We've gone through the list...

As the school year has gone on, we have covered almost all of the things we make regularly. We are feeling the time crunch and unfortunately won't be able to daily keep up with this project, so we will only post pictures when we do something out of the ordinary.

I hope this has given all of you a good idea of the types of things we make and how hard we try to keep lunch fairly healthy and interesting for your children. We certainly want to keep parents in the loop and as always invite your questions, comments and concerns.

Thanks!

Roasted Veggie Pasta

Today we an awesome roasted vegetable pasta. The pasta was tossed with a little goat cheese. The veggies were roasted with a little olive oil and salt. It was broccoli, carrots, tomatoes, brussel sprouts, butternut squash, mushrooms and onions. The pasta was served with oranges and salad (not pictured because we ran out).

We also gave the option of plain pasta, which most kids chose.

Unfortunately.

For them.

Falafel

Today we had falafel on a pita with a choices of tzatziki sauce and lettuce. The snadwich came with a peach, veggie couscous and optional hummus and salad.

Pasta with Brie and tomato

Today we made pasta with brie cheese and tomato. We served it with fresh steamed broccoli, salad and a banana.

Greek Veggie Pita

Family groups and a new sandwich!

We made greek veggie sandwich on a pita. It had tomatoes, cucumber, olives, feta and red onion.

Sloppy Joes

Today we had sloppy joes. We served fresh fruit, and steamed veggies with them as well as an optional salad.

Potato Cheese Soup

Lunch today was potato cheese soup with a baci roll, oranges and a great salad!

Fish Tacos

One more thing we haven't had since the old building! Fish Tacos. We use a nice fish stick and serve them with corn tortillas, mango salsa and a lime cole slaw. They are excellent! We served the tacos with salad, corn and more of those fresh peaches from the farmers market.

Tortellini

Today we sort of a mixture of things. The littles kids had ravioli, oranges, carrots and celery and as the day things changed and we ended up with tortellini, apples and celery.

Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup

Today we had grilled cheese and optional tomato soup. With it we served salad and fresh peaches Bridget got from the farmers market.

Tamales

For the very first time...tamales!

A few years ago a student gave Bridget a beautiful cookbook. We've devoured the book over the years and found these tamales. If one of us ever comes up missing you can assume we've run away to Hell's Backbone Grill.

With the tamales we served salad, steamed green beans and a banana.

Lasagna

Today was lasagna! We served it with salad, garlic bread and grapes.

Egg salad

It's Monday, family group day! We served egg salad sandwiches, chips, fruit leather and then a piece of fresh fruit...it varied depending on the group!

Hot Dogs

Lunch was kosher hot dogs! They were served with oranges, salad and tater tots!

We also had a vegetarian option, a lentil and bulger wheat salad.

Breakfast Day

Today was breakfast day. We served biscuits with vegetarian sausage gravy, eggs, hashbrowns, peaches and cottage cheese.

Cheese Enchilada

Wow, today was especially crazy and I can't figure out why.

...which is my excuse of why I didn't take a picture...again...

Here is a picture from last year.


Oddly, we had the same sides down the the banana. This time we added a salad as well.
The enchiladas are pretty plain, but we do serve some sauce on the side. Sauce which today we made from scratch!

Garlic Pasta

Today we had garlic pasta, grapes, perfect green beans and an optional salad.

Caprese Sandwiches

Today was family group lunch. Our students had the choice between the normal pbj, cheese and then we made caprese sandwiches with fresh tomato, basil and a drizzle of balsamic. The also had a Tillamook cheese, baked lays and an apple.

Since I forgot to take a picture of lunch today, I thought I'd share what a public school somewhere in the Midwest had for lunch. This is an anonymous blog by a teacher, who takes a photo of her lunch everyday in hopes she can do something to change their lunch program.

Eggrolls w/ Veggie Lo Mein

Eggrolls and veggie lo mein was on the menu today. In the veggie lo mein we put some broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, cabbage and celery. On the side we served a banana and a fortune cookie and an optional salad.

Salad Bar

Salad Bar is back!!

Salad bar day is a crazy day because there are tons of choices, but everyone loves it. We used a mix of chopped romaine and spring mix. The choices were cheese, peppers, onions, garbanzo beans, beets, broccoli, cauliflower, olives, tomato, cucumber, carrots and croutons.
With the salad bar we served fruit salad, garlic bread, macaroni salad and a little piece of apple cake. (The kindergarten is having apple week this week)

Here is the cake recipe...
http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/applesauce-cake
I think you could sub more applesauce for half the butter if you wanted to make it lighter.

Chili Beans

I love chili beans!

With the chili beans we served salad, banana, cornbread and vanilla yogurt...which was not pictured.

Pasta with Alfredo

Today we made pasta with Alfredo sauce. It was served with salad and strawberries. We had optional steamed veggies available. It was surprising how many kids chose them. Ask your child if they were one of the ones who chose veggies!!

Chicken Salad Sandwich

Today was our first family group lunch!

We served chicken salad sandwiches with chips, fruit leather and an apple. Sometimes we have regular chips, sometimes we used the baked.

"Meatball" Subs

Today we had meatball subs. We use a vegetarian sausage patty so that we can still melt some provolone cheese on the bread. The subs were served with a lemon butter steamed potato, banana, and a greek salad (olives, tomato, cucumber, carrot and feta). It was a great lunch!

Pancake Bar

Today was so crazy with pancakes that I forgot to take a picture. So in lieu of a photo, I will share a recipe!

With the pancakes we served a fried egg, a hash brown,and fruit salad. Today the students had choices...on their pancakes they could choose between any of the following: syrup, whipped cream, chocolate chips and triple berry sauce.

Here is the recipe for the wonderful triple berry sauce.

Triple Berry Sauce
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbl corn starch
1/2 cup water
2 cups frozen triple berry (though I am sure any berry would work)

Bring sugar, corn starch and water to a boil, stirring frequently. Add 1 cup of the berries and bring back to a boil. Remove from heat and add remaining berries.


This recipe came from the American Heart Association Cookbook, 4th edition.

Tostada

Today we had tostadas for the fist time since being in our old kitchen, it was very exciting!

The tostadas have melted cheese on them and then we give the kids a choice of with or without beans. We also serve tomatoes and shredded lettuce on the side to top the tostada if desired. The tostadas were served with a half banana, cold mixed veggies with ranch to dip and a cinnamon churro!

Grades K-2 were served 1 tostada and the upper grades were served 2.

macaroni and cheese

Today was macaroni and cheese day! The macaroni was served with fresh steamed broccoli cooked in our friend Dane Cook, and grapes.


And to leave you with something fun to look at....

Hummus and Veggie Wrap

Welcome back, we hope everyone had a great long weekend.

Today we had hummus and fresh veggie wraps. In the wraps we have hummus, shredded cheese, tomato, cucumber, carrots and lettuce. We used flatout wraps, check out the nutrtion facts on these. With the wraps we served fresh apples, a tillamook cheddar cheese and chips.

Bean and Cheese Burrito

Today we served bean and cheese burritos. We hand roll over 400 burritos and then bake them so they're nice and crisp. The burritos were served with Spanish rice, taco salad and pears.

Grades K-3 recieved one burrito and a half cup of rice. Grades 4-8 were served 2 burritos and a full cup of rice.

As always, the option for a peanut butter and jelly or cheese sandwich was available.

Spaghetti

Today Bridget made homemade spaghetti sauce in our brand new (donated) steam kettle jackets, which made making sauce for almost 400 a breeze.

With the spaghetti and marinara we served fresh strawberries and a tossed salad. The salad was fresh chopped romaine, grape tomatoes, carrots, celery, olives, cucumber, a little Parmesan and some croutons.

Chicken Teriyaki

I've mentioned this before and it holds true this year, chicken teriyaki is a school wide favorite!

We served the chicken in a separate compartment from the rice because we all know how scary it can be when our food touches. We will probably try to do this, but sometimes the sauce will have to be on the pasta or rice.

The portion pictured was the K-2 portion. Grades 3-8 got a little more chicken and double the rice. The beans are pre-shelled edamame, which aren't quite as fun without the shell, but much less messy.

We hope everyone has a great weekend!

Pizza Bagels

I remembered the camera!

Today we served pizza bagels which is also something we haven't had since the old kitchen. With the pizza bagels we had bananas, carrots and a tossed salad. The younger kids had one bagel and half a banana. The older kids, starting at 3rd grade received two bagels and a whole banana.

We try to make the portions age appropriate. Has anyone had feedback from your children if there was too much or too little food?

Cheese Quesadilla

Welcome back to school!

We were so busy in the kitchen today, I forgot to take a picture of lunch. Slightly embarrassing as this is the whole point of this adventure...

Since I don't have a picture, I'll have to tell you all about it. We served cheese quesadillas, which we haven't been able to make since we were in the old building. On the side we served refried beans with a couple tortilla chips, grapes and salad. The younger kids had some steamed corn and the older kids were served a black bean, tomato and corn salsa.

It was so good!

we had a great first day in the kitchen and hope your students did as well.

Hot Dogs

Hot dogs!

The hot dogs were served with macaroni salad and fruit salad. Each plate received a ketchup packet and a dollop of mustard.

We use Hebrew National kosher hot dogs, which are slim. In the past we used the great big kosher dogs from Costco, but they no longer carry them. So grades 5-8 had two dogs in their bun.

Chicken and Rice

Today we had chicken and rice. It was served with fresh steamed broccoli and sliced orange wedges.

Tortellini

We've only had this a couple times this year, but the kids seem to like it. This is cheese tortellini with a creamy tomato sauce. Lunch was served with grapes and a tossed salad. The salad had the usual tomatoes and cucumbers, but we also added shredded carrots, radishes, purple cabbage, red onion and croutons. We also used a vidalia onion dressing. The salad was excellent.

Bean and Cheese Burrito

Hello yellow lunch! Every once in awhile as we plate the food, we realize everything is the same color. Oops!

Today we had bean and cheese burritos. (We roll about 500 burritos just for the McGillis students.) The burritos were served with corn and a half banana.

Grades 4-8 are served two burritos and grades 1-3 receive one.

Veggie Wraps

It's Monday again, which means family group lunches.
Today we served veggie wraps, which are made on lavash bread with hummus, cheese, tomato, cucumber, carrot and lettuce. Each student also received a string cheese an apple or a clementine and a bag of baked lays.

How do your kids like the baked lays?

Pizza

I forgot to bring my camera up to the park for field day. The classes just ate together and were served pizza, clementines and Popsicles.

I heard field day was great this year with lots of help from parent volunteers as well as all the teachers and aides!

Meatball Subs

Today we had vegetarian meatball subs served with fruit salad and tossed green salad!

coming next year...

McGillis didn't have school today, but Our Lady of Lourdes did.

Bridget and I decided to try a new recipe out; something we could make next year in our fancy new oven.

Tamales!!


They were delicious.

They have roasted corn and green chilies, which added flavor and not a whole lot of heat. They were filled with cheese.

This is the way I ate them at home. A little of the red pepper sauce we made and fresh guacamole.

It would probably be a two day project, but so worth it. What do you think...would your child eat a cheese tamale?

Cheese Enchilada

Today we served cheese enchiladas with a potato, bean and corn mix, re-fried beans with a few chips and an apple.

We had a bunch of potatoes leftover and needed something to do with them, so we thought of this side. I thought it turned out pretty well.

Egg salad

From What your student had for lunch.

Family groups again!
We had egg salad (or the pbj/cheese option) regular chips, either an apple or clementine and a yogurt tube.

Pizza

Grades 1-3 get one piece of pizza. Third grade can get a second piece of pizza if they eat the fruit and salad. Grades 4-8 get two pieces of pizza. The pizza was served with a tossed salad and grapes.

I know I said this yesterday about chicken teriyaki, but pizza is the most popular lunch. This year the pizza comes from Costco. We just don't have the time or space to make them. Next year we will have so much more flexibility to make our own pizzas with better choices for toppings.
It is so exciting!

Chicken Teriyaki

Chicken teriyaki is by far the favorite lunch. Today we served it with basmati rice, steamed edamame and pineapple.

Garlic Spaghetti

Sick kids again today, so no picture.

Bridget and her husband Bob made lunch today. They served the garlic spaghetti with a tossed salad and orange wedges.

But on another note have you been introduced to our new friend...

This piece of equipment has been our saving grace this year. He can cook a frozen chicken breast in about 15 minutes, he can roast, he can steam, he can proof bread, but best of all...he can clean himself!

He is the envy of many chefs, and restaurants would do almost anything to have one. We have named him...Dane Cook.

Chili Beans

I got called away with sick kids, so no picture was taken today. We had a similar lunch a few weeks ago, but this time instead of the cornbread they had a cheese quesadilla. It was also served with a salad.



We make four of these huge pots of chili! The recipe is the one and only recipe listed so far, so check it out.

Caprese Sandwiches

Today is Monday, so it is family group lunch day. The choices were the usual PBJ, cheese sandwich or a caprese sandwich (which is fresh mozzarella, tomato, fresh basil and balsamic vinegar). The sandwiches were served with an apple, an individual cheese and Baked Lays.

Have you ever asked your student about family group lunch and how it works?

Today they discussed lunch good and bad...we will share the results next week.

Sloppy Joes

The last day of our "lunch hero" picks was sloppy joes. They were served with an apple and oven roasted potatoes.

Chicken and Rice

Nearly everyone who walked passed the lunch tables today, exclaimed, "Ooo..my favorite lunch." We do hear this a lot, particularly on chicken days, but it seems everyone loves chicken and rice.
We served the chicken and gravy over basmati rice with a steamed broccoli and orange wedges. The oranges are great right now!