Category Archives: Lunch Box

April 8, 2011 · 9:13 am

A Cup, a Cup, a Cup Fruit Salad

If you have a child eager to help in the kitchen like I do, this recipe is ideal.  It’s so simple–a cup of this, a cup of that. Your only problem will be insisting that they wait a few hours for the salad to chill and flavors to meld.  I like to bring this fruit salad to salad themed potlucks to add a little variety to the buffet. I also pack it in the girls lunch box with an ice pack.  They can tell their friends that they made it themselves!

by Elizabeth Savoie Dronet

Ingredients

1 cup shredded sweetened coconut (Store the leftover in the fridge.)
1 cup miniature marshmallows, plus a few to give the kids now since they can’t eat the salad until later
1 cup pineapple tidbits, drained
1 cup mandarine oranges, drained (I cheat and use the whole 15 oz can.)
1 cup sour cream

Gently mix, cover, and chill for several hours.

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Filed under Dessert, Lunch Box, Salads, Vegetarian

April 5, 2011 · 1:50 pm

I had a Little Chicken Deviled Eggs

Which came first?  When I was a little girl Paw Paw gave me a little chick for Easter.  I simply adored Peep Peep. Paw Paw’s brother, Uncle Bobby, who lived two doors down from Granny and Paw Paw, taught me this rhyme.  He got a kick out of listening to me recite it.

Well, I had a little chicken
And she wouldn’t lay an egg
So I poured hot water up and down her leg
Little chicken hollered and little chicken begged
Little chicken laid a hard boiled egg!

These little chicks will delight your children and they are a snap to make.  Serve them during Easter festivities.  For an adorable lunchbox, put two in a nest of lettuce or use a cupcake liner.

Method

Boil eggs.  Peel. Slice in half to create two tall halves.  Slice off rounded bottom so egg half will not wobble.  Remove yolks and place in small bowl.  Mix with a little mayonaise, mustard, salt and pepper.

Spoon yolk mixture back into halves.  With a wet finger, smooth out the rounded shape of the yolk.  Slice a small carrot into triangles to make beaks.  Use two black sesame seeds for eyes or use whatever you have around the kitchen.

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Filed under Holidays, Lunch Box, Vegetarian

March 21, 2011 · 10:10 am

Anne’s Fruit Cocktail

My mother-in-law Mary Jane Dronet worked as a demo lady for Sam’s Club in Lake Charles for 22 years.  During the 1990s her friend Anne brought this fruit salad to a company potluck. Jane kept the recipe because the main ingredients are easy to have on hand.  It also makes quite a bit and is good for serving a crowd. Jane likes to eat it for breakfast with cottage cheese or vanilla yogurt.  Add fresh fruit to the mix if the fruit cocktail will be eaten in one day.

by Anne, Jane Dronet’s friend.  Submitted by Elizabeth Savoie Dronet

Ingredients

2 cans mandarine oranges, drained
2 cans pineapple chunks, drained
1 can peach pie filling

Recommended fresh fruit additions:
4 bananas, sliced
1 pint fresh strawberries, sliced
grapes

* You can use kitchen scissors to cut the peach slices smaller if you like.

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March 4, 2011 · 4:56 pm

Olive Roll-Ups

I’m always looking for sandwich ideas for school lunches.  These bite-sized olive roll-ups got my attention in Southern Living’s recipe book Our Favorites. They were quite simple to make and best of all can be made ahead.  The next time you are asked to bring something for a church function or to a baby shower, remember these little sandwiches.  They would also be great for picnics and camping trips.

By Elizabeth Savoie Dronet, based on a recipe from Southern Living

Ingredients

  • 12  thin sandwich bread slices
  • 4-ounces package cream cheese, softened or spreadable
  • 1/2  cup  diced salad olives
  • 1/4  cup  chopped pecans, toasted
  • 1/4  cup  mayonnaise
  • 1/8  teaspoon  pepper

Method

Remove crusts from bread; reserve crusts for another use.  (We like to feed the ducks.)  Flatten bread slices with a rolling pin.

Stir together cream cheese and remaining ingredients. Spread cream cheese mixture on 1 side of each bread slice to cover. Roll up tightly; cover and chill at least 4 hours. To serve, cut each roll into 4 slices.

Makes 48 rolls.  You can easily double the recipe for a crowd.

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Filed under Appetizer, Lunch Box, Sandwiches, Showers or Teas

February 9, 2011 · 10:15 am

Peanut Butter Play Dough

Here's Miette's Dog by a Tree

What fun!  This is the one time the kids can play with their food and not get into trouble.  I like to serve it on clean placemats with a few cookie cutters and a rolling pin.  It also packs well in a lunch box with a few marshmallows and chocolate chips on the side to decorate with at school.

By Elizabeth Savoie Dronet

1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/3 cup honey
1 1/4 cup powdered milk

Combine ingredients in a mixer and mix on low for a few minutes until smooth.

Transfer to tupperware or a baggie. The serving size is a large spoonful to start.  (It can be sweet.) I’d rather the kids not squeeze it all at once!

I like to serve it with chocolate chips and marshmallows for the girls to use in their creations.

Store the untouched dough in the refrigerator. Heat in the microwave for a few seconds to soften it up again.

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January 17, 2011 · 5:09 pm

Cherry, Almond, Cinnamon Granola

This granola will knock your Birkenstocks off!

Recipe by Elizabeth Savoie Dronet, adapted from Ina Garten’s recipe

Ingredients
4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
2 cups sweetened, shredded coconut
2 cups sliced almonds
1 1/2 cups dried cherries, chopped if you like
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup honey
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Toss the oats, coconut, almonds, and cherries together in a large bowl. Pour the vegetable oil and honey over the oat mixture. Add the cinnamon, and stir with a wooden spoon until all the oats and nuts are coated with the liquids. Pour onto a sheet pan. Bake, stirring about every 5 minutes with a spatula, until the mixture turns a nice, even golden brown, about 25 minutes.  Do not overcook!

Remove the granola from the oven and allow to cool, stirring occasionally. Store the cooled granola in an airtight container.  It keeps for a long time.

We like it best sprinkled over Stoneyfield Farm’s vanilla yogurt.

For a school lunch, send the yogurt and granola in separate containers. The kids can sprinkle it on top when they are ready to eat.

*You can nearly double the honey if you like.

**If you prefer, add the fruit during the last five minutes.

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Filed under Breakfast, Lunch Box, Vegetarian

January 11, 2011 · 7:38 am

Caprese Bites

The classic caprese salad becomes a delightfully fresh appetizer when it is miniaturized and utensils are eliminated. These bites are great in the summer when you have a nice crop of tomato and basil plants, but we also like the red and green for Christmas parties.  Because they are threaded through the toothpick, they make cute lunch box salads too. Elizabeth likes to pack them on camping trips.

By Pat Savoie and Elizabeth Savoie Dronet, based on a Southern Living recipe

Ingredients:

Cherry or Grape tomatoes cut in half
Fresh small fresh mozzarella cheese balls, sliced (Buy the cheese packed in water.)
Fresh basil, torn
Toothpicks or Bamboo Skewers
Salt and Pepper

In the grocery store, look for tomatoes and cheese balls that are near the same size. Lay out tomato and cheese slices on a cutting board and sprinkle salt and pepper over them. Arrange the tomatoes and cheese to make a sandwich on either a toothpick or skewer. You can either put the basil inside the sandwich or on the top of the sandwich. See pictures for ideas.

Dressing if desired:
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Whisk together the ingredients and drizzle over Caprese Bites.

Place on bamboo skewers and serve in glass bowls or footed hurricanes.

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Filed under Appetizer, Lunch Box, Showers or Teas, Vegetarian

January 6, 2011 · 7:50 am

Biscuit Poppers

These bite-sized biscuits are hard to resist.  Eat them with honey or jelly for breakfast or brunch.  They are the perfect size for a potluck brunch when everyone wants a small taste of everything. For dinner, they make a nice accompaniment to soups or curries without being too filling.  When we were little, Dad would pick up Popeye’s Biscuits for a breakfast treat.  These little poppers taste like those special mornings.

by Elizabeth Savoie Dronet based on a Southern Living recipe

Ingredients

8 oz sour cream
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 1/4 cup Bisquick

Method

  1. Whisk together sour cream and butter.  Stir into Bisquick.  With floured hands, roll into 1 ½ inch balls. (You can also drop by spoonfuls, but the tops will remain textured when baked.) Place in lightly greased mini muffin tin.
  2. Bake 350 for 18-20 minutes or until golden. Makes 2 1/2 dozen.

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Filed under Bread, Breakfast, Freezes Well, Lunch Box, Vegetarian

November 30, 2010 · 9:49 am

Pecan Pie Mini-Muffins

These little muffins taste like butter pecan ice cream without the ice cream!  In 1998 I (Elizabeth) did my student teaching at Barbe High School in Lake Charles.  It was my first taste of what the teacher’s lounge had to offer…lots of treats!  The math teacher, Mrs. Bradley, brought in these pecan pie muffins and I couldn’t get enough of them.  Her husband, Mr. Bradley, was one of Dave’s math professors at McNeese.  He was a lucky man to have such a good cook for a wife!  When my father-in-law brings me a bag of hand peeled pecans from his trees in Lafayette, I know just what to do with them.

by Mrs. Bradley

1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1 cup finely chopped pecans
2/3 cup real butter melted
2 eggs beaten

Combine the sugar, flour, and pecans.  Beat the eggs and butter together.  Pour egg and butter mixture over the pecan mixture and stir until moist.  Fill miniature muffin tins 2/3 full. You can either grease the tin or use papers.  Bake at 350 for 10-13 minutes.  Makes about 4 dozen.

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Filed under Dessert, Holidays, Lunch Box

November 14, 2010 · 11:15 am

Jello Shapes

These jigglers are perfect for lunch boxes and picnics.  They hold their shape and do not melt with an ice pack in the bag.  My kids have such a fun time cutting out little animals, hearts, and their letter of the week.  You can use the tip of a straw to make faces in the shapes.

by Elizabeth Savoie Dronet

4 small packages of jello, any flavor
1 1/2 cup boiling water
1 cup white grape juice

Mix jello with boiling water, stirring until completely dissolved.  Pour in white grape juice.  Pour mixture into a 9×13 dish and refrigerate until solid.

Cut into cubes or use cookie cutters to make shapes.  You can dip the bottom of the dish in warm water for about 30 seconds to help the jello come out of the dish better.

Store covered in the refrigerator.

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