Pepperoni Pinwheels & Getting your Kitchen BTS Ready!

Getting your kitchen back to school ready with lunch making stations + more Back-to-School Lunch Box Ideas.  

Hi everyone and happy Monday!!! Now that summer is behind us it's time to start thinking Back-to-school!!!! Yep it's definitely that crazy time of year when we have to force ourselves out of summer mode and snap back into to school shape. 

There's school clothes and uniform shopping, new shoes, supplies, back packs, lunch boxes, hair cuts, and more!!! Whew it's definitely that time of year that I seriously dread. Everyone is still having a hard time adjusting and we're already into the second week of school. With a new school year comes the habit of packing lunches. 

During summer we pretty much ate whenever we wanted, so getting back into a routine is always difficult. Both of my kids bring their lunch to school almost everyday, so keeping a good stock of lunch items on hand is a must.

It's also important to keep everything organized, and to have a good lunch system in place.  

Now that my kids are older they can make their own lunches which makes things a lot easier. No more guessing what to pack for each of them. 

My kids love sandwiches, so I try to mix things up a bit so it doesn't get too boring. They love these Pepperoni Pizza & Ham and Cheese Pin Wheels pictured above. This is something that my kids can easily put together on their own. Look for the recipe at the end of this post.   

When it comes to lunch items I've found that if everything is organized, and in place things run much smoother, and there's less stress for everyone. I like to have lunch making stations in two different areas of my kitchen (refrigerator & pantry). 

Having two different stations ensures that my kids will have everything they need in a arms reach to make their own lunches. We also make school lunches the night before since everyone has a hard time getting up and around in the morning.  

For my refrigerated station I like to use plastic containers or plastic baskets. The items I store in these containers are string cheese, baby bell cheese, yogurt, applesauce, Jell-O cups, fruit cups (we make our own), and pudding cups (we make our own). fresh fruit blueberries, grapes, apple packets, veggie sticks, ranch dressing and humus.  

It all fits nicely inside the refrigerator pretty much on any shelf. I also store boxes of yogurt sticks, smaller water bottles, a few Lunchables for my picky son. Everything is in one place so the kids just have to pull out the container and add what they want. I always restock everything on Sundays so we can start fresh again for the next week.   

Fruit is a must so I always make sure to keep fresh fruit on hand so everyone can just grab what they want.  

For my pantry station I use a module system, but this 3 Drawer Storage Cart is a nice option. This wide cart fits perfectly in your pantry and stores, lunch boxes, juice boxes, chips, granola bars, cereal bars, protein bars, pretzels, dried fruits, nuts, trail mixes, rice cakes, animal crackers, cheese or PB crackers and fruit leather. 

Having two different lunch stations (refrigerator & pantry) makes it easier for my kids to create their own favorite lunch combinations without my assistance. The key to school lunch making is ORGANIZATION AND KEEP A FULL STOCK. My kids actually think it is fun to make their own lunches so it's a win for me. 

Before I go I'm including the recipe for the Pepperoni Pizza & Ham & Cheese Pinwheels. I hope a few of these ideas help your school year run a little bit smoother.

If you're looking for a few additional sandwich options, check out these:  

• Peanut Butter, Almond or Nut Butter and Jelly Sushi Rolls
• Lunch Meat Wraps (tortillas w/cream cheese or hummus & veggies)
• BLT's, Egg Salad or Tuna Sandwiches  
• Ham Salad Sandwiches
• Peanut Butter & Apple Sandwich 
• Chicken Salad on Croissants 
• Turkey or Ham and Cheese Sliders on King Hawaiian Rolls 
• Sandwich on a Stick (lunch meat, cheese & bead on a stick)

• Lunch Box Fruit Water & Yogurt Fruit Salad + More Lunch Box Ideas
• Back to School Lunch Box Ideas with Walmart
• Peanut Butter & Jelly Bars + More Back to School Lunch Box Ideas
• Chocolate Chip Granola Bites - Lunch Box Treats 
• Make you own Pizza Lunchables 
• S'mores Trail Mix - Back to School Lunch Box Treats
• Quick Back to School Breakfast Ideas

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