Carrot Bread - Kids Lunch 2 (recipe included)

The creative challenge I run into with my kids lunch menu tends to result from lack of planning.  If I approached their lunch like I approached our dinners, every required ingredient (ok, 96% of them anyway) would be available and a recipe or idea at the ready.

This week our grocery list had bit more preparation.  Since the smoothie containers that I was hoping to have already have not yet arrived I'm punting a bit.

Enter tomorrow's lunch for my little men:

Carrot Bread with crunchy peanut butter and
strawberries.  Wyatt has cheddar cheese slices
and Patrick has cottage cheese.

Carrot Bread

• 1 3/4 cups white whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
• 3/4 cup finely grated carrots
• 1/4 cup diced, dried apricots
• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2 eggs, separated
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted (or canola if you prefer)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a loaf pan.
2. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a large bowl.  Whisk to combine.
3. Add the grated ginger and carrots, apricots, applesauce, egg yolk, and oil and stir to combine.  The mixture will be thick.
4. In another bowl or mixer add the egg whites.  Whisk (or beat with mixer) until soft peaks form. 
5. Temper the mixture by adding a scoop of the carrot batter into the beaten egg whites.  Fold gently to combine. 
6. Add the egg white mixture to the remaining carrot batter and fold again to combine.** 
7. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. 
8. Bake for 40-50 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Cool for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

 **The double fold technique is more gentle on the egg whites so they produce light and fluffy bread!

The Anti PB&J - Kids Lunch 1 (recipes included)

In our house there is a nightly question that we generally know the answer to.

Me: "What do you want for lunch tomorrow?"
The boys: "Peanut butter and jelly!"

Despite their love for the classic kid favorite, when I reach for the peanut butter jar I feel guilty for not being more clever.  Granted, we do mix it up a bit by adding fruit, veggie and dip, trail mix, etc. to their BPA free Easy Lunchbox container.  Tonight after seeing what a favorite whole foods blogger put together I got a little crazy and broke us out of the PB&J rut.  Here is tomorrows lunch that the boys are super excited for:

Patrick: grapes, sliced red pepper, a whole wheat banana
muffin (recipe below) and a hard boiled egg (recipe below).

Wyatt: Hormel Natural Choice Oven Roasted Turkey, whole
wheat banana muffin (recipe below), mandarin oranges sprinkled
 withcinnamon and sliced red peppers.

Typically I don't make two different lunches for the boys but Wyatt is not a fan of eggs or (recently) grapes.  Since I was feeling like an overachiever I didn't mind working around their favorites tonight but tomorrow may be a different story.  ;-)


Banana Muffins

• 3 bananas (ripe to overripe)
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1/2 cup honey
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup applesauce, unsweetened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 cup wheat germ
• 1/4 cup ground flax seed
• 1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon (or less to taste)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Peel bananas and place in a large mixing bowl.  Mash the bananas with a hand held potato masher or the back of a wooden spoon.
3. Add the remaining ingredients to the mixing bowl.  Stir to combine.
4. Grease 12 muffin cups and pour the batter in evenly. 
5. Bake for 25 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs

• Eggs
• Large saucepan with lid
• Water to cover

1. Place cold eggs in the bottom of a large saucepan.
2. Cover eggs with water by about an inch.
3. Cook on high heat until the water comes to a boil.
4. Cover and remove from heat.
5. Set timer for 16 minutes.
6. Once timer goes off drain water (careful, it's hot!).  Add new cold water and lots of ice to cool the eggs quickly. 
7. Store either peeled or in shell in a zip top bag in the fridge.

Hopefully this will be the first of a series of Anti PB&J of lunch box posts.  Looking forward to having you along for the ride and would love to hear your comments and suggestions!  Perhaps the next post will contain these ice pop containers that I ordered today to hold frozen smoothies and yogurt pops.  YUM!