Monday, September 6, 2010

Back to School BLOG PARTY

It's "Back to school" time, so
we're celebrating all week long.

It's a BLOG PARTY!


With recipes for lunches and contests and fun!


To all the moms out there, you rock!!


Fun facts: Because today is labor day.
If you'd like to know more about
how Labor Day got started,
click this link for the Department of Labor!


Br-r-r-r-ing! Lunchtime!

You know kids swap what's in their lunchbox, don't you? My son did all the time. Until I came up with items that he loved. It didn't always have to be a sandwich. He liked leftovers. Leftover pizza.
Leftover spaghetti (cold!). Nibbles of cheese and salami. Sliced apples with peanut butter dip. I tried to be creative. And I'd grill him when he got home to make sure he ate what I'd given him. [Oh, I didn't grill him, but I did ask leading questions. It's the mystery writer in me, right?]

So what can you make that is fun, flavorful, and the winner that no kid will swap for lunch? Not just any old cheese and baloney or peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

How about a recipe right out of The Long Quiche Goodbye? Peanut Butter Apple Pie Sandwich. It's got everything in it. Apples, raisins, cheese and peanut butter. It is downright satisfying. And it's EASY!!!


Peanut Butter Apple Pie Sandwich

Ingredients:

2 slices of your favorite bread

2 slices sharp Cheddar or Edam cheese [I used a delicious Cheddar made at Mississippi State]

2 slices of your favorite apple [I use a pippin, skin on]

10-20 California raisins [I use Sun-Maid]

2 Tbs. of Creamy Peanut Butter [I use Jif; - hence the picture above.]

Directions:

  • Spread peanut butter on a slice of bread
  • Dot each with raisins
  • Layer on the apples and cheese
  • Add the other piece of bread. [You can put peanut butter on it, too].
  • Slice and enjoy.
[Note: For this picture, I used a thicker harder bread so it would photograph well and you could see the inside layers. When you use a nice, soft piece of bread, it all melds together.]



SO...HERE'S OUR WEEK-LONG LABOR DAY
"BACK TO SCHOOL" CONTEST


If you'd like to win a prize this week,
enter a comment on that day.
Check back the next day to see if you won!
There will be a different winner every day this week.



Today's prize
A "COOL" lunch box! Star Wars "Clone Wars".
What could be better?
And a blue ice football from Rubbermaid to stow inside.
Even cooler!


For more recipes from Avery, click HERE.


24 comments:

  1. Thanks for the recipe. That sounds like something both my kids would enjoy. Will let you know how they reacted to it!

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  2. I remember seeing this recipe in the book. It is indeed a great lunch to take to school. I do remember pondering an open faced heated under the broiler sandwich with the apples and raisins on top to get crispy hot... now I am pondering that again.

    Everybody have a great Labor Day, hope there is BBQ in everyone's day...

    Could you send a kid to school with a half slab of ribs???

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  3. My boys say they are too old to take their lunch these days, but this one just might tempt them. It would make a great after school snack, too.

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  4. Let me just say how excited I am about the back to school blog party!~ I'm always looking for ideas of things to put in the kids' lunchboxes. This sounds perfect, Avery--healthy and fun. Thanks!

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  5. Oh this is a cute recipe the boys will like eating this. I have never tried it. I might could use this to bargain with to get their home work done ha.

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  6. So sorry girls I posted under my husbands name...Tommy

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  7. I think I'll be packing this sandwich for myself!

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  8. So glad everyone is enjoying. Open-faced under the broiler sounds great. This can be made with raisin bread and you can skip a step!
    ~Avery

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  9. I'm trying to figure out if my picky son would like this. I know he likes each ingredient separately, but in this sandwich they'd be touching. Gasp! :)

    Can't wait to see what you ladies have in store this week!

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  10. Janel, I know so many people who don't like food to touch. What is that about? ~Avery

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  11. I love reading about everyone's kids. Janel -- touching foods -- how could you even think about it? So cute.

    Dave, if your mom had made you ribs, I bet you would have taken them to school!

    What a great way to start off our week of school lunches, Avery!

    ~ Krista

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  12. My kids are grown, but I'd try this myself!

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  13. My husband loves this sandwich. And for fun, we grilled it, too. Fabulously different. ~Avery

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  14. Great idea for a lunchbox sandwich, Avery --and even though I can't win it, I have to say, that prize is so much fun! Going to tweet it now! :)

    Happy Labor Day and...
    Back to School Week!
    ~ Cleo
    Coffeehouse Mystery.com
    Free Coffee Drawing LIVE today at 7 PM (Eastern)
    Cleo Coyle on Twitter

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  15. Great recipe idea. I'm sure my grandson would love it. Thanks for a fun blog party this week!

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  16. Lunchboxes are so much fun right now. So much to shop. ~Avery

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  17. Great sandwich, Avery, except for the brand of PB. Sugar! Avery! Sugar!
    I prefer homestyle, ground peanuts only. But I did find a very unusual one at Trader Joes that had ground Flax seed mixed wit peanuts. A wower, but sugar. Oh well.
    Patg

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  18. Sounds wonderful. I also just like peanut butter with apples or the flavored cream cheese spread on apples. Thanks for sharing.

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  19. My mom made boring lunches. I hated making school lunches. I realized my kids were making sandwiches for themselves on the weekend, so why not for school? Every Sunday evening, we'd 1) read the upcoming week's menu and the kids would decide how many times they'd buy, and how many times they'd bring. Then 2) we'd assembly line sandwich fixings and make as many as we needed. 3) put the in the freezer to be extracted on the appropriate morning. This 4) kept things fresher (we lived in Florida; it was HOT). We'd also pre-bag things like cut up veggie sticks, and I'd have other acceptable fillers. They knew the rules: sandwich, 1 or 2 'other things' and ONE pick from the treat group.

    Trust me -- EVERYTHING freezes. None of this hogwash about no mayo -- a thin spread of mayo is none the worse for a stint in the freezer.

    I still hate making lunches, but now it's just me, and I eat at home.

    Terry
    Terry's Place
    Romance with a Twist--of Mystery

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  20. Ok, I get the no sugar, but I like sugar. Shoot me. How's that from a mystery writer? ;)

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  21. Avery, this became a favorite sandwich in our family the day I read about it in The Long Quiche Goodbye. It's my favorite by-myself-at-home lunch, and when my grandsons come over, they ask for it, with their own personal variations.

    My own personal favorite peanut butter lists two ingredients: peanuts and salt. But that's MY preference. My cupboards contain three different brands to accommodate different tastes, because there's just no arguing with a person's peanut butter preference!

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  22. Laineshots, so glad you read and enjoyed The Long Quiche Goodbye. Lovely! Thanks for sharing to everyone today. I really enjoyed the comments. Check back in the morning to see who won today's lunchbox.
    ~Avery

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  23. Leftovers is such a great idea! So practical, cost conscious, and stuff they'll actually eat. Brilliant!

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  24. I like Pink Lady or Pacific Rose apples best. The skin has a dull finish with a beautiful deep rose pink color and the flesh is pure bright white with a crisp texture that tastes like apple cider! My favorite!

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