Moms + Meals: Lunchbox tips

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This may sound crazy, but one thing we dread the most about the kids going to back to school is figuring out what to pack them for lunch! Our kiddos eat at school about half of the time and pack their lunch about half the time. Even with having a few days “off” from packing lunches, we still run out of ideas!

We asked other local moms what they were packing for their kids and here is what we found out! We hope this insight helps you as much as it has helped us!

  • “My son likes turkey and ham wraps w/ spinach and shredded cheese! Sometimes we’ll switch it up with a sandwich that’s the same as the wrap. Also if there are leftovers from supper he doesn’t mind eating them cold, we’ll do that too! With that stuff though he likes yogurts, apple slices, carrots, or sometimes grapes. I try not to do the same thing all time, and prepping lunches the night before reeeeeally helps!”

 

  • “I do the $1 lunchables then send a fruit cup, cheese (he loves the laughing cow soft cheese) and some chips with a sweet treat. He usually gets juice for lunch too. I really focus on good meals for breakfast and dinner and over the weekend so he can have what he wants during the week.”

 

  • “Yesterday my son said… Mom, this year can I have advanced lunches? Like more that a wet sandwich, a cheese stick and chips? Ha!!”

 

  • “I’m a mom of 3, ages 17, 14 and 11. If I’m packing a kids lunch, I pack a sandwich, chips or veggie straws, carrots and 2-3 of the following: apples, grapes, cantaloupe, watermelon or cherries. There are times when I’ve been known to buy Lunchables just for the convenience of it. Especially if their going on a field trip ect.”

 

  • ” I definitely go the bento box route for my youngest. Olives, carrots and ranch, goldfish, fruit, lunch meat and a cheese stick, pickles, a sweet treat, almonds, peanuts or cashews, leftover spaghetti noodles with a sprinkle of parm, popcorn….”

 

  •  “I am doing the bento boxes this year for my daughter. She likes cheese, crackers, cold cuts or sliced chicken or ham, carrots and ranch, fruit. Looking forward to some other ideas. Both of my daughters have asked for thermos mugs for hot dishes. Soup, noodles, rice. They both like almost anything wrapped in a tortilla.”

 

  • “Olivia’s favorite is hard boiled eggs and a pancake!”

Thanks for the feedback, friends! We always love hearing from you! Happy lunch-box packing!

Moms + Meals: Sweetest Ever Muffins

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Turns out, July is National Blueberry Month! Who knew?!

To celebrate this very important month, we wanted to share with you one of our favorite blueberry recipes. My Grandma Rose has been making these blueberry muffins for years. They are easy to make and are very tasty! I tend to make them for breakfast and eat on them for a few days, but my grandma serves them with spaghetti. Sounds odd, but it really does hit the spot!

Sweetest Ever Muffins

  • 1 3/4 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/3 cup oil
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 1 cup blueberries

Directions: Stir together dry ingredients. Make a well in the center. Combine egg, milk, and oil. Add all at once to dry ingredients, stirring until just moistened. Fill greased or paper lined muffin pan 2/3 full. Bake at 375 degrees for 18-20 minutes. May spring the top with sugar.

In photo: I had the cutest little helpers last time we made these muffins after a cousin sleep-over!

Moms + Meals: easy summer berry salad

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unnamed (1)Finally! It officially feels like summer! No more rain, at least for now! When the temperature heats up, I prefer light, easy meals.  Who wants to heat up the kitchen when it is so hot! This summer berry salad is one of my favorites because I can throw it all together in a matter of minutes for either lunch or dinner, plus, it is full of fresh, healthy ingredients.

Summer Berry Salad:salad

Ingredients:

  • fresh baby spinach
  • strawberries
  • blueberries
  • sliced almonds
  • shredded chicken (optional)
  • other optional ingredients: avocado, dried cranberries or feta cheese

unnamed (2)Directions:

Well, its so simple you don’t even need directions. Just dump it all together. Add as many berries, and almonds as you like. I find this salad is best paired with either a light raspberry vinaigrette or poppy seed dressing.

It’s light, healthy, and filling! Enjoy!

Moms + Meals: Robin’s “famous” hobo beans

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BBQ season has officially kicked off! A BBQ isn’t complete without the beans. Well, this ain’t “yo momma’s” typical bean recipe, because it’s my momma’s beans! ha! My mom, Robin, is known for her bean recipe. She makes them for every occasion and they are always a hit. Now, I am not a fan of beans, but I love this recipe. She has so many request for the recipe, she just carries copies with her because she gets asked for it every time she makes them. You will never make beans the same again! Enjoy!

Robin’s Hobo beans

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. hamburger
  • 1/2 pkg. bacon (cut up into small pieces)
  • 1 onion (diced)

Cook the meat and onion in a skillet drain well and dump into a large crockpot.

Add the following ingredients in the the crockpot: (depends on the size of your crockpot and the crowd you’re feeding)

  • 2-3 large cans of Bush’s maple brown sugar beansBush's beans
  • 1-2 cans kidney beans
  • 1-2 cans navy beans
  • 1 cup of white sugar
  • 1-2 cups brown sugar
  • 2/3 cup BBQ sauce
  • Pepper
  • Cayenne pepper

Add any other spices, BBQ sauce and additional sugar to suit your taste

Cook until hot and bubbly, stirring occasionally. Turn the crockpot off and remove the lid at least one-hour before serving so that the beans aren’t too hot! Now you are ready to be the talk of the BBQ, in a good way 😉

Make sure and tell your friends you found the recipe at Southwest Missouri Moms!

Farmhouse Favorites: Lunchbox ideas

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Are you in a “lunchbox rut”? This time of year, the kids are tired of soggy turkey sandwiches (can you blame them?) and frankly, us moms are out of ideas! Give these ham and cheese roll-ups a try from our friend, Jessi, at Farmhouse Favorites. She never disappoints!

Ham and Cheese Roll-upslunch box

  • Deli sliced ham (or any sandwich meat you have on hand)
  • Cheese
  • Large tortilla
  • softened cream cheese

Directions:

Spread a thin layer of cream cheese on the tortilla. Down the center of the tortilla, place a few slices of ham (enough to cover the width of the tortilla). Place cheese on top of the ham. Roll up tightly and cut into 6-8 slices, about one inch thick.

Other lunch box ideas from Farmhouse Favorites: egg salad, veggies and dip, crackers with ham and sliced cheese or a quesadilla.

What is your kiddos favorite lunch box item? Let us know in the comment section above. We would love to hear from you!

Farmhouse Favorites, tying tradition back to the good old days one apron string at a time.Jessi bio

Jessi, momma to three kiddos, enjoys country cooking because it is inexpensive and the ingredients are easy to find. Her goal is to get families out of the drive thru window and back to the supper table.

Check her out on facebook.com/FarmhouseFavorites.