Menu Ideas

One of my favorite salads

Salads are one of the most versatile menu options.  You could eat salad every day and never get bored just by changing the ingredients.  Salad is also a way to help feed a crowd.  I have been coordinating food for a local consignment sale’s volunteers this week and they devoured this salad at lunch.  It’s one of my favorites!  Adjust the proportions to your liking!  I think you could add grilled chicken to the salad to make an entree salad.

Pear and Friends Green Salad
Green Leaf Lettuce
Baby Spinach
Sliced pears (any kind of ripe pear will do)
Bacon pieces
Dried Cranberries  (I use Craisins)
Red onion, thinly sliced
Feta or Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
Candied walnuts or pecans, chopped (optional)

I like to serve with Mango Vinaigrette or Olde Cape Cod brand Sesame Wasabi dressing

What to do with Cherry Tomatoes??

My son loves to garden with Daddy.  They enjoy mapping out the plan each year, choosing the seeds, planting, watering and harvesting.   One of our son’s favorite garden “candies” is cherry tomatoes.  Every couple of days, son and daddy present me with a fresh bowl of juicy red bounty.   We keep some on the counter and my little one pops a few in his mouth each time he walks by.  Fine by me since they are packed with vitamins and nutrients. What to do with all those Cherry Tomatoes???   How many salads can a person eat!  Here are two simple ideas.  I hope you’ll share some of your ideas in the comments section.

Slice them and layer on a BLT sandwich.  I used thick cut bacon, whole wheat toasted bread, olive oil mayo mixed with seasoned salt, and a hearty portion of organic baby spinach and mixed greens.  Add a side of fruit or pasta and you have a simple, tasty meal that puts a big dent in your cherry tomato stock.  

Another idea….. thread a few onto skewers, marinate and grill along with some tasty beef filet chunks or Asian Grilled Chicken.  This chicken recipe was shared by a friend and I love it!

Lunchtime Play Date Menu for New Classmates

I recently hosted a lunch and play date for several of the boys (and their moms) who will be in my son's second grade class this year, as a way to help him get ready for the school year.  It was also a good way to spend some time with the moms I'll be seeing this year in class.  These kinds of menus can be fun and low-stress, with a combination of prepared and homemade foods.  I placed the kids' food on a lower level table so they could graze at-will during the play date.  Most of the food was eaten off plastic toothpicks.  They also had paper plates and napkins available, and places to sit if they chose.   The mom food was served on a higher bar area.  The moms also enjoyed dipping into the kid munchies which is just as it should be!   Beverages were water and Turkey Hill lemonade served from my son's pop-up lemonade stand.  There wasn't a lot of food left over so I think everyone enjoyed themselves.    Here's what I served:

Kid Table
-Fruit tray with clementines, watermelon, strawberries and grapes
-Salami and mozzarella cheese skewers
-Hebrew National frozen pigs in a blanket with ketchup
-Veggie tray- carrot sticks and cherry tomatoes from the garden with Ranch to dip
-Chocolate Pumpkin Nut Bread or Mini Muffins
-Store bought cookies
-I also had peanut butter, jelly and sandwich thin bread available for the making if kids didn't like the food being served (we never opened it)

Mom Table
Ham & Cheese Party Sandwiches
-Triscuits with Boar's Head Horseradish Cheddar
-Tarragon Chicken Salad,  baby greens and store-bought sandwich rolls

 
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