Works for Me Wednesday

Ever find that your kids are complaining at you that they just had that yesterday for lunch? Or they are refusing to eat the leftovers that you placed in front of them?! After my lunch ideas yesterday, I thought I would tell you how I take that list and use it to work for me!

I find that if they have had something already once that week, the likelihood of them having it again is very slim! I guess that is where I find having menus made up and where they are getting followed consistently helps alot! LOL! That way the things that I have gotten for lunches doesn't all disappear in 2-3 days. I found that THE "trick" to getting my kids to eat leftovers.... fix extra of their favorite meals, around here it is pizza, saucy pork chops, grilled chicken, tacos.

Here is a sample of how I have planned my summer lunch menus....One day is "picnic day" usually consists of cold sandwich, chips, carrot sticks and drink. One day is "grill day" usually consists of a hotdog, potato leftover, apple slices, and drink. One day is "leftover day" whatever meal last week I made enough leftovers for them to have! One day is "hot lunch day" which is usually hot sandwich, chips or soup(or ramen noodles), veggie, and drink. One day is "pizza day" usually pizza rolls but about every other week it is leftover homemade pizza. The other two days(Sat. and Sun) are usually a toss up between leftovers or cold sandwich and chips. Soooo I only plan on having deli type meat available for lunches two days/week. If I don't have deli meat then I use cold chicken or beef to make sandwiches. When I use cold chicken, if I only have 2 pieces of grilled chicken left I take them and butterfly slice them so I get 4 slices and then make sandwiches for them.

If I don't have chips then I will take some leftover mashed potatoes and instead of just heating them up! I make fried mashed potatoes. I just put a little margarine in a skillet and then dump in a little minced onion and saute it a bit or onion powder(if I don't have any onion) and then I put the mashed potatoes in the skillet and heat them through. It makes them like potato cakes BUT I don't make them into actual cakes cause I don't add eggs or flour to the potatoes OR shape them into cakes. My kids love these with a bit of catsup on them! I found fixing these with hotdogs or when we have leftover burgers fills them up more than if they have chips.

This is what works for me when dealing with daily lunches. To see what works for others head over to Rocks in My Dryer!