As the new school year is upon us, we find ourselves trying to get in the groove with the infamous back-to-school routine. Aside from the clothes, shoes and supply shopping, we have to start thinking about how the change in schedule reflects what we feed the family. My boys are 6 and 11 and have luckily started to gain some independence with the morning routine. They are both capable of using the microwave so I spend the week before school starts making and freezing breakfasts. Pancakes are a must. My recipe is easy, healthy and inexpensive. If you don’t want to make such a large batch, cut the recipe in half. The best part about these is that you freeze them and let the kids do their own warming in the morning. Always have sugar free syrup on hand. (I’ve been giving my kids this stuff for years and they have never missed the sugar!) You can also make and freeze french toast too.
As far as lunch box snacks go, forget about buying those high priced individually packaged 100 calorie snacks. Talk about a waste of money. I stock up on whole grain pretzels and put them in a reusable container with carrots and some low fat ranch dip. My youngest loves this snack. I am firm about sending my boys to school with healthy lunches. They usually get a sandwich on whole wheat, two fruits or veggies with a crunchy snack, a dairy and water instead of a juice box. It is amazing how much money can be saved when we pack our kids simple nutrient packed goodies.
On to dinner. On Sundays nights boil up 2 boxes of pasta in salted water and bag it for use during the week. Pre-boiling your pasta or rice for the week is a great time saver and can mean the difference between being early or late to sports practices! Here’s an easy recipe for weekday dinner. Brown up one pound of Italian or turkey sausages removed from the casing and broken up into bite sized pieces. Add ½ cup sliced onion and two bags of frozen pepper strips to the pan along with Italian Seasonings, salt and pepper. Cook until hot and then add one box of cooked pasta plus 2 TB olive oil and 1/3 cup grated Parmesan Cheese. Season with pepper and garnish with chopped fresh basil or parsley. This meal is ready in minutes and the family will love it!
Back-to-School Cinnamon Pancakes
This healthy recipe makes a double batch and with good reason! I make these in bulk and freeze them in ziploc baggies for the kids to just pull out and microwave in the morning. This saves me time and keeps them fed and happy in time for the bus. Feel free to add frozen berries to the batter for an even heartier pancake.
Dry Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
Method
Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl and stir to mix. In a separate bowl, whisk together wet ingredients. Add wet mixture to dry mixture and whisk until smooth. Allow to stand for two minutes and whisk one final time.
Meanwhile, preheat a large nonstick skillet and melt 1 tsp of butter in the pan. Once the pan is good and hot, transfer the batter to a pitcher and pour the batter in the pan to make small to medium size pancakes.
When you notice the tops bubbling, flip the pancakes and brown on the opposite side. Transfer to wire cooling racks to cool completely. Freeze in ziploc baggies and write the date in permanent marker on the bag with microwave instructions for the kids.
Three to four pancakes will heat in a single layer in a little over a minute on high.
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