7 Back-to-School Lunch Tips

Don't look now, but school's here! Are you ready for one of the biggest challenges for Moms of school-age kids - preparing school lunches day after day?

There's hope and help for you yet. Here are 7 back-to-school lunch tips. Hey, I can't come over and make your kids' lunches for you, but these tips will surely make it much easier:

1. Make dinner do double-duty

You're already in the kitchen preparing your family's dinner, why not use that time to get a head-start on the next day's brown bag lunches?

Make a double batch of meals that taste just as good "the morning after," you know, like fried chicken. Or cook dishes that can be transformed into something "new", such as pasta sauce that's just as yummy as pizza topping (on ready-made crust of course).

To make meal planning easier, take a look at Dine Without Whine. It's a monthly service for planning your family's meals and grocery shopping.

2. Include lunches when meal planning

To do tip #1, you need to be more organized. This means including  your kids' lunches when planning your family dinners.

3. Let the kids participate

Lighten your load and teach your children some important life skills at the same time. Even small children can help  prepare their lunches.

If morning is too stressful, then make this an after-dinner activity - which brings us to...

4. Make advance preparations

Do whatever you can do ahead of time. For example, cook in batches on the weekend, or put leftovers in packable containers the night before.

5. DIY fast food

Commercial packed lunches are attractive but unhealthy. But who says you can't make your own? Buy your own colorful and attractive lunch boxes, such as a bento-style lunchbox.

Fill it up with a variety of healthy food. Think of mixing up foods with different textures and colors. And cut them up into small pieces so they're easy and fast to eat.

6. Soup it Up

Soup makes a quick and healthy lunch. You can cook a large pot in the weekend and pack it in a thermos for a warm and satisfying lunch. Serve with whole wheat bread and some fresh fruit and you've got a complete meal!

7. Sprinkle in some fun

Sneak a little surprise into your child's lunchbox once in a while. It could be a little chocolate treat, stickers, or a sweet note from you. Getting something unexpected makes lunch fun.

With planning and creativity, your children can have healthy, delicious lunches without too much work for you.

For meal planning help, go to Dine Without Whine. It makes meal planning a breeze, while helping you save time and money.

Then you'll have time and energy for those school lunches.

10 Reasons to Have Family Meals More Often

When was the last time your family had a meal together?

I don't mean sitting in the car munching on burgers from the drive-through. I mean sitting down at the table and sharing a home-cooked meal. If you can't remember when you last enjoyed a family dinner, make plans to have them more often.

Experts have found - and continue to discover - plenty of benefits for both children and adults when families have dinner together at least three times a week. I know...I know, it's not always easy, so click here if you need help with meal planning and grocery shopping.

Here are 10 reasons why you should have family meals more often:

Good For The Body

1. When families eat together, everyone tends to eat healthier. People who have frequent family meals consume more calcium, fiber, iron, and vitamins B6, B12, C and E. It could be because home-cooked meals are healthier than fast food and restaurant meals. (Source: Archives of Family Medicine)

2. Children tend to eat more fruits and vegetables when they frequently have dinner with their families. They also tend to eat fewer snack foods. (Source: American Dietetic Association)

3. Children in families who eat dinner together are less likely to be overweight (Source: Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine). This makes sense, given the findings in #1 and #2 above.

Good For The Brain

4. Children from families who eat meals together get better grades than their peers who don't have lots of family meal times (Source: Lou Harris-Reader's Digest National Poll). So family dinners are not only good for the body; they're also good for the brain.

5. When families eat together frequently, children have better language skills compared to kids from families who don't have family mealtimes often. (Source: Harvard University) Good For Emotional Health 6. Children of families who eat together report feeling happier and are more optimistic about the future, than their peers who have infrequent family meals. (Source: Lou Harris- Reader's Digest National Poll)

7. Teenagers are less likely to use drugs, smoke, and drink alcoholic drinks, when their families eat together regularly. (Source: Columbia University)

8. It may come as a surprise, but among Moms who work outside the home, those who have family mealtimes reported feeling less stress than those who had family dinners less often. (Source: Family and Consumer Sciences Research Journal)

9. The more often teen girls had meals with their families, the less likely they were to have symptoms of depression and suicidal behaviors. (Source: University of Minnesota)

Good For Family Bonding

10. Eating together gives family members the chance to communicate and build relationships, something that both adults and children appreciate very much. (Source: Nutrition Education Network of Washington & Oprah Winfrey's "Family Dinner Experiment") I hope these reasons motivate you and your family to try and eat together more often. We're all busy - even children have plenty of after-school activities.

But as the list above shows, family meals are worth every effort we put into them. It helps to plan ahead so that we're not scrambling to get dinner ready or panicking because we don't have all the ingredients we need.

To make it easier to get the family around the table with a home-cooked meal, check out Dine Without Whine's menu planning service. It cost just a penny to try it out!

Over Stuffed? 10 Great Leftover Turkey & Stuffing Recipes

 

I am crazy about Thanksgiving & Christmas Day leftovers.  I am not sure why, but sometimes I think the turkey & stuffing actually tastes better the next day (plus, I am a huge fan of fresh turkey & swiss sandwiches). 

This year, we have an abundance of leftovers and I thought I would stretch the leftovers with some creative leftover stuffing & turkey recipes.   I tried the first one last night and it was fabulous! 

If you are "over-stuffed" check out these leftover turkey & stuffing recipes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1).  Breakfast Stuffing Frittata

2).  Turkey & Stuffing Bundles

3).  Turkey and Stuffing Soup

4).  Turkey Casserole with Stuffing

5).  Turkey Broccoli Pie

6).  Turkey Strata

7).  Turkey Soup with Stuffing Dumplings

8).  Stuffing Stuffed Mushrooms

9).  Stuffing Bites with Cranberry Pesto

10). Stuffed Shells

...add your own leftover stuffing tips and ideas in the comments section....

It Actually Works! Egg Shell Removal in Seconds

I saw this video on YouTube a few weeks ago and shared it on my SimpleSAHM blog.  It a nutshell (or eggshell, if you will) you simply peel both ends off of the egg and "blow" it out of the shell. 

Today, I made 5 egg sandwiches for our family lunch and had to "de-shell" 8 eggs.  Using this method, it literally took me 10 minutes to prepare my egg-salad - plus, my kids were cracking up (pardon the pun) the entire time!

Give it a try!  (Oh....and just make sure you blow on the larger part of the egg...and not the smaller part.   I nearly popped my eardrums doing the opposite.

A Few Kitchen “Sprintcuts” for Busy Cooks

Have you heard of "sprintcuts" yet? It is a cool video campaign by Sprint that shows viewers how to do things faster.... Here are two of my favorites...view more (like how to "quick pour ketchup" at waitless.org.

Quickly Peel a Potato

Quickly Peel Boiled Eggs

Strawberry Freezer Jam

Check out this quick and simple recipe for Strawberry Freezer Jam share it...save it or store it...and best of all - save money in the process.

Enjoy!

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What You Should & Shouldn’t Buy Organic

A list of foods that you can safely buy non-organic, and things that you really should buy organic.

read more | digg story

Picky Eaters, Beware – Quesadilla Makers Make “Sneaking” Simple

Salton QM2R Santa Fe 900-Watt Quesadilla Maker

 

I was reminded of one of my favorite kitchen gadgets by a desperate mother in a forum I visit, "how can I make tacos my children will eat?"  

Last Christmas my husband and I received this bright red quesadilla maker from his aunt and uncle.  The moment I opened it, I had one of those, "oh goody...another unused appliance to clutter up my pantry" moments.  However, the moment we tried it, we lovingly stored it in the coveted spot next to the everyday pots and pans.

My personal favorite....leftover taco toppings between whole-wheat tortillas.  Even my kids will eat black beans, olives, tomatoes & corn because they are nearly invisible sealed between the yummy tortillas.  "Look kids - pizza!"

For dessert - mini apple pies consisting of fresh (uncooked) tortillas filled with apple pie filling & cream cheese - to die for!

This cute little gadget also revives leftover night.  I simply take whatever "cream of soup casserole" I threw together the previous night and cook it again between tortillas  with a little cheese and "wa-la" - cream of leftovers pizza!  (Really, it's not as bad as it sounds).

These wonderful gadgets are cheap too!  You can grab them for less than $30.00 at Amazon.com.  Trust me, they are worth every penny!

Click here to read more reviews..

Salton QM2R Santa Fe 900-Watt Quesadilla Maker

Use Your Freezer to Save Money on Groceries

 

I spent part of yesterday at Costco and left with sticker shock - and LOTS of milk.  =) 

When the price of milk started to rise (dramatically) I begin looking for ways to save money on our grocery bill.  The price of milk at our local Costco store is usually half the price at our local grocery store.  Therefore, I did a little research on freezing milk and learned that it is possible, simple and it does not harm the quality of the milk. 

Since the prices of nearly everything else are rising as well, I thought about ways to buy additional items in bulk and freeze them (like cheeses, breads, eggs, etc..)

Here are a few useful links I discovered in my search.

 

• USDA - Food Safety and Freezing
• How to Freeze Food and Save Money
• 30 Day Cafe - Once a Month Cooking (Freezer Cooking Guide)
• A Guide to Freezing Cheese
• Refrigerator & Freezer Storage Guide
• Freezing Vegetables

Hopefully they will help you make a dent in your rising grocery bill as well.

Once a Month Cooking Video Tutorials

This weekend my husband and I spent nearly $300 at Costco stocking up on items like cheese, milk, butter, eggs and cereal. Perhaps you noticed the cost of these items skyrocketing too?

When I didn't have two preschoolers underfoot I spent one weekend each month preparing a months' worth of meals. While the cooking day wasn't exactly fun (unless you *really* like cooking) I saved a tremendous amount of money and I loved having healthy "fast food" to serve each evening.

As a result of the recent jump in grocery prices, I am revisiting once a month cooking (or freezer cooking) as a way to save money on our families' grocery bill.

Since I am "polishing up" myself, I thought I would share some resources with you...

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