School And Daycare Lunches, Take 5 (10 MORE lunch photos)

Round five of photos of our school and daycare lunches!! These are photos of lunches that we made during the 2012-2013 school year for our three kids. They were in 4th grade, 2nd grade and daycare. Sometimes leftovers, sometimes sandwiches, sometimes thrown together, sometimes thoughtfully put together… always with an effort to keep them healthful.

Check here for more school lunch photos and ideas.

1. Whole wheat with cream cheese and salami, sugar snap peas, clementine, vanilla meringue… and a bag lunch for a friend.

Made a bag lunch for a friend, as per my sons request.

2. Whole wheat with brie, honey roasted turkey and thinly sliced granny smith apples, cucumbers and banana chips

school lunch

3. Chicken Salad (with red grapes, celery and almonds), cracker assortment and apple sauce pouch.

The crackers were leftover from a cheese plate a few days earlier.

34. Chicken soup with orzo, chicken & carrot pieces. Whole wheat with mortadella & mayo & banana.

Soup and a sandwich. Perfect for winter days!

35. Wraps with goat cheese, salami & cucumbers, edamame, peeled pomello pieces & fruit leather.

Pomello is a fantastic citrus fruit. We often see it in Chinatown.

6. School lunch: Salad with greens, tomatoes, cucumbers and grilled chicken.  Daycare: wrap with ham, cheese and asparagus. Everyone: fruitbowl with orange segments, dragon fruit and pear, goldfish & yogurt

I try to give everyone the same lunch each day, but the littlest one just “isn’t into salads”.

7. BLT wraps/sandwich, carrots, apple & banana skewers and tapioca pudding

8. Whole wheat with turkey and laughing cow French Onion, cucumbers and mango

Sometimes, simple is all I have time for.

9. School lunch: Crusty bread with Turkish chocolate spread. Daycare lunch: truffled mac & cheese. Everyone: “bugs bunny carrots”, pear or banana.

Chocolate spread was our souvenir of choice from Istanbul.

10. An example of dinner leftovers going straight into the LO’s lunch container. Leftover Orzo with Pesto and steamed asparagus.

Orzo with pesto and steamed asparagus

Enjoy!

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Kids should also Eat, Drink & Be Yummy!

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School And Daycare Lunches, Take 4 (10 lunches)

Round four (yes FOUR!!!!) of school and daycare lunches!! These are photos of lunches that we made during the 2012-2013 school year for our three kids. They were in 4th grade, 2nd grade and daycare. Sometimes leftovers, sometimes sandwiches, sometimes thrown together, sometimes thoughtfully put together… always with an effort to keep them healthful.

Check here for more school lunch photos and ideas.

1. Tricolor tortellini with vodka sauce, hard boiled egg (salt on the side) and Trader Joe’s crispy rice snack.

Leftovers for lunch can be lifesavers!

2. Bagels with goat cheese and salami with snap pea crisps and pear slices.

Extra bagels from your weekend brunch? Make great school lunch sandwiches!

3. Whole wheat with roasted turkey, cucumber slices and mayo (or mustard) with, grape tomatoes, candied pecans & dried mango.

I try to have a combination of pantry and fresh items.

4. Hard Boiled egg (with truffle salt on the side), carrots, yogurt, mozzarella stick and rice cake.

Clearly, whoever packed this lunch was short on sleep and short on time. Just the basics…

5. Whole wheat with thinly sliced cucumbers, hummus and turkey with pear, tomatoes or carrots and cheez-its.

mmmmm… a little bit of cheez-its go a long way

6. Country white with canadian bacon, lettuce and mayo. Cucumber slices and trail mix (just dried fruit for the LO).

Making my own trail mix is often the result of having random dried fruit and nuts that haven’t been destined for greater glory.

7. Hand cut veal bologna, mini pita (aioli on the side), grapes and TJ’s rice krispies treat

They love putting together their own sandwiches… or eating them “deconstructed”.

8. Bologna and brie on country white with yellow and red grape tomatoes, kiwi & strawberry pieces.

9. Tuna salad with sweet peppers (for scooping), crackers and strawberries.

No utensils required… the kids scoop up the tuna with sweet peppers or crackers.

 

10. Hearty multigrain bread with honey roasted turkey and romaine, hard boiled egg, oatmeal craisin cookies & carrots.

This was for a longer school day… 

Enjoy!

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Kids should also Eat, Drink & Be Yummy!

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School And Daycare Lunches, Take 3 (10 lunches)

Round three of school and daycare lunches!! These are photos of lunches that we made during the 2012-2013 school year for our three kids. They were in 4th grade, 2nd grade and daycare. Sometimes leftovers, sometimes sandwiches, sometimes thrown together, sometimes thoughtfully put together… always with an effort to keep them healthful.

Check here for more school lunch photos and ideas.

1. First day of school lunch. Romaine with cucumbers, tomatoes, egg whites, shredded mozzarella, chick peas and cubed grilled chicken. Dressing of choice. Yogurt covered raisins on the side.

2. Tomato soup, grilled cheese & cucumbers

The grilled cheese comes closer to room temperature by the time the kids eat it, but the heat from the soup container helps to keep it warm.

3. Whole wheat with turkey and pesto with grapes/kiwi and rice crackers

Sometimes… there just isn’t enough time for fanciness or creativity…

4. Multigrain (crusts removed) with honey roasted turkey and and herbed goat cheese, edamame, kiwi and gogurt.

The frozen Simply gogurt defrosts by lunch time.

5. Quickie lunch: Multigrain with turkey and hummus, grapes and carrots (shredded and baby)

I try to keep easy supplies on hand for days that we’re rushing out the door. For some reason, it always feels like we’re rushing out the door!

6. Multigrain bread with thinly sliced grilled chicken breast, salad greens and mayo. Blueberries and grape tomatoes.

The side compartments make portioning so much easier!

7. Vegetable soup with “mandel” croutons, rice cake crackers and other crackers.

Guess we were running short on sweet items on this day!

8. PB&J on Rice Crackers with apple sauce and corn

Leftover corn never goes to waste in our house!

9. Roll ups with salami and cream cheese with Kefir and string cheese.

This was definitely a quickie lunch!

10. Antipasto Salad (Romaine, pea shoots, tomatoes, red peppers, cucumbers, shredded carrots and salami.

Antipasto salad is another great way to use up small bits of random ingredients hanging out in your refrigerator!

Enjoy!

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Kids should also Eat, Drink & Be Yummy!

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School And Daycare Lunches, Take 2 (10 lunches)

Round two of school and daycare lunches. These are photos of lunches that we made during the 2012-2013 school year for our three kids. They were in 4th grade, 2nd grade and daycare. Sometimes leftovers, sometimes sandwiches, sometimes thrown together, sometimes thoughtfully put together… always with an effort to keep them healthful.

Check here for more school lunch photos and ideas.

 1. School & daycare lunch: Turkey, asiago and mixed greens on TJ’s Canadian White with dijon aioli. Quinoa salad with asparagus, olives and goat cheese. Apple slices.

Quinoa is a big seller in our family. Seasoned properly, it’s delicious! 

2. School lunch: mixed greens with shredded carrots, kidney beans, tomatoes, grilled chicken and cucumbers; dressing on the side. Cereal bars. Daycare lunch: LO got grandma’s chicken soup with mini shells and shredded carrots.

Loved that daycare was able to heat up soups and other items in glass containers!

3. School and daycare lunch: whole wheat pita with hummus, Canadian bacon, yogurt cheese and cucumbers. Edamame and strawberries. (And yes, if you look close enough, I’ve taken a “bite” out of each sandwich and called it “taxes”. Sarcasm through food love!

Love that they have a great sense of humor!

4. School & daycare lunch. Homemade “lunchables”: Cleared out our cheese drawer (truffle cheese, manchego, goat cheese, feta, laughing cow & halumi) with rolled up ham, grape tomatoes and TJ’s rice crackers. LO got a bonus of veggie sticks.

I love that they love a cheese plate as lunch!

5. School & daycare lunch: plov (courtesy of a late night drop off by my stellar sister, Anna) with a side of cornichons and grape tomatoes. Plov is a rice pilaf with lamb.

Rice products retain their heat very well in thermos containers.

6.  Chicken Caesar salad wraps with carrots (not pictured). I saw something else went into their lunchbox, but I was too groggy to remember The wraps were on mayo, lettuce, grilled chicken and parmesan cheese. The older kids also got a side of trail mix along with the side of carrots. The little one got a yogurt since no nuts allowed at her school.

Putting sandwiches into a tortilla wrap magically transforms them into a much fancier meal!

7. School & daycare lunch: virginia ham on whole wheat with goat cheese. Side of cucumber and plums/apricots.

Sometimes the kids request a particular fruit…

8. Egg salad (with mayo and scallions) on mulitigrain with tomatoes and nectarines.

The egg salad was leftover from Sunday brunch.

9. Lunch for four kids today! Grandma joined our littlest one on a field trip to the Prospect Park Zoo! Whole wheat with Canadian bacon, aioli & romaine, baby carrots, apricots & pear.

Packing lunch for an extra person wasn’t difficult at all. 

10. Homemade lunchables: roast beef, bologna, salami, cheddar, feta, laughing cow, mozzarella stick, mini pita, cucumbers and tomatoes.

Homemade “lunchables” are also a great way to clear our your cheese and cold cut drawer!

Enjoy!

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Kids should also Eat, Drink & Be Yummy!

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Slow Cooker Orange Chicken

I’m new to the world of slow cooking. Generally, I like speed and efficiency. I like quick and easy. And that’s why I now love the slow cooker. With a bit of pre-planning, it actually makes meal-making quick and easy. It’s quite possible that it was the original “Set It and Forget It” machine.

Slow Cooker Orange Chicken

I’m trying the slow cooker during the summer in an attempt to minimize the stovetop and oven. Some days, the heat in the apartment borderlines on unbearable.

This chicken reheats beautifully, so if you have one of this huge crock pots, go ahead and double the recipe. It is also a great dish to feed a large crowd. Because it’s a slow cooker dish from start to finish, it allows you time with your guests when they arrive. Whether you serve it up with mashed potatoes, couscous or rice, your family and friends will love it!

Enjoy!

Flour-dredged chicken parts (NOTE: DO NOT OVERFILL YOUR SLOWCOOKER!!! For photo purposes only)

Slow Cooker Orange Chicken ingredient line-up

Sauce covering chicken (NOTE: DO NOT OVERFILL YOUR SLOW COOKER!! For photo purposes only)

Slow Cooker Orange Chicken

Slow Cooker Orange Chicken

Makes 6 entrees

Ingredients

6 chicken thighs, skin and visible fat removed

6 chicken drumsticks, skin removed

kosher salt

freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup all purpose flour (or GF AP flour)

1 tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

3/4 cup orange juice
3/4 cup orange marmalade
1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce (or tamari)
1 tablespoon crusted garlic, or 3 cloves garlic, finely minced

Directions

1. Combine flour with salt and pepper.
2. Remove visible fat from chicken thighs and drumsticks. Lightly coat each piece in the flour mixture and set aside.
3. Combine orange juice, marmalade, soy sauce and garlic in a small bowl. Stir until well blended.
4. Pour sauce into slow cooker. One piece at a time, place the chicken into the sauce, ensuring that there is some sauce between each piece. (DO NOT overfill your slow cooker).
5. Cover with glass lid. Set indicator to LOW and cook for 5-6 hours.
6. Remove thighs from slow cooker and stir sauce well. Top thighs with extra sauce.
7. Serve with Ginger Pineapple Brown Rice.
8. Enjoy!

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Eat, Drink & Be Yummy!

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Chicken Tagine with Apricots and Raisins

Someone recently asked me why I don’t post a lot of chicken recipes. It’s probably because we don’t eat a lot of chicken around here. 3-4 nights of the week are vegetarian and the remaining nights get split between seafood, fish, beef, pork, lamb and occasionally, chicken. When chicken does make an appearance on our table, I try to make it fun and succulent because, quite honestly, chicken has become boring. This is NOT a recipe for boring chicken!

Chicken tagine with apricots and raisins

This is a recipe for chicken that is moist and flavorful. Make enough to feed a crowd and they’ll be smiling ear to ear. If you’re making just enough for the family, you should plan on making extra to intentionally have leftovers because this tagine tastes even better the day after you make it!

Enjoy!

Remove skin from chicken thighs, salt and pepper thighs

Sear the thighs for about 3-4 minutes on each side

Seared chicken thighs

Chop onion

Add onion to the pot. Saute for 3-4 minutes, until softened. Add 1/2 cup of chicken stock and scrape up the stuck-on bits. Add chicken stock and spices. Bring to a simmer.

Spices!

Return chicken pieces to the pot

First layer of chicken thighs

Second layer of thighs, with additional liquid.

Chicken tagine with apricots and raisins, served with jasmine rice with raisins and roasted almonds

Chicken Tagine with Apricots and Raisins

Makes 8 entrees

Ingredients

16 chicken thighs

kosher salt

freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

3-4 cups chicken stock

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon cumin

1 tablespoon corriander

1 teaspoon nutmeg

Salt and pepper to taste

2 cups dried apricots

2 cups raisins

2 tablespoons honey

5 cups water

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Directions

1. In a heavy bottomed pot, heat olive oil.

2. Salt and pepper both sides of each chicken thigh.

3. Working in batches, sear the thighs until golden, about 3-4 minutes on each side. Remove from pot and set aside.

4.  When all of the chicken has been seared, add the diced onions to the pot. Saute for 3-4 minutes, until softened.

5. Deglaze the pot with 1/2 cup chicken stock.

6. Add the spices and stir.

7. Add remaining chicken stock. Taste. Add salt and pepper as needed.

8. Return chicken pieces to pot. You’ll probably need to create two layers.

9. Ensure that there is enough liquid in the pot to mostly cover the second layer of chicken pieces.

10. Bring to a boil. Turn down to a simmer and cover the pot (don’t center the lid on the pot,  put it off-center to allow a small window for steam to release). Simmer for 90 minutes.

11. In a separate small pot combine apricots, raisins, honey and water.

12. Bring small pot to a boil and turn it down to a simmer. Simmer uncovered until reduced by about 1/3, approximately 20 minutes.

13. Serve with couscous or rice.

14. Enjoy!

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Eat, Drink & Be Yummy!

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Sesame Glazed Chicken Lollipops

Chicken drumsticks are the original fun food. Meat on a stick! Food that comes with it’s own handle! Pretty much any way you prepare them, drumsticks are guaranteed to be kid friendly. They roast beautifully and they’re a pleasure to barbecue with. So how can this everyday crowd-pleaser go from ho-hum hum-drum to WOW? Well, that requires a bit of work.

Lollipop Chicken!

Turning chicken drumsticks into chicken “lollipops” is easy, but it requires a little bit of work. Check out the pictures! I tried to get a shot of each step of the lollipop making process as well as describe the process in detail.

Cooks note: If you’re short on time or short on desire to do all of the butchering, I promise that these will still be delicious if you bake them whole and then glaze them. Cross my heart, you’ll love it!

Enjoy!

1: Chicken Drumstick (I know that you know… but still labeling, in the spirit of details)

2: With sharp kitchen shears, cut the skin and membrane at the bottom of the drumstick.

3: Separate the two sections of skin, starting to remove the tendon

4: Completely remove the tendon from the drumstick

5: At the top of the drumstick, cut under the toothpick-like bone ((fibula).

6: Gently hold the fibula with your fingers and pull it out

7: Place the drumsticks (still with the skin on) on an oiled sheet pan.

8: About 18 drumsticks fit on my sheet pan. Remove the skin after the drumsticks have cooked for 40 minutes.

9: Remove the skin and glaze the drumsticks. Broil for 3-5 minutes (depending on the strength of your broiler)

Lollipop Chicken… Not as close up.

Lollipop Chicken: Overhead

Sesame Glazed Chicken Lollipops

Adapted from: Denise on The Back Burner

Makes 18 chicken lollipops

Ingredients

18 chicken drumsticks

kosher salt

freshly ground pepper

oil for pan

1/2 cup unsalted butter

zest and juice of 1 lemon

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup sesame seeds

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees with the rack positioned in the middle.

1. With sharp kitchen shears, cut the skin and membrane at the bottom of the drumstick.

2. Separate the two sections of skin, starting to remove the tendon

3. Completely remove the tendon.

4. At the top of the drumstick, cut under the toothpick-like bone (fibula).

5. Gently hold the top of the fibula with your fingers and pull it out.

6. Repeat with all remaining drumsticks.

7. In a single layer, place finished chicken lollipops on an oiled baking sheet.

8. Bake for 40 minutes, until internal temperature is 160 degrees, or juices run clear.

9. In a small saucepan combine butter, lemon zest and juice, brown sugar, sesame seeds and paprika. Stir until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and set aside.

10. Remove baking sheet from oven and let the chicken cool to the touch.

11. Remove the skin from the chicken lollipops. Brush with sesame mixture.

12. Turn on broiler. Broil for 3-5 minutes (depending on the strength of your broiler) for a caramel color.

13. Serve with remaining sesame sauce.

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Eat, Drink & Be Yummy!

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