas with your children. That way kids have a chance to express what they would like to eat, and you can pick from their favorites to create balanced lunches.
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Draining the pickle before rolling it will help prevent the tortilla from becoming soggy.
Pickle Rolls
1 dill pickle
2 tablespoons cream cheese, softened
2 slices deli-style ham
1 6-inch flour tortillas
Spread 1 tablespoon cream cheese on one side of a tortilla; top with sliced ham. Spread remaining cream cheese over the ham. Roll a pickle up in the tortilla and slice the roll into finger food-sized pieces. Store in a plastic container in the refrigerator; keep cold until lunchtime. Makes 1 serving.
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This bean spread is great on crackers, carrots, bagels, or sandwiches.
Hummus
1 cup canned garbanzo beans, drained, liquid reserved
2 tablespoons tahini
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 clove garlic, halved
1/4 teaspoon salt
Place the garbanzo beans, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, and salt in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth, adding reserved liquid if needed to reach desired consistency. Makes about 1 cup.
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Homemade treats rarely come home uneaten, although they may be so good other children will want to trade their goodies for these cookies.
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 cups quick-cooking oats
1 cup chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In a medium bowl, cream butter, oil, and sugars until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time. Gradually stir in the sifted ingredients until well blended. Mix in oats and chocolate chips. Drop from a teaspoon onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake until edges are golden, about 10 to 12 minutes. Cool on cookie sheets for 2 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely. Makes 3 dozen.
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Pantry Pointers
When packing a lunch, include a frozen juice box, water bottle, or reusable ice to keep cold food cold.
The Practical Pantry ©2005 Tammy P. Olson
http://www.practicalpantry.com
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