March 17, 2009
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Below the Brown Bag
I’m determined to brown bag my lunch to save money. And I’m getting tired of bologna sandwiches (even though I’ve only taken them once. It doesn’t take much bologna to do that for me.)
So here’s my plan. Make vaguely casserolish dinners of which there will be ample leftovers and I’ll take the leftovers to work in my Tinkerbell Lunchbox.
This is not working as well as I’d hoped. In fact, it’s not working at all. My boys have suddenly developed a powerful liking for vaguely casserolish meals. Tonight, I made manicotti, and I cleverly planned far far ahead. I cooked and stuffed two boxes of noodles. Surely there would be left-overs. After the feeding frenzy, I went in to survey my reward. There were three noodles left. Not bad, I could do three noodles for lunch.
Then I heard Michael say, “This stuff was really good, I’m gonna have seconds.”
And that was the end of that.
Maybe next week. They will be on Spring break with their Dad. I’ll have my opportunity for leftovers then. But it sure will be quiet.
Comments (14)
I may not work brown bagging into my schedule but I think ”vaguely casserolish” as a vocabulary additive might be a must! ROFL!
Haha! Your kids crack me up.
I’ve brown-bagged lunches for my husband for years now. One thing that he likes is salads. They are relatively quick, and cheap. You can brown chicken up on the weekend and then throw it into lettuce, etc. You can do the same with leftover hamburger, and make a taco salad. Might work.
Sure tastes good.
I work at home and almost EVERY day I eat a ham & cheese sandwich (good ham & good cheese) on wheat, some tortilla chips & salsa, and maybe some carrots… and lots of cookies
I don’t care if it’s boring, it’s cheap. Of course, then there are those days where I have to stop at the cafe for a pastry & coffee, when I could have just made some at home, so I do have my splurges.
Here’s how I avoid that problem … pack the portion for my lunch before serving dinner. If my husband is still hungry after dinner, I can easily placate him with ice cream.
My oldest packs his lunch once a week. He makes some kind of meat like chicken and cubes it and then makes a salad consisting of strawberries , bananas, spinach, nuts and what not. He puts together his salad and adds the chicken when he is ready for it and then takes croutons and will make a pasta salad for the side gets together some waters and and fresh fruit and he is set.
I am happy if I can have tuna and garlic. He loves tuna and garlic too.
I always add chicken or steak bits to a salad for lunches also. Here’s how I shop: Krogers had Stoeffer products on sale for $1.99 each and if you bought 10 of any listed item, you got 50 cents off each Stoeffer product, plus and additional $5.00 off your total grocery bill, making them on $1.00 each. I stocked up on their microwavable flat breat sandwiches, which are great. Lunch for a buck. But packing your lunch with the before dinner is served like zhenai suggested is a smart idea.
It’s an odd thing. Until recently, brown-bagging seemed to be looked down upon, like a class thing, or genre issue (“only geeks and losers do that”) Then with the economy rolling and thrashing, it became kind of a hip thing, like my 401 K took a dip but I’m cool, I’m adjusting by brown-bagging and re-harvesting style points, like when Hollywood starlets are seen conspicuously driving hybrid cars. And occasionally, rebounding-grind it in ya face dieters throw their lo-cal lifestyle at you, via the bag. So unnecessary, most of it. A decent, home-made, low cost healthy meal of your own choosing? How can that be beat? Hopefully as we all move back towards center, the brown bagger will re-attain the cult good vibe it deserves. Good luck.
That’s what you get for being a GOOD COOK! There’s always Peanut Butter & Jelly! haha!
I should get around here more often as I always leave with a smile!
Thanks & Be Blessed! – Dale
With a teenage son and a husband who eats like a teenager, I’m lucky to have enough for everyone to get some dinner, even when I make 2 roasts. Yikes! Sandwiches are out, as said teen needs 2 or 3 sandwiches in the middle of the night to make it until morning. And the 12 yo is waiting in the wings…
(who is this person, you’re thinking……is she still around
) I need to be reading you more carefully (always, but particularly for the financial side). Have been having vaguely casserolish thoughts of my own lately; will send an email to explain. But: hoping for a wonderfully relaxing Spring Break period for you, even if laden with a sense of lonliness-for-the-kids. 
@lovingmy40s - hughughughughughughughughughughug Oh I miss you. I particularly think of you at this time of year, and I’m eager to exchange emails. Just logged in this morning to check the weather, confirm the address of the hotel in OKC, and post the blog I wrote last night.
HUGS
@quiltnmomi - Love you, wonderful Lady!
. Let me know if the lengthy email I sent from my yahoo to your hotmail made it. Hope the trip goes well!!