Rotisserie Chicken Salad

Between Sessions Lunch Ideas

*(This is the third day of five posts about General Conference food traditions - keep scrolling to see prior posts)


When the first session of Saturday's General Conference ends, you can feel the entire area we live in suddenly relocate.  I would call it the Noon Dash - where you have two hours to get things done before the second session begins at 2:00 PM.  It's interesting to see everyone in my neighborhood spring to life - hurrying to pick up something at the grocery store, mowing the lawn, raking leaves, washing the car, rushing to Home Depot - you get the idea.  


Since there is another meeting following the Saturday afternoon session (called the "Priesthood Session") - most families try to catch their main meal between 12:00 and 2:00.  One reason for this is that most women have made plans for the time their husbands, fathers, & brothers are away on Saturday night (check back for things we've done on "Girls Night" tomorrow)


I've found that this main meal in the middle of the day needs to be fairly easy to prepare and something that can be put on the table fast.  If I plan it a day or two before, things work out better.  If I forget - and prepare it while I try to listen to Conference, I feel like I've missed out.  We like this meal to be one where everyone can dress it up their own finishing touches - buffet style suits us fine.  


Here are a few of our favorites...

Mini-Burgers / Sliders
No BBQ grill required - this is all done in the oven
and can be on the table within half an hour.

Cafe Rio 'Take-In'
Although this takes the day before to prepare,
it's always a hit with my family.

Potato Cheese Soup (like "Riley's")
This soup is one of our favorites,
especially if the weather is turning cooler.

Hunter's Stew
This can be either an oven or a crock-pot stew.
It's even better with homemade rolls or cornbread
- and holds well if dinner is delayed.

Salsa Chicken
Another crockpot-friendly dish that cooks
in the background while you listen to Conference.
We love it served over baked potatoes.

Week-long Chicken Pasta Salad
Make this a day or two ahead, and it's ready & waiting
 if you have things planned and you can't have a sit-down meal.

Easy Chinese-Restaurant-Style Fried Rice
This is a great way to use leftover ham, and with
the addition of fresh vegetables - it's a complete meal.

Mexican Rice Bake
This looks pretty humble, but it's so good -
especially if you still have fresh tomatoes from
your garden to slice on top before adding the cheese.
You'll appreciate the fact that you can make this the day before.

Navajo Tacos - Utah Style
Who doesn't like Navajo Tacos?  Everyone gets to
dress it up "their" way - and fry bread is something special
that you don't have every day (don't worry -  it's very easy to make)

Look Forward to Lunch - "Stick-wiches"

Three of my eight grandchildren started school this week - and that makes Moms realize they can’t depend on mac ‘n cheese and PB&J anymore.  Here are some economical ideas that will make any kid look forward to breaking into a lunch packed from home.  With these in their sack, and they might find they have some bargaining power to trade...

My daughter Aryn, and my daughter-in-law Tara have officially survived their first week of getting back on a schedule, establishing a homework routine, tucking the kids in earlier, AND worrying about lunch again.  Each of them have their own bag of tricks for this time of year, and they are the best mothers!  

Love the containers wrapped in familiar school supplies...
A tin can supports the pencil vase, and an 8-oz tomato sauce can is behind the crayons.
Use elastics to hold it all together, wrap with ribbon (or not!) - and you're done.

Today, Aryn sent me these photos she took of a presentation she was in charge of organizing for her ward Relief Society Meeting last night.  I thought it was awesome!  (It’s fun to be able to feature one of my children - isn't she great?) 

Aryn's friend Angela (the counselor in their Relief Society)
put together this visual comparing the processed convenience foods
we typically reach for with healthier (and less expensive) alternatives
that can be made at home.  An additional step that doesn't take that long
can yield dollars over an entire school year.

Their meeting focused on getting yourself organized so you can spend time doing what matters most in your family (see a great talk or video on that very topic)  Sometimes I find myself doing everything BUT what I really need to do - I’m great at avoidance.  When I actually take the time to do a little preparation beforehand, I always wonder what the big DEAL was about taking the first step and doing it.  Maybe you can relate.  

Aryn found (and sent me a link to) an excellent article on avoidance - wish I had read it when I was mothering all my children.  It’s called “Going on a Bear Hunt” - and the link is HERE.  You’ll love it - no matter what stage of life you’re in - it’s well worth your time.

I’ll share the recipe Aryn found for “Stick-wiches”... but enjoy all the other hints and tricks in the photos.  These little sandwiches are so much more fun than two slices of bread with the same old fillings in the middle.  They even made ME hungry.  Food is so much better when you can rearrange it, or present it in a new way.

(The link to the recipe for the great packable Brown Bag Bar Cookie shown above, is HERE)

For the recipe for "Stick-wiches" - go to:

www.changeabletable.com

Bread Cones - tubular sandwiches

Cream horn tubes might seem like a frivolous thing to some cooks.  They make more than pastry treats filled with whipped cream - for instance, this unique way to serve sandwiches (see yesterday's post - and check back tomorrow for another way to use them)  If you don’t want to buy these tubes, you can make your own by rolling up cardstock and wrapping them in aluminum foil.  

Hollowed bread is not a new thing - but it’s usually done by baking it first and then scooping out the interior.  You can then fill it with a variety of fillings (think soup bowls, or even dip served in a bread bowl...)

These cones are great because you don’t waste the interior of your bread.  Wrapping dough around a form saves a lot of fuss.

This fun bread shape was all the rage a few years back - and it’s great to use for Easter or spring menus.  A bread cone can’t hold a lot of filling - but the bread has great texture and flavor.  You could even serve extra filling on the side to spread onto the “tail” of the cone, once the hollowed portion is eaten.

The original recipe divides the dough into eight portions.  I thought that looked like a LOT of bread, so I divided mine into twelve.  It seemed to be just right for a sandwich.

These worked out so well for a fun new twist on boring sandwiches.  

For the full recipe with instructions & photos - go to:

www.changeabletable.com

Brown Bag Bars

(*To those who may have tried this recipe in the past few days... I apologize!  In the recipe link below - a reader (thanks Cathy!) noticed that it was missing the most important ingredient - peanut butter!  Thanks to her email/comment - I have corrected it.)

Lil’ Debbie (and equivalent brands) of lunch snacks would soon get old when my kids were taking lunch from home.  I tried to find something that was “packable” and wouldn’t crumble in their backpacks before they actually made it to the lunchroom.  These have been a long-time favorite.

The first equation that my kids had memorized soon after they started 1st grade was this... peanut butter + oatmeal + chocolate chips = mmmmm.  

I don’t know where I found this recipe - it’s that old.  We love it because once you add the peanut butter frosting and let it set - it stays put and doesn’t melt (yet it doesn’t dry out either).

It doesn’t take a culinary school graduate to make it either - pretty basic.  The chocolate chips are sprinkled over the top, which makes it easy to “swirl” if you so choose.  

You can cut these large or small, and they package well when placed in cupcake liners (seasonal designs are fun, as shown)

For this quick-fix recipe, go to:

www.changeabletable.com

Salad In a Jar

When I read this...”grab a plate and enjoy a jar of fresh salad with me.  Afterward, we’ll eat dessert and not feel one bit guilty” - I had to check it out.  This one simple idea has been such a time-saver and guilt-reducer.  If you don’t own a Food Saver, this one idea by itself just might win you over...

I considered it my lucky day when I stumbled upon the website salad-in-a-jar.com a few months ago.  The web (although it can be a time-parasite) has been a real blessing by dropping ideas such as this one right in my lap.  

If you are like me, the enjoyment of food is one of those pleasures in life that I refuse to give up by constantly dieting.  It’s discouraging being around people whose entire conversation is limited to what they ‘shouldn’t’ or ‘can’t’ eat.  Yet - the reality is, the older I become - I just can’t get away with eating the way I used to.

When I dug a little deeper into Paula’s website - it really resonated with my food philosophy.  See if you don’t agree...  

See how eating salad for lunch gives you wiggle room for small indulgences the rest of the day by checking out this method at:

www.changeabletable.com

'Sbugetti' Dogs - play with your food...

Well, the weekend with my grandchildren has ended, and I'm back to a silent house.  No more waking up with a little person's face nose-to-nose with mine.  No more making everything "fair".  No more hearing a sweet little munchkin voice repeating "grandma, grandma, grandma" over and over again.  I'll miss them, but it's time to regroup and be an adult again.  Made me wonder how I did it with six...

I just can't get out of "kid" mode, because I still enjoy reading Family Fun magazine.  I clipped this idea a few issues ago, and it came in handy for lunch with the grandkids.  

They loved “trimming” the hair on these crazy looking squid-type dogs.  I thought they would hate the mustard eyes, but even I thought mustard tasted great with the pasta - surprise!

Little hands can handle "spearing" hot dogs with spaghetti - they really got into it. 

I’ve seen variations of this idea called “octodogs” - but I liked this variation with plain old spaghetti (instead of curling the ends of a hot dog).  

You can call these odd little things squidlings, pasta dogs, stringy sausages, or hairy dogs, etc....  Use your imagination.  

I named them for my kids’ pronunciation of the word spaghetti.  

Kids love both hot dogs AND pasta - so you can’t lose with this combination.   Prepare to play with your food if these are on the menu...

For the recipe/instructions for this kid-pleasing lunch - go to:

changeabletable.com

Savory "Tea" Sandwiches - not just tasteless bits of fluff...

Tea sandwiches are the first course in the traditional Full Afternoon Tea. It’s up to these sandwiches to make a good first impression. My mother enjoyed helping my daughters have their own “tea parties” when they spent the day with her. They LOVED it, and I hope I can do the same thing when my granddaughter(s) are ready for some “culture”... This is good practice!

I am convinced that if I resided in England and participated in “tea” - I would weigh twice what I do now. But that doesn’t mean I can’t occasionally enjoy the tradition. About a year ago I attended a fun “tea party” of sorts that changed my mind about tea sandwiches. They were delicious! With hot weather still here, I love a lighter lunch. These recipes fit that description and can be satisfying enough to make you feel like you’ve had an adequate meal at the same time...

Before summer officially comes to an end - put your foot down on mac 'n cheese, and insist on a little culture. (the kids will love it... and your husband will deal with it!)

For all these recipes, photos, and a link to the five characteristics of traditional tea sandwiches - go to:
www.changeabletable.com ("full house" tab)