Lunch Box Treats

It's Back-to-School time again!  I've been getting a lot of questions as to what to put in those lunch boxes in a pinch.  Easy enough!  I thought I would include a bit about what we have found to put in A's lunch box on those busy mornings.  We also enjoy these packable treats for soccer weekends because truth be told, when you're at a soccer tournament out-of-town or often enough out-of-state; it's not easy when you have food allergies.  I always pack up a cooler to take with us because there's not too many food-safe restaurant options that you can just grab and go..

www.vansfoods.com/our-products-crackers  These crackers make a great snack-time option.

www.mediterraneansnackfoods.com  They carry the tapaz2go which are a hummus and lentil crackers combo.  These are great for an easy lunch at school or between soccer games.  Hummus gives them the protein and good fat they need to help keep kiddos and grown ups full with some energy.

www.gogosqueez.com  My A loves the apple mango applesauce.  These are super packable and user friendly.

www.glutino.com  We cannot have all of glutino's options but have discovered a few that we really enjoy.  My A gets to take an afternoon snack as a part of her health plan at school.  The cereal bars or pop tart's are a great option for that.  She really enjoys anything with blueberry or apple.

www.enjoylifefoods.com  This brand is top 8 allergen free and has expanded so much just in the past year.  I always keep a few of their chocolate bars on hand at home.  Always!  You never know when Little Judy is going to have cupcakes to share.  Also, why wouldn't you want to celebrate that team win?  They also have out some new decadent bars that I can't wait to order.

www.gopicnic.com  These are our lunchables.  I do the subscribe & save option from Amazon and have them automatically delivered every 3 months.  My daughter can only have one version and I don't want her to get burnt out on them because of how easy they are for us.  Lots of options being added and I always go through and check ingredients for the moment we can add to our sunbutter & crackers.

www.chobanichampions.com  I place the tubes in the freezer.  For summer they are the best popsicles ever.  For the lunch box they work as an ice pack as they thaw enough for her to enjoy at lunch time.  They also have new chobani bites that are a sweet treat.  Yogurt is great!  I love to make it at home using our goat milk and these chobani options make it great for when we run out.

These are a few of the options we use to pack her lunch with.  We also use these to take on vacations, hikes, and her soccer tournaments.  She is a young competitive player who plays on multiple teams which means that large sections of our year are spent travelling.  I enjoy our farm life immensely but I also enjoy being a soccer mom to my daughter and a baseball mom to my son.  Now is the beginning of fall!  So go ahead and get those coolers ready all of you football, baseball, soccer, golf, and swim moms!

Honey Mustard Pasta with Turkey Meatballs

School has officially started for the Hill Family! We are starting to get a routine down and I'm getting my freezer, fridge, and pantry stocked up. We have discovered lots of new lunch box finds lately that I'm looking forward to sharing with you. Also, don't forget to stock up on those healthy dinners!  I've got a great pasta recipe to share with you. Enjoy it with a quickly made side salad and you've got a healthy and filling start-back to school celebration dinner! 

Turkey Meatballs

1lb ground turkey

1 egg

1/4 cup breadcrumbs

1 tsp turmeric

1 tbs garlic powder

1/2 tsp gr mustard

1 tbs herbs de Provence

Get your hands dirty and mix well and shape into golf ball sized meatballs. Brown both sides in skillet and then place on cookie sheet in oven on warm setting to finish through. This will help keep your turkey from becoming dry. Also, I have been known to add a little oil or bacon grease to my skillet. 

1 box brown rice pasta or your favorite prepared using directions on box. 

To Pan Drippings:

1 13.4 oz box organic cannellini beans with liquid. 

2 heaping tbs French Dijon style mustard. 

1 tbs raw honey. 

Stir well and use salt and pepper to taste. 

Add drained pasta to sauce and coat pasta with saucey-goodness. Add meatballs and salad plus a little vino for the grown ups!  Enjoy!

Lots of Changes....

I know that it's been a while and even now I feel it's too soon to be back at it. We suddenly and very unexpectedly lost my stepfather a little more than a week ago. He had been a father to my brother and I for more than 20 years and I ache that he's gone. We've been concentrating on taking care of my Mother and making sure she's getting established back here in Kentucky as they were in the process of moving back here from Mississippi. Needless to say, there hasn't been a whole lot of cooking going on at my house. Thank goodness for my Husband or I doubt anyone would have ate, Lol. I do realize now why people bring food when someone passes away; because the last thing I have wanted to do is cook. However, for those of us that have food allergy families- we don't have a choice. I am super grateful to my good friend Hilary for bringing lots of fruit to the funeral home for the kids to snack on. It was definitely appreciated. 

And now a week later I am sending my kiddos off to start their new school year. They are finally in the same school again which will make pick up and drop off much easier!  Meetings with the principal and school nurse have been had. Her microwave has been placed in appropriate classroom. And epi pen and new health plan has been signed, sealed, and delivered. Now that I feel like I can start to take a deep breath again, I know I need to get back into the kitchen!  I am super thankful that I have planned ahead to allow for easy, filling breakfasts by making up batches of waffles, sausage, and bacon. It makes school mornings so much easier.  Now to start preparing as many freezer meals as possible! Menu planning coming soon! 

Look at those two big kiddos! I'm one proud momma for sure. Notice her purse?  She eats lunch at school at 10:47. No really!! Therefore we have the perfect size purse to carry her afternoon snack as a part of her health plan. Today she's carrying a Glutino brand Blueberry Cereal Bar. I can't wait to hear all about their first day!