Lunch ER-vers
Hans doesn’t say “over”; he says “ER-ver.” I hate to correct him because I find it too irresistible to say ER-ver-alls.
Instead of leftovers, Hans says lunch-ERvers. Even if it has nothing to do with lunch.
Yes, lunch. Matt takes the leftovers for lunch. I kinda like that arrangement because it means that after dinner cleanup also takes care of lunch preparations for the morning, which also helps lessen the morning mess and allows Matt to sleep in an extra five minutes. I really like that arrangement because I don’t care much for leftovers, myself.
I have, supposedly, been doing this lunch thing in my own household for more than five years. I have, supposedly, been fixing children lunch for about 3 years.
I never have any idea what to do for lunch. Lunch sneaks up on me. I feel a little growl in the tummy, find it’s noonish, feel a tug and hear a whine at my knee, and immediately get a sinking despair about what in the world I’m going to do about it. Crackers. Noodles with butter. Do I have to pull out tortillas and cheese, maybe some refried beans, and get some utensils and the counter dirty? Do I have to eat? Really? And if I don’t, then I really regret it by 2 or 3 because I still have no idea what I would eat if I were going to, but I get a weak low-blood-sugar faintness about me and yet still stubbornly wish away any thoughts of food. Then the only thing that might appeal is sugar, then I get a sugar high and then I crash before dinner and end up attempting to mollify hungry boys and put the finishing touches on dinner while trying not to greet my husband with a cranky complaint.
It all ends up getting back to the lunch dilemma; I’ve known it for a long time and yet I do nothing. I’ve made a few lists, and they’ve never worked well. After breakfast, possibly even after breakfast has been cleaned up, maybe even after I’ve figured out what’s for dinner and made sure everything will be in line to make dinner happen, then suddenly I realize it’s time for another meal — a meal after breakfast and before dinner, but isn’t two meals really enough for one day?
This is my lunch trial and I am having difficulty surmounting it.
What are your lunch survival stratagems, both culinary and tactical? I might even be able to use a few psychological hints as well.
Does Matt leave early or do you all eat with him? When I was younger, my dad left bright and early in the morning and the rest of us didn’t eat until around 10 (or later). Us older ones often tried to finish our math (or a few chapters of our books!) before breakfast and eating it later meant that we didn’t have to eat lunch. Of course, Dad got home early enough that we could eat dinner around 5 (sometimes closer to 4 or 4:30). My mom loved it because it meant only two meals to plan, prepare and clean up from. I know it won’t work for everyone’s metabolism, but it sure was convenient!
Maybe you could have a small before breakfast snack that doesn’t involve cooking or planning and postpone breakfast until late enough that a small, uncooked afternoon snack (nuts, carrot sticks, cheese and crackers, or something) would be enough to tide you over till dinner. I don’t know, just an idea.
-Amanda
I personally like leftovers, Jeromy is the one that does not. We are so boring that we usually just have the same one or two things everyday for lunch. The kids don’t complain, I don’t have to think about it, and everyone is happy. It usually consists of a belgian waffle (I make buckwheat/millet waffles Saturday morning and make enough for all week and even freeze some) and either almond butter and jelly for Bennett or butter and jelly for Rachel, add some kind of fruit on hand and voila……….lunch! Once in a while I will buy natural sliced turkey (the kind without the nitrates and funky stuff) and wrap it around a big slice of avocado (or use gluten free bread to make a sandwich). That is probably their favorite, but the turkey is much more expensive. There has been many a day that I have just eaten guacamole and chips for lunch. It tides you over!