Sunshine School: August 2013

Hello parents, teachers, staff and any literate students who may be reading this,

Greetings from the Lunch Lady! Don't worry, I won't start yet another post in disbelief over how fast time has gone by. As I am approaching 30 within the next week (yes, that was a subtle plug... am I allowed to do that?), I am realizing how annoyed I get by people who comment on how fast I am growing up and "where has the time gone?" and "have you gotten your chin hairs yet?" And yes, I have. Instead of constantly stressing over how quickly time is moving and competing with namely myself in order to keep up, in my 30th year I hope to practice more patience and live fully in each moment, whatever that moment may look like. I am realizing more and more that while I love a really big God, He is very much in the small details, in the simple moments and in the places I forget to look because I assume them to be too insignificant to be God-related. I have decided that "insignificant" is not in God's vocabulary, unless He is referring to fruit cake... seriously, what is the point? Nobody likes it (and I apologize if you do, but at least now you know what kind of cake I do not want for my birthday).

That said, I am seeing God more and more each day as I name the moments I am grateful for instead of simply waving at them as they pass by. I see God in the sunlight that hits the trees outside of my window in the morning. I see God in my favorite cup of chai tea, that thing is too good and too comforting not to be of God. I see God in each jar of peanut butter I empty (at home) as it reminds me that not only am I provided for but I am provided for with things that I love (plug). I see God in every sandwich I make simply because He gave me the ability to make anything at all. I see God in the chocolate covered mouths that yell "THANK YOU, MS. JJ!" as attached little hands wave from their miniature sized chairs. I think God likes chocolate as much as some of your kids do, or as much as I do (plug). I see God in the miniature sized chairs where your kids sit and I pray He blesses each one that fills them... along with who ever sets them up, I owe you a hug, or at least a thank you card.

So, as I am excited about all that has already happened and is going to continue to happen in the month of August (my birthday included... I'll be 30), I want to take you all back, far, far back to the days of July, 2013 and share with you some of the stuff that went on in Lunchlady Land.

Well, I suppose we'll start with where July starts... the first week. Though we were closed July fourth, that wasn't going to stop me from celebrating, and of course, celebrating with food...

Fourth of July Fixins'

Cream Cheese Flag sandwiches

And yes, I made more flags than Betsy Ross...

Strawberry Muffins frosted with sunbutter and covered in shredded coconut, topped with fruit. Healthy muffins disguised as cupcakes? That makes me wanna pledge allegiance...

... to the United States of America!!!

Summer Fun

Okay, so not the easiest theme to sum up in food, in part because it is so broad, but it definitely included my favorite ingredients... fresh ones!

Fruit kabobs... because summer is all about fruit... and kabobs!

Wheels Day... did you hear about it? Seeing as how I'm always "stuck" (not really, I like it there) back in the kitchen, I don't always get to see how certain days play themselves out... one of those days would be wheels day. "What is wheels day?" I asked myself, and "how do I make a wheels sandwich, especially seeing as how I already put it on the menu...?" I rolled string cheese in ham and attached an unnecessary amount of wheels with toothpicks. Sure, it's no Lighting McQueen, but I wanted the focus to be on wheels, not cars.

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad. Talk about fresh! With fresh tomatoes, onion, cucumbers, feta cheese and kalamata olives, the Mediterraneanians really know how to eat (is it appropriate to make up a word on a school blog? Spell check gave me nothing for Mediterraneanians). Perhaps you are wondering why the focus of this shot is on the olives, which is very observant of you, and very appropriate. The story behind this would be that I failed to read the label before purchasing the jar of olives that I came to spend so much time with. You see, the jar in very big bold letters said "NOT PITTED," but it was only after the purchase and during the process of slicing the olives that I happened to notice. And so, much of my prep time was dedicated to undressing over 100 kalamata olive pits. For as much as I love kalamata olives, and believe me, I love them (plug), after spending that much time with them I told them we needed to take a break for a while.

(but we're seeing each other again... just incase you were wondering)

Marinated Chick Pea Salad. Oh so fresh and it was quite a hit! I'm telling you, Mediterraneanians know how to get fresh and make it look good. I'm speechless on this one. The words "so good" and "BOOM!" are all that come to mind.

You can't have summer fun without fresh looking funny face sandwiches... and yes, just like your kids, each face was different. This project really made me aware of how vast God's creativity is. I was struggling coming up with only 40 different faces, God has been coming up with different and new faces at least since Genesis and has no intention of stopping anytime soon, unless the Mayans or one of those cults is right about the world ending. Either way, do you know how many faces that is!? And He started with dirt! I at least had fresh veggies. Good Lord (literally), how does He do it!?

BEACH WEEK

My absolute favorite week, hence all the capitols. Maybe it's because I was born and raised on the beach where I lived for 23 plus years (but I'll be 30 in about a week... plug), or it could be because the ideas are endless when it comes to incorporating a beach theme into food, but for whatever the reason, my allegiance for the month of July was definitely to Beach Week... sorry, America... although you do have great beaches.

Sandcastle Sandwiches! Use cookie cutters to make different sized circles with bread. Spread jam and sunbutter, or my personal favorite, peanut butter (plug), on the circles and layer. Use bread crumbs, or even tastier, graham cracker crumbs to cover the sandwiches with. Stick a flag in it made of whatever you want and BOOM! The kids loved them, but having grown up building sandcastles for a majority of my life, I think I was way more excited about these than the kids were. Even still, at almost 30.

(plug)

These Muffins disguised as cupcakes were a lifesaver! I used graham cracker crumbs on top of sunbutter to get the sand effect and a vanilla wafer with icing and sliced strawberries for the floatation device. My favorite responses to these were, "WE'RE HAVING FLOATIE CUPCAKES!" and perhaps even better, "IT'S CUPACKES WITH TUBAS!" to which another kid responded, "no, SCUBAS!"

Incase you were wondering what I was thinking when I put oyster crackers on the menu for afternoon snack, fret not, I had no intention of serving your kids soup decorations. This was fun and surprisingly easy. I used vanilla wafers, strawberry yogurt, a yogurt covered raisin for the pearl and icing for the eyes and BOOM! Oyster crackers.

Beach in a cup. Nothing looks better in a cup than a beach... unless it's a chai tea latte (plug). I don't know if you can spot him from the picture, but there is a little sun-bathing teddy bear nestled ever so slightly under the umbrella.

Fish Sandwiches. I know, even for me just seeing it on the menu made me a little uncomfortable. But, I think I am one of a very few amount of people who can say they served fish sandwiches made of turkey... and did so to children.

SNACKS and SUCH

Roasted Red Bell Pepper Hummus. I love making dips and during pepper week, this dip happened. The kids love red bell peppers and so this dip was well received.

Banana S'mores. I know every kid loves s'mores, but the lunch lady has gotta ask, "what about some fruit!?" I substituted the banana for the marshmallow and the kids were just as enthusiastic about having s'mores. The way I see it, cover anything in chocolate and it is gladly received, especially by me (plug).

I'm gonna level with you... I don't know what these are. But, seeing as how I wanted to serve some prunes and the s'mores went over so well, I tried to make prunes seem a little more appealing. The prunes are tucked away in between sunbutter and graham crackers with chocolate animal crackers on top. Despite the initial confusion, the kids really enjoyed them.

Popcorn cups! Popcorn with chopped dried apricots and covered in melted sunbutter and honey! I've made this snack a couple of times with different variations in regards to what I mix with the popcorn. This time one of the kids commented that he was afraid I might only know how to make one type of popcorn and that he'd be glad to teach me other kinds. When asked what kind he'd like to make he responded, "mint." When that was met with hesitation he responded, "well, maybe cheddar." I asked him what his favorite kind of popcorn was and he said "any kind." I then asked him what kind he has made before, to which he said, "not any kind."

I love snickerdoodle (plug). I also love breakfast. Worlds collided with these snickerdoodle muffins! Unfortunately, I couldn't partake due to my gluten intolerance, but it is in the works for me to figure out a gluten free version that I know some of the other kids would benefit from too.

Lemon Blueberry Biscuits with Honey Blueberry Compote and glaze. This was an early morning, but the kids' responses was well worth it. You'll be happy to know that no refined sugar was used in the process, or maybe that just makes me happy, I don't know. Either way, BOOM!

Bread pudding made from leftover bread crusts due to the massive amount of shapes I cut out. I had to think of something to do with all the bread crusts in the freezer besides just make bread crumbs... I have enough bread crumbs to coat fish and chips for all of England... and America... minus Texas. Anyway, bread pudding is a great way to use up leftover or just stale bread... and the kids love it! Double win.

Haystacks! Served during cowboy week, I omitted the butterscotch and corn syrupy stuff and made these with melted chocolate chips, sunbutter, dried bananas and lo mein noodles. Getting a "THANK YOU, MS. JJ!" for serving these was easy... nothing like looking for a needle... in a you know what...

Family Style

I love making family style meals. Popeye came back for a visit with this spinach and feta pasta pie which was warmly welcomed. I did, however, overhear one kid say, "guys! there's delicious pasta under all the green stuff!" While it was a majority favorite, sometimes I just have to accept that you can't win em' all.

Cowboy Week

With a good old fashioned Rodeo fun day, the kids got to shuck their own corn, and I got to use all the corn they shucked in the meals through out the week! With them shuckin' and me cookin', we made quite a team!

Mexican Corn Salad. If you are a fan of corn, you will love this recipe. Obviously. The kids not only liked it, they liked seeing the corn they shucked.

Sweet Potato & Black Bean Flautas. Gluten Free and delicious, and despite what it looks like, relatively easy, at least if you are making them for less then 50 plus people. If you really wanna have fun, get your kid to say "flauta!"

Remember the day your kid was supposed to dress up for Rodeo fun day? Yea, I forgot... at least to dress up. While I was missing my bandana and cowboy boots, I made up for my lack of cowboy enthusiasm with some homemade chicken pot pie. What can I say?

BOOM!

Well, Sunshine friends and family, that pretty much sums up July, or at least the good parts. Mistakes happen, milk gets spilled, ranch goes sour, vegetables rot, but you accept that sometimes you have to wipe up your messes and throw out the old stuff in order to make room for something new.

The time is drawing near for me to let go of my twenties and embrace my thirties. I know I am still young, but that doesn't minimize the fact that it is still somewhat of a mind trip... at least in this moment... a moment I am embracing. While there is some hesitation, there is also excitement. Excitement for the unknown and the possibilities that take place there. I look forward to embracing this new season of my life while still loving and serving your kids. I consider it one of my greatest blessings of my 29th year. What a way to go out! So long, twenties, I got kids to feed and I ain't got time for your drama!

Yours Truly,

The Lunch Lady

(p.s. when I said I got kids to feed, I meant yours. Let there be no confusion on that topic. And no plug.)

Friday, August 30, 2013

Friday, August 16, 2013

Preschool Luau Picnic & Dress-up Day!

Preschool Olympics!

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Preschool Olympics!

Friday, August 9, 2013

The Lunch Lady Lets Go of July

Thursday, August 1, 2013

August Newsletter