Home School Home Economics - Day 1

Monday started my kids being home from school because of the Corona Virus social distancing. I let them have electronics or basically whatever they wanted that day.  That got old real fast, and I decided I had to get my butt in gear to keep my kids off the couch, off the phone, Xbox, and TV. Yesterday, among other things, we did Home Ec.  I had some granola that my sister made me from a little while ago, and thought it would be easy to show them how to make their own granola bars (and to finish off the granola).

You can find my recipe HERE, as well as a recipe for my home made granola.  Super easy, add whatever you have on hand, and enjoy!

Homemade No Bake Granola Bars

My sister gave me the leftover granola from Christmas and it was a tad bit stale to eat plain, so I made it into granola bars! I have done this once before (about 8 years ago), and I couldn't find the recipe I used, so I had to search for another.

I found this recipe.  I obviously adjusted it a lot since I used prepared granola. You could use granola from your cereal box.  But, I think it's a great base to add whatever you want to it!  When I run out of my granola, I'm going to experiment and throw in wheat germ, and all kinds of goodies!!  My recipe for granola is HERE.

They aren't sugar free, but to me they are a better alternative than store bought granola bars because you know whats in them, not processed, and mine are jam packed full of healthy granola!  I don't even like granola bars, but I'll eat these.  Jonah calls them cookies...  

No Bake Granola Bars
Recipe from HERE

Ingredients

• ¼ cup butter
• ¼ cup honey
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup creamy peanut butter
• ½ tsp vanilla
• 2 cups quick oats
• 1 cup crispy rice cereal (like Rice Krispies)
• ¼ cup mini chocolate chips

Directions

1.  Cut out an 8 x 8 inch square of parchment paper, and place in the bottom of an 8 x 8 inch baking dish. (Or, I just greased the pan!)
2. In a large sauce pan, add the butter, honey, brown sugar, and peanut butter. Place on the stove over medium-low heat. Stir occasionally with a large spoon until it begins to bubble.
3. Once bubbling, cook for 2 minutes while stirring.
4.  Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla followed by the oats and crispy cereal. Stir until well coated then pour into the 8 x 8 inch dish. (I just poured in 3 cups of my already made granola in place of the quick oats and rice cereal)
5.  Press the mixture evenly into the dish.
6.  Sprinkle the mini chocolate chips over the top and gently press into the granola bars with your hands.
7.  Allow to cool and then cut into bars. Makes 12-16 granola bars.

I doubled the recipe, obviously

I cut mine into bars and then laid out a piece of saran wrap, and placed the bars on top spaced out.  I cut the saran wrap in between bars and wrapped them up.

I placed all the wrapped bars in a zip-lock bag and stored them in the fridge.  I pack them for my kids snacks at school. 

You can also use a cookie cutter and cut any shape out too!  I just did some large square sizes.

I thought if you used another shape, you could use all the crumbles as yogurt or ice cream toppings! 

Re-purposed baby food containers

 

I know I said I wasn't going to buy any baby food this go around, and I have stuck to that (99%).  However, someone gave me a bunch of baby food and of course I have to keep all of the containers!  I did have to train my husband not to automatically throw them in recycling.  I also have some of these that I use in my craft room for odds and ends from when Jonah ate baby food, but I wish I had more!

I don't know why I didn't think of this before, but they are perfect to pack kids lunches with!  Most containers you buy are too big, but these are the perfect size!  John has a tendency to just pour a bunch of goldfish (enough for four people) in a bag or something, but these little containers are the perfect size for my kids snacks.  I also pack snacks for Jonah in one of these containers if we are headed shopping for the day and just throw it in my purse!   

You guys, I'm practicing major self control not to go out and buy baby food just to have more of these containers!!!

As my uncle asked me once, "Do you throw anything away?"

The answer is, very, very little...  :) 

Kid's Packed Lunch Idea

I don't know why I waited so long to buy these for my kids lunches.   Probably because they are expensive...  My sister in law used them and I finally bought them based on her recommendation!

I have the hardest time with lunches because I don't buy very much processed food, and my kids do  not eat their lunches.  I can relate... my mom had the same hard time with me because I didn't like sandwiches either.  I would pack ziplock bags of noodles and eat them cold!  (Mostly just on track meet days)

Anyway, I love these.  They are supposed to keep the food hot for five hours.  My kids have said their food is always hot (or very warm...).  My kids have been very excited to eat their food, and I feel good about what they are eating!  Chili was the big hit last week and today I'm making potato soup for their lunches this week, and next week chicken tacos!  I really wish I had bought these sooner. 

Per my sister in laws instructions, I boil water, pour them in the thermos and put the top on.  Then right before my kids leave, I dump the water and I put the food (also piping hot) in the thermos.

Love!

Here are some on Amazon for you...  HERE

Packing Kids Lunch

It is so hard to pack my kids lunches everyday!  There are only so many things you can pack in a lunch, and only so many things my kids will actually eat in a lunch. I stopped buying sandwich bags a while ago, and with two kids now in school I don't have enough little plastic containers to pack both of their lunches. So, I went on a hunt in a hurry after school started to find something. I know there are other things out there, but this is what I found. (I'm an instant gratification person, if I go shopping for something, I want to come home with it that day!) This was 7.97 at Wal-Mart.

It has an ice pack, dividers, and a little container to put fruit dip or vegetable dip in - BONUS!!!  You can go to Rubbermaid's website and purchase them straight from there for a little more money, they also have some other options to fit different size lunch boxes...  SEE HERE.

Here is the top of Mallary's lunch:

Trevan's lunch today:  Pineapple, carrots, and a cookie on the top part.

Below that is his sandwich cut in the shape of a puzzle.  Underneath the napkin it is resting on are Doritos.

It fits inside his lunch box perfectly - with room to spare for a water bottle or even another container if needed!

My life just got a little easier!