Eat Smart: Think Outside The Lunchbox

By Home Style Furniture

School’s in session and that means the daily ritual of filling the lunchbox is in full swing. Now might be the perfect time to reevaluate not only what you’re packing but what you’re packing it in.

Did You Know?

Over 20 million sandwich baggies are sent to our landfills every year, and each one takes between 500 to 1,000 years to break down

Americans throw away more than 60 million plastic water bottles per day

It’s as easy as 1-2-3 to find eco-friendly lunchbox alternatives that are safe for our kids and our planet.

Step 1 – Use BPA free, non-toxic containers and reusable baggies to fill their lunchbox with goodies they’re sure to love

Make this the year you stop throwing away all those plastic baggies. Invest just once in reusable products and save yourself money and guilt for years to come. Try getting a set for every member of the family and have fun packing your lunches together. Make sure you’re getting dishwasher safe products to make clean up easy and effective.

Bento Boxes

Metal lunchbox inserts

Fabric sandwich and snack baggies

Silicone food pouches

 Step 2 – Mix it up! Start with deconstructing the sandwich

Sandwiches are OK in a pinch, but why not try putting something a little different in their lunch box this year? Pare the sandwich down to its essential elements and roll, wrap or chop them up in style! Mix and match foods to create fun shapes and combos that’ll have them emptying their lunchboxes in record time.

Homemade wraps

Sushi rolls

Lettuce wraps

Crackers and cheese

Apple slices and peanut butter

Veggies and dips

Noodle salad

Laughing Cow cheese

Fun fruit shapes using cookie cutters

Frozen bananas sliced and sandwiched with peanut or almond butter

Yogurt parfaits

Mini muffins/quiches

French toast points/mini pancakes with fresh berries

Step 3 – Drink Fix. Smart solutions to the water bottle crisis

Be the first cool parent to make the switch to eco-friendly reusable water bottles. It’s the easiest and most practical way to show kids how much you care about the planet and their future. With so many varieties to choose from, let everyone in your family pick out the one that reflects their unique personality.

Stainless steel water bottle

Collapsible water bottle

Fruit infuser water bottles

Content provided by: +Tailbase & Ashley Furniture

www.tailbase.com

DELICIOUS PUMPKIN BREAD RECIPE

by Home Style Furniture

The long, hot summer days are coming to an end. As wonderful as it’s been to gorge on juicy fruits and sweet, luscious berries, it’s time to savor the flavors of fall. Fresh fall harvests are in full swing and pumpkin is one of the most popular autumnal ingredients. Turn the seasonal bounty into a slice of heaven with this quick pumpkin bread recipe.

One-Pan Pumpkin Bread

(Recipe from BettyCrocker.com)

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Bake Time: 45-55 minutes

Ingredients:

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 cup canned pumpkin

3 eggs

2-1/3 cups Bisquick™ Original baking mix

1-1/4 cups sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 cup walnuts or pecans (or raisins, if you prefer)

Directions:

Heat oven to 350°F.

Generously grease bottom only of 9×5 loaf pan.

Stir all ingredients except nuts in pan with fork until moistened; beat vigorously for 1 minute. Stir in nuts.

Bake 45 to 55 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes.

Run knife or metal spatula around sides of loaf to loosen; remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely before slicing.

Content provided by: +Tailbase  &  Ashley Furniture 

www.tailbase.com