SCHOOL LUNCH BOXES.

Hi and good luck to all the children going back to school and to the teachers who cope with dozens of our children daily. We wish you all a Good Year and great learning in a happy environment

We have a role to play in the going out of the home for so many hours a day.
School lunch boxes are to serve a purpose. We are responsible for what we give our kids to eat and drink at school.
The following is what we have to do:

1. Sit down with the kids and talk about lunches.
2. Determine what time they eat, how much time they have. Find out if they have a place to sit
Comfortably in the shade. Also find out if eating time is under supervision.
3. Choose a lunch box that is well made and with a cooler department and separate places for drink and food.
4. You must buy containers that can fit into the bag, that hold liquids, snacks, dried fruit, a good spoon and knife and fork.
5. Give the kids a serviette or wet wipes to clean hands before and after eating.
6. Do not use inappropriate wrapping for food. Never plastic wraps on cheese and milk products and no aluminum foil. You can use paper, brown bags and baking paper and good containers with lids.
7. You can place a freezer pack in the bag to keep foods cool.
8. Remember, this food bag is very important. You and you kids can bond well as you create the lunches in the evening and have them ready in the fridge. As you work and chat, you are giving them tools for life. They will understand that you care about their needs, and they will understand the effort you are making re the things they like.
9. Never underestimate the importance of ordinary chores. These are the examples we give them. They are also the memory makers of the years ahead.
10. You attitude must be, this is not a chore that I do daily, it is a pleasure for these kids I love.
11. Remember, you need a surprise in the box now and then. A love note, a candy, a chocolate bar, a cookie or a book or mascot that is the trend. All your efforts express love. Lastly, wash and air the lunch box regularly.


IDEAS FOR LUNCH BOXES.

Snacks. I like dried fruit, nuts, home made cookies and snack bars, halva, sunflower seeds and granola cereal, cookies and bars. Recipes will follow.
Vegetables and fruits. You can have peeled carrots, celery sticks, tomatoes, cucumbers, apples, pears, bananas, peaches, plums and all fruits in season. Lettuce can be washed and dried and packed in a container.
Ready foods. Humus, Techina, honey, cream cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese and yellow cheeses. Apple sauce is a great snack and you can choose an organic type in the health store. They have less sugar too.
Drinks. Give water, fruit juices, rice milk, almond milk, carob powder shakes, and health drinks
Baked goods. Good breads, crackers, baked muffins and health snacks and cookies.

Vegetarian lentil burgers are great to prepare and have ready in the fridge.

RECIPES.

DATE BALLS.
Prepare with the kids.
Melt 6 oz butter and half a cup of brown sugar. Add I beaten egg. Mix in half a pound of dates (about 230 grams)
Crumb 2 cups of Marie or Petit Beurre biscuits. Mix all. Cool
Roll into balls and dip them into chocolate sprinkles, coconut or crushed walnuts. These can be frozen and taken out as needed.

JUNE"S KRISPIE SNACKS.
My friend June brought these to my house one day and they were only there for a moment….we gobbled them up.. Delicious and easy to make.
Stir fry 200grams of sesame seeds. Do this on a low flame and stir. Do not burn. They brown very quickly.
Take a large bowl and put in four cups of lightly crushed rice krispies.
Warm up half a cup of honey, half a cup of brown sugar and half a cup of Techina.
Do this on a low flame. Mix with the krispies and sesame seeds. Press into a flat dish and leave to set. Then cut up into a good size for a snack and store for lunches.

BANANA LOAF.
This can be baked in a loaf tin or as a muffin. Great as a lunch box treat.

1 cup brown sugar. Quarter teaspoon bi carbonate. Half a cup of butter. A dash of salt.
Ten drops of vanilla essence in a little milk.
Two cups of brown flour. Four mashed bananas. 2 eggs. Half a teaspoon of baking powder.

Cream the butter and sugar. Add beaten eggs and mashed bananas.
Add dry ingredients, and the vanilla and milk. Grease a baking dish or use muffin cups. Flour the baking dish. Bake one hour in a 350 F degrees oven. (180 Celsius)

Cool on a rack and if you wish you can ice with lemon icing.


CRUNCHIES.
This is a recipe that if over seventy to eighty years old. We use to eat them with a large glass of cold milk….delicious. Great for old folks to dip and ideal for TV and school snack.
2 cups of oats. 1 cup flour. 1 cup coconut. 1 cup brown sugar.
8oz butter.(240 grams) 1 tablespoon honey. 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda. 1 teaspoon baking powder. Half a teaspoon ginger powder. Half a teaspoon cinnamon powder.

Boil butter and sugar until melted. Add soda and the other ingredients.
Pour into a greased pan. Pat down evenly. Take care if it is hot, do not burn fingers.
Bake in a 350f degree oven (180 Celsius) for 25 minutes. Cool for a while.
Cut and store in an air tight container. They do freeze well too. Dad will like these as much as the kids. Ideal for a gift for gran and grandpa too….take along a bottle of chilled milk and share it with them. Have fun.

I hope this inspires you to do fun lunch boxes. The time you spend is worth the peace of mind. The kids needs are catered for and you are free to do the house, gym, have coffee with Mom or a friend, buy your Mom- in- law a lunch, go out and plan fun things for the family…….all in all to enjoy your morning.
Best wishes for a special school year. Love and light Rona