Lunches on the Go

Whether it's sending the kids off to school, helping the spouse out the door in the morning, trying to leave before traffic gets too bad, or just wanting to cut back on spending- lunches and snacks to take from home for school or work can be a great option to always eating out during the day while you're away from home.

I recently came across Hillbilly Housewife, where they share all kinds of fresh ideas for ways to keep from getting in the "sandwich, chips, and juicebox" rut that many can fall in to!

For the main entree of a lunch box, they suggest choosing from one of the following:
Tuna Salad with Celery
Egg Salad with Pickles
Chicken Salad with Raisins
Turkey Salad with Curry Powder
Baloney & Cheese & Mustard & Mayo
Turkey and Cranberry sauce
Fried Spam & Cheese
Fried Canned Corned Beef & Sauerkraut
Meatballs in a hotdog bun with tomato sauce
Meat Loaf with Tomato Slices
Bacon, Lettuce & Tomato
Bacon and Fried Eggs
Fried Baloney or Spam & Fried Eggs
Sloppy Joes
Turkey & Bacon and bean sprouts
Sliced Cucumbers & Butter
Sliced Cucumbers & Cream Cheese
Cream Cheese & Jelly
Peanut Butter & Jelly
Peanut Butter and Marshmallow Fluff
Peanut Butter & Raisins
Sausage & Egg Biscuit
Egg & Cheese Sandwich
Pork Roast & BBQ Sauce & coleslaw
Sliced Beef Roast & horseradish
Sliced Beef and Swiss Cheese
Sliced Beef & Cream Cheese
Sliced Beef & fried onions or mushrooms
Loose fried hamburger & onions & cheese
Burritos with beef or beans & cheese
Tacos
Quesadilla (fried cheese tortillas)
Baloney, mayonnaise & Pineapple Rings
Cream Cheese & minced peppers
Baked beans with pickle relish
Hamburgers with fixings
Corn Dogs
Hot Dogs with Chili
Hot Dogs with Cheese
Hot Dogs with Coleslaw
Chopped Chicken & BBQ Sauce
Ham Salad with Pickles
Fajitas with Beef or Chicken
Baloney, Mustard & Sprouts, wrapped in a tortilla

If you've got a thermos on hand, you can also try out any of these:
Baked Beans & Sliced Hotdogs
1/2 cup Hot Rice with 1/2 cup Beef & Broccoli overtop
Mashed potatoes with creamed chicken or turkey & gravy
Tuna Casserole
Chicken & Rice Casserole
Beef & Tomato Casserole
Canned Soups
Chowders
Creamed Soups
Hot Pinto Beans & Salt Pork or Bacon
Chili with beans
Spaghetti and Sauce
Chopped up Lasagna
Scalloped Potatoes or Potatoes Au Gratin
Macaroni & Cheese
Lentils & Rice
Beef Stew
Hamburger Gravy to spoon over bread
Sausage Gravy to spoon over biscuits
Creamed Ham to spoon over biscuits
Mashed Potatoes with Cheese
Ramen Noodles & Veggies

Great options for the classic Ziploc baggie can include these:
Apple Wedges
Orange Smiles
Cluster of Grapes
Small Banana
Carrot Sticks
Celery Sticks
Broccoli Trees
Turnip Sticks
Radishes
Boiled Eggs
Green Pepper Strips
Cucumber Slices
Cheese Cubes
Peanut Butter Crackers
Crackers & Baloney Triangles
Crackers & Cheese Slices
Crackers & Cream Cheese
Pretzels
Popcorn
Caramel Corn
Raisins
Dry Apricots
Prunes
Banana Chips
Peanuts
Sunflower Seeds
Cheese Crackers
Celery stuffed with Peanut Butter
Celery stuffed with Cream Cheese
Granola
Gorp
Homemade Cereal Snack Mix (like chex mix)

And finally, to add some variety to your drink selection during the day, choose from one of these:
Reconstituted Milk
Chocolate Milk
Hot Chocolate
Hot Coffee or Tea
Kool-Aid
Iced Tea
Ice Water
Fruit Smoothies
Orange Juice
Apple Juice
Grape Juice
Lemonade

You can view the original post for "Lunchbox food" here!

Also, in the next few days, check out our Sassy Chefs store for some great options for a thermos!

Enjoy!

Applebee's Menu Items Spur Lawsuit

If you've been to Applebee's in the last few years, you've seen the Weight Watchers logo on the menu indicating how many "points" particular menu items have. In general, patrons think of the items with the Weight Watchers logo as lower in calories and fat than other menu items. Unfortunately, it appears that some of the nutritional information found on the menu about these items is misleading.... or flat out false. For at least one menu item, lab tests revealed twice the number of fat grams listed on the menu.

Yikes! You can read more about it here!

Zuppe Toscana! (Yummy Potato Soup)

What is the deal with soup lately? The Sassy Chefs certainly appear to love them, and this creamy potato soup is no different.

Ingredients
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 medium potatoes
1 package real bacon bits (about a cup)
1 pound Italian sausage
2 cans chicken broth
8 cups water
2 cups roughly chopped kale
salt and pepper to taste

optional:
scallions
cheese

Directions
1. Brown sausage. In the meantime, mince garlic, chop onion, and chop potatoes into bite-size pieces.
2. Put potatoes, onion, garlic, chicken broth, and water into large pot. Cook on medium heat until potatoes are tender.
3. Drain sausage. Add sausage and bacon to soup. Simmer on medium 10 minutes and reduce heat to low.
4. Add kale and cream.
5. Add salt and pepper to taste. Heat to serving temperature and serve.
6. Optional: Top with chopped scallions and / or shredded cheese.

Its a creamy and satisfying soup and even husbands and boyfriends will dig it because of the sausage and bacon. Yum! Thanks Kim for the recipe!

Kristy

Minestrone Soup

A yummy Italian classic... and warm for winter!

1 T olive oil
1 cup white beans (I use canned white beans and just drain them to save time)
4 garlic cloves, diced
1 onion
2 celery stalks
6 cups chicken broth (or veggie broth if you choose)
1 can diced tomatoes
1T safflower oil
1/2 cup red wine
1 T basil
1T oregano
1/4 tsp. pepper
3 medium red potatoes
3/4 cup fresh green beans
2 carrots, diced
1 1/2 cup macaroni (or any short pasta of your choice; it is easy to make this recipe gluten free by using gluten free pasta)

Directions:
1. Prepare all vegetables so they are ready to add when you need them.
2. Saute onions and garlic in 1 T olive oil
3. Add all other ingredients except pasta and bring to a boil.
4. Add pasta and let boil until tender.
5. Reduce heat and serve!

100 Calorie (or less) Snacks!

I am a snacker. My husband says I eat like a bird, but it's really because I eat little bits about 6 times a day. I have a favorite 100-calorie snack, and it doesn't come in a tiny little cellophane package either! It's crunchy, sweet, satisfying, and..... well... sassy!

All you need is a package of plain or lightly salted rice cakes and one other ingredient. Now before you go bashing the rice cake, let me explain my choice. I like the crunch of a rice cake, it's gluten free (does not contain wheat and other grains that make some people sick), and still has 9 grams of whole grain (it is whole grain brown rice) in each cake! Perhaps more impressively, it has a gram of protein and no fat.... and all of this at only 35 calories! The star ingredient is a spreadable one, so choosing a rice cake also cuts back on the calories you would get in a normal piece of bread... and let's face it... anytime a spreadable ingredient is involved, it's always the start.

Now that we're past the rice cake, you add the star ingredient..... reduced fat (you can't even tell, I promise!) strawberry cream cheese. YUUUUMMM! You don't want to overdo it with cream cheese, but truthfully, you will probably only use a tablespoon or two, and two tablespoons provides 2 grams of protein and a little bit of fat to keep you satisfied (0 grams trans. fat).

Don't knock it until you've tried it. It's delicious. Cellophane package not included (thank goodness) and cooking... not required.

Enjoy!

Tortilla Soup

I absolutely LOVE this version of tortilla soup. I literally CRAVE it every couple of weeks because of how fresh and homemade the taste it, and yet it is super easy to make. I got the original recipe from Real Simple Magazine, but did change several things to accomodate Brian and I's tastes and preferences. Since there are various ways to do this (and all will taste fabulous!) I'm going to post those options so you can decide what's best for you and your family!

Tortilla Soup

Option #1: Two 14-19oz. cans chicken noodle soup (Progresso is best), 1 c. frozen corn, 1 t. hot sauce

In med. saucepan, bring soup to simmer. Add corn & hot sauce, stirring until just heated through, about 2-3 minutes. Ladle into bowls & serve with avocado and tortilla chips.

OR:

Option #2: Two 14-19oz. can chicken noodle soup (Progresso is best) with chicken cubes removed, 1/2 lb. chicken, 1 medium green bell pepper, 1 c. frozen corn, 1 t. hot sauce

In large pot, boil chicken for approximately 30-45 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Remove and shred into small and medium pieces, set aside. In medium saucepan, bring soup to simmer. Chop bell pepper into medium and large chunks. Add bell pepper, corn, & hot sauce to soup, stirring until just heated through, about 2-3 minutes. Ladle into bowls & serve with avocado and tortilla chips.

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**My husband and I do like a little more spice, so we added more like 3 t. of hot sauce instead of 1. You can also add any of your other favorite veggies, red bell pepper, squash, etc., to give it a flavor that is perfect for your family!

Word of the Day: Egg Wash

An egg wash is a coating used on many baked goods to create a desired texture or shine on the surface of the pastry or bread. There are many different types of egg washes. Some require only the use of the egg white while others use the whole egg. In addition, some egg washes call only for egg while others call for the addition of milk, cream, water, or salt. If your recipe doesn't specify, consider how you would like the final product to look. A wash of yolks only will be very shiny while the addition of water will cause a more golden finish. If you only use the whites, the color will be light but the surface will be very crispy and flaky. The addition of milk causes a darker color finish.

Finally, water is typically added to savory items while milk or cream is added to egg washes used on sweet treats.

Creamy Tarragon Chicken

Both my husband and I really enjoy eating chicken as a dinner meat due to its ability to "fill" us, but to have much less fat and calories than its beef counterpart. However, occasionally I start to feel like chicken dishes can "run together" quickly, where they all start to taste the same! I wanted to find a fresh, creamy chicken to serve one night for dinner for Brian and I, and came across this recipe using tarragon. I edited it a little to accomodate our tastes and what I had at our apartment, and came up with the recipe below! Please do enjoy!

Creamy Tarragon Chicken
2 T. butter or margarine
2/3 c. milk
1/4 c. white wine
2 T. Dijon mustard
2 t. dried tarragon
1 t. garlic salt
1/2 t. of rosemary
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or cutlets
salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Blend the margarine, milk, wine, mustard, tarragon, garlic salt, and rosemary. Salt and pepper chicken breasts to taste (massaging both into the chicken breast) and place them in baking dish, top with all the creamy mixture and bake for 45 minutes to an hour or until chicken is golden brown and no longer pink inside. Serve with yukon potatoes for a great hot meal! Serves 2 - 4.

*Please note: If you'd like, you can substitute the margarine and milk for 1/2c. of sour cream.

Enjoy!
Brittany

Is there BPA in your water bottle?

Last year, news broke about the link between a compound called bisphenol A (or BPA) and cancer. Though it caused a huge uproar, some of us tend to be skeptics when it seems like every day there is a new carcinogen out there. Maybe this will get your attention: this month, Shape Magazine summarizes a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association that now links BPA to diabetes. According to the article, those with high levels of BPA in their bodies were more than twice as likely to have diabetes.

Look for the number 7 on the bottom of any plastic bottles that you may take to the gym or carry to work and get rid of them! Better safe than sorry!

Kristy

Hostess with the Mostess

I have found a new website that I must pass along. Hostess with the Mostess is a site dedicated to all things related to entertaining and decorating. They have tons of party themes and a daily blog you can follow fir ideas for any upcoming parties you may be hosting.

I've added this site to our link list because if you're hostessing a party - you should definitely check it out!

Kristy