kcnjason 09:01 PM 06-17-2011
I need some help with some food ideas! This upcoming week we are getting a new kitchen and I was not wise enough to close for the time this was happening. However, I need to figure out what I am going to serve without cupboards, countertops or a microwave and to make matters worse, the only place I have to dish the food is on the table. (as in preparing the food) I need ideas on what I could make in advance for bkfst, snacks and lunches other than pb and jelly.....I'm getting a bit nervous about the busy week but I think we will be fine if I just have my meal plan completely ready! Any food ideas would be GRAND!!!!!
sharlan 09:16 PM 06-17-2011
Of course, you've got cold cereal and sandwiches, fruit.
Do you have an electric griddle that you can use? A crock pot?
Cheese/crackers/lunchmeat
Rollups using cheese and meat and tortillas
Meyou 02:49 AM 06-18-2011
Do you have a card table or other little table you can set up for a temp counter? You can still use a toaster and kettle for things like toast, waffles, pancakes and oatmeal.
JenNJ 04:35 AM 06-18-2011
Coming from someone who had no kitchen for 5 months during a reno, you can do a lot. Crock pot meals and sandwiches for lunch. Breakfast - fruit, cereal, yogurt, etc. Also, is there a reason you cannot plug the microwave in a different room? I had ours on my dining room buffet. A George Foreman grill is a big help too.
kcnjason 05:30 AM 06-18-2011
I guess I should give a bit more detail. We have a small living room and the bedrooms and a bathroom on the main level. The eating area is in the kitchen, we have an eat in kitchen, not a dining area. I guess I can put the crockpot, toaster, etc on the table and hope it is a beautiful week so we do not need to eat inside. I was thinking of ideas that I could already prepare and have ready but the crockpot is a good idea.
heyhun77 06:23 AM 06-18-2011
I do all box lunches in the summer. You would need the table to prep but could do it the night before so it's all ready for you. I do meat and cheese roll ups on tortillias, homemade lunchables, cottage cheese/strawberries, yogurt and graham crackers, pb&j, pulled bbq chicken sandwiches (cook the chix breast and bbq in the crockpot then pull it and put it on buns). I know I have more but my menus aren't with me today. I either put it all in containers and then just open the containers and serve family style or I have divided containers with lids that I put the lunches together the night before and just have to pass them out and open. All lunches are sandwich with fruit in the box and then a raw veggie tray so the kids can choose what they want for veg.
SilverSabre25 06:27 AM 06-18-2011
Originally Posted by heyhun77:
I do all box lunches in the summer. You would need the table to prep but could do it the night before so it's all ready for you. I do meat and cheese roll ups on tortillias, homemade lunchables, cottage cheese/strawberries, yogurt and graham crackers, pb&j, pulled bbq chicken sandwiches (cook the chix breast and bbq in the crockpot then pull it and put it on buns). I know I have more but my menus aren't with me today. I either put it all in containers and then just open the containers and serve family style or I have divided containers with lids that I put the lunches together the night before and just have to pass them out and open. All lunches are sandwich with fruit in the box and then a raw veggie tray so the kids can choose what they want for veg.
not to hijack...but do your parents not care that they aren't "hot" lunches? I would LOVE to do something like this all summer but was unsure of how it would be received.
sharlan 07:17 AM 06-18-2011
IMHO, parents need to be more concerned that the food is nutritious than hot. School lunches are "hot", but they are disgusting.
JenNJ 08:45 AM 06-18-2011
I don't do a lot of hot lunches in the summer. It makes the entire house uncomfortable. I make a lot of cooked foods that taste great cold as well. One night, I will cook a chicken roaster for dinner and we will have cold chicken for lunch the next day. Or I will make tuna salad or lunch meat sandwiches/rollups. Wen I do cook in the summer it is usually on the grill. I will make a salad as a side and do grilled chicken, steak, or porkchops.
jojosmommy 12:58 PM 06-18-2011
I pre make mini egg bites but they need to be re-heated in the microwave. Like someone else suggested- could you plug the micro in somewhere else- even if a bit inconvient for a week?
Basically you mix up eggs, meat, and cheese just like you would for scrambled eggs. Add peppers if thats to your liking, pour into a muffin tin and bake in the oven. 350 for 20 min for a large muffin tin much less for mini muffins. They pop right out of the tin and bag up easily. Great protein bites!
We also make tortilla roll ups when it is hot out, tuna sandwhiches are a hit with my kids, waffles with peanut butter (and side of yogurt to meet meat requirements), you can also make just about anything in the crock. My kids love rigatoni from the crock- ground turkey, tomato sauce, chunky tomato bits, rigatoni noodles, peppers (again to your taste).
I would pretend everyday is a picnic and try to eat outside as much. Kids are more willing to try something different if they think its special. Also, our food program allows specific kinds of delivery pizza to count for some meal components if you are in a major pinch. I've never done it but in this case it might be helpful.
Auntie 03:25 PM 06-18-2011
can you suggest to the parents to bring a bag lunch for their child this week?
can you grill food?
sharlan 04:36 PM 06-18-2011
Originally Posted by jojosmommy:
I pre make mini egg bites but they need to be re-heated in the microwave. Like someone else suggested- could you plug the micro in somewhere else- even if a bit inconvient for a week?
Basically you mix up eggs, meat, and cheese just like you would for scrambled eggs. Add peppers if thats to your liking, pour into a muffin tin and bake in the oven. 350 for 20 min for a large muffin tin much less for mini muffins. They pop right out of the tin and bag up easily. Great protein bites!
We also make tortilla roll ups when it is hot out, tuna sandwhiches are a hit with my kids, waffles with peanut butter (and side of yogurt to meet meat requirements), you can also make just about anything in the crock. My kids love rigatoni from the crock- ground turkey, tomato sauce, chunky tomato bits, rigatoni noodles, peppers (again to your taste).
I would pretend everyday is a picnic and try to eat outside as much. Kids are more willing to try something different if they think its special. Also, our food program allows specific kinds of delivery pizza to count for some meal components if you are in a major pinch. I've never done it but in this case it might be helpful.
I wish I could get my kids to eat tuna or egg salad, but they won't touch it.
jojosmommy 06:10 PM 06-18-2011
Originally Posted by sharlan:
I wish I could get my kids to eat tuna or egg salad, but they won't touch it.
Funny. We have tuna 1x a week here. I only have one "picky" one but I just learned that if she doesn't like what mom/dad made she gets peanut butter and jelly so really she has never been encouraged to try anything at home. I serve whatever regardless and if they don't like it they will have to eat the other options on the plate that day. But really all my kids are GREAT! In fact I use 2x as much tuna as required by the fp b/c they love it so much!
grandmom 07:31 PM 06-18-2011
Yogurt, cottage cheese, cold cheese sandwiches, pbj, cold veggie dip with cheese cubes.
I asked parents to bring lunch one day a week for one summer. Disaster. Some families never remembered. Two parents asked if they could deduct the cost from my fee. One parent sent in liver pate' - for me. Some parents sent in more food that any child could eat, mostly junk food came in.
kcnjason 07:57 AM 06-19-2011
Great ideas, Thanks!!! I think I will bbq one day, do roll-ups, crock pot, sandwiches....I think that I can handle this, thanks for all of the input from all of you! I have such a small area, but I think I will make room for the crockpot on the table as well as the microwave. I'm hoping the weather will cooperate so we can eat outside this week.