The holidays are over, breaks are ending, and it’s time to send the kids back to school. Over the break, I spoke with a lot of moms who were unhappy with a lot of changes that have been made to school lunches recently. They were asking me what they could do to send their child a good lunch to school without having to break the bank.
We homeschool so we do not have that problem, but I still fix lunch every day for my kids. During the holidays, my daughter and I created some fun and festive lunch creations using Hillshire Farm Lit’l Smokies.
Kayla loves corndogs, so when we were browsing the cute party animal ideas on the Lil Smokies list, she found the Corn Doggie and wanted to fix them. I will never buy store bought corn dogs again. This is so simple and easy to do and they are cute and festive and would make a great addition to any lunch box.
Ingredients:
1 pkg. Hillshire Farm Lit’l Smokies®
1 pkg. (8.5 ounces) corn muffin mix
2/3 cup flour
1 egg, beaten
1 cup milk
Vegetable oil for frying
Directions:
- Preheat oil to 375°F. Open package of Lit’l Smokies® and drain off any liquid. Insert wooden toothpick into tip of each sausage.
- Combine corn muffin mix, flour, egg and milk in a large bowl mixing until combined well. Working quickly, dip 4-5 Lit’l Smokies® in batter.
- Fry ‘em in oil 2-3 minutes, or until golden brown and batter is cooked in the center.
- Drain on paper towels. Repeat with remaining Lit’l Smokies®.
This will make 40 little dogs. What we did was make the whole batch and then we froze them on a cookie sheet. Now, when she wants to have a corn dog, she can pop a couple of these out of the freezer and warm them in the microwave or heat them in the oven.
For lunchboxes, just put a couple wrapped in paper towels and plastic wrap in the lunchbox. By the time they get ready to eat, they will be thawed and will only need a few seconds nuked in the microwave.
Be sure to check out the other Party Animal recipes on the Hillshire Farms website.
Enter to win
We are giving away three coupons so that you can create your own party dogs and lunchbox ideas yourself! Three winners will each get a coupon for a Hillshire Farm Lit’l Smokies® free product. Use the Rafflecopter form to enter this giveaway. New to Rafflecopter? Watch this 45-second video on how to enter!
I was sent coupons so that I could try and create the party animals recipes from the Hillshire Farms website.
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{ 168 comments… read them below or add one }
Making sure to make it healthy and including a fruit or veggie
The challenge is to come up with something different – not the same ole every day.
I think it’s having everything on hand to make them! I’m always running low on ingredients!
Boredom. Having the same lunch every day is boring!
one of our biggest challenge is time not enough of it
angie recently posted..Red Hat Bandit
Coming Up With A Fresh Healthy Lunch
Having a variety of options to pack in a lunch.
Twitter: womenwwin
January 3, 2013 at 10:06 pm
It’s hard to mix it up and remember what the kids have been eating all week.
Michelle recently posted..Ryobi Drill Kit – 4 Winners – Ends 1/12
Making something healthy that tastes good that your kids will eat.
to bring variety in, and to make sure everything is to their liking that it will be eaten
Thank you for hosting this giveaway
Louis
pumuckler {at} gmail {dot} com
I think sometimes its difficult to find things the kids will eat and keep a healthy variety.
I skip lunch, but hard to figure out something easy and healthy that son will like,
The hardest thing for me is breaking away from the same-old lunches. My son is still in elementary school so he has non access to a microwave. With that said, cold lunches seem to be the only option. I’d like to see that change.
Making sure to make a balance lunch without food spoiling.
Leftovers that are used for lunch need to still taste great!
I feel like I’m making the same lunch every day.
variety- not making same thing every day
just figuring out what to have every day and how to make it healthy
Idaho Jill recently posted..YourLocalSecurity.com Guard Dog Pinterest Contest! ends 1/15/13
Coming up with new ideas
If my son will like it. One day he’ll love seething and a few days later he wont
Mine is trying to remember to pack the night before to avoid morning chaos
coming up with different things!
Remembering to bring them.
thinking of a variety of foods that can be left out of the fridge.
MY SON WON’T EAT SANDWICHES
nannypanpan@gmail.com
Keeping them from spilling all over-hate it when sauce leaks out of the box & coats the inside of the backpack.
Finding something that my Special Needs son will eat… and like!
Marianne S. recently posted..Minako’s Style & Fashion Review
keep food fresh, like a salad, it gets wilted..need a variety for sandwiches
creative ideas, changing things up
Lil Smokies are the best, not only for lunch, but for football gameday!
Making something healthy that the kids can and will eat in the time allotted!
The biggest challenge for me is having a variety of healthy options my son will eat. Thanks!
the biggest challenge is hoping she’ll be in the mood for what i packed! shes picky
mixing it up , getting new ideas
finding the time, and making sure it’s something everyone likes.
Jammie recently posted..What I Want For 2013
My biggest challenge is providing variety!
My biggest challenge is packing something different everyday. My family needs more variety, but it is hard since they are also picky eaters.
My biggest challenge is keeping other kids from begging my daughter for her food. A lot of time she comes home and says that I make the best lunches and all the other kids beg her for her food. Being kind hearted, she nearly gives her whole lunch away. I have spoke with the teachers and they are helping her tell the other kids no, that she needs to eat as well.
Keeping lunches cool and not mushy. Also portions can be hard (too much and it goes to waste, too little and I’m still hungry).
getting bored with my lunches
RunInBoise recently posted..Two For Tuesday
Variety! My 6 year old takes his lunch to school each day, and it is so difficult to come up with new and appetizing lunch ideas for him, since 1. It has to be good cold and 2. It has to be something really tasty or he simply won’t eat. I try to balance healthy with kid friendly, but its hard.
The hardest part is making something that everybody likes.
having variety and making sure they like it
The biggest problem is making sure their is variety in their lunches.
making them varied new ideas and healthy options
Lori Alcorn recently posted..20 Mule team Borax a very effective laundry booster- review and giveaway
variety
jenhedger at hotmail dot com
variety ,changing things up
thanks
Trying to make it healthy and having a nice variety.
Hitting the major food groups without packing a feast. I need my protein, fiber, and of course, a little something sweet!
Coming up with new lunch options is difficult for me.
coming up with different and healthy ideas for my grandson
Finding something quick and nutricious.
The biggest hassle I have is satisfying everybody! What one person likes, the others don’t, or they argue over who gets what, etc. Drives me nuts.
h4schaffer at gmail dot com
Getting them to try new things!
picky kides is the biggest problem here. nooo i dont like this or that. ugh LOL
Trying to make sure that is a balenced…healthy enough for me to happy about fixing it and tasty enough that they will eat it
Finding affordable foods that are nutritious and Liz will eat.
For us it’s time getting high quality healthy ingredients together.
having my kids eat them.
Finding healthy snacks and lunches that my daughter will actually eat. She has become very picky lately and I am running out of options.
Trying to make them healthy and tasty
being creative! and keeping it healthy
The hardest part is making something that everybody likes.
My biggest challenge is making something that all my family likes.
Coming up with something different to fix.
Finding time to make something great
Coming up with fresh ideas so lunches are boring
MY biggest challenge is getting enough variety for the kids.
Keeping it exciting! grammypenny@frontier.com
variation! I eat the same lunch all the time!
my biggest challenge is poor time management
A big challenge to me is finding lunch combinations that are not only tasty, healthy, and not always the same, but also remain fresh until it’s time to eat! I always want to pack a salad, but I hate their tendency to wilt or get liquidy. Other things don’t remain cold or hot enough, heating takes up precious lunch time, etc. I just want something that is good, easy to prepare, and can be eaten right out of the lunch box!
Coming up with different stuff to eat.
Finding something they’ll actually eat without fussing.
My biggest challenge is making more of a variety and also adding more veggies to have a healthier lunch.
coming up with new ideas, and not the same boring lunches
finding the right balance between healthy and tasty
Keeping them fun but still nutritious and not too fatty!
HEALTHY VARIETY THAT THEY LIKE AND WILL EAT
Finding good variety.
Thanks for the chance.
mogrill12@gmail.com
having a variety of healthy options
Giving a variety while keeping it healthy and exciting.
Figuring out healthy options that will actually be eaten!
Packing something that is quick and nutritious that everyone likes
keeping it cold.
thanks for the chance to win
To find healthy alternatives
having something quick and healthy
healthy options for lunch
Giving my grandkids healthy food options they will actually like!
callawishes(at)hotmail(dot)com
the challenge is to create something different for lunch as we tend to stick to the same food most of the time
Not being able to send something that they can heat up- so it’s challenging to not have the same thing
making something healthy, quick and tasty
Biggest Challenge is to make it different each day yet still healthy and appealing
The challenge is to come up with something different
Having time in the morning to make them.
Coming up with new foods they will eat!
keeping it interesting
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Coming up with variety.
Thanks!
Finding something easy and quick but tastes good. I am not a huge sandwich fan but end up having a sandwich just because it is easy.
trying to have more variety is an issue
Packing something that will be a variety and will be healthy and filling to give them the energy to get throught the day and something that says I love you is always a plus.
keeping enough food to make lunch
biggest challenge is packing something that does not have to stay cold. my son like to bring brown bag. thanks
Keeping him happy with variety!
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finding variety and time to make what he likes.
finding variety in what I eat
Making something healthy to eat.
The biggest challenge is having a variety of food to keep on hand. Also, the cost of fresh fruit each week.
trying to mix it up so it isn’t always sandwiches or salads
for me its just coming up with different ideas so that its not always sandwiches
finding healthy and fast
Thanks for the giveaway! Janna Johnson jannajanna@hotmail.com Janna@feedyourpig on gfc
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the biggest challenge is packing the kids something they will eat and not just throw away.
Thinking of new things to make
Hardest thing for me is to get enough energy to make them at night. Always to tired!
Keeping things fresh.
Something healthy that will be eaten!
Jennifer Short recently posted..Follow up about my Walmart not taking Coupons
They’re just so daily!
Making sure it is healthy and the kids like it
trying to make them healthy!
Trying to find something new and healthy
Trying to get some variety. I tend to put the same thing over and over.
The hardest thing about lunches is that I have 3 kids that like different things I have a super picky one and then the I have ones that like to try new things
Finding something that doesn’t require a lot of time in the kitchen
annabella @ centurytel dot net
Coming up with new things!
Our biggest challenge is trying new foods. We are stuck in the same lunch time rut.
The biggest challenge is packing something my son will eat.
rsgrandinetti@yahoo(DOT)com
Finding things that all three of my children will eat but is also healthly at the same time.
Keeping things fresh and cool.
I find it hard to make sure that I’m getting all the food groups.
acartwrightmorell at gmail dot com
Making sure to make it healthy.
Thanks for the chance!
The biggest lunch challenge is something healthy but fast.
Trying to make healthy meals
try to keep lunch exciting yet healthy and not spoil, keep it cold
Keeping a variety with our lunches is the hardest.
My challenge is to make something besides a sandwich. I get real tired of making them and eating them.
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Keeping it appetizing. Especially take to work lunches. Have such a hard time with it.
finding something that travels well
ky2here at msn dot com
Keeping everything fresh!
finding variety day after day!
Finding things my picky eater likes to eat and he loves these.
thinking of a good variety everyday
the biggest challenge to creating a perfect lunch is combining all the food groups AND having your choices appealing to your child
my challenge is a picky eater and trying to get things she will eat that are good for her
My biggest lunch challenge is to add variety. I tend to stay with a boring formula just because it’s easy.
finding something everyone wants to eat
My biggest challenge is coming up with creative ways to incorpate fruit and veggies in lunches, tracietrump@yahoo.com
I think packing healthy things the kids will eat is the biggest challenge
Healthy lunches is my biggest problem.
incorporating veggies into our lunches is difficult.
Trying to prepare lunches that are easy to make, nutritious, tasty, and cost effective.
Finding something that will cook quick but tastes good
Our challenge is a healthy lunch that everyone likes!
Twitter: My
January 16, 2013 at 1:10 pm
picking a healthy lunch that they’ll actually eat.
making them tasty yet kinda healthy
Packing something that they enjoy, yet is good for them.
Convincing them to try something new!
finding something healthy that the kids will eat
Keepin it new and interresting for the little ones!
ptavernie at yahoo dot com
I think the biggest challenge of packing lunches is having the food ready to pack
getting something everybody likes
vmkids3 at msn dot com
Making sure I pack enough or that I don’t pack to much
Serving a wide variety of foods is my biggest challenge for lunch since time is limited.
The time that it takes to pack them.
The hardest thing about lunches for me is that I get tired of eating the same old thing. My kids all take hot lunch so I don’t have to worry about making them a lunch.
Finding something healthy that the kids like.
Trying to think of different healthy food and snacks I know my daughter will eat. I’m a big fan of these little smokies.Thank you for the cool giveaway!
Trying to keep themhealthy and easy to eat
my biggest challenge is making something quick and easy.