Just say "no" to sandwiches: favorite weekday meals

It's been two months since I posted?  Wow.  You may get inundated with several posts today as I've been storing up ideas for the last 60 days or so and am feeling kind of writey today.

Lunch time is kind of sacred at my house.  If I can make it to lunch without locking myself in the closet and rocking in the corner, I know I will live to fight another day.  Because when lunch is over, the naptime routines start and then there's usually a few moments of blissful solitude, followed by a renewal of energy that gets us through until daddy comes home.  So, I try to make lunch just a little special, as a mini-victory for myself more than anyone (sorry, girls!).  And although I'm guilty of nuking a chicken strip occasionally (although I draw the line at mechanically separated chicken...I don't like my food to look like a dirty sponge when I cut into it, thanks.  I just gagged.), these are my attempts at making yummy and fairly healthy meals that are pretty simple (because half the time I'm doing this one-handed...refer to picture below). 



1. Avocado chicken salad with whole grain crackers.  I'm obsessed with this stuff.  Cbear calls it yummy guacamole and Jellybean likes it so much she eats it with her bare hands rather than wait on me to help her.  Simply cook, then shred, chicken breast (I do it on the stove top with olive oil, sea salt and cracked pepper), add a smashed avocado, a spoonful of sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, and lemon or lime juice.  Season to taste with onion powder, garlic powder, Greek seasoning and lemon pepper seasoning.  We really like it with Wheat thins multigrain toasted chips.

2. Mini Pizzas.  Cbear likes to help me assemble these.  Use a whole-grain pita, add some pizza sauce and whatever toppings you like- we like spinach, cheese, tomatoes, and pepperoni (my weakness).  Bake at 375 until cheese is melted (10 minutes or so).

3.  Peanut butter roll-ups and popcorn.  We had this today...these girls go crazy over popcorn!  Spread peanut butter with honey or banana slices on a whole-wheat tortilla (to make your own tortillas go here).  You can serve them warm.  If you've never made popcorn on the stove top I definitely recommend it!  Pour enough oil (coconut or olive) to cover the bottom of a heavy pot with a lid.  Drop a few popcorn kernels in the oil and cover until they all pop, then add 1/4 to 1/2 cup popcorn and cover again.  Move the pot back and forth constantly until popping slows (you may have to tilt the lid to vent the steam), then remove from heat and pour into a bowl.  If you like butter, and we do, melt it in the hot pot and pour over popcorn.

4. Hardboiled eggs.  Boy, am I glad the girls like these as much as I do.  Clint thinks we're all gross.  Cbear regularly requests these, and Jellybean shrieks and points when I get them out, so I assume she's pretty pumped about them, too.  Pair with a cheese stick and grapes and everyone is happy.

5. Mini burritos.  Very simple: corn tortillas spread with refried beans, topped with cheese, spinach, and salsa.  Yum!

6. Cheesy Rice.  This is really helpful when I have just a bowlful of leftover rice from the previous night's dinner.  I reheat it with a torn-up slice of muenster on top and the girls think they've died and gone to heaven.

These are the items I usually keep on hand for sides: grapes, pears, bananas, apples, kiwi, blueberries (oh my, if you ever want to see a feeding frenzy at my house, just break out the blueberries.  I'm fairly certain if I just threw a pint of them on the kitchen floor and then filmed the girls I could sell it to National Geographic), clementines, cottage cheese, cheese sticks, applesauce, frozen peas (yes, they eat them straight out of the freezer!), veggies with ranch dip (carrots, broccoli, cucumbers), yogurt, and anything from last night's dinner is fair game.

I hope this gives you lunchtime inspiration, and I'd love to hear what other people are eating!  What can I say?  I love food. Which reminds me, I need to figure out dinner.