How We Do Snacks and Dinners..

Psst..we don't buy crackers....Honestly crackers are not "real" food, just filler. And I don't think they keep my kids filled very long. We also don't buy boxes of cookies, waffles, pancakes, or soft pretzels, tubes of cinnamon rolls....

When we started school I decided to do whatever I could to make my life easier and have nutritious (and filling!) food for my family. I started baking the week before and stock piling whatever I could in the deep freezer. Cinnamon rolls and apple cinnamon donuts were made for breakfasts. I made cinnamon ripple muffins and homemade pretzels for snacks. All of these items for breakfast and snacks are loaded with whole wheat flour, ground oats, wheat germ, and flax seed. They keep my kids feeling full for hours :)

I also put together some quick dinners. Most days we finish school at four, which is also the time that Aaron comes home from work. So I needed meals with little to no prep time that take less than 30 minutes of cooking time.

I sliced up chicken and made marinade for fajitas. In no time I had 4 Ziploc freezer bags each containing chicken and marinade for one meal. I also made some hamburger patties (Bay Burgers), and salmon with marinade. And I browned sausage for homemade pizza and omelets. Pizza dough is easy to make ahead of time and freeze until the day it's needed. I pull out the meal I want the night before; by four the next day it is thawed out and ready to cook.

Now for desserts :) My family likes their sweets (in moderation of course!). I made a double batch of Grandma Fosters Chocolate Chip cookies. I stuck those in the freezer as well. That way I can pull them out as a treat rather than have them available at all times.

It has been so easy to keep this system running. One or two days a week I spend the night making muffins, pretzels, cinnamon rolls, and/or cookies (I LOVE to cook and bake so this is a treat for me!). It's also easy to start cinnamon rolls or pretzels at lunch and finish them up after dinner. On the weekend I put together my meals (about two weeks worth).

I always have healthy snacks and meals available! No more wondering what I'm making for dinner and how I'm going to find time to make it.

(Other quick dinner options- pancakes and omelets, homemade pizza)

No one should be allowed to be this pretty, she just takes my breadth away.