With Labor Day here, most everywhere in the country will be back to school this week. I hear in the northeast that there is even a chill in the air. Not so here, we are sweltering in the south but we plug on to school. For the week 5 menu plan there’s lots more variety but it requires a bit of Sunday planning and preparing.
Sandwiches are a staple in many lunch boxes around the country. This week, rather than offer a sandwich, I though a nice, homemade loaf of bread would be a fun idea. This nice sandwich bread from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks is a wheat bread with a touch of honey. Tuna salad, chicken salad or a deli sandwich would all be delicious choices for this bread. With the cost of a loaf of bread it would be far more economical to make it.
Because getting out the door on school days is a priority, and you don’t want to spend all weekend preparing items for lunches, this egg salad from Daily Dish Recipes will whip up quickly. The title alone tells you it will be a breeze to make, the best, easiest, quickest, most flavorful ultimate egg salad recipe on the planet. Who doesn’t want a sandwich like that in their lunch? What I love about this recipe is how you can customize it. There are many suggestions in the post. Pair this with the sandwich bread above for a winning combination.
The strawberry lemonade I included a couple of weeks ago was so popular I went on the search for another beverage to include. Homemade apple juice from Feeding Big is much easier to make than you think. Plus with apple season upon us, they are in abundance in super markets right now, making it the perfect time to whip up a batch for a week of lunches. There are so many health benefits to making it yourself too. Check the post to read all about them.
In my opinion you can’t have a sandwich without chips. Theses Saratoga chips, or homemade chips, from Palatable Pastime can be spiced up in different ways. Season with sea salt for a traditional chip or mix it up by using some cayenne and garlic. If that’s too spicy for your taste buds, find a mixture that’s right for you.
If you’ve been reading my lunch box menu plans for the last few weeks, you know I love to bake and to include a treat with lunch. It’s difficult to put a frosted cupcake into a lunch so my mini peanut butter filled brownie cupcakes are a good choice. Because they are mini, you can add two for an extra special treat.
I am a firm believer that bacon makes everything better, especially a club sandwich. My son and I LOVE club sandwiches. We often have one at one of our favorite restaurants. I’m sad to say it wasn’t until recently that I made one at home. I happened to have all the ingredients on hand and thought I’d surprise my son. The tip off was me cooking the bacon. Of course the smell of bacon brings the family running.
Whether or not your kids are back in school summer is quickly coming to a close for 2017. The school lunch menu plan for week 4 includes some dishes that use up summer produce.
Do your kids love salad? My son does. From the moment he tasted this strawberry salad with candied almonds he was hooked. That was a couple of years ago and he still loves it. Unfortunately, since he has braces, I leave off the almonds at this point but he’s declared he wants this salad as one of his first meals when he gets them off.
When I include salads in the lunch box I often include a bread. If the zucchini in your garden has gone crazy try these zucchini chocolate chip muffins from 
If sandwiches are more your child’s thing this Italian pressed sandwich from 
If you’re trying to get more veggies in your kids these parsnip chips from 
This weeks treat comes from 
School is in full swing here. I’m hoping you enjoyed last weeks lunch fare suggestions. This week’s school lunch box menu plan is jam packed with more goodness including sandwiches, salads and a sweet treat that could double as a snack!
Amy’s Cooking Adventures shows us that bagels are not just for breakfast. The 
I don’t know about your kids but mine always love something to go along with their sandwich. They get that from me, I’m sure. Usually it’s chips but sometimes it’s pretzels or Goldfish crackers. 
When kids head back to school it’s usually still blazing hot in many places. It’s nice to have a no-bake treat in your repertoire. 
If you’ve had a crazy week and are feeling the pressure of getting a treat made, try my 
I also live in a family that loves applesauce. It was a frequent staple in my kids lunch and it’s served with just about every meal I make, except pasta. I was so happy to find this homemade 
You could say my kids are lemonade fiends. Usually I just make fresh lemonade but there were strawberries in my fridge recently that needed to be used so…hence strawberry lemonade. The kids were just as happy, if not happier, with my new strawberry version.
