Charlie missed a day this past week due to illness and I took the day off to be home with him. Actually my husband even took the day off, too. So the three of us were home, which is the ideal way to take care of a sick child. No one parent was stressed and everyone got a nap!
I’m going to blog about my packed lunches in a new way next year. Stay tuned. But in the meantime…
Charlie’s lunches
Gluten-free pita, hummus; Spanish rice; turkey bologna (Applegate brand); salad; apple
This lunch was a hit. But I don’t think he ate too much spinach. Child care menu: Chicken Alfredo, elbow pasta, mixed veggies, pineapple chunks.
Homemade slow cooker chili; corn; crackers; packaged fruit puree; homemade acorn cookies; bar
Chili in the crockpot is divine. My son helped me make the cookies and we just had a blast. Child care menu: Cheesy chicken, parsley potatoes, broccoli, pear, wheat roll
Catfish; “party” rice; green peppers, apple slices; pretzels
The catfish was a hit at home the night before, but my son told me, “don’t put catfish in my lunch.” I can only imagine what happened at school. Child care menu: BBQ turkey, rice, mixed veggies, banana, rye bread.
Buttered bread; fruit puree; dressing; bacon; raw veggies; apple slices; bar
Charlie fought me on the raw veggies when he saw me putting them in his lunch, but later he told me he ate them and none came home with him. So I guess I gotta believe it. Child care menu: BBQ meatballs, au gratin potatoes, peas, tropical fruit, rye bread.
My lunches
Pita; spinach and carrots; turkey bologna; sliced orange; Larabar
Here’s a tip: when packing for multiple people, pack a similar lunch to save time.
Slow cooker chili (beans, turkey, little potatoes, sweet potato chunks); veggie salad; orange, Larabar
I want to make chili once a week during the winter months. It’s easy, cheap, and filling.
Bologna sandwich, apple slices; green peppers; pretzels; bar
This sandwich was terrible. I couldn’t finish it. When I was a kid, I loved bologna sandwiches. Guess those days are over.
Tuna sandwich, apple slices; broccoli; dressing, Larabar
The tuna sandwich was infinitely better than the bologna one.
I just love your blog! I have been following you since the beginning and I look forward to your “lunch wrap ups” every week. I always get a good idea or two to add to my own packed lunches! Keep it up!
Turkey bologna? Hmm I may have to try it. Does it taste like regular bologna? I was a big fan of bologna sandwiches when I was a kid–bologna, white bread, and a smiley face on the bologna in ketchup. lol I love mortadella as an adult but it’s still so bad for you! And I must agree that chili in the crockpot is amazing. I did beef stew today per husband’s request. 🙂
Maybe turkey bologna is like turkey bacon? Great in theory but not so much in taste! My opinion only, of course, LOL!
Again, I love when you post your lunches =)
The turkey bologna is really not very good…
The turkey bologna is pretty vile to me too unless i put it in a non stick pan and “fry” it till it is kind of crispy then put it on a heavy grain bread with sprouts, onions etc something to give it texture. It is kind of off putting and pasty cold
That sounds awesome!
In your lunch chili picture, what is the large green looking item? Could you share your chili recipe? Looks really good!
I think the green stuff is just spinach leaves. And the chili recipe is pretty basic. While I browned 1 lb of ground turkey, I put little potatoes in the bottom of the crock pot. Then I put in a can of white beans, drained & rinsed, and a can of black beans, drained & rinsed. Then I put in a can of tomatoes, undrained, and a chopped up sweet potato. Then I added some water. It cooked for about 7 hours and that was it!
The Applegate lunch meat in my opinion is hit or miss. We really enjoy their regular bacon, gluten free nuggets and turkey lunch meat. I was never a bolgona kid, hot dogs either.
I think the “large green looking item” she was referring to is actually in the chilli. It looks sort of like a pale green olive? No idea what it is either…
Mrs.Q, i absolutely love your blog. I wish more had been done when I was a student at CPS!! My favorite part of the blog is seeing the packed lunches, it helps me get out of my own lunch time ruts, and pushes me to try new things such as gluten free!.. I definitely miss the packed lunches updates.. I have been checking since December and it’s now March but yet no updates 🙁 Am i looking in the wrong spot? Please say you will be continuing this part of the website and if so how soon can we see it? Keep up the great work 🙂
I love your lunch kits, can you provide a source for them? Are they bento boxes? How do the foods stay safely (and appetizingly) hot or cold in those containers? And do you add lemon juice or something to the apple slices to keep them from turning brown? I have a hard time figuring out how and what to pack for my kids’ lunches because I’m afraid by the time they open them, they will be yucky or maybe even unsafe to eat.