I know that you have not heard from me in the last few weeks and I need to apologize for that. In the "blogging" world I have committed one of the worst sins...being inconsistent and quiet for a number of weeks. But, not only am I a full time mother, full time wife, I am also a full time student.  We started back into school July 5th and my school work is alot.  I have done what I have preached though, instead of being on the computer (which I do love), I have been trying to keep my home and family life running smoothly, or as smooth as it can run when you have classes and TONS of homework! This blog, to me, is a real ministry, one that I know I have been called to by God so I will continue to post as often and regular as possible so please continue reading when I do post. And there will be life after college...I hope!

All that aside, Wednesdays are organizational tip day for me so today I want to talk about meals....in particular LUNCH!  Lunches were always a struggle for me.  It seemed no sooner had we begun on a roll with our work that then lunch time popped up and everyone was hungry.  It also seemed that from start to finish it took such a big precious chunk of time and then we had trouble getting back to the books.  Does this sound like a famaliar situation at your house?  I didn't want to just give the children P&J sandwiches everyday, I wanted to give them a healthy meal, which was also establishing good eating habits with them for the future. So, my solution came back to how I have learned to handle most things....a LIST...let me explain!

We sat down, the children and I, and with notebook in hand started by making an extensive list of the foods that they liked.  Not what I thought they liked or wanted them to like but what they said they liked.  Then, I made another list grouping the foods that they both liked together.  That would help me to only cook one menu for lunch instead of something different for each child. The next step was to list the foods according to ease in preparation and cost to our budget.  I don't know about you, but we have always had to budget for food and lunches can be someplace to cut back if planned properly. As far as ease in preparation, some days I could afford to put in a little more time with the preparation than others and that also helps to mix up the menu..not always just having a sandwich or just having soup.

The next thing I did, and this will change so you will have to adapt, is to think about my weekday schedule and identify my easy days and my trying days.  With this I am talking about knowing myself and our school day...Mondays for me were always very productive.  I love Mondays!  Mondays for me always gave me a fresh start..a clean slate...last week was behind me and I had a full week ahead of me to "get it right".  Thursdays, well, that is another story.  On Thursdays I always felt like I was behind the eight ball and struggling to keep going. Fridays we usually did errands and lunch time was not consistent. By thinking about how my week ran, I was better able to decide how much time I could afford to put into a meal. On Mondays, because of being very organized, I could spend a little more time in the kitchen preparing lunch.  By Thursday, I just needed to get something on the table so nothing else fell apart.  Fridays I needed something real quick because we might be finishing our work and rushing off to do errands.

Now that those lists are made throw them away....HAHAHA just kidding!  Take all that great information and make up 8 fresh, interesting, healthy menus.  The reason we are only making 8 is because I feel like most weeks you can add in at least one day of leftovers.  With 2 days of leftovers and 8 new menus you now have lunches for two weeks. When I made up the menus I attached them to a specific day ...Monday, Tuesday, ect.. using the information on my "easy days and trying days".  Now, I know what I need to buy at the grocery store for two weeks of lunches, I know what the children can't get into and eat, and I know what I need to be prepared for the next day (what to take out of the freezer, what I am out of, ect.).  When your two weeks are over you just start again from the beginning. I usually kept one menu plan for 3 months and then revised it.  Keep your lists and revise them also as you go along...take note of the lunches that don't go over too well, up-dating them for nutrional value such as what fresh fruits and vegetables are in season and keeping track of the time and preparation.  Remember, to always do as much as you can ahead of time...cutting up fruit the night before, grilling a bunch of chicken breasts at one time and then freezing them, browning your taco meat with the taco seasoning and then freezing that.  These are just some examples.

So, below I have just given you the highlights...please pass me any questions you might have and talk with your family and friends...you will find dozens of healthy, interesting meals that you can serve for lunch.  One last note...I commented in my bulleted items about staying away from to many starches.  The reason for that is that starches, studies have shown, give you an afternoon droop!  For most of us we need the whole afternoon to complete our school work and the last thing we need are sluggish students.  So, instead of serving a hotdog on a bun, a pile of chips, kool-aid and then something sweet try a piece of chicken, a salad, and some fruit.  It will be better for the children and I think you will find them more productive in the afternoons

• List of foods the children like
• Compile the foods they all like
• List the foods according to budget and ease of preparation
• Identify your easy days and trying days
• Make up 8 menus...meat, vegetable, fruit..be careful of starches
• Rotate the menus every two weeks