O Lord, what a variety of things you have made! In wisdom you have made them all. The earth is full of your creatures. (Psalm 104:24 NLT)
A common complaint I hear from parents is the panic and pressure around getting the school lunches make. Without a little planning and forethought a parent is left dolling out more cash than they want so their kids can buy the lunch Mom ran out of time to prepare.
As a child I have to admit lunch time was not all that exciting. To put it bluntly my mom offered us very little variety. I don’t believe there is a number high enough to count how many times we ate boxed chicken noodle soup! To this day I have a little difficulty looking at the box.
My Mom wasn’t lazy. She was merely trying to raise 6 girls on a tight budget while working part time. We probably didn’t help matters much because rather than complaining, we did what good children should and continued to tell her how much we loved the lunch she made us. Until this article, I don’t think my mom knows what I think of boxed chicken soup.
While my Mom wasn’t the only one raising a large family and working, she was one of the moms who lacked imagination when it came to the lunch menu.
One girl at school who had a working Mom always brought lunches with variety. Sometimes she would have a thermos with left over stew, chili or mac & cheese. Sometimes her Mom would put boiled water in a thermos and drop in a weiner. By the time lunch came the hotdog was cooked and warm.
Other days she would have sandwiches–all different kinds. The sandwiches were made ahead of time and frozen. It was a family effort one Saturday afternoon a month. Having these prepared sandwiches allowed her to grab the one of her choice. The sandwich was perfectly thawed in time for lunch. The garnish for the sandwiches, like lettuce and sliced cucumbers were brought separately and added just before eating.
Then there were the kids I envied, the kids whose moms took cookie cutters and cut the sandwiches into hearts and other shapes. They always had a special treat–a cookie, a brownie or an unusual fruit. If you are making the sandwich anyway, it doesn’t take a whole lot longer to cut out a few shapes.
If you really want to be Mom of the year, throw a note in once awhile. Write a verse of scripture that reminds your little one just how much you and God love them. Trust me, the lunches you make for your kids now will be remembered for many years to come.
So before your children vow to never eat a sandwich or boxed soup again, use a little lunchbox creativity. Variety doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive. Planning ahead is the key!
Tiny Tuna Wraps
Ingredients
1 can Tuna
2 T salad dressing
6 flat breads
2 Large dill pickles (Cut lengthwise then quartered)
Prepare tuna as desired. (I like to add a little salad dressing).
Spread over flat bread. Add ¼ dill pickle and roll. Cut into 5 sandwich rounds.
Hamburger Bun Pizzas
1 Hamburger bun
1 tsp ketchup (or tomato paste)
1 slices mozzarella cheese
1 slices of salami
1 slices of pepperoni
Slice hamburger bun. (If not already purchased that way). Spread tomato sauce on one side of the bun. Put cheese on other side of the bun and layer with salami and pepperoni. Put bun together to form sandwich. Microwave until cheese melts. Cut into quarters to make pizza wedges. (Add any other toppings as desired before heating.)