Challenge #4 - Lunch box Challenge, all welcome!

[meganjane]

Actually, my Mum did! And I was born in 1957! She was well ahead of her time. But, I didn't want a lunchbox like that, I wanted sandwiches and normal stuff....

[versaceyoyo]

If you are seeking inspiration for luches, checkout this fascinating blog about Japanese Bento - http://www.justbento.com/

Like so many other things, the Japanese have made lunch making to an art form!  However, the ideas on that blog are simple, quick and mostly very healthy.

[quirkycooking]

Wow, love the ideas on that site, versace!  Must try the 'chicken ham' in the TMX! hmmm...

[versaceyoyo]

yeah I'm not sure that would work quirky... but I have made the chicken ham as described and I have to say, it was intriguing, and very more-ish!

[judydawn]

Thermomixer has the following recipe steamed in the varoma dish - I reckon you could do the chicken ham using this method.

http://www.forumthermomix.com/index.php?action=printpage;topic=879.0

[Thermomixer]

They sure sound good - think the marinading is a great idea.  Would be interesting to try it.

Just love those bento boxes  -yum.  Don't think my mother would ever have done anything like that

[brazen20au]

my ds has now gone off vegemite cheesybite sandwiches which leaves a choice of lettuce, tomato and cucumber sandwiches *sigh* huge choice huh.

[earth mumma]

Hi all.
A great book to read if you have fussy kids is "Feeding fussy kids" by Julie Maree Wood with Anotonia Kidman.   She has great suggestions and recipes (loads of which are easy to convert in TM). We've made the iron booster balls and "chocoate" truffles as lunch box treats. I can post these if any one is interested in my TM version.  Also my kids are not huge sandwich fans so often go with vegetable muffins, dips and crackers, thermos food (love this in winter - soups, basil pesto through pasta and in summer I put the thermos in the freezer over night and they go with fruit salad). Another favourite which is quick and easy to prepare are egg pies, which is just sliced bread with the crusts cut off - buttered on both sides and pushed into a muffin tin.  In a bowl I mix 3 eggs and some grated cheese, some pepper and perhaps some chopped herbs (if I have them on hand).  I pour this into the bread casings in the muffin tin and cook at 180 for about 12-15 minutes or until the edges of the bread are browned/not burned and the egg mix is set.  The outside of the bread goes lovely and crunchy and the egg/cheese mix is tasty too.

[Chelsea (Thermie Groupie)]

I would love those lunch box recipes when you have a moment.  They sound great.  Do you do the vegetable muffins in the TMX too?  That would be a nice recipe to have posted too. 

[Thermomixer]

Great idea earth mumma.  I love those bread pies.  Used to have them filled with a savoury mince at the country dances about 40 a few years ago.  Solare had a recipe on here with the same idea and radicchio, cheese, sausage

[cathy79]

Hi all.
A great book to read if you have fussy kids is "Feeding fussy kids" by Julie Maree Wood with Anotonia Kidman.   She has great suggestions and recipes (loads of which are easy to convert in TM). We've made the iron booster balls and "chocoate" truffles as lunch box treats. I can post these if any one is interested in my TM version. 

I love this book - but still haven't made much of a dent in it - probably because I hired 10 books from the library, and bought 10 books from Bookfest, and continue to try things from here.....I'd get overwhelmed if cooking wasn't so much fun.

[Catisa]

Just a thought for the mums that struggle to get their child to eat lunch.

I am only offering my experience, maybe it might work for you too.

My DD at 7yr would not eat her pre-bought snacks (smith chips etc) or her fruit or lunch. Everyday was like this, she even told me that she was worried about getting fat (she is tiny), but talk around her peers started this off. I  spoke to the teacher, got Nana to talk to her, tried everything I could think of, nothing worked. UNTIL I asked her if she made her own lunch would she eat it, her answer was yes. So for the past 3 yrs DD makes her lunch and DS (yr 1).

DD wouldn't make anything different to what I gave her, except control. At one point she was only taking plain bread because she was in a hurry. After an embarrassing note from the teacher, regarding my apparent neglect. Once explained, the teacher monitored her when she ate, and gave 100% support.

[photocat]

Found the recipes - has anyone tried "Crunchy Rice Crackers" or "Corn Chips" from the lunch box cookbook?  And the "melted cheese dip"?

Can someone please point me in the direction of the rice cracker recipe mentioned here? 

[judydawn]

Pg 15 of the Lunchbox & After School Ideas recipe leaflet photocat, will pm it to you.

[cathy79]

Found the recipes - has anyone tried "Crunchy Rice Crackers" or "Corn Chips" from the lunch box cookbook?  And the "melted cheese dip"?

Can someone please point me in the direction of the rice cracker recipe mentioned here? 

They are from the lunch box cookbook.  I still haven't got around to trying them.