By Kevin Williams
Amish school lunches are quite different from the lunch that a non-Amish public school kid might take.
Pathway Publishing 1970s classic "Amish Cooking" has a lot of handy back to school hints in preparing lunches. Some of these sound so tasty but who makes "date loaf" for their kids? Â Definitely something more applicable to the Amish:
Try softening a package of cream cheese and spreading on date or nut loaf.
Grind raisins, dates, and nuts together, then mix with coconut.
Sliced Radishes on buttered bread.
cabbage wedges (with or without peanut butter)
And this tip: be sure the eggs are freshly cooked when putting into the lunch bucket. Â When hard-boiled eggs become too old they can cause serious stomach disorders.
Let your children help plan the school lunch, this can be an educational and enjoyable family project.
AMISH SCHOOL SANDWICH
1 c. ground ham
1 c. chopped cheddar or any cheese
1 tsp. caraway seed
¼ c. chopped onion
Miracle Whip, enough to moisten
- 2 c. drained chopped sauerkraut
- 1 c. ground ham
- 1 c. chopped cheddar or any cheese
- 1 tsp. caraway seed
- ¼ c. chopped onion
- Miracle Whip, enough to moisten
- Spread on rye bread. Butter both sides and bake in medium oven until cheese melts.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Spread cream cheese on one side of bun.
- Top with ham slices.
- Spread 1 tablespoon sauce mix on the other half of bun.
- Top with cheese spread remaining sauce on top of prepared buns.
- Bake 10 minutes uncovered then 10 minutes covered or until brown
SNOOZER SANDWICHES
This is another popular lunch-pail sandwich:
1 cup catsup
1 /2 cup water
1 /2 teaspoon mustard
2 tablespoons vinegar
1 1 /2 pounds ground or sliced ham
1 /3 cup of brown sugar
- Stir all of the above into a casserole dish and bake at 250 for one hour.
- Spoon onto bread and serve as a sandwich. Very good!
Okay, Â now we move from the Amish lunches to the non-Amish. Â These are lunches my sister-in-law makes for her kids to take to school. No offense to her but these lunches are pretty to look at, that is for sure, but would they fill a kid up? Â Maybe I am looking at it through my overweight, middle-aged man eyes, but these would never fill me up now. As an 8-year-old.....probably not...but maybe....what do you think?
Apples, cucumbers, ham, cheese, pretzels and gummies.
Raspberries, red peppers, cheesy bunnies, AB&J, and a mini cookie!
Strawberries, carrots, ranch, AB&J, pirate booty, fruit leather, coconut shreds, and chocolate!
Applesauce, carrots, cheese quesadilla, fruit leather and a mini cookies!
Strawberries, carrots, ranch, crackers, salami, cheese stick and gummies.
Nana
The lunches remind me of Michelle Obama's efforts to "improve " school lunches and it went over like a lead balloon in most schools. Far more waste was noted according to reports I saw. I packed school lunches for years for my three kids and they included a sandwich, a fruit, a fruit drink and a snack type food and something baked for a dessert. They thrived ad were not overweight.
Meemaw
Interesting recipes! I thought you might like to revisit the most special lunch I shared with my Amish classmates 60 years ago! Here is the link... XOXO from Meemaw ????
http://www.meemaweats.com/2014/12/my-one-room-country-school-and-vegetable-soup/
Kevin
Marie, they are cool, the lunchboxes come from https://www.planetbox.com/