School Lunch

I didn't make many school lunches this week, but this is what my kids had this week.

 

 

Spinach Pizza, Mango, Cow Cheese, Milk and Apple for a snack.

 

Cheeseburger Soup, Crackers, Banana and Milk.  Chips for a snack. 

 

Maple-Bacon Scones

I tried these for the first time the other day and my family devoured them!

 

Ingredients:

1 recipe of Scones

5 cups of powdered sugar, sifted

1/2 Cup milk

2 Tablespoons of maple extract or maple flavoring (we had our family mail us this)

1/4 teaspoon salt

8 thin slices of bacon, fried crisp and chopped

 

 

Instructions:

 

1.)  Prepare the scones and allow them to cool completely.

2.)  Make the maple glaze:  Combine the powdered sugar, milk, maple extract and salt.

3.)  Stir the mixture until it is smooth.

4.)  Drizzle 1 to 2 Tablespoons of maple glace all over the cooled scones.  Then, before the glaze sets, sprinkle the tops with the chopped bacon.

 

 

This Recipe came from:  The Pioneer Woman Cooks - A Year of Holidays - pg. 171

 

 

Scones

This recipe came from The Pioneer Woman Cooks - A Year of Holidays recipe book.  Perfect Cream Scones, pg. 166.

 

Ingredients:

3 Cups flour

2/3 Cups sugar

4 teaspoons baking powder (High Altitude 1 1/2 teaspoons)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 Cup cold butter, cut into pieces

1 Cup of heavy cream

1 egg

 

 

Instructions:

 

1.) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2.) Place the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into a sifter or strainer and sift it into a large bowl until it's all combined.

3.)  Throw the butter pieces into the bowl and use a pastry cutter (or fork) to cut the butter into the dry ingredients. 

4.)  In a separate bowl, measure the cream and then add the egg to the cream.  Whisk until combined. 

5.)  Drizzle the cream mixture into the dry ingredients, stirring gently with a fork until the dough barely comes together.

6.)  Use your hands to press the dough into a ball.  On a lightly floured surface, press the dough into a rough rectangle shape.  Then roll it to about 1/3 inch think.  Use your hands to shape it as you go, keeping it in a nice rectangle shape.

7.)  Use a pizza cutter or a knife to cut the rectangle into 12 smaller rectangles.  Then cut each rectangle in half to get 24 smaller triangles. 

8.)  Transfer the scones to 2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper.  Bake them for 18 minutes, or until they are just barely golden brown. 

9.)  Serve them with your favorite jelly, jam or marmalade.

Chicken and Broccoli Tetrazzinni

 

Ingredients:

1 package of spaghetti, broken in half and cooked al dente

4 cups of broccoli, cooked

½ chicken, cubed and cooked

2 Tablespoons butter

7 Tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon salt

2 Cups of chicken broth

1 Cup of milk

½ Cup of Parmesan Cheese

1 Cup of Mozzarella, shredded

 Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  In a large saucepan melt the butter over medium heat.  Add the flour and salt and stir to combine.  Cook the butter and flour mixture for 1 to 2 minutes.  Gradually whisk in the chicken broth to the butter mixture.  Stirring constantly, gradually bring the mixture up to a boil, turn down the heat, and then simmer for 2 minutes until the mixture thickens and then remove from heat. 

When the noodles are done cooking, mix them together with the broccoli.  Spread the cooked spaghetti and broccoli mixture in the bottom of a greased 9x13 inch baking dish.  Pour half the sauce over it. Top with the chicken and then drizzle the remaining sauce over the top. 

In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk and Parmesan cheese.  Pour over the top of the spaghetti mixture.  Top with Mozzarella cheese. 

 Cover and bake until hot and bubbly, about 25 minutes.  Remove the foil and bake for an additional 5 minutes until the cheese is slightly browned.  Let the tetrazzini cool in the pan for 10 minutes before serving.

 

Recipe Credit:  Adapted from – www.blessthismessplease.com

School Lunch

School started so I'm back on the school lunch bandwagon again!  Here's what I've packed lately.  Hope you can get some ideas from these lunches.  What did you pack this week?  I'm always looking for new ideas.

 

Snack:  Banana / Lunch:  Pizza, Mango, Chocolate Cake and Water

 

Snack:  Cheetos / Lunch:  Ham Sandwich, Granola, Carrots and Chocolate Milk

 

 

Snack:  Dabo Kolo Chex Mix / Lunch: Quesadilla, Salami and Tomato Salad (chopped tomato's mixed with salt and dill)

 

Snack:  Dabo Kolo Chex Mix / Lunch:  Quesadilla, Mango and Granola, Broccoli and Ranch and Chocolate Milk

 

Snack:  Popcorn / Lunch:  Pasta Salad, Carrots and Ranch and Chocolate Milk

 

Snack:  Carrots and Ranch / Lunch:  Chicken Salad, Mango and Watermelon, Butterfinger and Chocolate Milk

Cucumber Limeade

When I saw this recipe, it intrigued me!  I tried it & LOVED it!!

 

 

Ingredients:

 

1 large cucumber, peeled and sliced into chunks

Juice of 3 limes (or 4 if they are small)

1/2 - 1 cup simple syrup (see recipe below)

Water (just enough to make the mixture mix well in the blender)

 

Directions:

1.)  In a blender, add cucumber, lime juice, simple syrup and water.

2.) Blend until cucumbers are well chopped.  Strain through a strainer.

3.)  Serve over ice (I blended my ice in with the drink in the blender).

 

I dipped my cups in the simple syrup mixture before I put it in the blender & then I dipped them in a bit of sugar.  YUM!

 

Simple syrup:  Boil equal parts sugar and water until the sugar is completely dissolved.

 

This recipe came from www.blessthismessplease.com .

Coleslaw

This is my friend Jennifer's recipe.  I love it!

Shred 1 head of cabbage & 3-6 carrots.  Put this in a large bowl.  

For the dressing, mix together:

2 Tablespoons of onion

2/3 Cup of Mayonnaise

3 Tablespoons of oil

1/2 Cup of sugar

1 Tablespoon vinegar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon poppy seeds (optional)

Add the dressing to the cabbage/carrot mixture.  Stir until it is all mixed together.

Cinnamon Muffins

This recipe is adapted from Ina Garten's Cinnamon Baked Doughnuts Recipe.  I didn't have a donut pan, so I tried making the recipe as muffins & it worked well.  It's pretty easy & delicious!

 

For the Muffin:

2 Cups Flour

1 1/2 Cups Sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder (1 teaspoon for high altitude)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 large egg (or two small), lightly beaten

1 1/4 Cups of milk

2 Tablespoons of butter

2 teaspoons of vanilla

 

For the Cinnamon/Sugar Topping:

8 tablespoons of butter

1/2 Cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray muffin pans well.  In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, melted butter, and vanilla. Stir the wet mixture into the dry ingredients until just combined.

 

I like to put my batter into a pitcher because it's easy to pour the batter into the muffin tins.  You could also spoon the batter into the muffin tins, filling each one 3/4 full.  Bake for 15-20 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.  Let the muffins cool for 5 minutes & then take them out of the muffin tin. 

 

 

For the topping, melt the 8 tablespoons of butter in an 8-inch saute pan. Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Dip each muffin first in the butter and then in the cinnamon sugar.  

 

Dipping the muffin in butter (it's easier if you have a muffin cup - you can see this muffin didn't come out of the muffin tin very well)

 

Dip the buttered muffin top in in the sugar mixture