sandwich ALTERNATIVE

As I said before I am not a dietitian or a nutritionist. So some of my choices might seem peculiar or maybe not the healthiest. But I have to believe that I can do 10 times better than the popcorn chicken, baked chicken fryze, or hot dog that my kids claim if dropped will bounce several feet in the air. I am just attempting to add a little zing in your daily grind of lunch packing.

Which by the way there are actually websites out there, SURPRISE, surprise full of great ideas and with all the nutritional values right there for you. One is lunchtaker.com or you can check out easylunchboxes.com , laptoplunches.com was another one that had recipes and lists of ideas to help mix it up a bit with our lunchboxes.

My kids would eat peanut butter on white bread 5 days a week for lunch, if I would let them. HELP me I can't bear to fix them another PB sammy!

While I was making one of my families favorite cookie recipes....I realized that they were really pretty healthy AND, hey why couldn't I just put cookies in their lunch instead of sandwiches. The first time they received cookies in their lunches instead of a sandwich....they crowned me Queen of ALL things wonderful and amazing, rolling out the red carpet for me as I walked to the van to drive them to school. Now it's old and THIS morning I was just baggy eyed ol' mom again...no big deal anymore. So here is our sandwich alternative. I adapted this recipe from one a friend gave me from recipezaar.com.

MONSTER COOKIES
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar
2 sticks of butter
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cup all natural peanut butter (peanuts only!)
2 teaspoons baking soda
5 cups old fashioned oatmeal
1/4 cup wheat germ
1 cup M&M's

preheat oven to 350
1. cream sugars and butter together with mixer

2. add eggs one at a time mixing after each, add vanilla

3. add peanut butter blend well


4. in separate bowl measure out oatmeal, wheat germ, and baking soda mix together with a fork


5. add oatmeal mixture to butter/egg mixture. mix well

6. fold in M&M's


7. scoop onto parchment covered cookie sheets, with a ice cream scoop.


8. bake for 12-14 minutes, until just slightly browned around the edges.



I bought these water bottles that I fill every day with water and some ice cubes so it's cold for them at lunch. Saves money on buying bottled water.


I also try to make sure there is at least one piece of fresh fruit in my kids lunches. I try to avoid the fruit cups. There may be added sugars and preservatives and they also add to the garbage pile.


I have a good stash of different containers for all sorts of goodies my kids might want in there lunches. They bring them home and I wash them out and reuse, when they get grody then I recycle them.

Have a great day!