We’re very much a BYOL (Bring Your Own Lunch) family. There are many reasons for making and bringing your lunch (healthier and affordable being on the top of my list usually). But it’s also easy to get into a lunch-making rut. Maybe it’s the brutal winter we’ve endured, but lunches here have been uninspired lately.

Cut to last week when I had the opportunity to try Flatout Flatbreads and Starkist Tuna. Flatout Flatbreads come in a variety of flavors from traditional to healthy grains to Thin Crust Flatbreads for making artisan pizzas. It’s easy to see why I was eager to try out some new recipes with so much variety. Bye-bye sliced bread!

Here’s a recipe for Curried Tuna with Raisins and Apples in Flatout Soft 100% Whole Wheat Flatbread. It’s easy to whip up and has a ton a flavor. I even got a thumbs up from my oldest who claims he’s “not a fan of tuna.” 

We had our first big snow storm of 2011 blow through here earlier this week. The Boston area got hammered - with almost two feet of snow dumped on our house and neighboring towns. It came to no surprise to hear school would be canceled on Wednesday. This would be my Kindergartner's first official Snow Day. We hooted. We hollered. We slept in. And continued with our day.

But then we got the call that school would be canceled for a second day. Crikey! I needed to come up with some new activities and meals that would make the second snow day just as memorable and fun as the first one the day before. After a busy morning traipsing through the many, many inches of snow and shopping for a new sled, it was time to make use of the leftover Monkey Bread and make lunch (sort of).

First, what the hell is Monkey Bread you ask? I was first introduced to this utterly additive breakfast treat by my MIL. It is typically made with frozen pastry dough, rolled into little balls, covered in cinnamon and sugar, and baked in a cake pan. It is a sticky, gooey mess, but oh so delicious.

Russo's Monkey Bread

Russo's makes their own Monkey Bread - except they make it with brioche, bake it in a loaf pan, and add raisins, cinnamon and sugar. They call it cinnamon raisin bread, but ask for Monkey Bread and they know exactly what you are looking (jonesing) for.

So here's a French Toast recipe using Monkey Bread that is to die for. And a great way to celebrate a snow day with the kids.


Monkey Bread French Toast
adapted from Alton Brown's French Toast Recipe

INGREDIENTS
1 cup half-and-half
3 large eggs
3 tablespoons honey, warmed in microwave for 20 seconds
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
8 (1/2 inch) slices day old monkey bread (or brioche or challah)
4 tablespoons butter

DIRECTIONS

So here we are, almost halfway through the school year, and I can confidently say packing lunch for my boys is going pretty well. We are definitely in a routine and our thermos, lunchboxes and canteens are being put through their paces. I won't lie - Fridays are particularly nice since we let our oldest buy lunch at school (pizza). I get in a lunch-rut like so many others. Until our Easy Lunchboxes finally arrived the other day.

I would describe an Easy Lunchbox as a Lazy Man's (or woman's) bento box - perfect for someone like me who is 1) lazy and 2) intimidated by bento boxes. It has three good-sized compartments with a single-lid. My oldest gets less than 30 minutes to eat lunch, so having one container to open does save time. It's surprisingly super durable (unlike the flimsy take-and-toss food containers you get at the supermarket), space-saving (nesting), BPA-free and eco-friendly.

apple & maple chicken sausage, roasted red potatoes w/ketchup, green beans, grapes and Joe Joe

It is pretty affordable compared to other "systems" out there (a set of four containers is $13.95). The only drawback is finding the right-sized cooler bag. I've found that the cooler bags from LL Bean work well, except there is no room for anything else. You can purchase the cooler bag from Easy Lunchboxes (we actually got one for free as a way of saying thank you since they were on back order when I placed my order), but they are sort of bulky for me.

just the right size - and fits in my kid's backpack

Overall, we love them! And from reading some of the other reviews by other parents out there, I think you will be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn't like them.

What are some time-saving strategies for packing lunch? What is your kid's favorite lunch?

We're a little over a month into the school year and can confidently say, packing lunch for my Kindergartner has been going well. I think this has a lot to do with the fact that my son loves leftovers (he did not get that trait from me). Fill thermos. Pack fruit and drink. Maybe a yogurt. Snack. Done. And the lunchbox is almost guaranteed to come back empty (don't hate).

The problem is my own lunches have been completely uninspired and slapped together with whatever is in the fridge. I had no excuse the one day we had some fresh baby spinach, scali bread from Boschetto Bakery in the N. End, and Niman Ranch Cured Ham. Make this. Ham and cheese will never be the same.

Mozzarella and Ham Panini
Adapted from Everyday Food

INGREDIENTS:

2 slices of Italian Scali bread
2 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
1-2 ounces shaved ham
1/2 cup baby spinach
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 tablespoon butter

DIRECTIONS: