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.
my biggest challenge is making something quick and easy.
Trying to keep themhealthy and easy to eat
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! 🙂
Finding something healthy that the kids like.
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.
The time that it takes to pack them.
Serving a wide variety of foods is my biggest challenge for lunch since time is limited.
Making sure I pack enough or that I don’t pack to much 🙂
getting something everybody likes
vmkids3 at msn dot com
I think the biggest challenge of packing lunches is having the food ready to pack
Keepin it new and interresting for the little ones!
ptavernie at yahoo dot com
finding something healthy that the kids will eat
Convincing them to try something new!
Packing something that they enjoy, yet is good for them.
making them tasty yet kinda healthy
picking a healthy lunch that they’ll actually eat.
Our challenge is a healthy lunch that everyone likes!
Finding something that will cook quick but tastes good
Trying to prepare lunches that are easy to make, nutritious, tasty, and cost effective.
incorporating veggies into our lunches is difficult.
Healthy lunches is my biggest problem.
I think packing healthy things the kids will eat is the biggest challenge
My biggest challenge is coming up with creative ways to incorpate fruit and veggies in lunches, tracietrump@yahoo.com
finding something everyone wants to eat
My biggest lunch challenge is to add variety. I tend to stay with a boring formula just because it’s easy.
my challenge is a picky eater and trying to get things she will eat that are good for her
the biggest challenge to creating a perfect lunch is combining all the food groups AND having your choices appealing to your child
thinking of a good variety everyday
Finding things my picky eater likes to eat and he loves these.
finding variety day after day!
Keeping everything fresh!
finding something that travels well
ky2here at msn dot com
Keeping it appetizing. Especially take to work lunches. Have such a hard time with it.
My challenge is to make something besides a sandwich. I get real tired of making them and eating them.
Keeping a variety with our lunches is the hardest.
try to keep lunch exciting yet healthy and not spoil, keep it cold
Trying to make healthy meals
The biggest lunch challenge is something healthy but fast.
Making sure to make it healthy.
Thanks for the chance!
I find it hard to make sure that I’m getting all the food groups.
acartwrightmorell at gmail dot com
Keeping things fresh and cool.
Finding things that all three of my children will eat but is also healthly at the same time.
The biggest challenge is packing something my son will eat.
rsgrandinetti@yahoo(DOT)com
Our biggest challenge is trying new foods. We are stuck in the same lunch time rut.
Coming up with new things!
Finding something that doesn’t require a lot of time in the kitchen
annabella @ centurytel dot net
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
Trying to get some variety. I tend to put the same thing over and over.
Trying to find something new and healthy
trying to make them healthy!
Making sure it is healthy and the kids like it
They’re just so daily!
Something healthy that will be eaten!
Keeping things fresh.
Hardest thing for me is to get enough energy to make them at night. Always to tired!
Thinking of new things to make
the biggest challenge is packing the kids something they will eat and not just throw away.
finding healthy and fast
Thanks for the giveaway! Janna Johnson jannajanna@hotmail.com Janna@feedyourpig on gfc
for me its just coming up with different ideas so that its not always sandwiches
trying to mix it up so it isn’t always sandwiches or salads
The biggest challenge is having a variety of food to keep on hand. Also, the cost of fresh fruit each week.
Making something healthy to eat.
finding variety in what I eat
finding variety and time to make what he likes.
Keeping him happy with variety!
biggest challenge is packing something that does not have to stay cold. my son like to bring brown bag. thanks
keeping enough food to make lunch
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.
trying to have more variety is an issue
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.
Coming up with variety.
Thanks!
keeping it interesting
Coming up with new foods they will eat!
Having time in the morning to make them.
The challenge is to come up with something different
Biggest Challenge is to make it different each day yet still healthy and appealing 🙂
making something healthy, quick and tasty
Not being able to send something that they can heat up- so it’s challenging to not have the same thing
the challenge is to create something different for lunch as we tend to stick to the same food most of the time
Giving my grandkids healthy food options they will actually like!
callawishes(at)hotmail(dot)com
healthy options for lunch
having something quick and healthy
To find healthy alternatives
keeping it cold.
thanks for the chance to win
Packing something that is quick and nutritious that everyone likes
Figuring out healthy options that will actually be eaten!
Giving a variety while keeping it healthy and exciting.
having a variety of healthy options
Finding good variety.
Thanks for the chance.
mogrill12@gmail.com
HEALTHY VARIETY THAT THEY LIKE AND WILL EAT
Keeping them fun but still nutritious and not too fatty!
finding the right balance between healthy and tasty
coming up with new ideas, and not the same boring lunches
My biggest challenge is making more of a variety and also adding more veggies to have a healthier lunch.
Finding something they’ll actually eat without fussing.
Coming up with different stuff to eat.
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!
my biggest challenge is poor time management
variation! I eat the same lunch all the time!
Keeping it exciting! grammypenny@frontier.com
MY biggest challenge is getting enough variety for the kids.
Coming up with fresh ideas so lunches are boring
Finding time to make something great
Coming up with something different to fix.
My biggest challenge is making something that all my family likes.
The hardest part is making something that everybody likes.
being creative! and keeping it healthy
Trying to make them healthy and tasty
Finding healthy snacks and lunches that my daughter will actually eat. She has become very picky lately and I am running out of options.
having my kids eat them.
For us it’s time getting high quality healthy ingredients together.
Finding affordable foods that are nutritious and Liz will eat.
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
picky kides is the biggest problem here. nooo i dont like this or that. ugh LOL
Getting them to try new things!
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
Finding something quick and nutricious.
coming up with different and healthy ideas for my grandson
Coming up with new lunch options is difficult for me.
Hitting the major food groups without packing a feast. I need my protein, fiber, and of course, a little something sweet!
Trying to make it healthy and having a nice variety.
variety ,changing things up
thanks
variety
jenhedger at hotmail dot com
making them varied new ideas and healthy options
The biggest problem is making sure their is variety in their lunches.
having variety and making sure they like it
The hardest part is making something that everybody likes.
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.
getting bored with my lunches
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).
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.
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 providing variety!
finding the time, and making sure it’s something everyone likes.
mixing it up , getting new ideas
the biggest challenge is hoping she’ll be in the mood for what i packed! shes picky
The biggest challenge for me is having a variety of healthy options my son will eat. Thanks!
Making something healthy that the kids can and will eat in the time allotted!
Lil Smokies are the best, not only for lunch, but for football gameday!
creative ideas, changing things up
keep food fresh, like a salad, it gets wilted..need a variety for sandwiches
Finding something that my Special Needs son will eat… and like!
Keeping them from spilling all over-hate it when sauce leaks out of the box & coats the inside of the backpack.
MY SON WON’T EAT SANDWICHES
nannypanpan@gmail.com
thinking of a variety of foods that can be left out of the fridge.
Remembering to bring them. 🙂
coming up with different things!
Mine is trying to remember to pack the night before to avoid morning chaos
If my son will like it. One day he’ll love seething and a few days later he wont
Coming up with new ideas
just figuring out what to have every day and how to make it healthy
variety- not making same thing every day
I feel like I’m making the same lunch every day.
Leftovers that are used for lunch need to still taste great!
Making sure to make a balance lunch without food spoiling.
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.
I skip lunch, but hard to figure out something easy and healthy that son will like,
I think sometimes its difficult to find things the kids will eat and keep a healthy variety.
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
Making something healthy that tastes good that your kids will eat.
It’s hard to mix it up and remember what the kids have been eating all week. 🙂
Having a variety of options to pack in a lunch.
Coming Up With A Fresh Healthy Lunch
one of our biggest challenge is time not enough of it
Boredom. Having the same lunch every day is boring!
I think it’s having everything on hand to make them! I’m always running low on ingredients!
The challenge is to come up with something different – not the same ole every day.
Making sure to make it healthy and including a fruit or veggie