Digging Out of the Homeschool Lunch Rut

I'm actually grateful that I don't have to pack lunches every night, or occasionally race to the school at 11:45 with forgotten lunch money (like my poor mom did). You'd think that lunch time at home would be easier than having to pack brown bag lunches for the kids each day.  Maybe it is?  But man, I find myself in some horrible lunch ruts. Sometimes I just get so tired of figuring out what to feed these kids 3 times a day e.v.e.r.y. stinkin' day.  I should mention that cooking is not my favorite activity.  I can do it.  But I don't choose it over other things.
Here are some of our standby options:

• Yogurt and granola
• Quesadillas
• Smoothies and popcorn
• Sandwiches (Tuna, PBJ, Ham and cheese, PB with honey and banana)
• Or the famous "snack tray".  I found some cafeteria style lunch trays at the dollar store a long time ago and I fill the various sections with fruit, chips, crackers, rolled deli meat, bagels, homemade muffins, carrots and dip, etc.  It works most of the time, but doesn't keep them full for long. 

So, while I was hunting around for new lunch menu options I came across this blog.  While there, I found a fantastic recipe for freezer burritos.  We ate half the batch for dinner one night, and then I froze the other half of the batch. I've been pulling them out for lunches and even sticking them in my husband's lunches. Yay!   A new lunch menu option!  And we always have TONS of beans around since we keep them in our food storage.  I can my own beans too.
These burritos make great snacks too.  I love that they are totally home made with all natural ingredients yet they freeze and recook so conveniently and still taste great. I should mention that I make them with the uncooked tortillas or I make my own tortillas.  If I use the uncooked tortillas from the store, I cook them quickly on the griddle before using them for this recipe.

I loved their blog so much that I decided to buy their cookbook!  The book came just after I had done my two-week shopping, so I haven't made any of their recipes yet.  But I'm looking forward to that next week.  I do like the different craft and home improvement ideas that they include in the book as well!

Flipping through the above cookbook really reminds me a lot of another cookbook I have.

This has been one of my all-time favorite cook books.  In fact, I just made a recipe from this book tonight: French dip sandwiches.  It's a family F-A-V-O-R-I-T-E. Seriously.  Even my groggy/grumpy 2yo ate it right after her nap, and my ultra finicky 5yo son ate TWO of them.  He has about 10 food items that he willingly eats.  So to have him eat dinner with us and have seconds is huuuuuuuuuuuge.

My husband was hoping there would be leftovers for lunch tomorrow.  Nope!  They were vaporized.