Life Lessons And Lunch

This post is part of the YummyMummyClub.ca and Maple Lodge Farms #FamilyFirst sponsored program, I received compensation as a thank you for my participation. This post reflects my personal option about the information provided by the sponsors.

We’re finally in the lazy days of summer break!  Around this time of year I can’t help but find myself looking at my kids thinking about how grown up they all look. I suppose it has something to do with remembering back to the first day of school almost 10 months ago and realizing the changes all at once.

With 4 kids between the ages of 8 and 12 (days away from 13, gulp), we try to give our kids responsibilities around the house, like doing their own laundry or at least folding it and putting it away. Chores aside, I think giving them control is as much of a life lesson as any responsibility like doing their own laundry. Recently, we attended an event hosted by Maple Lodge Farms, where we were challenged as a family to create our “signature” sandwich. All the ingredients were laid out on a long counter and included all the “grown up” stuff like lettuce, avocado and dijon mustard and all the “kid crazy” stuff like bear paw cookies, gummy bears and worms. It was an afternoon of life lessons and lunch for our family.

At first, my instinct was to help guide them along as we created a well balanced, parent approved, beautiful, healthy sandwich but decided to take a step way back and let the kids have full control over the creation even if it meant that green worms replaced green lettuce and it really opened my eyes. Not only did they work well together as a team, they made a sandwich that they all claimed they would eat, gummy bears on top and all.

Coming home from that event got me thinking. Why don’t I let the kids pick how they want to create their own lunches? What’s the worst thing that could happen? So off to the store we went and each of them (to my surprise) picked a different bread and created a completely different lunch for themselves.

Some were simple, some were not but one thing, ok 2 things they all had in common: they all used Maple Lodge Farms chicken lunch meats and all of them cleaned their plates! I guess this is just one more step forward as they grow up, they’re responsible for making their lunches for school (in the fall) but they have the control to make the things they will actually eat. Win-Win!

Here’s a look at the creations they had full control over, except when it came to photographing it, I get full control over that 🙂

This is “The Hilary” sandwich. As an 8 year old she’s very discerning in her tastes however simple they may be. Fresh, flakey, buttery croissants, a spreading of mayo on one side and a generous dose of cranberry jelly on the other, finished off with 2 slices of Maple Lodge Farms Oven Roasted chicken breast slices. Yum!

 

This is “The Abby” sandwich. Also being 8 (weird how twins are like the same age and stuff) Abby loves cheese. She picked a savoury cheese bun and added mayo, even more cheese and 1 slice of Maple Lodge Farms Jalapeno chicken breast slices because “I like the meat but it bites my mouth”.

 

This is “The Stella” sandwich. She’s my kid who will eat fruit over candy any day. A girl after my own heart. Stella picked brown rice cakes with a shmear of cream cheese, slices of Maple Lodge Farms Black Garlic & Peppercorn chicken breast slices and then topped with thinly sliced apples. Eaten open faced, of course.

 

And this is “The Brigette” wrap. This kid loves the kitchen. She is creative with all her “experiments” and takes pride in coming up with fun and new things to eat. Brigette’s pick was a whole wheat wrap with a dollop of mayo, 3 slices of Maple Lodge Farms Black Garlic & Peppercorn chicken breast slices, mixed micro greens salad, a drizzle of her favourite sesame salad dressing and topped off with a few crunchy croutons. With pride she said to me, “it’s like a salad in my hand!”. Smart kid.