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Lunch Packing Ideas for Back to School!

August 12, 2015

If you need lunch packing ideas, you’ve come to the right place…I’ve got 15 LISTS of lunch packing ideas from great food blogs!

It’s back to school time here in Tennessee, which means new lunch boxes and trying to find ways to fill them! My struggle to pack my own lunch every day is well documented here, so I thought I’d share a few of my lunch packing ideas as well as lots of ideas from other bloggers! Every.Single.One. of the posts listed here contains not one, not two, but an entire list of lunch packing ideas for you! Happy packing?!
1. A Week Worth of Lunches: Pimento Cheese 5 Ways – Chattavore

2. Real Food School Lunch Gallery – 100 Days of Real Food

3. School Lunch Ideas – Weelicious

4. A Full Year of Lunch Packing Ideas – What Lisa Cooks

5. Lunch Made Easy: 20 Non-Sandwich School Lunch Ideas for Kids! (Gluten Free & Allergy Friendly) – Keeley McGuire

6. 16 Recipes that Pack Well for Lunch – Cookie and Kate

7. Project LunchBox: 30 Days of Healthy Meals (with free PDF!) – Marla Meredith

8. 15 Non-Wimpy Salads to Take for Lunch – The Kitchn

9. 10 Nut-Free School Lunch Ideas – Momables

10. 21 Clean Lunches that Can Be Packed in Under 10 Minutes – Skinny Ms.

11. Simple, Healthy, and Delicious Packed Lunches for Kids – Yumbox Lunch

12. 15 Quick and Easy Lunch Recipes – Damn Delicious

13. Week of Vegetarian Lunch Box Ideas Kids Can Make – Kids Activities Blog

14. Over 50 Healthy Work Lunchbox Ideas – Family Fresh Meals

15. 31 Days of School Lunchbox Ideas – $5 Dinners

Chattavore’s Top 10 in 2014

January 1, 2015

Happy New Year! I’ve been seeing Top Ten of 2014 posts for the last week, so I guess I’m a little behind the pack. I’m okay with that, though, and I’ll tell you why. We’re in the middle of painting our kitchen top to bottom, quite literally. Right now we’re painting our cabinets and every single dish I own is precariously stacked on my kitchen table. My stove and counters are covered with a drop cloth. I’ll be microwaving dinner tonight. And I don’t have any pre-photographed recipes to share. So….I need a Thursday post and this is the perfect one! Here are Chattavore’s top 10 in 2014!

10. Crispy Oven-fried Zucchini

9. Broccoli Casserole – from Scratch

8. Roasted Chicken – the Whole Story

This was one of the earliest recipes on my blog! The photos were taken with a point and shoot camera before I ever understood a single thing about photography. It’s time to update the photos!

7. Broccoli and Mushroom Pasta Skillet

6. Broccoli Salad

5. Baked Fries

4. Chattanooga’s Top Five Burgers (According to Chattavore)

Burgers are important to people, not least of all myself. I’m working on shaking up the list, though. There are a few places that I need to try that are only open for lunch on weekdays, so it’s going to take me a little time to update. I’m hoping for a top ten list by summer!

3. Chicken Nuggets and Homemade Chick-fil-a Sauce

2. Quick Southern Green Beans

1. Fried Rice and Japanese White Sauce

Garlic Presses and Other Kitchen Tools Chefs Never Use…But I Do

December 26, 2014

A while back, I saw an article from The Daily Meal entitled “Garlic Presses and 12 Other Kitchen Tools Chefs Never Use“. While I totally get that in a professional kitchen there isn’t room for lots of single-use tools (Alton Brown calls them multi-taskers), some of the chefs said things like, “Get rid of it!” implying that the kitchen tools they mentioned were useful to no one. I beg to differ! Here are the kitchen tools from that list that I’m proud to say I use on a very regular basis.

1. Pasta “Remover” (I call it a pasta spoon)
Sometimes I do take the advice of the chef here and use tongs to remove pasta from the pot, but just as often I grab the pasta spoon and scoop it out with that. It’s a handy tool that sometimes I use as a substitute for a slotted spoon, since for some reason I only have one of those (I should really remedy that).

2. Garlic Press
Now, I will say that I have run across some pretty terrible garlic presses in my life, but my garlic press is fantastic and gets more use that most of the other tools in my kitchen (after, of course, my chef’s knife, cutting board, and wooden spoons). It finely crushes the garlic (and I also use it to press ginger) and I don’t have stinky garlic hands after I’m done. Bonus: you don’t have to peel the garlic first, and it comes with a handy little tool to get the skin out of the press when you’re done.
3. Toaster Oven
Guys, I live in the Southeastern U.S. It gets really hot here in the summer and I like to keep my heating bills down. Between May and October, if I can fit something in my toaster oven, that’s how it’s getting cooked. I have a super-duper awesome countertop convection oven that my in-laws bought me for my birthday a couple of years ago. It helps us keep the temperature down in the house and only takes a couple of minutes to preheat. It’s big enough to hold my 10-inch Lodge skillet, so it’s plenty big enough for me!
4. Rabbit Wine Opener
We own a couple of different types of corkscrews and sorry, this one is just far and away the easiest one to use…completely foolproof. So maybe that’s saying that we’re fools because we don’t do very well with the standard waiter corkscrew, but it’s definitely not announcing that we’re lacking in any other areas (as the chef in the article implies)!
5. Oven Mitts
Okay, so maybe I can give them this one….kitchen towels as potholders/oven mitts do make a lot of sense, and as I remodel my kitchen I’ll probably move on from the Orka silicone mitts I’ve had for years just for aesthetics and storage purposes. But for now, I still use them on a regular basis.
6. Citrus Squeezer
I actually have multiple citrus juicers…a wooden reamer, a handheld press, and a countertop glass reamer. I just find that they’re the best way for me to really get all the juice, and I use my handheld press frequently…it literally turns the fruit inside out while keeping the seeds inside the press. I don’t know what I did before I had it!
7. Slow Cooker
The argument for slow cookers is pretty obvious. You can’t (or at least I can’t…too afraid of fires) just leave my oven on with a roast or a chicken or a stew in it all day long. You can, however, leave a slow cooker out on the counter all day long cooking the aforementioned items. It’s totally worth the storage space if you ask me.

Do you use any of these kitchen tools? What are your most used kitchen tools?

Homemade Christmas Gift Ideas!

December 19, 2014

Homemade food gifts are the best…here are eleven of my favorite homemade Christmas gift ideas for you to give this Christmas!

We don’t really do the gift-buying thing for Christmas. We buy gifts for my niece and nephews and that’s about it. I don’t really enjoy the wracking my brain trying to think of what to buy (because it can be really difficult to get adults-particularly your parents-to tell you what they want) and I don’t want people to have to wrack their brain about what to buy for me…so it’s just easier to skip the process. Spending time with family is the most important way to celebrate the holiday, in my opinion. That said, when I can get myself organized I do like to make food gifts for my family. Here are eleven homemade Christmas gift ideas to give this year (all fabulous!):

11. Ranch Goldfish

The original version of this was ranch oyster crackers, which are great…but if you can amp something up by making it with Goldfish instead of oyster crackers, well, why wouldn’t you? I could eat my weight in these (and when I had surgery the Christmas before last I pretty much did…they were my snack when I had to take my pain meds), which is why I only make them once a year.

10. Rosemary Roasted Cashews

This is a recipe that my Auntie Susan, with whom I share my cooking gene, adapted from The Barefoot Contessa Ina Garten. Roasty, salty, sweet, buttery, and rosemary-y….these nuts are addictive.

9. Chocolate Sandwich Cookies (aka Homemade Oreos)

Okay, Oreos are classic. I won’t deny it. These aren’t just like Oreos…I’d venture to say that they’re better. Just a little bit softer, so deep and dark chocolatey that they make your head swim a little bit. Or maybe that’s just me. They’re also extremely easy to make, and the unfilled wafers are perfect for making chocolate cookie crusts.

8. Salted Whiskey Caramel Sauce

Why didn’t I take a picture of the caramel sauce on its own? Anyway, you get the picture. This stuff is so rich. Salt takes the flavor over the top, but the addition of whiskey (Chattanooga Whiskey, in my case) makes it really pop. This will be my go-to caramel sauce from now on!

7. Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

How do you make a chocolate chip cookie even better? Add brown butter, of course. I mean, you guys know that I love brown butter, and these cookies are no exception. They are a little more work that your standard chocolate chip cookies, but worth every iota of effort. And they’re gigantic, which makes them even better.

6. Salted Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats

Speaking of brown butter….these treats made me change my mind about my formerly indifferent feelings toward Rice Krispie treats. Doubling and browning the butter and adding salt took Rice Krispie treats from being pretty blah in my eyes to being my standard potluck dessert table contribution. Someone recently told me that the salt just didn’t do it for him. I’ll never be able to take that guy seriously again. Just kidding (or am I?).

5. Crunchy Peppermint Bark

For me, peppermint bark = nirvana. It’s like a candy that was tailor-made for me. I don’t adore white chocolate unless it has the right additions, and crushed peppermints definitely count. Add Rice Krispies? Why, yes please. That sounds pretty much perfect to me.

4. Cranberry White Chocolate Popcorn

Cranberries, white chocolate, toasted walnuts, and popcorn go together like peanut butter and jelly. And bananas. And marshmallow creme. A big ole’ fluffernutter. But not, because there’s not actually any PB or J or any of that other stuff in this recipe. But you get the picture. This is a food gift that comes together in under 20 minutes and makes enough for a few of your friends.

3. Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies in a Jar

To me, these cookies are a perfect food gift because they seem like the quintessential Christmas cookie to me. I’m not really sure why that is….maybe the colors, or maybe the fact that cranberries just seem like such a holiday flavor. Regardless of why, this cookie mix is a great gift for your favorite baker.

2. Peppermint Bark Popcorn

Truth be told, I could probably eat the entire batch of peppermint bark popcorn by myself, which is why I need to make it one of my top food gift ideas…so I’ll give it away and not eat it all. I’ve fallen in love with Andes Peppermint Crunch Baking Chips and I want to put them in ALL THE THINGS now, but this recipe marries my favorites: peppermint and popcorn. It’s pretty much perfect.

1. Hot Chocolate Mix and Marshmallows

Who doesn’t love hot chocolate (if you don’t, please don’t tell me)? Supermarket mixes usually leave something to be desired, but this mix is quick and easy to make, easy to customize (mint! malt! plain! almond!). I’ve always, always hated marshmallows, but homemade marshmallows barely even resemble store-bought. I can’t eat enough of them. I’ll share the recipe tomorrow!

What are your favorite homemade Christmas gift ideas?

Dog Friendly Restaurants in Chattanooga-Friday List

November 21, 2014

I don’t have a dog, but Chattavore contributor Carmen has some ideas about what are the most dog friendly restaurants in Chattanooga!

Dog friendly restaurants in Chattanooga? Not my area of expertise, since I don’t have a dog. However, Chattavore contributor Carmen Patty (who brought us her favorite drink spots in Chattanooga last month), has a bit of experience in this arena. Today, Carmen is bringing us her top five dog friendly restaurants in Chattanooga!

People who know me know that my dog, Myko, and I are a package deal. I miss him when I am on trips and can’t wait to see him when I come home from work. He’s always ready to watch TV or go on walks or hit the bars with me. He never has other plans and is always excited to see me. Because of this, I have learned the best places to take him around town. Lucky for me and other dog owners, Chattanooga (especially N Chatt) is very dog-friendly. Below are my top 5 favorite places to take my fur baby!!

5. Bar Louie

Just as people know I am dog-obsessed, they also know I am a complete and total snob when it comes to chain restaurants–I am not a fan, but I had heard that Bar Louie was a great place to take dogs in East Brainerd. While the food was standard American fare, the service was quick and they easily and happily accommodated my dog, Myko. They brought out water and made both of us feel right at home. While Bar Louie isn’t my number one pick for taking my dog out, it definitely deserves to be in the top 5.

Barlouieamerica.com

4. Brewhaus

Brewhaus in North Chatt is not only one of the coolest places in Chattanooga with its friendly staff european feel, but is also incredibly dog-friendly. It’s a great place to enjoy gorgeous Chattanooga evenings and afternoons with delicious beer and some of the best bar food you’ll ever have.

www.brewhausbar.com/

3. Blue Plate

Chattanooga is called the scenic city for a reason, and from the patio at Blue Plate, that reason is obvious. Situated at Ross’ Landing, the patio gives patrons one of the best views of the riverfront. Blue Plate serves delicious fried chicken and pretty awesome cocktails, too! This is one of those places that is perfect for tourists and locals alike. They also happen to be very dog friendly as they are always welcoming and will even give treats to the dogs occasionally.

http://www.theblueplate.info/site/

2. World of Beer

This place is not only Myko’s new favorite spot, but mine too!! The service is incredible, the atmosphere is wood-paneled tavern meets neighborhood hangout. During the summer, they have garage doors that open to Market Street, and in the winter a fire that is roaring in the indoor patio area. During the winter months this is the best place to take your dog because you can stay warm inside and still have your pup with you!

http://worldofbeer.com/

1. Brix Nouveau

Since I am a wino, Brix is my go-to spot in Chattanooga. I love the staff, the food, and the atmosphere. The style of the place is modern and sleek, but is made unique with quirky accents and comfortable seating. They have an amazing year-round patio with two fires and tons of comfy couch-style seating. The fact that their wine list is affordable and delicious is just icing on the cake.

http://brixnouveau.com/

Thanks to Rambo and Tyson Jackson for helping me with the list!! Other spots the boys love include: Hair of The Dog, Foodworks, Chat O Brasserie, and The Ice Cream Show!

What are your favorite dog friendly restaurants in Chattanooga?

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