Shaun, there are several things on that list that The Picky One would eat and The Little Gourmet would go nuts for - thanks for the ideas! Terri - I will also be making your Pizza Rolls they look fantastic and I am going to make it even easier on myself and pick up a ready made pizza dough at our local pizza shop. Here is another list from a few years ago where I have found inspiration. It is similar to Grainlady's link, but there are a few differences. 14 Fresh Brown Bag Lunch Ideas Pasta Lover's Lunch Salad. Pack a cold pasta salad and a plastic fork, and your pasta lover will love you, too! Make your salad with lean meat or low-fat cheese (so it has some protein), lots of vegetables to boost fiber and nutrition, and use a whole-grain blend pasta, like Barilla Plus. Then just drizzle some light vinaigrette over the top and toss. Pita Pocket Sandwich. Pack your whole-grain pita pocket with chicken Caesar salad, or any other lean meat or cheese filler mixed with vegetables and dark green lettuce. The Fruit and Cheese Plate Special. Make crispy cracker sandwiches with whole-wheat crackers, slices of assorted cheese, and lean meats. Don't forget the fruit, which goes nicely with the cheese and adds fiber and nutrition. Peanut Butter Fun Pack. Pack 1/8 cup of natural-style peanut butter, along with a plastic knife or spoon, wheat crackers, and celery sticks, and you have a peanut butter fun pack! Bagel With Cream Cheese, Please. Bagels are a wonderful foundation for hardy sandwiches that stand up to being in a backpack or locker all morning. You can toast a bagel in the morning and simply spread some light cream cheese in the middle. Or make a bagel sandwich with, say, a little light cream cheese, some turkey, and cranberry sauce, then top it off with alfalfa sprouts or Romaine lettuce. Carry a Cobb Salad. Plastic containers can hold the makings of a delicious salad lunch. Fill it with chopped green lettuce, chopped hard-boiled egg, light cheese, and/or lean ham. You can buy packets of light dressing, or just use extra packets of light salad dressing left over from your last trip to the fast-food chain. It's a Wrap! Wraps are a nice change of pace from the usual sandwich. Use one of the new higher-fiber tortillas, like the multigrain flour tortillas available in most supermarkets. Then fill 'er up with chicken Caesar salad or assorted lean meats, cheese, tomato, sliced onion, shredded Romaine lettuce, and light dressing. Just roll it up and wrap in foil. Noodle Soup Cups. Many schools offer a hot water dispenser so kids can add hot water to packaged noodle soup cups. Some brands are higher in sodium and fat, and lower in fiber than others. Check out the options in stores like Whole Foods or Trader Joe's. Veggie Sushi. Not all kids will go for this one, but there are some out there who really like seaweed-wrapped sushi rolls. You can now buy pre-made sushi at many supermarkets, too. Choosing the veggie-filled sushi means there's no chance the sushi will get a little "fishy" while it's in your kid's backpack. Toss Some Taco Salad. If taco salad is a favorite, you can pack the meat mixture tossed with the shredded cheese, tomatoes, and chopped Romaine lettuce in a plastic container. At lunchtime, your child can add crunchy, reduced-fat tortilla chips and a little light dressing. Fried Rice Can Be Fun. When made with eggs or chopped lean ham and lots of veggies, cold fried rice can be a satisfying noontime treat. Make your own, or plan on leftovers the night before if you're ordering from a restaurant. Talk About Taquitos. I started doing this last year, and it seems to have stuck with my girls. I pop some Bean and Cheese frozen Taquitos from Whole Foods into my toaster oven in the morning, then let them cool. Then, I wrap them in foil and make sure they stay cool by packing a frozen juice box or small water bottle. By noon, they are cold, fun finger food. BBQ Chicken Sandwich. Your child can assemble a yummy BBQ grilled chicken sandwich fresh at lunchtime. Just pack a grilled, boneless, skinless chicken breast (you can make it in your indoor grill the night before) with some lettuce and sliced tomato in one baggie, and a whole-wheat bun in another. Add a packet of BBQ sauce to the lunch bag, and it's good to go. Meal Muffins. Certain types of muffins work as a lunch entr. If you bake them over the weekend and keep them in the freezer, you just have to pull one or two out in the morning. By lunch, they are nicely chilled and ready to eat. Try ham and cheese muffins, Mexican Cornbread muffins, or quiche muffins (quiche filling, baked with or without crust in a muffin pan).

I met DS#2's girlfriend for breakfast at a local café. We hung around there for a couple of hours and enjoyed a good visit and lots of coffee. :o) Then we went to the Dollar Store for a little shopping. Then Amanda came over to my house for awhile. Since then I've played on the computer and watched some tv. I'm really getting sleepy as I got up at 5am. I'm invited to a baby shower this afternoon, but I don't think I'm going. I will just give the gift to the grandmother, who is a good friend. One of my Yaya friends will be in town later this evening and I think we are going to meet for dinner. My book club meets Monday night and I've only read 2 or 3 pages of my book, so I really need to sit and read.

Our local groceries all had specials on briskets to make corned beef & cabbage for ST. Patricks day and when we went to the grocery two days later I found a 14lb Brisket that was marked down to $1.39lb. 14lbs is a bit much for just Jan & I, but I figured I could cut it into thirds and have three nice roasts. Two of the roasts went in the freezer but the third one was our supper tonight. To cook it, I first rinsed it off good, then patted dry with paper towels, then I poured about 3 or 4 tablespoons of olive oil and two tablespoons of minced garlic and rubbed that in good. I then sprinkled it with a liberal coating of Mixed Italian Seasoning, Kosher Salt and coarse black pepper, which I rubbed in thoroughly. Next I poured on about 4tbs of Liquid smoke and rubbed that in. I turned the roast upside down on a large piece of aluminum foil and repeated the above process on the opposite side, then I laid another sheet of aluminum foil on top and sealed it up real tight. After punching three small vent holes in the foil I laid a small wire rack in the bottom of my crockpot and set the foil wrapped meat on the rack, put the cover on the crockpot and turned it on high for 5 hours. At the end of the 5hours I checked the core temp with a probe thermometer and it was 180degF so I figured it was done and I took it out and let it rest about 20 minutes while Jan prepared some harvard beets and rice-a-roni type rice pilaf for sides. I finally opened the pack and checked the meat...WOW..the outside appearance was perfect and when I sliced it,,,,,,,,,,,,, Peeeeeeeeeeerfect... Well done with just a little pink color in the center,,without question one of the best roasts I have ever made and the little splash of liquid smoke gave it a light smoky flavor like it just came off the grille. I had read about cooking a roast in the crockpot in that manner but this was only the second time i had tried it....You can be sure I will do this more often. It took about 20 minutes to prep, then pop it in the crockpot and off to do other things for 5 hours, what could be easier?

Tonight I made this recipe for dinner. It was delicious! I did forget the cayenne in the panko crumbs, but other than that I followed the recipe. Now, what other flavors and seasonings can we do with this technique? How about garlic and basil in the mayonaise and some grated Parm in with the crumbs? Or, sate seasonings in with the mayo and some finely chopped peanuts and cayenne in the panko?