Adios August!

Hello Parental Units, Legal Guardians, Sunshine Staff and people who have been directed here by parents who are proud of the way their kids eat,

Welcome to Lunch Lady Land!

This post is dedicated to the best month the year has to offer, which has nothing to do with the fact that it's my birth month... the month of August.

Spirits were high and tummies were filled as the summer came to a close. Here is a re-cap of some of what went down in the land of the lunch lady...

In no particular order, as time is of the essence...

Gluten Freedom

Being gluten intolerant myself, I like introducing snacks and meals here and there that are completely gluten free, not only so I can selfishly enjoy them, but to do away with the stigma that flavor is lacking when gluten is too. 

Completely Allergen Free "Chocolate Chip" Muffin Cookies

With no dairy, no soy, no gluten, no nuts, no eggs & no butter, you'd think there'd be no flavor. Think again, my friends. The only complaint about these... they were too small. The Craving Place does allergen free mixes to perfection and the kids' reactions only proved this to be true. Yep, no allergen ingredients and no leftovers.

Boom.

Sunbutter and Honey Rice Crispy Treats.

Rice Crispy treats made without marshmellows and corn syrup? Yep, so easy and so delicious with only 4 ingredients: sunbutter, honey, rice crispies and dried cranberries. This is a staple and one of the favorites among teachers and kids.

"Banana Split" Breakfast Sundaes

So, these can be gluten free depending on the type of ingredients you use, but either way, they are a fun and delicious way to make kids think they are eating dessert for breakfast. Top a banana with yogurt, sprinkle with gluten free granola, fruit, or any kind of additions you'd like, drizzle with honey and the kids will be screaming for more. Literally, they were asked to be quiet multiple times during this morning snack.

Pinto Bean and Kale Dip

I may have said it before, so forgive me for being redundant, but I love me some good dip, especially when packed full of healthy and delicious ingredients. This dip was used as a spread for a sandwich that will be unveiled later. All I'm gonna say is, your kids ate kale.

Boom.

Creating with the colors and patterns of food

Not your standard PB&J, or SB&J, depending on your allergy. Spread a tortilla with Sunbutter and jelly or honey, roll up a banana in it, cut in slices, stick it on a stick with fresh fruit and boom...

way more fun than two condiments spread between bread. My favorite response to these? "OHHH, SUSHI!!!"

Purple Cabbage. I use this quite aggressively in delicious side salads.

Curried Carrot and Raisin Salad

One of my personal favorites that surprisingly went over better than I expected with the kids. Celery, purple cabbage, carrots, onions and raisins covered with a dressing made of olive oil, apple cider vinegar, curry, ginger and garlic leave this salad packed with flavor and vital nutrients. My two favorite responses to this salad: "I love this orange snack," and "Curry is an amazing vegetable!"

Homemade Broccoli Coleslaw

I have only one word that best describes this...

Boom.

Fresh from the school garden, sautéed and served up to the kids...

Oh. My. Squash.

Camping Week

Hot dogs and baked beans have to be served during camping week. The trouble was, it seemed that everyone in the greater Portland area decided to go camping that week as there were empty shelves of hot dog buns in the combined three grocery stores I went to to find them. So, I decided to improvise with hamburger buns. One of my favorite quotes applicable to much of life as so much of it happens outside of our hands, even when we try our best to be prepared for it, is by Pablo Picasso, who said of his painting process, "when I don't have red, I use blue." Often when I find myself without something I think I need I say to myself, "just use blue, JJ."

Here are my "blue" hot dogs...

Potato Nachos.

Everyone knows you can put pretty much anything in tin foil, throw it over a campfire and get a goop of hot goodness, whatever that goop may be.

My goop for the kids happened to be camping staples: beans and potatoes. Mix in cheese and green onions till it all melts together and boom... worlds collide with potato nachos. My favorite response: "I think this is the best thing I have ever eaten!"

Two words: No Leftovers.

S'mores on a Stick

Let's face it, camping isn't camping without s'mores. Seeing as how I made banana s'mores last month, I wanted to do something a little different.

Mini Egg McMuffins

Perhaps you didn't make these while camping, neither did I. But I do have a brother who stops at McDonald's before every camping trip. If there is one thing I disagree with my brother on, it's wife beater tank tops. After that is McDonald's. McDonald's is not food, McDonald's is a science experiment. I don't blame you or my brother for wanting a good Egg McMuffin, but instead of speeding through the golden arches and downing some chemicals labeled "fast food," look no further than what you probably already have in your kitchen. They are incredibly easy to make for the family using muffin tins for the eggs, baked at 350. Trust Me, Ronald ain't got nothing on these. 

Campsite Sandwiches

I think these were my favorite sandwiches I've made so far. With the pinto bean and kale dip as the base, the campsites came together with shredded carrots, tomatoes and pretzel sticks for the campfire, broccoli for trees, and smokey the bear for fire prevention! Smokey didn't do the best job preventing forrest fires as a few sandwiches had carrot flames spread rapidly across the cutting board. Let's just say the kids are the only ones who have fun with food.

Sports Week

Plum & Oat muffins were a real kick in the mouth for morning snack. Packed with flavor and fresh pureed plums, I'd definitely say I scored with these. Favorite response: "It's like a happy birthday!"

I will also say it's definitely important to double check your plums for before pureeing.

See what I mean...

 

Mini Taco Cups.

A fun afternoon snack with layers of refried beans, sour cream, salsa, guacamole, cheddar cheese, black olives and green onions, garnished with tortilla chips. Perhaps it's not sports related, but perhaps it is... I'll let your imagination run wild.

Preschool Olympics

My plan was to make little torches with shredded carrots and red peppers and add a little american flag in honor of the olympics, but then I realized it looked more like I was setting the American flag on fire. Not wanting to give any ideas to young, moldable minds, I decided to call an audible...

 

Instead they became fixins' for a mini ball park meal....

to go along with baseball sandwiches. After all, you can't go to a ball park and not order a ball park! 

Unless, of course, you are gluten free... and vegan-ish. Ball parks have yet to cater to such dietary needs, so I'm sure you can imagine how lackluster many of my baseball outings have been. Anyway, enough of my own problems, back to the sandwiches: ham and cheese, spread cream cheese on top and use red peppers for the laces. 

Homerun.

Boom.

And don't forget to compost!

FOUL BALL!

Whoops, how'd this picture get mixed in? Oh well, it never hurts to know a little bit more about your kid's lunch lady. Two gifts I received for my 30th birthday because they are two things I love: Duck Dynasty and Spider-Man. 

And no, I'm not joking.

Hawaii Week

My favorite week of the summer... how can it not be with all of the fresh and amazing flavors Hawaii has to offer!?

Mini Hawaiian Pizzas. 

Hawaiian Hot Ham and Cheese on Hawaiian bread rolls. 

Hawaiian Cocktail Coconut Cupcakes. 

It was definitely happy hour when these preschool friendly cocktails were served in two different flavors: banana and vanilla. Favorite response: "DON'T EAT THE PINEAPPLE, IT'S NOT REAL!" The kids do a really good job of looking out for each other.

Hula Pops.

Blend orange juice, yogurt, honey, and pineapple, pour in a cup over a banana on a skewer and freeze for a few hours, and BOOM! This was quoted as the best snack ever, in addition to "can we have this everyday?" I really enjoyed watching this snack cover the kids' faces and hands. I'm sure the teachers enjoyed cleaning it off just as much!

Hawaiian Meatballs!

Marinated early in the morning with pineapple, green peppers and homemade sweet and sour sauce, slow cooked till lunch then served with my homemade coconut brown rice... try find that at your local Red Lobster. Do they even have Red Lobster here or is that a southern joke I now feel suddenly alone on? Either way...

Boom.

BBQ Chicken Hawaiian Quesdillas

and 

Pineapple Mango Guacamole

With using such fun and fresh flavors as cilantro, lime and mango, this was quite possibly my favorite meal to make, especially seeing how much the kids loved it.

My favorite response to this meal? "I love it all, but I especially love the amacado!"

...also, even though it was Hawaiian week, I found Africa in the chicken. I bet you can find a lot of chickens in Africa, but it's not every day you find Africa in chickens. I felt it worth noting.

Boom.

Luau Sandwiches. 

Using Sunbutter as the bottom layer, then jam and a layer of bread crumbs for the beach, these hawaiian scenes came together better than I expected. The kids loved having a souvenir hibiscus ring and love it anytime the little teddy graham bears show up. The bears are sort of the "Where's Waldo?" of lunch lady land. You never know where they might turn up... be on the look out.

Hawaiian Fruit Cups

You can't have a luau without little umbrellas and pink flamingos. This is just cottage cheese with fresh fruit, but you'd think it was some special dessert the way the kids used the flamingos to stir it up and gulp it down!

The final plate of the summer. 

Now that's a luau meal fit for a preschooler.

Well, friends, that does it for August. Seeing as how we are already half way through September, I'll be seeing you again real soon. Until then, you know where to find me.

The Lunch Lady.