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Dinner

Butternut Squash Pasta Bowls

This Butternut Squash Pasta Recipe is delicious, Fall-friendly, and makes for a healthier One Pot Dish at Home.

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Butternut Squash Pasta

I ventured out with this one. Last year or the year before (unsure), I bought a jar of Pumpkin Pasta Sauce or Butternut Squash Sauce to mix with Pasta but never did. I think I ended up tossing it since it expired. This year, I wanted to try that this Fall again. And then it occurred to me that I can maybe use Real Vegetables. Would that work? It sure did! After all, we make pumpkin soups and squash soups so surely some sort of blending has to be taking place. I gave it a shot with Butternut Squash and let me tell you, it. did. not. disappoint!

The sauce turned out just as I imagined, think and creamy and made a delicious pasta dish! To my surprise, I kept eating this and even had it a few days after. It refrigerates well too; kept it in there a few days. My children would not touch this with a 9ft pole though and I believe my husband was out-of-town when I made this – so it was mainly me eating it!

If you’re Vegan, you can switch out the regular pasta for Vegan-approved pasta and skip the Mozzarella cheese for some other type of cheese.

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Butternut Squash Pasta for Fall & Winter

I don’t know about you, but I only think of using Squash in the Fall. In fact, I really don’t think about it. Somehow, squash seems to be more obvious in the stores during the fall than other times. Are they always on the vegetable stands? I don’t know but I see them more in the Fall and think to myself, maybe a Butternut Squash would be good for something. Let’s get one just in case.

But they’re healthy and good for comfort food and for adding to soups or other foods to help warm the body during the cooler months of Fall and Winter. If you’re willing to venture out like me and want to make this Butternut Pasta, the recipe is following.

Butternut-Squash-Pasta-athomewithzan.com 

Butternut-Squash-Pasta-athomewithzan.com

Butternut Squash Pasta Bowls Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 2 Cups Penne Pasta
  • 1 Squash
  • 2 Cups Chicken Broth
  • Mozzarella Cheese
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1 tsp Paprika
  • 1 tsp Garlic Powder
  • 1/2 tsp Onion Powder
  • 1/2 tsp Black Pepper

Directions:

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  • Line a baking pan with foil. Wash, then cut squash in 1/2.
  • Scrape out shredding and seeds.
  • Cut each half into smaller pieces (about 3 each).
  • Sprinkle with Olive oil and bake about 35 – 45 minutes or until tender.
  • Let cool.

Blend Squash: Scoop out cooled squash from the skin. Place the scoop out squash in a food processor or blender. Add 2 Cups Chicken broth.

Cook Pasta: Cook pasta according to directions. Drain. Place back in pot. Pour  in blended squash, add the salt and seasonings. Stir. Add 1/2, cup Mozzarella cheese. Stir to combine and melt. The cheese should be stretchy and the mixture should be a little soupy and not dry. Um, yum!!

Butternut-Squash-Pasta-athomewithzan.com

Butternut-Squash-Pasta-athomewithzan.com

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Serve: Divide into bowls for serving. Top with a little extra mozzarella and dried parsley.

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Butternut-Squash-Pasta-athomewithzan.com

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Butternut-Squash-Pasta-athomewithzan.com

Pin This Recipe to Try Later

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She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness (Proverbs 31:27).

Breakfast

Delicious Apple French Toast Casserole

Looking for Fall Breakfasts that are comforting and weekend cozy? I’ve got you covered! This Apple French Toast Casserole is something delicious! This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.

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Fall Breakfasts with Apples

Well, there’s only certain recipes I enjoy with cooked apples – Apple pie, Apple cider, Apple Dumplings, to name a few because, see, I can’t  told you – not much. I know there are others but these are a few. But this Apple French Toast Casserole will be added to my list of Favorite Apple Foods. The apples and blend of spices in this recipe will make you wanting to eat more and more (at least it made me).

Apple-French-Toast-Casserole-athomewithzan.com

Why Make This Apple French Toast Casserole?

Because it’s Fall and with so many apples this time of year, it’s a good way try out a new recipe. Making Apple French Toast Casserole combines several flavors to bring out that Fall taste you long for – Apples, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Pecans, with a drizzle of Maple syrup. . . . can you taste it?! Delicious! Paired with a cup of coffee or your favorite Fall breakfast drink, and you’ll be good to go!

Apple-French-Toast-Casserole-athomewithzan.com

Apple-French-Toast-Casserole-athomewithzan.com

Apple-French-Toast-Casserole-athomewithzan.com

 

 

 

 

Apple French Toast Recipe

Ingredients: 

  • 4 Cups Peeled Apples
  • 1 Loaf Bread
  • 2 Cups Milk
  • 1 Cup Water
  • 1/2 Cup Cane Sugar
  • 1/4 Sick of Butter cut into slices
  • 1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
  • 1-1/2 tsp Cinnamon
  • 1 tsp Nutmeg
  • 1/2 Cup Pecans

Directions:

  • Heat oven to 400°. Grease a large baking dish and set aside.
  • Cook the Apples: Place apple slices in a large skillet. Add water, 1/4 Cup Sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon, & 1/4 tsp Nutmeg. Cook 8 minutes to 10 minutes or until tender.
  • Meanwhile, in a bowl, mix milk, the rest of the sugar, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, and Vanilla.

Add to baking dish: Layer 1/4 of the cooked apple mixture in the baking dish.

  • Add sliced bread in single files until the dish is filled.
  • Fill corners too with more bread.
  • Add the remaining apples and pecans. Top with butter. Pour milk mixture over.
    Cover with foil and bake 40 minutes.
  • Remove foil, bake an additional 5 minutes so the top can get browned.

Apple-French-Toast-Casserole-athomewithzan.com

Apple-French-Toast-Casserole-athomewithzan.com

To serve: Slice out portions of Apple French Toast Casserole unto individual plates. Add syrup, extra apple slices, a sprinkle of Cinnamon & and a little dollop of whipped cream (optional).

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Apple-French-Toast-Casserole-athomewithzan.com

Pin this Recipe to Try for Fall

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She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness (Proverbs 31:27).

Home

Pasta Necklaces – How to Make Pasta Necklaces

These Rigatoni Necklaces are cool to make, wear, and nibble on and makes a fun craft for kids year-round.  

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Have your kids ever made Rigatoni Necklaces? We’ve made them in the past but the kids made new ones last school year and I’m just now getting to share the updated version with photos. I know, it’s taken me this long. I had so much to update plus so much going on with family life, that I couldn’t share these earlier (or so it felt). You can see our original Pasta Necklaces and Bracelets here.

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Using Fuzzy Sticks Instead of String

While the large size of the pasta make it easy to run a string through them, the downfall is that they Fall out easily through untied string ends. Have you or your kids ever tried making a necklace and all the sudden, all or half of the beads fall out through the opposite end? We’ve been there.

This is why I chose to have the kids use Fuzzy Sticks instead. Fuzzy sticks keep the pasta from easily falling through the ends as they are much thicker than thin pieces of yarn or other types of strings.

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How to Make Pasta Necklace with Rigatoni Pasta

To make:

  • 1 box Rigatoni pasta (16 oz)
  • assorted food coloring of choice
  • Ziplock bags
  • a baking sheet
  • fuzzy craft sticks (or thick yarn)

What to do:

  • Decide how many different colors you want to dye.
  • Here I chose 5. Place a large handful of pasta in each Ziplock bag.
  • Pour drops of food coloring in bags.
  • Seal bags and shake until the pasta is dyed.
  • Pour pasta from each bag on a baking sheet and place in a corner to dry or place outside in the sun.
  • Pour out pasta in a bowl. Look how pretty that looks (photo below).

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Optional Strings, if you prefer

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The Fuzzy Sticks we used were not long enough. We joined three pieces together to each of them longer.

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Thread Necklaces

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Start with one end. Add a rigatoni. Add other pasta, it can be in a pattern. Repeat, until the necklace looks ready. Be sure to leave enough room at the top for twisting the ends or for tying, if using strings.

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Pasta-Necklace-Edible-Necklaces-athomewithzan.com

Twist the Ends Until Ready to Wear

Twisting the necklace seals it and prevents the pasta from falling out and therefore, un-doing the necklace.

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Wear the Necklace

Untwist the necklace when ready to wear. Note: If the Necklace is big enough to slip over the child’s head, then there’s no need to untwist it before wearing.

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Other Kids Activities with Pasta

Original Pasta Necklaces

Pasta Sensory Bins

Pin This Here

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She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness (Proverbs 31:27).

Home

How to Make School Lunch Prepping & Packing Easier

Make school lunch prepping easier with these tips. This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.

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Making School Lunch Prepping and Packing Easier

We all know the school lunch struggle could be very real. There is definitely no one size fits all. But I have decided I’m going to try to make this thing as easy as possible. My easy may not seem easy to some, it’s a system I have tested out for the last school year and still continue to use it. Check out My Favorite Lunch Boxes on my Amazon Store Front (affiliate link).

To be frank, I wish I could just make these lunches one day of the week, set whatever need to be set in the fridge, then keep the rest in a dedicated spot. However, my kids aren’t cold lunch eaters. They love their food hot. I don’t blame them, I like my food hot. I’m not much of a sandwich maker or eater. But I will eat a good one when presented to me.

Make Ahead School Lunch Ideas - athomewithzan.com

This is my Lunch Prepping System

It’s based upon the fact that our children don’t each much sandwiches and that they prefer hot foods rather than cold.

Make Ahead School Lunch Ideas - athomewithzan.com

1. Create a Menu

I have found that making a lunch menu really helps with knowing what I’m about when it comes to making lunches and shopping for groceries. On occasion, we may decide to switch the meal for a day for something else or for another one later in the week but overall, having a plan is key. This also eliminates the wandering in the kitchen wondering what to pack, then eventually packing a bunch of random items in the kids lunch box.

Make Ahead School Lunch Ideas - athomewithzan.com

2. Include Most Food Groups

  • Pick 1 of each of the 5 Food Groups – Protein, Grains, Dairy, Fruits and Vegetables to include in lunches
  • I don’t always get to every single food group in every single lunch I prepare, but I get a good portion in. Just to give an example, lunches may include:
    • fruits, vegetables, grains such as Bread, Pasta, rice
    • fruits, vegetables, grains such as a bun and a Protein such as Chicken, Hamburger Patties
    • fruits, vegetables, grains such as chips, carbohydrates such as Tortillas skins, and a protein such as ground beef
  • Dairy – not much dairy is done for lunch. My kids will eat the cheese on pizza and that’s about it for the girls. My son has also done Yogurt pouches for snacks. Get my Bagel Pizza Recipe here.
  • Our grains are usually rice & bread. We do Oatmeal some mornings and granola other mornings too. On occasion I will put a Granola bar in the kids’ lunch box – not the hard kind though., They’ll usually have popcorn for snack too.

Make Ahead School Lunch Ideas - athomewithzan.com

3. Chop Vegetables and Fruit Ahead (if needed)

  • Chop Vegetables and Fruits, if needed, ahead of time and divide them among individual lunch containers
  • Cover bowls or containers and put them in the fridge for when you’re ready to make lunches
  • Some fruits I keep out because they’re not enjoyable cold – Cuties, Apples, Oranges, plums, peaches, etc. But I keep them in one spot to make them easy to find and to separate from other fruits so that we have them for lunch or snack

Make Ahead School Lunch Ideas - athomewithzan.com

  • Note: Remove bowls/containers from the fridge and add the other food groups to them. If the bowls are meant for grab-and-go, then add the other food groups to separate bowls

Make Ahead School Lunch Ideas - athomewithzan.com

Make Ahead School Lunch Ideas - athomewithzan.com

Make Ahead School Lunch Ideas - athomewithzan.com

Make Ahead School Lunch Ideas - athomewithzan.com

Make Ahead School Lunch Ideas - athomewithzan.com

Make Ahead School Lunch Ideas - athomewithzan.com

4. Put Dry Foods in One Spot

  • Sometimes it’s helpful to prepare dry foods and put them all in one spot to make it easier to find for the week – foods like bread, crackers, pretzels, etc. Foods you don’t want to keep in the fridge
  • When you are ready to make lunches, add them to the fruit and vegetables containers in the fridge

5. Cook Grains and Soups Ahead

Certain grains can be cooked ahead – rice, certain pasta (I say certain because some fridge pasta just seem a little soggy to me). Heat up in the morning and put into a thermos.

Soups are also another great choice for making ahead. My kids don’t do much soups. Chili is as close as it gets. My eldest used to love Chicken soup but it’s been a while since we made it. That may be a good make-ahead choice

6. Cook Meats and Poultry Ahead – Heat up in the Morning

Cook meats and poultry ahead of the time and put in the fridge or freezer. If you put them in the freezer, be sure to remember to defrost them in the refrigerator the night before so you won’t have to spend extra time defrosting them in the morning. I do this with Hamburger Patties and Taco meats.

Make Ahead School Lunch Ideas - athomewithzan.com

My kids love Grilled Chicken strips from the grocery store that I sometimes cook for them. It’s easy to heat up so I usually wait until the morning off to cook it (I add seasonings, Olive Oil and a little water). It’s delicious but now it just dawned on me that I could probably also cook that ahead of time too. It’s definitely be much faster to heat it up in the morning (Microwave or even a skillet). That way they can still enjoy it warm but I wouldn’t have to go through the small process to cook it in the morning.

7. Put Drinks in the Fridge

Make Ahead School Lunch Ideas - athomewithzan.com

8. Put Dinks in the Refrigerator (Juice/Water

On the weekend or so have the children stock the fridge with drinks for lunch. No one’s wondering why they don’t have a cold drink for lunch. Remind them to fill water bottles the evening before school.

Make Ahead School Lunch Ideas - athomewithzan.com

Make Ahead School Lunch Ideas - athomewithzan.com

9. Create a Snack Bin

The snack bin may not seem like a part of lunch but that too makes packing a snack into the lunchbox easier. Our children pick a snack or two the previous night before each school morning and put them in their backpack. They used to be grabbing it in the morning, spending time deciding, going from pantry to cabinet, or forgetting. We decided to create a bin with some of their favorites, put it in one corner of the cabinet, and have the kids choose snacks at night in efforts to avoid the morning madness.

Make Ahead School Lunch Ideas - athomewithzan.com

Example of a Snack Bin (basket)

This is just one example of snacks we’ve put in bins. The school snack bin can then be placed in the pantry or cabinet. I do keep other snacks in their original boxes in the same area for purposes of grabbing something different if they feel like it.

Note: Your school snack bin may not really be a school snack bin – it may become a home snack bin everyone once in a while. Y’all know how kids roll – Oh I couldn’t find another one or furthermore, couldn’t find one I liked so I took one from the bin ….. And that’s OK. We tried. I’ve told them to just grab one from the bin for snacking at home too (if that’s what they wanted). Just refill the bin when needed:)

Make Ahead School Lunch Ideas - athomewithzan.com

Make Ahead School Lunch Ideas - athomewithzan.com

We also do fruits for snacks like peaches, apples, plums, (kept in one separate spot on the kitchen counter) or blueberries, strawberries, watermelon, cantaloupe, etc. kept prepped in the fridge.

Make Ahead School Lunch Ideas - athomewithzan.com

10. Make All Lunches Ahead

Ultimately, you could prepare all weekly lunches on the weekend from fruits and veggies to the other foods that will go into the lunch box(boxes). I know of others who make sandwiches for the week and keep it in the fridge along with fruits or veggies. I also know of another person who makes salads and do the same.

Make Ahead School Lunch Ideas - athomewithzan.com

How to Make School Lunch Prepping Easier

I hope these 10  tips on How to Make School Lunch Prepping Easier Helps you and the children. You may not need all these tips… maybe you only need to figure out one area. Whatever you choose, make sure it works for you. If not, don’t make it complicated, find another way to make things easier.

My Amazon Store front has most of my favorite lunchboxes we use and other Back to School Favorites

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She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateh not the bread of idleness (Proverbs 31:37).


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Home

How to Dye or Color Pasta

This post will show you how to dye or color pasta to use in your kids craft or for sensory play bins.

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Colorful Pasta

I’ve made plenty of colored pasta bins when our kids were smaller. They are fun to make and the beautiful bright colors always look so pretty together. This following photo is a beautiful rainbow one we recently made. The kids decided to layer it this way after we used those fun colors. We use them for necklaces and sensory bins. Dyeing or coloring Pasta is super easy and depending on the age of the kids, they can help you make it. Very young children can help shake a bag. In this post, I’m showing you how I dye or color pasta for the kids to use.

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How to Dye or Color Pasta with Images

These photos demonstrates how to Dye  or Color pasta.

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Dyeing Rigatoni

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Dyeing Macaroni

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Drying Pasta after Coloring (Dyeing)

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How-to-Color-Pasta-Pasta-athomewithzan.com

Storing Pasta after Drying

Storing the pasta in a Large Clean Ziplock Bag for Later – A dedicated plastic bin is another great choice for storing the pasta.

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How-to-Color-Pasta-Pasta-athomewithzan.com

Here’s How to Dye or Add Color to Pasta

What You Need:

  • 1 Box Pasta of Choice, I have tried Rigatoni, Macaroni, Bowtie, Penne
  • Food Coloring of Choice
  • Vinegar or Water (About 1/4 Cup)
  • Ziplock Bags (a size a little bigger than Sandwich size bags)
  • Baking Pan
  • Parchment or Foil Paper

What To Do: 

  • Line Baking Pan with Parchment Paper or Foil
  • Pour 1 -2 Cups (or the amount you need) in a Ziplock bag
  • Add drops of Food Coloring
  • Pour 1 tsp Water or Vinegar into bag
  • Shake until colors mix in with pasta
  • Pour out Pasta on lined tray to dry
  • Repeat steps with more Pasta

When Pasta is dry, the kids can play with it. Leave everything on the tray for them to mix up or pour it into a bin. Store pasta in a Large Ziplock Bag.

Note: Using a bin for playing might be better since the kids can scoop, pour, & dump easier. A tray might be too shallow for scooping. Add some kitchen items such as measuring cups, small bowls, spoons, etc. or similar toys of for play.

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She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness (Proverbs 31:27).

Dinner

Squash-Vegetable Fall Soup

This Squash-Vegetable Fall Soup will be the next best soup recipe at your Fall dinner table. Seriously.

Squash-Soup-Fall-Soup-Fall - athomewithzan.com

How I Came About Making This Fall Soup

Years ago, I came across a Squash Soup recipe by Alton Brown on Food Network. I loved the recipe and have made it quite a few times since during the Fall. But then I started seeing other similar recipes involving either squash or pumpkin. This year, I decided I’m going to put my own spin on things. What I created is a delicious, creamy, hearty soup that will get your taste buds going and you wanting to cozy up with giant bowls of soup. For realz!

Squash-Soup-Fall-Soup-Fall - athomewithzan.com

Why Squash Soup?

To be honest, I feel like I never know what to do with Butternut squash…. or any kind of squash for that matter. I find them kinda boring eat. Plain-boiled salty butternut squash doesn’t see appealing to me. I feel loke a little bit of sweetener of some sort and a “hint” of cinnamon will take things up a notch. You got to dress it up!

Squash-Soup-Fall-Soup-Fall - athomewithzan.com

Squash-Soup-Fall-Soup-Fall - athomewithzan.com

Squash-Soup-Fall-Soup-Fall - athomewithzan.com

Squash Soup Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 1 Squash
  • 1 Large Sweet Potato
  • 1 Large Carrot
  • 3 Cups Chicken Broth
  • 1/2 Half and Half
  • 1/4 Cup Honey
  • 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
  • 1/4 -1/2 tsp Nutmeg
  • Salt
  • Black Pepper
  • Fresh Parsley

Directions:

Bake the squash.

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking pan with foil paper and spray with cooking spray.
  • Cut the squash into 4 large pieces. Scoop out shreds and seeds. You can keep the seeds for later, optional.
  • Cut large pieces into smaller pieces; about 3 pieces each (it just makes it easier to cook through. Sprinkle Squash pieces with Olive Oil.
  • Bake in the preheated oven for 35-45 minutes or until tender. Remove from oven to cool until able to handle.

Make the soup.

  • Scoop out the cooled squash and add to the food processor.
  • Blend Squash with 2 Cups Chicken Broth
  • Pour Squash mixture in a skillet
  • Add the other cup of chicken broth and 1 cup water. Stir to combine.
  • Once the soup is heated up, stir in Half and Half.
  • Add salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
  • Let cook about 2 minutes, stirring.
  • Turn off heat.
  • Let the soup sit a for about 10 minutes before serving. You could serve right away, but I find that allowing it to sit, not only cools it but thickens it a bit too.

Serve in bowls. I know this tastes good with a salad a hot bread. Yes, hot bread, not cold bread. Well, you can use cold bread. But I was just saying. I love hot bread, can you tell?!

Squash-Soup-Fall-Soup-Fall - athomewithzan.com

Squash-Soup-Fall-Soup-Fall - athomewithzan.com

Squash-Soup-Fall-Soup-Fall - athomewithzan.com

Anyways, this Squash Vegetable Fall Soup is tasty and I think you’ll love it if you love these kinds of soups!

Pin to Save for Later

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She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness (Proverbs 31:27).

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Make Prepping for Back-to-School Easier with these Tips

Guys, guys, guys, y’all, the Back-to-School season is here and ready or not here we go! So let’s take a moment to prep-ahead and make things easy as possible for yourself and for the kids during the school year hustle.

Here are some ways to Prep-Ahead for Back-to-School

Shop Earlier rather than later

If you can afford to do it, shop for back-to-school uniforms, clothing and products earlier rather than later. It’s not necessary to get to the store as soon as the products come out but try not to wait last minute. You’ll avoid:

  • The last minute scramble
  • Not being able to find what you’re looking for or specific items the kids need
  • Might even save a bit. I know, it’s the opposite of the 75% off last minute stuff. But you don’t want that hassle. You can a bit by finding what the kids needs at reasonable stores than having to settle for the more expensive if you wait late and have to settle for higher cost just to have them.

Our Back-to-School shopping took us several store trips this year. That was purposely done because we started early and I chose to spread out the shopping days by categories to avoid some of that overwhelming feeling. Y’all know what I’m talking about. Back-to-School shopping aint for the faint of heart I tell you. But we were fine because we shopped in shopping centers and were able to check out more than one store or more stores in each trip.

Organize School Uniforms or School Clothing in One Spot

How to Organize School Clothes - Back to School-athomwithzan.com

Decide on a Lunch Menu and Pep some things Ahead 

I have a love hate relationship with lunch containers because I never could seem to find the right ones. This year, I went overboard in buying all the lunch boxes that I took so much time to look up and review and some that looked good to me at the store. I want to be ready when it comes to school lunches. That stresses me out, especially since the kids don’t care for cold lunches or school lunch.

Taking time to create a menu and also to prep ahead on some lunchbox items, have really helped in the mornings. I know what I’m about instead of wandering around in the kitchen trying to figure it out as the morning arrives.

Having the lunch containers and Thermos to go with different types of meals is another big help. You can’t put hot soup in a plastic container. No sir. It just wouldn’t be a smart idea to do so – spills and getting cold by lunch time. My kids don’t do soup but something like hot pasta is what I’d use a thermos for at lunch.

Homemade Mini Hamburgers

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Prepare an after school Schedule

Let the kids know what you expect from them when they come home from school. Yes, everyone may be so happy to relax at the end of a looooooooooooong school day but you as the parent may desire structure and ultimately, so do the kids.

  • Do they eat a snack first?
  • Do they have to do homework?
  • Do they read for a few minutes before playing?
  • Do they have afterschool chores that they need to do before or after play?

Set clear expectations and let them know what to expect. That way, they’re not forgetting to do homework until it’s time to go to bed or grabbing a snack when it’s almost time for dinner, or playing all afternoon and not doing that ONE little chore that they’re supposed to. I had to stress on the One Little Chore like putting like setting the dining table for dinner, picking up after themselves and putting their things away, or putting away that one tiny pile of laundry that’s been sitting on their bed for 4 days now (including the weekend). Oops, my bad, that last one was probably on me!

Set up a Homework Station

If you have smaller kids that have homework, it will be a help to them if you create a clear space for their homework. It’s easier and helps keep things in one spot. Kids may want to sit on the couch, floor, or wherever they can find a spot to do their homework. If you have a place for them, encourage that. Nothing like backpacks and books spread all over your house as soon as those kids step foot in the door! Um, talking from experience here.

On occasion, if a kid feels spreading out on the floor is how and where he can do his homework best, that’s OK, mama (it’s what I’m telling myself right now). But be sure said kid could find pencils, erasers, sharpeners, etc. easily to complete said homework AND …… make sure that backpack and books aren’t spread all over the floor too if you don’t want a mess! The kids set what they don’t need for homework aside before doing the homework on the floor.

Set up a place to keep all the papers they bring home (to keep, to sign and send back, events dates, etc)

Uh, all those papers that come home with those poor kids on the daily… I mean, they are probably necessary but in the age of internet and all things electronical communications (I just thought of that now), why so much paper? In any event, I don’t dislike reading notes on paper. I prefer to read a note than answer a phone call (I know – I’m one of those people) and sometimes emails and voicemails and such get overlooked. But I always find that I have 3 of the same notes from three different kids and now, I’m don’t, you hear me, I don’t want to get rid of any. Because as much as I find too many pieces of paper daunting to deal with, I love hearing from the kids teachers and knowing what’s going on in school and since each kid’s grade is different, I like to keep their stuff separate and save them too. I know, same girl who just said the papers are too much.

  • Last year, I had three different bins set up for the kids for their papers both for work they’ve done and also, for important events and things that needed to be signed and returned to school. When I needed to find something for a kid, I knew exactly where to look for them. But guys, it did not start off the year this way. I had one of those mail/paper organizer with three different slots and used that but it was a task to retrieve papers from it when it was full. I guess I could have just cleaned it out. But also, it looked messy.
  • I then moved to a tray where everyone was putting their stuff. Well, failure here because now everyone’s notes were mixed up.
  • It finally dawned on me to use some empty plastic bins they had previously used to organize art and craft items. This system, my friends, is what I have found worked best for everyone. That’s the system I’m using again this year, different bins but same system. Hopefully, we can go through things they don’t need and get rid off as we go along.

These are some Back-to-School preparations that have helped us this past year. Every day wasn’t all put together but there were something in place to fall back to. I’m still working on our new after school expectations for this year and also, paper station but the clothes have been organized (photo at the top), lunch containers and menu, grocery and such.

School has already started a couple of days ago on Aug, 23… and while everything didn’t come together before school we have some in place. We’ll keep working on the rest. Until 1/2 the school year when all systems are out the door, ha!

What are you doing or what have you done to make Back-to-School smoother this year?

She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness (Proverbs 31:27).

Fall & Autumn

Autumn Salad – Fall Salad Recipe

This Autumn Salad is a great place to start as you transition your dishes from Summer to Fall!

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Transitioning to Fall and Autumn Foods

It’s not quite Fall yet but it’s getting there and you start to think of foods that can be Fall-Worthy because the days throwing something on the grill after a long day out summer’s day 9out on the beach or where-ever) isn’t going to cut it. You’re somewhere in the middle of transitioning from summer dishes to Fall dishes and just don’t know where to begin. How about this Autumn Salad? It’s light, hearty, delicious and will help you do just that! The best part is that you can change out some of the add-ins to your liking or what you have in stock. Next you can try my awesome and delicious Squash Soup.

Fall-Salad-Recipe-Autumn-Salad-Recipe-athomewithzan.com

To serve: Scoop out into bowls or salad plates. Pour dressing and top with extra Mozzarella.

Bring out summer and Fall Foods and dump everything in a giant bowl. It’s that easy. Well, the hardest part is actually getting all the ingredients on hand. I don’t have these growing at my house so that means, going to a store or two to find thee ingredients. Thankfully, I found everything at one store (but I forgot to get the pomegranate and had to go back to get it. Same store though).

Fall-Salad-Recipe-Autumn-Salad-Recipe-athomewithzan.com

Fall-Salad-Recipe-Autumn-Salad-Recipe-athomewithzan.com

 

Autumn Salad Recipe

Fall-Salad-Recipe-Autumn-Salad-Recipe-athomewithzan.com

Ingredients:

  • Spring Salad Mix
  • 1/2 a Cooked squash Diced
  • 1/2 a Cooked Sweet Potato Diced
  • 1 Apple Sliced Thinly
  • About 8-10 Red Grapes Chopped
  • About 8-10 Green Grapes Chopped
  • About 5 Strawberries Chopped
  • A Handful of Blueberries
  • Squash Seeds from Baked Squash
  • 1-2 TBSP Pumpkin Seed
  • 1-2 TBSP Pomegranate Seeds
  • 1-2 TBSP Pecans
  • 1-2 TBSP Walnuts
  • Shredded Mozzarella (about 1/2 – 1 Cup)

Directions:

  • In a large salad bowl, add the Spring mix.
  • Add diced squash and sweet potatoes.
  • Add chopped fruit, nuts and seeds. Gently toss.

Ginger-Balsamic Vinaigrette Recipe

Mix Together:

  • 1/4 Cup Balsamic Vinegar
  • 2 TBSP Water
  • 2 TBSP Honey
  • 1 tsp Ground Ginger
  • 1/4 tsp Salt
  • 1/4 tsp Black Pepper

Place in the refrigerator until ready to use.

To serve: Scoop out salad into bowls or salad plates. Pour dressing and top with extra Mozzarella.

Fall-Salad-Recipe-Autumn-Salad-Recipe-athomewithzan.com

To serve: Scoop out into bowls or salad plates. Pour dressing and top with extra Mozzarella.

To serve: Scoop out into bowls or salad plates. Pour dressing and top with extra Mozzarella.

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She looketh well to the ways of her household, and etateth not the bread of idleness (Proverbs 31:27).

Cooking With Kids

Hamburger Bento Lunch Box Ideas

Looking for easy, fun and healthy school lunch for your kids this school year? Hamburger Bento lunch will help you do just that! This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.

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Making Bento-style lunches is a great way to prep your child’s favorite foods all in one container. I like to try all kinds of combinations based on what the kids like. Bento School Lunch with Make-Ahead Hamburgers is a great option. Go here to read how I prep these mini hamburgers to add to our kids lunches.

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What to Put in a Bento Lunch with Hamburgers

Favorite lunchbox sides for burgers:

  • 1/2 a Bun (or a Hawaiian Roll)
  • Cucumbers
  • Broccoli
  • Grapes
  • Strawberries
  • Fruit and Veggie Kabobs
  • Goldfish
  • Animal Crackers
  • Fruit Snacks

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Bento-Box-School-Lunch-with-Make-ahead-Hamburgers-athomewithzan.com

Assembling School Lunch Bento with Hamburgers

After you have everything you need, go ahead and add them in single compartments in the lunchbox. This lunch container is perfect for Kabob sticks. I like to add a few animal crackers or what not as a small treat for the kids. You can even add a favorite cookie, if your school allows it. I mean, as much as I try to pack healthy, one little cookie every now and then won’t hurt. Your kids will most likely enjoy it.

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We used these Bento Lunch boxes

Blue Bentgo        Pink Bentgo

Bento-Box-School-Lunch-with-Make-ahead-Hamburgers-athomewithzan.com

TIME4DEALS Bento Box Bento Lunch Box for Kids

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She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness (Proverbs 31:27).

Home

How to Organize Kids School Clothes for Back to School

If you find yourself scrambling to know where your kids school clothes or uniform in the mornings, I’ve you the perfect solution for you! Keep reading to see how I organize my kids school clothes. This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.

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Why Should You Systemize Your Kids School Clothes?

Because it’s a huge help! There’s nothing like the school morning hustle, half-sleepy kids not knowing where their things are as you try to get them out the door, especially if you are running late! The scenario may look like this:

  • You’re down stairs trying to make breakfast and prep lunches
  • You wake every one up (or so you thought)
  • One child gets up and starts to get ready – two are still in bed
  • Eventually everyone gets up and starts to get ready
  • One child’s calling you from upstairs asking for a SPECIFIC shirt
  • You’re trying to tell the kid that shirt is in so and so place or use another shirt
  • Child decides no, he or she wants the shirt he or she wants
  • Now you got to leave downstairs and come look for said shirt but it’s getting late and the kids still have to eat and do hair
  • You’re scrambling
  • You can make it easier.

How to Organize School Clothes - Back to School-athomwithzan.com

What System(s) Do I Use to Organize My Kids School Clothes?

In efforts to make finding school uniforms and clothing easier for everyone, I came up with a simply yet semi-effective clothing system. Enter a rolling cart! Yes, Ma’am you heard me right, a rolling cart.

That rolling cart has helped the kids know exactly where to find their uniforms and saves me from the finding uniform scramble. On school uniforms laundry days (usually Fridays), I launder their uniforms and we hang them back up on that cart.

Portable Rack: I also have a portable rack that we use. The portable rack was actually used prior to the rolling cart. It was a too small for all the uniforms. Now it only hold’s one child’s clothing.

Banister: I’ve also used the top banister of the stairs to spread out uniforms. That banister is next to the laundry room (laundry is upstairs) so it makes it easy to hang stuff on the banister as they come out of the wash. Sometimes it’s just a means to an end – meaning, I hang some uniforms their so they would not get wrinkled, until we move them to the cart. Other times, I lay out my youngest’s uniforms there so he can easily find them cause without a doubt, he’ll be asking for something despite the rolling cart.

Bed Rail: My daughters have used their bed rails to lay out uniforms for a couple of days in the week. The only issue is that the bed rail could only hold so much. It doesn’t need to be junky.

How to Organize School Clothes - Back to School-athomwithzan.com

Why Not Use Their Closets?

Well their closets can’t hold the uniforms along with their regular clothing. My girls especially share a closet and it’s at max. At first, the uniforms were squished in there as best we could. But that’s what it was – everything was too squished. And as the school year went along and we figured out what uniforms worked and what we could purchase that looked better or add to what they had so we could avoid having to launder over and over that one or two shirts, pants, dress, or skirt, etc, the extra space was needed. I decided to keep everyone’s Uniforms in one central spot. It works!

A Dedicated Sock Basket

When my kids were around 2, 4, 6, I would see or read about moms creating Sock Baskets. Why was that even necessary? Doesn’t everyone just put back socks where they belong? Why were socks missing? I couldn’t understand the need for it until NOW. Our kids are now 8, 10, and 12 and now I understand why some moms had sock baskets. When they were much younger, keeping socks where they needed to be was easier it seems. Worn socks were placed in laundry baskets. On laundry days, every pair was found and put back in correct drawers or wherever we kept the socks. Now the sock struggle has become very real. Socks tend to go missing oven. I wonder if kids get to a point where they just put (throw) things anywhere and then forget where they put them.

Recently, I saw a pair of socks on top of the cubes in the entryway. I asked my daughter if they were clean. She then replied that she has gotten them out to wear the previous day and have been looking for them and didn’t remember where they were.

How to Organize School Clothes - Back to School-athomwithzan.com

 

How Our Sock Basket Have Worked

I started with this little basket last Fall mainly to keep their school socks in one spot. I bought a pack of 15 white socks in one large pack. That was last minute because we had recently moved to the area and had to figure out new schools for the kids. We really didn’t have time to figure out socks and uniforms. Everything was starting from scratch as they were also homeschooled that previous year. I call them school socks because they were dedicated for school plus my kids had loads of colorful socks that every kid in the neighborhood could have a pair:)

Each kid added the first letter of their name on a lower part of the socks. They all have cubby baskets and we kept each child’s socks in their individual baskets. After the first couple of school and laundry days, everything seemed to be working out just right. I’d launder the socks then have the kids find their matches and take them down to their cubbies. And then I had this little basket that we used to keep dirt masks in (circa 2020) and I thought, hmm it’s a cute little basket and I can use it for something.

The sock basket was created – all white school socks went in that basket. And I placed the basket next to their shoes. That way, socks and shoes are together an easy find on school mornings. Well, overtime, not all socks were able to find their matching initials. Some kids started wearing whatever they could find🤔. That was ok with me because all the socks were the same anyways and they didn’t get stretched by a bigger foot.

So I decided to bring another small basket upstairs in the hallway, next to the laundry room. This second basket was meant for loose or missing socks. It’s ultimately become the real soc basket. Any single sock that don’t seem to have a match go in there along with others that do, white school socks, regular coloring or designed socks, soccer socks, you name it. I also throw some of their Trampoline Park socks in there too. Those always seemed to go missing. That Sock System makes the socks real easy to put away on laundry days and to find when needed.

How to Organize School Clothes - Back to School-athomwithzan.com

How to Organize School Clothes - Back to School-athomwithzan.com

Ways to Organize Kids School Clothes

You can use any form of clothing organization that will make it easier for the kids and in return for you:

  • Closet Space System: If your child’s closet is large enough, you can dedicated a little spot in their for their uniforms or weekly picked out school clothes. Choose 6-7 pairs of clothing on the weekends and put them in a designated spot.
  • Portable Rack System: Hang them on a portable clothing rack
  • Rolling Cart System: Hang them on a rolling clothing cart
  • Bed-Rail System – (this could be in their closets, at the edge of their beds, on a
  • Designated Table Top – Lay them out or fold on the table
  • Basket or Bin: Fold clothes neatly in basket or bin

Note: Wrinkle Clothing – If you’re concerned that clothes will get wrinkled folded on a table or in a basket, then don’t use a basket and just lay them out flat on a table. Personally, when my kids were in schools that didn’t require uniforms, having the clothes folded neatly was sufficient. We folded them on a cubie toy in their closet and that worked – They didn’t turn out wrinkle at all.

How to Organize School Clothes - Back to School-athomwithzan.com

Choosing the Best System

Whatever system you decide, make sure the kids can find their clothes easily and quickly or there’ll be no point in going through the organizing hassle. The Key is to find one or two systems that will work for your household you can avoid that clothing or socks scramble on busy mornings.

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She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness (Proverbs 31:27).

Home

Edible Moon Sand Recipe – Play Ideas for Kids

This Edible Moon Sand Recipe is a fun activity bin and a great way to make your child’s play safe. 

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I remember making this Edible Moon Sand for my first child when she was a Toddler. Here’s my Original Moon Sand Recipe. She had so much fun playing with it.

Edible-Moon-Sand-Recipe-Safe-Play-Ideas-for-Kids-athomewithzan.com

Edible-Moon-Sand-Recipe-Safe-Play-Ideas-for-Kids-athomewithzan.com

What You Need:

  • 8 Cups All-Purpose Flour
  • 2 Cups Cooking Oil
  • A Large Bin
  • Sand Play Toys, Measuring Cups, Bowls, etc.
  • A Cooking Spoon

What to Do:

  • Pour flour into the bin. Add in the oil. Stir. Use hands to combine until the mixture looks crumbly and damp.
  • Add in toys for the kids to play – scoop and pour, dump, mix, pretend cook – the possibilities are endless.

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Edible-Moon-Sand-Recipe-Safe-Play-Ideas-for-Kids-athomewithzan.com

Edible-Moon-Sand-Recipe-Safe-Play-Ideas-for-Kids-athomewithzan.com

Edible-Moon-Sand-Recipe-Safe-Play-Ideas-for-Kids-athomewithzan.com

If your kids are older a little older than toddlers and you’d like to make one with sand for them, here’s my recipe.

Moon Sand with Sand & Cornstarch

Original Edible Moon Sand Recipe

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She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness (Proverbs 31:327).

Cooking With Kids

Bagel Pizzas – School Lunch Idea

Bagel Pizzas is a fun and creative way to serve pizzas for school lunches! This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.

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Why Make Bagel Pizza?

Do your kids love bagels and pizza? I probably shouldn’t ask about the pizza because what kid doesn’t?:)

  • Combining those two and making bagel pizzas is a great way to change things up.
  • It’s super easy.
  • Also, it’s a fun way for little hands to eat a pizza.

I first started making Bagel Pizzas a few years ago. The first time I made some they were a hit with the kids. Well, my friends, that’s all the motivation I needed. Bagel pizzas became an occasional treat at our house. Now I don’t make them as much anymore because 1 – too many pizzas and 2 – I tend to forget. But during the school year, these are an easy freezer-make-ahead food that can be packed for school lunches.

Bagel-Pizzas-Make-Ahead-School-Lunches-athomewithzan.com

Bagel-Pizzas-Make-Ahead-School-Lunches-athomewithzan.com

Homemade Bagel Pizzas

What you need:

  • Bagels
  • Pizza Sauce
  • Shredded Mozzarella Cheese (or a mix of Mozzarella and Cheddar)
  • Pepperoni (optional or whatever meat your child likes on a pizza)
  • Dried, crushed Italian seasoning or basil (optional)

What to do:

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees
  • Split bagels in halves
  • Spread each half with pizza sauce
  • Sprinkle with cheese
  • Add pepperoni or other meat
  • Bake in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes.
  • Remove and let cool before serving.

To Freeze:

You can freeze the pizzas by placing them in a freezer bag or Pyrex and saving them for later. When it’s time to serve, remove them from the freezer and heat them for 30-40 seconds (more if needed) in the Microwave or in the oven about 7 mins.

Packing Bagel Pizza for Lunch

Place one or two bagels or as many as you think your child needs in a small bowl, then into their lunch boxes. My daughters used this this lunch box and that one.

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She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness (Proverbs 31:27).