Tammy's Recipes

My hubby needs some kind snack to eat that he can handle with one hand. He likes chips but as you stated in your previous post they are not that great for you. I also send muffins with him for part of his snack. He loves Toaster Strudel and I have to say it kills me every time I send it but I do try to honor what he likes. I just would love to have a recipe that is similar that would make him realize how nasty those things are! SO I am looking for some kind of crunchy snack and some kind of Toaster Strudel type thing...any help? Thanks so very much
Shorty

I used to judge speech tournaments in Pennsylvania. One school system there provided HUGE amounts of hummus and a platter of fresh veggies. What a treat! Hummus is filling and nutritious but not sure how you'd keep it cool.
Katie

How about a soup or stew simmering away all day in a crock pot?

I saw Katie's comment and was going to say that chips and salsa might be an option, too. Salsa and veggies even go great together!

Also, as Tammy mentioned, muffins and quick breads can be a healthy, easy snack that doesn't require much effort or refrigeration.

I'm going to give this more thought - I love a challenge! :)

Bento is Japanese lunchboxes. While you don't have to get an expensive bento, there are a lot of ideas on cooking food that's room temperature because bento in Japan is rarely fridged or microwaved. Most food will still taste good if it's not fridged. I like to take boiled eggs, rice, veggies, etc.

Tortilla wraps would be good I think. You get tortillas, softened cream cheese, and whatever veggies or meat you want. Lay down the cream cheese, spread some on the sides for stickiness, lay your vegetables, roll it up, wrap it tightly in saran wrap, put in the fridge over night and slice it in the morning!

I love rice. You can fry it or keep it plain an it's still great to eat. You can make onigiri(rice balls) stuffed with fun foods - I like avocado and cheese or salsa.

A fun way to keep food cool is pack frozen fruit or veggies and let it thaw. That way, you get delish fruit by lunch and a relatively cool dinner!

The key for most foods that are cooked is to let it cool before you pack it, that way you avoid steam accumulating and dripping back on the foods. It also hinders the growth of bacteria.

www.lunchinabox.net (in no way affiliated with me) has great ideas and recipes on packing lunches.

Sorry this is so long, but I love packing my lunches. Weird I guess, but hey, We all have our quirks.

My favorite is Tabouli. I have it on my blog.

http://randvfarmstead.blogspot.com

click on recipes.

:-D

I second the hummus idea and cut up veggies. You can place the dish of hummus inside a bowl of ice to keep it chilled for awhile.

Fresh cut fruit and a yogurt dip (again set the dish inside a larger dish with ice).

Do you have access to an electical outlet? How about a pot of chili left on warm (use syrofaom cups so it portable) and some rolls to go with it. I can't think of anything that doesn't need to be hot or refrigerated, sorry.

well I have to second the hummus suggestion since I'm the one who submitted the hummus recipe to this site.;-) For keeping it cool you could always set a dish of hummus inside a larger container filled with ice or cold packs. The pizza roll recipe here is good, too.

Get an ice chest with a ice pack. It can keep things cold for a long time. Also, good old fashioned thermoses are good! That is what we did when they had to pack a lunch.

Veggie sandwiches- Whole grain bread, sliced cheese, sprouts, tomatoes, lettuce, pickles, cucumbers, pickled peppers (if you like them) i would put it in seperate baggies or containers and then assemble it when you are
ready to eat. I like to drizzle a little italian dressing over it at the end.

Wraps
Whole grain oatmeal cookies with whole wheat flour and oats. These can be very filling!
Fruit
Salads- ceaser salad, with cut up vegetables to add
Taco salad- Use a small can of black beans and corn to be opened when he is ready to eat. Rinse off and add to your salad that has cheese and a baggie of corn chips to put over it. Salsa and salad dressing or sour cream on the side kept on ice.
We lived without refridgeration for about 4.5 years. It is amazing how you can adapt and you can keep things cool. Ice in a cooler keeps things amazingly cool!

We have always enjoyed making quick quesadillas with tortillas (basically, melted cheese inside two tortillas, and then cut into wedges). But my kids and I have recently been getting pretty creative with the tortillas and making tortilla pizzas. I spread out a thin layer of pizza sauce, top with cheese and some pizza spices. We also sometimes use turkey peperroni and I have a greek seasoning mix that I like to throw in. Cover all with another tortilla, and melt in microwave or in a skillet. Cut into wedges. We like these hot and cold, and they can be made meatless, making them perfect for a break room snack.

We also enjoy peanut butter and jelly rolled up in a tortilla. These are easy 'make ahead' lunches, and the tortilla's don't get soggy like bread does. I wrap mine in plastic wrap and then you just unwrap one end and eat your way down (which makes in much neater for kids).

Let's see...what else would be good:
-Big homemade whole wheat pretzels with cheese sauce.
-Garlic bread sticks (stuffed with motzerella?) with a bowl of marinara sauce (a spoon and plates would be good...I can totally see the guys double dipping into the big bowl)
-fruit (bananas, apples, oranges)
Ooh! What about a crock pot! If you can't keep things cold, maybe you could keep them warm!
-boiled peanuts
;) that might be just a regional thing...anyone else eat boiled peanuts?
-nacho cheese sauce with chips
-chili with bread bowls
-crock pot pizza

Hope that helps get some creative juices flowing :)
Gwen