Back to School with Stoneridge Orchards
Back to school time breeds a love-hate relationship. We are all grateful to have the house quiet while the kids are back at school, but it poses a tricky situation for meals.
Breakfast at 0600 Hours
Breakfast now has a VERY EARLY MORNING deadline! An 8:30am start to school is doable, but don’t forget the other thousands of kids/parents also arriving at the same time. Not to mention for parents, those early morning work meetings that seems to conflict just perfectly with drop off time at school. The only way to make it all work (and on time) before the bell rings is to leave the house with breakfast almost in military time - 0600 hours! Atten-tion!
The Early Morning Turkey Sandwich Prep
Lunch is no longer within your immediate reach. “The Kitchen Drive-Thru” - popular among the kids in between swimming and garden play during summertime, is no longer open for business. You are left to worry if they will eat that turkey sandwich you painstakingly prepared this morning at 0600h, or if they’re using their playground-learned bartering skills to grasp something more tasty (this is a life lesson we all learned at school, it comes in handy when you really, really, don’t like baloney).
Dinner – All Men On Deck!
Dinner becomes an uphill battle, fighting for an appropriate time when all men are on deck, in between after-school activities and shuttling everyone, EVERYWHERE (don't forget the evening traffic, which could be much, much worse than morning traffic!).
Before you reach for the phone and dial 1-800-P-I-Z-Z-A, keep in mind we have some excellent recipes you can put together quicker than you can say PEPPERONI.
In the recent words of Lisa Adams, “Short Cuts” are sometimes a most excellent way of preparation.
Breakfast Short Cuts:
Cherry Almond PowerBites
Full of hunger-fighting flax seed and tasty dried berries, guaranteed to start your day with a POW!
Ice Box Blueberry Bran Muffins
You can literally keep the mixture in your refrigerator for weeks! Never-ending supply on the go!
Lunch Short Cuts:
Leftover Turkey Salad
Not just for the days after thanksgiving! Turkey is available year-round and is a good alternative to chicken or beef!
Curried Chicken Salad
Similar to our turkey recipe, this dish can use chicken from a meal the night before.
Dinner Short Cuts:
Cherry-Chipotle Chicken Quesadillas
Brie, Cherry, and Arugula Quesadillas
Quesadillas are a tasty alternative to sandwiches. Tortillas come in bulk and you can make several for dinner, store in the refrigerator overnight and lunch is ready to go!
Vegetarian Berry Medley
A very easy, incredibly healthy recipe! Grab the contents of your vegetable basket and sizzle away! The great thing about this recipe is it can be substituted with veggies in-season, any season!"