Not So Hot

Looking back through my blog I realized that I've shown a lot of my cute or specialty creations, and not very many of my "everyday" lunches. I also talk a lot about what works well for us, but rarely share things that don't work so well! The other day I pulled together a lunch that gives me the perfect opportunity to share both an everyday lunch and one to file in the fail category. Don't get me wrong...it wasn't an "epic fail" (trust me when I say we've had some doozies) but it certainly wasn't one of my better lunches.

You see, the night before I packed this lunch I made up a bunch of roast beef/cheese and ham/cheese sliders and wrapped them in foil so we'd have them on hand for busy nights between football and/or hockey practice. My fifth grader was so excited to see them in the fridge the next morning and he begged me to pack one in his lunch. It seemed easy enough so I was happy to oblige. I heated the sandwich in the oven for a good 15-20 minutes, pulled it out and let it cool slightly, and for good measure wrapped it in another layer of tin foil in an effort to keep it warm until lunchtime.

When my son came home I found an empty lunch box which I took as a good sign. However, when I asked him how he liked his lunch he said it was "ok" with a look on his face that told me it wasn't great. I asked for details and he explained that the sandwich was cold (which would have been fine) except the bread gets really crunchy when you bake it so it's a lot easier to eat when it's warm. He also said that he was still REALLY hungry when he finished so evidently even though it was a bigger/heftier sandwich than I normally make it wasn't enough for my growing boy. I'm learning that it takes a fair amount of food to fill him up so I'm going to have to pack his lunches accordingly moving forward.

So, there you have it! An everyday and very much imperfect lunch. Until I can find a better solution for keeping sandwiches warm until lunchtime the sliders will have to be reserved for after school snacks or dinners on the run.