What's in the Lunchbox Wednesday 11-14-12 - Cupcakes & Kale Chips

The Bug started pre-school this year, so I am packing lunches for the first time. I actually packed my lunch for most of junior high and high school, as well as for work, since I was never a fan of cafeteria food. Well, except in college. And no, I am not showing you the photos of the consequences of that. But, this is the first time I am packing lunch for my own child. I like to try to keep giving him the same variety as I would give him at home, when most days I repurpose leftovers into something different. The one challenge I have is that the pre-school he goes to is actually housed in a Jewish Temple, so one of the mandates is that all meals consumed on the premises adhere to Kosher rules (laws? Sorry if my terminology is bad. I am not Jewish.). Since kosher meals cannot have meat or dairy together, for simplicity, rather than worrying about if one kid’s meal conflicts with another kid’s, the rule is that all meals must be meatless. This is a challenge since we are decidedly NOT vegetarian. But I am totally in favor of some meals being vegetarian, so I actually love this. Luckily, we do not have to be nut-free, though I do try to minimize sending in nut-based items, simply for safety. So this has led to me getting quite creative.

Since packing lunches is something that many of us parents have to do, I thought I would start sharing with you what I pack for The Bug. I’ll give you links and recipes when they are available, and let you know what went over well, and what he was not a fan of. I’d love for you to share ideas, photos, and links in the comments, on Facebook, or Twitter every Wednesday. I think we could all help each other give our kids a variety of nutritious lunches! I know I am always looking for new items to pack. Plus, it is fun to be a little bit of a voyeur, right?! I will tell you, the photos aren’t up to the same quality as my recipe photos – I just take a quick shot with my iPhone while I am assembling lunch.

So here goes:

Wednesday

What I Sent: Bean & cheese taquito (see below for how I made the taquitos), Wholly Guacamole, cheddar cheese, leftover steamed broccoli

What Came Home: A few pieces of broccoli and a bite of taquito

Friday

What I Sent: Guacamole and cream cheese rollup on a whole wheat tortilla, pomegranate, Chocolate Graham Crackers from Weelicious

What Came Home: Almost everything except the graham crackers (he had a stomachache – this kid normally devours all things avocado)

Monday

What I Sent: Peanut butter and sliced grapes on flatbread, apple sliced, steamed carrots (The Bug isn’t into raw veggies yet)

What Came Home: Not one crumb!

For the taquitos, here is what I did (based loosely on this recipe from the Weelicious cookbook, as posted by RecipeGirl):

Mix together some leftover salsa, refried beans, and shredded cheddar cheese.
Heat corn tortillas two at a time in a wet paper towel in the microwave for 20 seconds.
Spread some of the filling down the center of the tortillas, and roll up tightly.
Place seam side down in a baking dish coated with cooking spray.
Bake at 400°F for 20-25 minutes, or until browned and crispy.
Cool completely and store in the freezer, thawing as needed.

Share your ideas, recipes, links photos here, or on Facebook or Twitter. I know lots of mamas (and dads, too) who would love some lunchbox inspiration!!