First Day Lunchbox

Today was J3's first day at school, can you imagine 80 or so parents with 2-5 children each trying to get through a 1600mm opening at the same time? Not that pretty.

I tried to do the right thing, introduce her to all the new kids on her designated table, I got the polite 'I'm OK and you can go now' smile and we left with no leg, or arm clutching and no heart wrenching goodbye.

Jade declared when she finished the day that she loved school and proceeded to discuss the secret games she and her friends played at lunch. One other exciting thing was that the Principal is an old uni friend of Goong Goong's.

The now ever daunting task of endless lunchboxes is now ahead of us. I have started a list but any other ideas would be welcome.

Pack a cooler or half fill and freeze a water bottle and top up with water in the morning to keep food fresh.

Morning Snack
Fruit salad
Grapes cut in half
Blueberries
Apple and banana (lemon juice)
Watermelon
Strawberries
Fruit in jelly

Second Snack
Sesame or coconut biscuits
Pretzels
Popcorn
Plain, low salt corn Chips
Pikelets
Homemade Muffins
Oat biscuits
Savoury Scones
Vegemite Dippers
Dips (cream cheese, yogurt or hummus) + dip biscuits

Lunch
Roll up sandwiches (cream cheese, carrot, cheese, avocado and lemon)
Sandwiches cut into shapes and stacked (stars, love hearts, I found a great high 5 one)
Homemade sausage rolls (use lean sausages with 'hidden vegetables')
Sesame seed noodles with sliced beans
Spinach (Pesto) quiches
Mini Croissant with cheese, ham and grape tomatoes on side
Pizza slices

After School Snacks
Smoothies (banana, raspberry, yogurt, honey and milk)
Dips and vegetables
Muffins and melted cheese
Cheese and biscuits
Fruit
Apple and cherry tarts
Pumpkin Scones
Homemade Muesli bars


Easy Summer Dinners
Salad served with
Mashed Potatoes
Garlic fried potatoes
Tuna cakes
Sausages
Sesame noodles
Tofu and rice or noodles
Fried rice with bacon, egg, peas or sliced beans
Meatballs and tomato pasta or sticky sauce meatballs and rice
Eggs – soft boiled, omelet, scrambled or as a frittata
Baked beans, grated lettuce and corn chips and melted cheese, with yogurt topping
Crumbed cutlets or schnitzel
Paella
Honey oven roasted chicken wings/legs
Satay’s with peanut sauce
Thai style salads with battens of apple

Easy Winter Dinners
Serve with roasted or steamed vegetables
Rice and tomato soup
Osso Bucco
Pork and rice
Nachos
Stir fried beef, veggies and rice
Beef stroganoff
Nasi Lemak (fried fish/chicken and curry) serve with salad and peanuts
Roasted vegetable pasta
Chicken or slow cooked casserole pie
One pan chicken (chicken, potatoes, onions, garlic, red peppers, parsley) – could use lean sausages and sour dough bread instead of chicken
Curry Indian with bread
Curry Thai with rice