MAKING A GREAT SCHOOL LUNCH - TACO CUPS

A KID FRIENDLY SCHOOL LUNCH - TACO CUPS

Do your kids like tacos? I'm willing to bet they do. It seems to me that 95% of kids LOVE tacos. So, let's send tacos in their lunch.

To make a tasty taco meal that travels in lunchboxes here is a recipe we call Taco Cups. It works best, and saves time, if you have tacos for dinner the night before.

1) Use those very small tortillas and press them into a muffin pan to form a cup shape.
If you only have big tortillas just cut out a circle - about the size of a mason jar lid - you can even use a mason jar lid. I have.

2) Throw the muffin pan in the oven at 350 for 10 mins.
The tortilla will crisp up and keep its cup shape. This is essential since it will hold in the yummy taco filling!

3) Fill the cup with leftover taco meat and add a sprinkle of cheese.

4) You can send a dollop of sour cream or some avocado in a small container on the side. 

Here are a couple of our school lunch video showing The Taco Cup:

The long "How-To" video:

A very quick tutorial (sans narrative) on how to make Taco Cups:

In this video I show how great it is to throw Taco Cups into the bento boxes / lunch boxes. 

Taco Cups is a favourite with my kids. They ask for it all the time. Every other parent I know that has tried the taco cups have all said the same thing, 'they love them'.

I hope this helps you pack up some great school lunches this year. It's a hard task doing it day in and day out, but, keep truckin'.

I find it very interesting to see what other parents pack in their children's lunch boxes. I've spent far too much time watching Youtube videos of other lunch packers putting everything from organic-vegan-wraps to extreme-processed-packaged filled lunches and still find myself interested in the next video. Here are a few in case you are interested...

Here is a cute healthy lunch featuring food with google eyes. I think the accessories you can add to food make lunches look so fun.

Don't be intimidated there are plenty of good solid lunches like this next one, showing simple foods, a packaged food or two, all in an inexpensive ziplock container system.

Then there is this parody I made - it is Tasty with a capital T ... and all the other lunch buzz words like Bento-Box, Organical, Protein Friendly, Glutton Free. I cut up a mango too!

MORE SCHOOL LUNCH IDEAS FROM THIS BLOG

A PLAYLIST OF THE BEST YOUTUBERS WHO MAKE SCHOOL LUNCHES

SCHOOL LUNCH CONTAINERS

WE'VE HAD A FEW LUNCH CONTAINER SYSTEMS OVER THE YEARS

The foundation for a good school lunch starts, not with food, but, with the containers you send the food in.

Wow, what a good quote I just made up!

Over the years we have had a variety of lunchboxes and for the most part they have all done the job well.

Classic metal box lunch system - apparently not cool for the grade 3 crowd

We started out with a Lock & Lock system. It is an ideal size, with removable compartments that allow a lot of flexibility - the container can hold a sandwich one day and the next day can be transformed into four small containers of [insert food such as chickpeas, chicken, tomatoes, lettuce]. 

These containers are durable - we have been using them consistently for eight years and they are still in mint condition.

Here is a video showing the lock and lock system and how we used it:

Last year we were given a premium lunchbox - A GOGREEN LUNCHBOX - to try out. We teamed up with FENIGO.COM who gave us the lunch containers to review.

The Gogreen is a big container split into different compartments - I think calling it a Bento Box would be fitting. It holds a ton of food (great, for our giant eaters) and it keeps everything in...as in no leaks, even with wet foods!

The Roots Lunchbox from Costco was what Elliott used for his lunches most of last year. He did not like the big Gogreen box ... and I have a feeling taking a giant green lunchbox out of his backpack somehow embarrassed him. So, we bought him a 'generic' lunchbox - the ROOTS one from costco.

There are many other ad hoc containers we use - tupperware, ziplock, sistema. Most of these were smaller containers used for specific purposes like holding sauces, dips, yogurt.

Tupperware snack containers - still going after 10 years

Kids love dip for veggies. Great for ketchup, sour cream, tartar sauce (maybe?)

You might be surprised to learn that we found some of these at the dollar store. Including this very useful yogurt container that keeps yogurt and granola (toppings) separated.

Rubbermaid yogurt container / separator

To see this container in action, here is a little video for you. Be prepared to laugh.

HOCKEY THEMED WORKSHEETS SPELLING

NHL HOCKEY WORKSHEETS TO WORK ON SPELLING

Spelling takes time and repetition - things that can be really boring for some kids. You can add some interest using hockey words.

For kindergarten kiddies you can label equipment and leave out the first letter. They can sound it out and fill it in. Easy, fun, and full of learning.

Primary learners can have more of a challenge (and some fun) unscrambling the words. I've added some hardcore hockey slang in a quiz section at the bottom.

Answers to the quiz above:
WHEELS
TWIG
BISCUIT
BUCKET

Another example of a hockey themed word scramble. This one is tough. 

Answers to the word scramble

1) hockey

2) skate

3) hat trick

4) puck

5) slapshot

6) power play
7) penalty
8) stick
9) boards
10) body check
11) defense
12) forward
13) helmet
14) offside
15) goal
16) assist
17) referee
18) bench
19) water bottle
20) jersey
21) Wayne Gretzky
22) goalie
23) iceing
24) breakaway

MORE HOCKEY THEMED WORKSHEETS - MATH & GEOGRAPHY

HOCKEY THEMED WORKSHEET FOR MATH AND GEOGRAPHY

MAKING MATH AND GEOGRAPHY FUN USING AN NHL HOCKEY THEME

Do you have hockey obsessed kids? We do. So, I took advantage of that interest in all things hockey and made up some 'fun' problems for the kids to do over the summer break. 


Geography - our middle guy was kind of lost when it came to geography. It was 'boring' to him. But, take a map with NHL logos on it and all of the sudden there is some interest. 
One way to learn the provinces of Canada is by hockey team right?



Math - Math can get tedious, with all the repetition and questions that have no relevance to real-life. Sports can change that! Hockey is full of math; be it stats, probability, jersey numbers...here is a chance to make questions 'fun' and give them life. 

I tried to add some connection to the questions by creating a story - you've been called up to play with the Toronto Maple Leafs! How far do you travel to play the Winnipeg Jets...and the story (and math questions) continue from there.

 My true goal here was to work on geography, so I keep making them refer back to the map...and the math practice is just a bonus.

 I made sure to include a few of the children's fav players to keep their interest peaked. And, a small art break (get creative with jersey design!)

 I have a soft spot for local heros - my fav player when I was growing up was Doug Gilmour. He's from our town, so I tried to make that connection with the kids. It was a great way to drill down to a more local level in the Geography dept.

 Hockey as a theme makes is so easy to incorporate everything from probability, percentages, logic...to FRENCH! Oui! Ils jouent de hockey au Quebéc! So, when you travel to Montreal to play a game get ready to work on some french words.

 Calculating time is easy to work in too - you've calculated how far you need to travel, now, how long will it take to get there? 

 Expanding the map and introducing a few familiar places in the USA is not hard - there are teams in Florida and California. Places they've heard of or been too - Tampa Bay is not far from Disney :) 

 Then just let the creativity fly, like the puck does when the D-man takes a one-T from the blueline...

CACTUS THEMED BIRTHDAY PARTY FOR OUR 12 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER

CACTUS IS THE HOT TREND WITH TWEENS

Our oldest turned 12 (already!) and requested a cactus themed birthday party. Jen came up with some great ideas, found some awesome cactus decor, and hand made a few items.

Cactus hugs leave a mark

Apparently, cactus and holographic go together like peas and carrots. Therefore, cactus shaped holographic cupcake toppers are a go:

Holographic paper in cactus shapes - a hit!

And old pot, some pebbles, and a sink-scrubbing-sponge cut into the shape of a cactus make an ideal centrepiece for the party's table.

Cactus - scrubbing sponge style

Michael's is on trend with cactus shaped cups. Fill with 'catus juice' (aka lemonade) and thrill the tastebuds of your party goers.

Cactus shaped cups

If you have some skills in the baking department then sugar cookies - cactus shaped of course - are the way to go. Green icing and some spikes to top them off. Watch your tongue!

Cactus cookies with spikes!

Loot bags are easy with this theme, and can potentially last a lifetime. Real cacti are inexpensive and they really wow guests. It's like giving a pet - a totally unexpected surprise!

Give plants. The gift that keeps growing.

The party took place at the darkly named Boiler Room. No, there was no boiling going on, but, there was some hardcore rock climbing.

NEW ROAD HOCKEY BLOCKER AND TRAPPER

UPGRADED GOALIE BLOCKER AND TRAPPER - VAUGHN DELUXE!

Elliott has spent hours (probably days at this point) playing mini sticks, knee hockey, or road hockey clad in his old street goalie equipment. A set that had taken millions of hits with balls, pucks, pinecones, and countless other random things found on the ground that are just the right size to hit with a hockey stick. The old set had done a great job, but, it was starting to fall apart. An upgrade was needed.

Elliott had been saving his money for awhile, planning and debating what to spend it on. His list was pretty short; goalie equipment, rollerblades, lacrosse stick. After mutiple trips to Sports stores, Canadian Tire, Toys R Us (the comparing between stores seemed endless...but, he did a thorough job really narrowing down the best deal and best product he could buy), he finally decided on a new goalie blocker and trapper.
He went with the Vaughn DELUXE Blocker and Trapper. It was big enough, quality built, and on sale 50% off (good shopper bonus!)...and fabric was pretty cool too!

But, how did the new equipment perform?

Great!

Elliott got on the new blockie and trappie and I took a few shots on him. Here is a quick product review video we made.

RELIVING THE LIFE OF 150 YEARS AGO

A VISIT TO THE PAST AT UPPER CANADA VILLAGE

The faint aroma of fire, fresh cut lumber, manure - primitive smells...smells that bring you back to a simpler time.

The buzz of people is loud, but, interestly not disturbing at all. It must be the lack of cars, wireless internet, smart phone chirps...modern noises...that make things feel natural, peaceful.

Even though there is excitement, running, and lots of activity...things feel slow. Not an annoying slow like a traffic jam, but, a slowing down of life.

It was a great experience to take a day off of the modern world. And, a great way to realize you need a little slowness, a little back to basics, a little less technology, in our life.

 

BASEBALL WAS A HIT THIS SUMMER

BASEBALL - A PLACE UNDER THE PINE PASTIME?

Baseball has always been one of the underrepresented sports in the Place Under The Pine. Historical records indicate Matty played the '87 season with little success (other than a monster triple on the last game of the season!), there are no recorded stats but heresay says 'that's probably a good thing'.

The 2013 T-ball season was Lolli's one and only year. She posted a 1.000% batting average, but, hung up her glove after that long summer.

The most fun she had was posing for baseball pics

The 2015 T-ball season was Elli's first attempt with the ol' bat and ball. He had some skill, he had a good time, and was very successful. But, his mind seemed to be stuck in winter mode (aka hockey brain) and he also struggled with playing two summer sports (baseball and soccer) and picking a favourite...at that point soccer seemed to be winning the favourite-sport race.

It seemed that maybe baseball would follow the regular Place Under The Pine path and become a 2nd tier sport.

That was, until this year.

What a snag!

 

2016 has turned things around. The summer of 2016 saw hours and hours and hours of time spent on the baseball diamond (and not on the soccer pitch). The fire for Baseball has been lit in Elli. It seemed to be a mix of things that have brought Baseball to the forefront of Elli's sporting life.

Potential homerun swing

The format of the games changes slightly, from the casual 'everyone wins' to a game where there were actual outs (scores and standings were even kept!). Elli is that kid that thrives on competition. He wants to be the best and tries extra hard to get there.

Yes, another win!

He also had a great team made up of fun loving, spirited kids, who also seemed to be interested in being competitive. He also had a super duper coach who brought out more than the just the basic hitting and catching skills in every kid, but, so much extra. With bubblegum blowing contest, team cheers, and waterfights the kids had so much fun. Extra fun. That kind of fun that made them excited to go to every game, practice, and even head into their backyards just to throw the ball around with ol' Dad. All this fun (and time spent practicing) made the team better and better and better - it was a vicious circle...to a point where they were just slaughtering every team they played.

Waterfight! Perfect timing after a hot midday game.

 

Their coach went above and beyond setting up a home & home series with Napanee's rep team. It was amazing to see that our team held up pretty well against this all star team.

This year was such a great experience and not only for Elli, but, for the whole gang of the Place Under The Pine. It was so much fun that they are even considering rep baseball for next season. Yes, rep sports, an unprecedented idea in these parts!

Like the socks Elli!

And, with a .933 batting average, and a dedication by Elli to get even better, it would be a real shame to deny him a chance at higher calibre baseball - and most likely a career in the major leagues. Probably with the Blue Jays.
The elders of the PUTP have called this idea 'The Retirement Plan' (no pressure).

HOW TO BREAK IN NEW RUBBER BOOTS

BREAKING IN RUBBER BOOTS

A brand new pair of rubber boots is a rarity in the PUTP. The typical rubber boot is bought used, passed down through all kids, and is still in good enough shape to resell. Rubber boots are one of those essential pieces that seem to last forever.

Recently a shiny new pair of Elliot sized rubber boots were purchased. Being brand new they had that brand new smell, that brand new shine, and that brand new stiffness - they needed to be worked-in before actually being worn to school for a day.

 

Here is how Elliott achieved the worn-in look and feel.

 

Step 1 - Fill in the rustic sandbox with water (get your little brother to help)

 

 

 

Fill mudpit until water reaches edge of boot top

 Step 2 - Swish around with tools (and boots) until the water and clay/mud form into a thick soupy consistency.

 

This will be a messy job so wear appropriate clothing

 

Shovel in extra dirt if needed

Step 3 - Submerge your boots in the mudbath. Ensure you push down hard to really get into the muck.

 

 

 

Step 4 - Remove boots from the mud hole. It is important at this stage to leave some mud on the boots, this will remove all shine from the toe. Allow to dry naturally outside.

  

 

 

THE WEEK TOLD THROUGH PICTURES

A HANDFUL OF PICTURES TELL SO MUCH

The week before school started was a busy time around the Place Under The Pine.


There was a flurry of scootering, biking, skateboarding...really anything you could ride with wheels...savouring the last few 'free' days of non-scheduled daytime.

Helmet, check. Scooter, um, I'll get it

There was more screentime than normal...as it is almost non existent after school starts.

Just one more Pokémon...

There was also time to finish up the to-do list from summer - one thing on the to-do list was to smash the rocks brought back from our diamond mining trip.

*Smash* Add another diamond to the pile

The citizens of the Place Under The Pine like to finish off their summer with an out of town trip. This year it was a few days in Ottawa.

Be sure to ride the dinosaurs outside the Museum of Nature

The Parliament Building - that's where the Prime Minister works kids.

Everybody ready for the light show?

FISHING ON FATHER'S DAY

A FABULOUS FATHER'S DAY

Father, Father, kids and kids

Father's Day was full of activity. The citizens of the PUTP packed up their fishing equipment and headed out to their secret fishing spot. They met Grampa out there, whom the children would describe as an 'expert angler' or more likely 'a man obsessed with all things fishing', and they set their hooks.

After an hour, and many fish caught, the activities changed from fishing to just playing in the water.

 

"It was nice to go fishing with the kids," said PUTP Father Matt, "it reminds me of when I was young and would go fishing with my Father." A tradition passed down through the generations continues in the PUTP.