Conversations with my Daughter
Baby girl: Mommy, mommy! Help! My goat needs help.
Me: What’s wrong with your goat?
Baby girl: He’s stuck on the light! (points up to the light in the hallway)
Me: Oh! Well tell your goat to jump down.
Baby girl: He can’t!
Me: Why not?
Baby girl: He has no feet!
******************************************************************************************
Baby girl: Where are we? (We had just parked in the near-by grocery center.)
Daddy: We’re going to pick up chinese noodles.
Baby girl: :gasp: Piiiiick up chinese noooooodles???!!!
Both of us: Yup!
Baby girl: BAM! (a la Emeril-style)
If you like this post, then consider subscribing to my full feed RSS!
Posted in The Monkey, a different perspective, toddlers on September 23rd, 2008 by Modern Mami | | 0 Comments
No More Rats!
No more rats! Yay!
If you’ve been following along on Twitter, you’ll know that there have been a couple of rat incidents at my job.
Well nooooo more!
We’re moving.
Our office is moving locations, which means no more rats.
But, it also means I now have to buy a parking pass for $400. ugh
I always wonder why employees have to pay for parking with certain jobs.
In my case it’s because I work at a university, where everyone has to pay for parking…”to maintain the lots, sidewalks, etc.”
Or something really official like that.
Do you pay for parking at your job? Would that deter you from working there?
Looking forward to hearing your thoughts in the comments.
If you like this post, then consider subscribing to my full feed RSS!
Posted in Work on September 19th, 2008 by Modern Mami | | 6 Comments
The Logic Astounds
In the car…
Baby girl: Can I take my sandals off?
Me: You want to take your sandals off?
(you often have to repeat what they say to be sure you understood right)Baby girl: Nope
Me: So why did you say that?
Baby girl: Because I want them on.
You can’t argue with that logic.
If you like this post, then consider subscribing to my full feed RSS!
Posted in The Monkey, a different perspective, toddlers on September 15th, 2008 by Modern Mami | | 1 Comments
Can you Recommend Some Cold Lunch Ideas?
I received my first ever blog post request. That is, I got a question from a reader (and friend) to answer via a post.
Here is her question:
I am trying to find some creative meals to give to my husband when he goes to work. We are trying to save money and buying lunch each day is obviously way too much [money]. Right now we are getting some rolls, sandwich meat and cheese. Which is okay and we shake it up by getting some different types of meats but I am sure he is getting bored of those. You see with his job he doesn’t have access to a microwave so we can’t provide stuff that we can just heat up.
Now, I’m neither a nutrition expert nor a chef (not technically anyway). I’m just wearing one of the many hats I wear as a wife and mother.
I wish I could say that I happily pack my husband and myself a lunch each day we go to work. The truth is that I don’t. If we do take lunch from home, usually it’s either leftovers from dinner, or (for myself) a frozen South Beach meal. But, both of us have access to a microwave at work.
My friend pointed out two very important aspects of her situation.
- They are trying to save money.
- Her husband can’t access a microwave.
Keeping that in mind, here are my cold lunch ideas. (Using the term “cold†loosely since some are actually warm choices, but the point is that no microwave is required.) Some are not the healthiest choices, but they sure are cost-effective.
Sandwiches
She mentions that they’re already doing the standard sandwich, but here are some other types of sandwiches they could make. These mainly vary the “bread†used, but any of them could vary in content as well.
- Peanut butter & jelly: Try using different kinds of jelly (grape, strawberry, etc.) or even jam which has a different texture. If you also spice up the bread used, like using multigrain, nutty bread, it could really take the standard PB&J up a notch.
- Pita pocket: Tuna salad or chicken salad can easily be stuffed in a pita. To avoid it spoiling, if a fridge is not available either, a portable cooler
or insulated lunch bag
- Bagel: Bagels make great sandwich “breadâ€. There are also the square bagels that make for great sandwiches.
- Wraps: Take a traditional ham & cheese and wrap it instead of using bread. Obviously, you can create endless types of wraps and can use either whole wheat, tomato, or spinach tortillas when the plain flour tortilla tires out.
- Croissant: I’m sure you’ve heard of the CroissanWich from Burger King. Why not make your own? Again, many types of sandwiches can be created using a croissant as the “breadâ€.
Hot Lunches
Using a thermos
- Soup: Pack up last night’s leftover soup or try the canned variety.
- Chili: You can make a batch of chili early in the week that will last a few days. There are also plenty of canned chilis out there.
- Chef Boyardee: Not the healthiest, I know, but it is rather cheap and can make for a quick meal every so often. Spaghetti will probably work best, but you can try many of their choices.
- Pork & Beans: Also not the best choice in my opinion, but some folks love it.
Salads
Of course salads can easily replace a traditional sandwich, but they normally need to keep cool. If no fridge is accessible, you could (as mentioned earlier) use a portable cooler or insulated lunch bag. Packing the dressing separately is always a good idea. But, the rest could easily be pre-tossed together.
There are endless salad choices available. A personal favorite for lunch in our house is green leaf lettuce, black olives, shredded carrots, shredded cheese, craisins, and cut up chicken. My husband also likes to add sunflower seed kernels. For the chicken, you could buy the pre-cut grilled chicken strips for convenience.
Other Ideas
- Hot Dogs: We’ve done this on many beach trips. Boil the hot dogs in the morning and pack in a plastic container. They do well at room-temperature and can easily be assembled with the bread, cheese, etc., when it’s time for lunch.
- Leftovers: There is plenty of food that if you heat up real well in the morning before leaving the house, keeps well and can be eaten at room-temperature by lunch time. Rice comes to mind.
What Others are Saying
- Lunch in a Box: Box Lunches
- WebMD: 15 Fresh Brown Bag Lunch Ideas
- Clever Dude: Frugal Lunch by Clever Dudette
Now it’s your turn.
Do you have any more ideas for cold lunches? What do you recommend she pack for her husband’s lunch?
I look forward to reading your comments about lunch ideas you’ve tried in the past or think will work.
Photo by Pieter Dirkx
If you like this post, then consider subscribing to my full feed RSS!
Posted in life on September 1st, 2008 by Modern Mami | | 13 Comments
