School Lunches and Meal Plan

It's beginning to look a lot like...Christmas?  I'm sitting here, pre-preparing some things for Thanksgiving dinner next week, watching "Elf," and listening to the rain outside.  I miss the snow during the holidays.  Here are a few shots from some friends and their snow.

I think I have come to a break in my School Lunches posts.  They are starting to cycle around now, so if you've been following along you know what my regulars are.  But if you'd still like to see what I'm making, I will still be posting them regularly on Instagram.

It's a big week for food this week!  Well, at least the latter half of the week is.  In preparation for Thanksgiving, I'm going to be preparing simple dinners so that I can focus and have time to make yummy food for Thursday.  Here's what we're having:

Saturday: Tacos and Burritos a la Old El Paso (Yes, I DO occasionally do the boxed dinners.  I do believe that it's okay once in a while.  Key word is OCCASIONALLY!)

Sunday: Pulled Pork Sandwiches

(By the way, can I just say GO BRONCOS!  Fingers crossed for an awesome game on Sunday.)

Monday: Brinner - Omelets

Tuesday: Tomato and Tortellini Soup (Recipe to follow)

Wednesday: Little Caesar's (Hey, I know anyone who is cooking for Thanksgiving is doing this too!)

Thursday: THANKSGIVING!

Friday: Thanksgiving leftover sandwiches



I hope you all have a great weekend!  If you have any questions about Thanksgiving food, shoot me a message or email and I'll try to get back to you as quickly as possible!  Stay warm and safe everyone!

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Meal Plan

Once again, we had a shortened week at school - no school on Monday for the holiday and a half day today for teacher preparation.  Three days of school lunches.  And nothing exciting.  So, we're going to forego the school lunches (and pray for inspiration next week) this week.  If you want to see what I did make, you can visit me on Instagram.

But, I have a meal plan for you!  Gots to feed the family over here!  We are having more birthdays this week, one of them happens to be mine.  Sigh.  I feel like Joey on Friends, "Why, why are you doing this to us?  We had a deal!  Let them grow old, not me!"

But every year, it comes.  And I get one year older.  The only consolation prize I get is that baby girl, K2, shares my birthday with me.  That's right.  She is/was my ultimate birthday gift.  And I love that we get to share that day.  So we're having 2 birthday dinners this week to celebrate.  Guess which one is hers and which one is mine!  It's pretty obvious.  :)

Saturday: Birthday Dinner - it's a surprise!
Sunday: Three Bean Chili and Cornbread
Monday: Birthday Brinner - Pancakes, Scrambled Eggs, Bacon, Strawberries
Tuesday: Grandma Cook's Barbecue Chicken (Yup!  It's still grilling season in Vegas!)
Wednesday: Tuffies
Thursday: Fish and Chips (courtesy of Gortons® Wicked Good Seafood)
Friday: Chicken and Artichoke Pizza (Hm, sounds good in my mind!  Recipe to follow, if it works out.)

I'm also going to be doing some Thanksgiving dinner prep next week.  Looking forward to sharing some of my favorite, family recipes with you for the holidays!

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School Lunch and Meal Plan

I wish I had a set of school lunches to share with you.  Unfortunately, this was a one day school week for us.  K1 had Monday off, went to school Tuesday, and was at home the rest of this week with the gumboo.  We even made a trip to Urgent Care due to a very bad, feverish night.  But she is on the mend, K2 is on the mend, and I'm wanting a nap.  It's been a long week.  And now I've got a busy couple of weeks coming up!  3 birthdays at our house and Thanksgiving!  Lots of cooking!

Saturday: Free Day - holy cow, I'm already so grateful that this day is a free day.
Sunday: Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Monday: Brinner - Eggs Benedict
Tuesday: Chicken Lasagna (Recipe to follow)
Wednesday: Tortellini Soup (Recipe to follow)
Thursday: Steak Salad

Friday: Pizza (in preparation for a birthday party!)

I am excited to share some pupcakes that I'm making for Bodie's birthday this weekend.  I'll be back on Monday with those!  Have a great weekend!

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School Lunch and Meal Plan

Happy first day of November!  Are your kids on a sugar high like mine are?  Holy cow.  I'm so glad that our school is out for the weekend.  Before I get into the lunches I made this week, I just have to share the cupcakes that I made for K1's class yesterday.  Seriously, these turned out so cute and so stinking easy!

I used my Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cupcake and Cream Cheese Frosting recipes.  I put the frosting in a gallon size ziploc bag and then cut the tip off one of the corners.  I piped them on this way because I didn't want them to be exact and equal.  I wanted them to have a weird shape and be a little different, like ghosts!  Then I just added some mini semi-sweet chocolate chips for the eyes, and jumbo semi-sweet chocolate chips for the mouths.  SO EASY!  And so fun.  They were a huge hit in class.  Okay, now onto the lunches:

**Note: We had our church trunk or treat last weekend, so K1 got a piece of her candy in each of her lunches this week.

Day 1 - Ham and Cheese Sandwich on whole wheat bread, Broccoli and Ranch Dip, Grapes, Halloween Candy.

Day 2 - Tuna Fish and Provolone Cheese on whole wheat bread, Carrots and Ranch Dip, Grapes, Halloween Candy.

Day 3 - Grilled Cheese Sandwich on whole wheat bread, Cambell's® Tomato Soup (which has a full serving of vegetables!), Sliced Strawberries, Halloween Candy.

Day 4 - Happy Halloween!  Peanut Butter Bats (PB & Honey on Whole Wheat Bread). Witch Fingers and Essence of Ghost (Carrots and Ranch Dip).  Pureed Monster Brains (Del Monte® Fruit and Veggie Puree, Peach Mango).  Halloween Candy.

Day 5 - Today, K1 and I have a Parent Teacher Conference.  So I'm taking this opportunity to send K2 to a friend's house, and spending the morning with K1 for a mommy-daughter date.  After our conference, we're going Christmas shopping (OH YEAH!) and then to Raising Cane's for a little lunch.  One of our favorite places to eat.  Why?  Because "THE SAUCE IS BOSS!"

Remember, you can follow me on Instagram to get daily updates on school lunches.

I have to be honest with you.  I'm kind of in a cooking funk right now.  I think between the holidays fast approaching (I didn't even get Halloween decor out this year because I've been so busy!), being busy with home decrapification, helping out at K1's school, and other such nonsense, I'm just burning the candle at both ends.  But be patient with me.  I always have a fire that lights under me right between my birthday (I'll be 25 again this year, plus a few more, but hey, who's counting!?) and New Years.  So if my meals seem a little boring, it's only because I'm just trying to push through the funk and NOT EAT OUT hardly at all.  That's my mantra for the next 10 weeks - DON'T EAT OUT MORE THAN ONCE A WEEK!  Hey, I still need my free day.

Saturday: FREE DAY!  WOO HOO!
Sunday: Slow Cooker Chicken with White Sauce, Mashed Potatoes, Tossed Salad (Recipe to follow)
Monday: Brinner! Pancakes, Fried Eggs, Bacon
Tuesday: Fish Tacos
Wednesday: Clam Chowder and Sourdough Bread
Thursday: Chicken Pot Pie
Friday: Pizza, Steve. (If you can name this movie, you are officially cool.)

Have a great first weekend of November!  See you Monday!

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School Lunch and Meal Plan

Holy cow, can I just tell you what kind of week we've had here in Vegas?  Yesterday was my first day home.  The rest of the week was spent over at K1's school.  INSANE, but fun.  If you didn't catch it on Instagram, I was lucky enough to tag along the kiddo's first field trip.  We went to a local orchard here, Gilcrease Orchard.  If you live in Vegas, you MUST take a Saturday and head over there.  They are a non for profit organization, self sustaining, and they absolutely encourage "you are what you eat."  In fact, that was phrase that they repeated over and over and over again.

It was so much fun, and at the end of their visit, they let the kids pick their own pumpkin to bring home!  What a great experience for her first field trip.  And on that note, on to the lunches from the week:

1 - Ham and Provolone Wrap (with Mission® Whole Wheat Tortilla and Kraft® Olive Oil Mayonnaise), baby carrots with ranch dip, Del Monte® Fruit Puree, Pumpkin Peanut Butter Cup.

2 - Dog in a blanket with a sheet (aka hot dog with a slice of cheese wrapped in croissant) with ketchup and mustard, grapes, cucumber slices, Cookies and Cream bar.

3 - PB&J (with fresh peanut butter from Gilcrease Orchard!), apple slices, baby carrots and ranch dip, Pumpkin Peanut Butter Cup.

4 - 1/2 grilled cheese sandwich, Cambell's® Phineas and Ferb Chicken Noodle Soup, baby carrots and ranch dip, Del Monte® Fruit and Vegi Puree, Cookies and Cream bar.

5 - Brunch: Bacon, egg, and cheese on an English Muffin, orange slices, Cookies and Cream bar. (not pictured: 6 oz. fresh apple cider from Gilcrease Orchard)

I had a question asked on Instagram this week concerning the lunches: "Do you make your lunches the day of or the night before?"  The answer is both.  Sometimes I make the lunches the night before, simply because they can be refrigerated without being soggy the next morning (for example, the lunchables and dog in a blanket).  But I would say 90% of the time I make them the morning of.

This coming week will be slowing down.  A lot.  Here on the blog though, things will be heating up!  In the oven that is!  I'm bringing you Pie-tober!  I'm so excited for this series!  Make sure you come by Monday to check out the festivities!  In the meantime, here's my menu for next week:

Saturday: Free Day!
Sunday: Slow Cooker Pot Roast
Monday: Pumpkin Pie Waffles
Tuesday: Terriyaki Roasted Chicken (Recipe to follow)
Wednesday: Slow Cooker Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese and Bacon Paninies
Thursday: Omelets
Friday: School Carnival - Carnival Food!  Woo hoo!

Can't wait to see you all Monday morning.  Have a wonderful Fall weekend!  P.S.  Don't forget to take a few minutes this weekend and enter the Gorton's Giveaway for some Wicked Good stuff!

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School Lunch and Meal Plan

Amanda over at Kevin and Amanda took this shot this
morning up at Park City, Utah!  So beautiful, but so
stinking cold!  It's 28 degrees at my parents house in
Evanston, Wyoming this morning!  BRRRRRRRRRR!

Is anyone else feeling this cool down?  Okay, yes, I know everyone up north of us are feeling it - SHEESH y'all!  Snow?!  Well, I guess it is October.  When I was living at home in Wyoming (don't judge me!), it was just a simple fact that the first snow flies before Halloween.  Well, their first snow came last week.  I so do not miss that.  I am a warm weather girl, I have been for most of my life.  I think those 3 years I spent at Ricks College (BYU-Idaho for all you youngsters) and then another 2 at BYU just about did me in.  I HATED those winters.  I remember going to one of my music finals - chirp chirp chirp, did I lose you there? Yes, I majored in Piano Pedagogy - at 6:00 in the morning on a December day when it was one of the coldest winters on record in Idaho.  It took every ounce of energy in my body to get me to the school.  I so do not miss it.  I SO love my Las Vegas winters.

So there's my ditty on cold.  Now on to the food.  

1: Lunchable - Ham, turkey, and colby cheese with Wheat Thins. Cucumber slices with Ranch Dip.  Grapes.  Reese's Pieces.

2: Cheese Quesadilla (with Mission® Whole Wheat tortilla).  Baby Carrots with Ranch Dip.  Strawberries.  Reese's Pieces.

3: PB&Honey (Cut using a butterfly shaped sandwich cutter). Baby Carrots with Ranch Dip. Grapes. Reese's Pieces.

4: The kids had a half day of school, so K1 got treated to a little Happy Meal for lunch.  Yes, I do feed my kids McDonald's occasionally.  She works hard, she's active, and she eats healthy most of the time.  She can handle a little junk food now and then.

5: Dog in a Blanket with Ketchup and Mustard. Cucumber Slices.  Applesauce.

This coming week is bringing us another fantastic giveaway!  You'll have to visit every day to find out what it is - I'm not telling when or what it is.  Yup, I'm evil.  But it's October - I'm allowed to release my inner evil.  I'm also very excited for this week because I get to go on my first field trip as a mom!  Holy cow, is it sad that I'm geeking out a tad?  But I am, and I'll be sharing that little adventure with you because it'll coincide with an upcoming series that I'm also geeking out about: Pie-tober!  I'll explain that as well next week.  In the meantime, here are a few dinner ideas for your family!

Saturday: Free Day!

Sunday: White Bean Chili, Cornbread

Monday: Apple Pie Pancakes, Bacon

Tuesday: LVEA Event at Freed's Bakery (I'm so excited!)

Wednesday: Filet-o-Fish Sandwich (Copy Cat Recipe to follow)

Thursday: Spinach and Gouda Stuffed Chicken Breasts (Recipe to follow)

Friday: Calzones (Recipe to follow)

Have a great weekend!  Stay warm and break out those snow shovels!  Ick.  

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School Lunch and Meal Plan

Wow.  Last Friday of September!  Does that make anyone else wonder where September went?  I went into Target today and while we were looking at Halloween costumes, I noticed the entire back wall was Christmas lights!  I had to do a double take.  And then take a picture for proof so that people wouldn't think I was crazy.  Seriously?!  September 26th and you guys are putting Christmas lights out?  Sheesh, way to make a girl feel like the world is spinning faster every year.

Any-hooser, the reason we're here today.....another week of school lunches.  Our new little addition to cold lunches is actually not for cold stuff:

I found this little beauty at Target.  K1 had a special request for some tomato soup with her lunch this week, so I took the plunge and made the "investment."  This is the Thermos FUNtainer.  It holds 10 oz., which is about one of those Cambell Soup on the Go cups.  It is top rack dishwasher safe.  It ran me $15.  Was it worth it?  Yup!  Kept her tomato soup warm all the way until she came home from school!




Okay, now for the good stuff:

1 - Ham and Cheese Wrap with Mission® Whole Wheat Tortilla, Baby Carrots and Ranch, Grapes, Hershey Minis.
2 - Grilled Cheese with Whole Wheat Bread, Tomato Soup, Grapes, Hershey Minis.
3 - PB&J with Whole Wheat Bread, Applesauce, Baby Carrots with Ranch, Hershey Minis.
4 - Hot Dog and Cheese Kabobs with Ketchup and Mustard, Pretzel Crackers, Grapes, Hershey Minis (Notice I didn't put a vegi in her lunch this time?  That's because she got a boat load of vegis that night for dinner so I thought I'd let it slide for one day).
5 - She's going to FREAK in the morning when she sees this lunch!   Sushi (her favorite food in the whole world) and Soy Sauce, Applesauce, Reese's Pieces.

And here we go with another round of dinners for the following week.  I'm on the verge of whipping out all the Fall recipes, full of pumpkin and yummy warm casseroles.  There's a little taste this coming week when I share my recipe for Pumpkin Pie Waffles.  I can't wait!

Saturday: Free Day!  Because frankly, we all need a free day.
Sunday: Slow Cooker Beef Stew (Recipe to follow)
Monday: Brinner - Pumpkin Pie Waffles (Recipe to follow), Sausage, Fried Eggs
Tuesday: Spinach and Mushroom Stuffed Shells and Caesar Salad
Wednesday: Slow Cooker Chicken Tamale Casserole (Recipe to follow)
Thursday: Grandma Cook's Lemon Barbecue Chicken,
Friday: Chicago Style Pizza

Have a great last weekend of September.  I hope all my friends up north are staying warm and not being inundated with tons of snow.  Holy cow.  It's crazy!  See you Monday!

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School Lunches and Meal Plan

I am really loving this series.  Not only do I get to share some fun ideas with you all, but it also makes me get creative with lunches.  I know as a kid I got so bored with the usual PB&J.  Got old, fast.  In fact, I actually preferred hot lunch.  But since K1 doesn't have that option at all this year, I must get creative.  So thanks for
following along in that journey with me.  Don't forget to follow me on Instagram during the week to see all these meals each day.

Here's this week's line up:

1 - English Muffin Pizza (using Homemade Pizza Sauce), Baby Carrots with Ranch Dip, Mott's Strawberry Applesauce Pouch, Hershey Minis.

2 - Cheese Quesadilla (using Mission's® Whole Grain Tortilla), Grape Tomatoes and Ranch Dip, Grapes, Hershey Minis.

3 - Dog in a Blanket (Pillsbury® Croissant, Hot Dog, and Kraft® American Cheese Slice.  Bake according to regular croissant instructions on can.), Ketchup, Broccoli and Ranch Dip, Grapes. Hershey Minis.

4 - Brunch - Apple Pie Pancakes with Apple Slice and Syrup, Scrambled Eggs and Ketchup (that's how Hubs and the kiddos prefer their scrambled eggs), Juice Box.

5 - PB and Honey Sandwich (cut out with a Wilton® Leaf cookie cutter), Colby Jack Cheese (cut out with fun Wilton® Fall mini cookie cutters), Grapes, Broccoli and Ranch Dip, Hershey Minis.

Now, I want to make something very clear.  I understand that there are kids that are allergic to peanuts.  So when I purchased the bag of Hershey Minis, it was with the strict instruction that K1 should NOT share her yellow candy bars with other kids (Mr. Goodbar, which has peanuts in it).  I think that things that could possibly be an allergen to other kids should be instructed on.  Make sure your kids know that their PB&J could possibly send their friend that they shared their sandwich with to the ER.  Not in a scary way, but they should be made aware.

We're on the downhill slope for September.  And the slide down is proving to be much faster than the climb up.  We are settling into a routine with school, and time is now flying.  We've had our first day under 90 degrees here, and that always gets me in the mood to start cooking more comfort foods.  I think Sunday is the perfect day to start breaking out the chili recipes.

Saturday: Slow Cooker Tacos Carnitas, Homemade Flour Tortillas
Sunday: Slow Cooker Chili (Recipe to follow)
Monday: Brinner - Waffles, Scrambled Eggs, Sausage
Tuesday: Happy Anniversary to Us!  No cooking for me tonight! I'm thinking Sushi is in store for us.
Wednesday: Grilled Steak Salad
Thursday: Fettucine Alfredo with Grilled Chicken and Steamed Broccoli
Friday: Calzones (Recipe to follow)

Make sure you swing by next week for my last Breyers® giveaway and another fantastic recipe using their yummy chocolate ice cream!  Have a great weekend!

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School Lunches and Meal Plan

Well, if you were following me on Instagram this week, you probably noticed that there wasn't a lunch on Monday.  And then there wasn't a lunch on Tuesday.  Uh, yeah.  We got the start of the school year sickies.  K1 brought it home, shared with K2, and they in turn shared it with me.  So kind of them.  Wait, no.  Not kind at all.  And so, I have only 3 lunches to share with you.

One new thing I did find this week were smaller kabob skewers - I found them at Party City with the plates and cups.  I did have to cut about an inch off the end to get them in the container, but they worked great.  This week, I'm going to be on the search for some fun Fall cookie cutters for sandwiches next week.

1 - Hot Dog and Colby Cheese Kabobs, Pretzel Crackers, Applesauce, Carrots and Ranch Dip.
2 - Apple Slices with Peanut Butter, Cheese Stick, Wheat Thins, and Cookies and Cream Kisses.
3 - Homemade Lunchable: Sliced Ham and Turkey, Sliced Colby Cheese, Wheat Thins, Grapes, and Pumpkin Spice M&Ms (OH YEAH!  THEY'RE HERE!)

Have I ever mentioned that Hubs is obsessed with Crossfit?  I have to use the term "obsessed" because honestly, I don't know how else anyone could do it.  If you do Crossfit, or know someone who does, you know what I mean.  This weekend, Hubs is participating in their Trainer's Course.  That means that over the course of 2 days, he's going to be completing about 10 workouts.  That calls for A LOT of protein.  He's going to be drinking his protein shakes during the day, and I want to make sure he's loading up on protein at dinner.  Everything that I'm going to be making, even the vegis, will be high protein.

The rest of the week, I'm so keeping it light.  I'm starting on my Fall Cleaning (YAY!) and I want to make meals light and simple.  I am so looking forward to decrapifying my house.  If you follow me on Instagram, I'll be giving tips on cleaning up your house from Summer's chaos.

Saturday: Grilled Steak with Weber's Chicago Steak Seasonings, Baked Sweet Potato, and Spinach Salad
Sunday: Grandma Cook's Lemon BBQ Chicken, Steamed Artichokes
Monday: Brinner - Apple Pie Pancakes, Bacon, Fried Eggs
Tuesday: Slow Cooker Roasted Chicken and Vegetables (remember how I promised a recipe?  Yeah, it'll be up this week)
Wednesday: Iowa Girl Eats' BBQ Chicken Chopped Salad (can you tell that I'm a fan of hers?!)
Thursday: Sweet and Sour Chicken Kabobs
Friday: Tuffies

Have a great weekend!  I'll be in bed with my kleenex and hot tea if anyone needs me.  :)  See you Monday!

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School Lunches and Meal Plan

We've finished up our second week of school here in Vegas.  And I have another set of lunches to share with you.  Don't forget, you can follow along daily on Instagram.  I share all the lunches and what's in them each morning.  Then on Friday's I bring them all back here to share with you once more.  The only way to get Friday's lunch is on here, so make sure you swing by!

This week, I introduced something new - cutting crusts off your kids' sandwiches using a cookie cutter.  I purchased this lovely from Wilton - I LOVE their big cookie cutters with the rubber grips on them.  It makes pressing down into the sandwich so much easier and saves my hands.  I also introduced Mission's® Multi-Grain Tortillas.  Not only is the kiddo getting a better meal with whole grains, but she's also filling up better because of those.  Again, unless I state otherwise, I use whole wheat bread and whole grain products as much as possible.

Day 1 - Ham and Cheese Roll Up (with multi grain tortilla).  Strawberries.  Grape tomatoes.  Nutter Butters.
Day 2 - PB&J (cut using a Wilton cookie cutter).  Gala apple slices.  Broccoli and Ranch Dip.  Kisses.
Day 3 - Cheese Quesadilla (with multi grain tortilla).  Grapes.  Grape Tomatoes and Ranch Dip.  Nutter Butters.
Day 4 - Ham, Turkey, and Cheese Croissant Sandwich.  Dill Pickles.  Baby Carrots. Strawberries. (No dessert, K1 is getting dessert in her class for her birthday!)

For our meals this coming week, I'm focusing on slow cooker meals.  I had a reader write to me this week asking about my slow cooker meals and which slow cooker I use.  Plus we have family in town.  And cooking for large groups of people is easiest when you use a slow cooker.  During the week, I will share some of my favorite slow cooker meals with you and a little ditty about the slow cooker that I own and just adore.

Saturday: Birthday Bash!  We're eating out to celebrate a bunch of family birthdays.
Sunday: Crock Pot Roast
Monday: Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Tuesday: Slow Cooker Spaghetti
Wednesday: Slow Cooker Roasted Chicken and Vegetables (Recipe to follow)
Thursday: Avocado and Chicken Caprese Salad from Iowa Girl Eats
Friday: Fancy Mac and Cheese from Pioneer Woman

Have a great weekend and I'll see you Monday!

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School Lunches and Meal Plan

I'm starting a new series that's everything School Lunches.  Last year, my daughter attended Public School and so I could occasionally rely on hot lunches as a mix up for her cold lunches.  This year, she attends a Charter School where they do not offer hot lunch - period.  Everyone gets cold lunch from home.  So I have to get inventive.

Here are a few things that I recommend for cold lunches:

Ziploc makes these awesome containers.  While I love the idea of bento boxes, I have a hard time springing for one when I can buy 4 of the Ziploc type for the same price.  There are 3 compartments, one large, one medium, and one small.  They are perfect for a sandwich, some fruit, and a vegetable or treat.  And they are microwave and dishwasher safe.

Diamond Multi-Purpose Mini Cups are awesome for dips, dressings, or just small treats that you want to keep separate from other items.  You can find these where you get paper plates and paper cups.  They are about $3 for a pack of 50.

Silicone Muffin Cups.  You can buy these practically anywhere.  Instead of purchasing several different types of bento boxes (priced usually around $15-$20), you can use these to divide your Ziploc container further.  You will not always want to use the large section in its' entirety.  I like to plop these muffin cups in the container for crackers, cheese, hot dogs, etc.  And I buy the silicone ones so that I can wash them and use them again.






These are the basics that I use for K1's school lunches.  I occasionally toss a plastic fork in there for her and sometimes I use a food pick to make fun little kabobs.  Something I've learned over the last 2 years in making cold lunches is that the key is variety and making it fun!  If it's fun, they're more likely to eat it.

So why have I chosen to do cold lunches over hot lunches?  Simple.  Do you know what they use in the preparation of school lunches?  Do you know the amount of preservatives and chemicals they use?  Yikes.  This way, when I make my kiddo's lunch, I KNOW what is going into her lunch.  AND I get to see what she's eating and what she's not eating.  Very important when it comes to nutrition for your child.  Something that I do want to do eventually is invest in a thermos container so I can send hot lunches (aka LEFTOVERS!) with her.

Now that we have that out of the way, here's a recap of what K1 took with her to school this week:

1 - PB&J Sandwich, crusts removed using a sandwich cutter (you can also use a big cookie cutter!).  1/2 Gala Apple, cut into slices.  Baby Carrots.  Cookies and Creme Hershey Kisses (K1's favorite).

2 - Ham and Colby Jack Cheese Kabobs (I used 3 slices of ham and cut the cheese into 1 inch cubes, I bought the food picks at Target in the party section).  Pretzel crackers (Peppridge Farm).  3 Strawberries, sliced.  Baby Carrots.  Hershey Kisses.

3 - 1 Hot Dog, sliced.  Ketchup and Mustard in a Diamond Mini Cup.  Fish crackers.  String cheese.  Red grapes.  Hershey Kisses (I found out this day that she is sharing her kisses with other kids at lunch!  What a great way to make friends!).

4 - PB&J Sushi - I remove the crusts and flatten the bread with a rolling pin, then spread a small amount of PB&J, then roll it up (lengthwise) and cut into pieces.  Baby Carrots with Ranch in a Mini Cup.  Applesauce Pouch.  Hershey Kisses.

5 - Homemade Lunchable - 2 slices each of Ham and Turkey, cut into thirds.  2 slices Colby Jack cheese, cut into fifths.  Wheat Thin crackers.  Grapes.  Baby Carrots.  Hershey Kisses.

*Unless noted otherwise, I use whole wheat bread for sandwiches.  I also send her with water bottle instead of juices or fruit drinks.

You can follow along during the week on Instagram.  OR you can just swing by here on Fridays to grab some ideas for your next kiddo's lunch.

And now for next week's Dinner Meal Plan. We're heading into a holiday weekend, so I have no misconception that I'm going to be able to plan meals.  We usually play things by ear over holidays.  Time to relax a little.

I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday weekend.  Be safe!  See you Tuesday!

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Meal Plan

Hope everyone has had an amazing summer.  We have come to a close on Summer here in Vegas as the kids go back to school this week.  We had fun this week, grilling up some great food, spending some time at the lake, watching Harry Potter movies, and just hanging out.  But it's time to move on.  Here's my menu for next week:

Squeeze every last ounce of Summer out of this weekend and I'll see you on Monday!

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Friday Favorite and Meal Plan

Today I want to share with you one of my favorite things in the kitchen.  We're going back to a previous post to talk about kitchen knives.  Which one does what, how to take care of them, and I'd like to know what brands of knives you prefer or own!  Share with the group!

Don't forget the meal plan for next week.  The theme is grilling/barbecue.  We're down to the last week of Summer for us here in Vegas.  And we're sending it out with a nice big barbecue.  Grab some ideas for your next "que!"

Have a great weekend and see you Monday morning!  Don't forget to enter the End of Summer Ice Cream Giveaway!

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