Munch, Munch...

...what's for lunch?  This meal makes midday a misery for me. It's my least favourite and most problematic meal of the day. Firstly, I have two darling cherubs who like nothing more than slipping off for their afternoon nap at around twelve. The conundrum this raises is, do I sit us all down at elevenish to something wholesome and lovingly prepared only to have the aforementioned cherubs complain, slop all over the floor, ingest two mouthfuls then refuse to eat anymore because they're tired, irritable and irritating? Or do I give them a piece of cheese and a fourteen dollar banana and send them on their merry way hoping they don't wake up in under an hour desperate for something more substantial? Personally, I'll eat no matter what time the clock is telling me, but it does feel odd to front up to a plate of 'proper' food at eleven. Especially after having only just dusted the crumbs off from ten o'clock snack time. My latest strategy is to give them a hefty snack before bed and another one when they wake up. We make up the nutritional slack at tea time when I happily cook proper food.
My next problem with the middle meal is what to eat. If you know me at all you'll know most of my time is spent happily and frantically squeezing every last juicy drop of productivity and fun out of the day. I don't want to waste one miserable second staring dazed and confused into my chocker-block pantry wondering what to eat, especially if the kiddies are tucked in and snoring and it's just me left to feed.
I think it's important to note that sandwiches and I have had a strained relationship for a long time. Long recognised as the go to lunch food of choice for many, these bready constructions leave me cold. I'll happily eat through a great salad roll so long as there's beetroot, it's on a white sesame seed bun and has not been adulterated with mayonnaise. The meat must always be ham and please, no egg. I will, on occasion, settle for a toasted ham cheese and pineapple number, but not very often.
In fact, I don't care much for most standard lunch fare. I'm not a huge fan of spaghetti or baked beans and eggs create mess. Those cup-a-soups seem great until you read the ingredients (food is NOT numbers), ditto for instant noodles and anything that is microwave zappable.
I sound like a fussy, sooky la la and have been called something similar by my long suffering sandwich hoovering husband and I blame my school canteen. And my parents (it's always the parents fault). My Mum spent many a primary school morning preparing wonderful and interesting sandwiches, quiches and home baked loafs. Then, many an afternoon scraping warm, smelly bits of uneaten food out of my school bag. In the end she started stuffing my pink decor lunchbox with mini packets of crap. I ate those. Then came secondary school, more attempts at good lunches to show this new set of other kids parents what a responsible mother she was. Giving up for a second time my Father started slipping me $2.50 to buy something at the canteen and a whole new world opened up. Long live the chicken burger on dodgy bread with plastic cheese and wrapped in foil. Gold. THE best salad rolls for $1.20 (bargain!). Then to drink? 600ml milk with three squirts of chocolate topping. With the spare change (there always was) perhaps a chocolate Paddle Pop or a selection of toffee apple bars and teeth. Is it any wonder no lunch since has ever met these ridiculously high standards, set sometime in the mid nineties? Best of all, someone else did the work.
So if someone can come up with a cook book filled with lunch ideas that require minimal preparation, create little mess and require no special trips to get odd ingredients, I'll buy it. Only then might I stop (in the absence of leftovers) satiating my lunch time appetite with things like plum crumble and ice cream or a mugful of cereal and milk.

I've spent some time on these little pull-alongs over the last week and I've amassed quite a few. I even think they're a bit more refined than the last batch, so I'm a bit proud. Last buntyandsars Thursday was a write off because Nanna daycare had an appointment clash, so I'm getting a bit itchy to get in to my drawing room this week. Poor old Paper Percy has been neglected over the last few week, so I think that might be where I focus some energy. I'm also pondering some alphabet themed goodies. Then there's a good hour or two I need to devote to fiddling with my stall set up. As always, my eyes are too big for my belly. That is, I want to do way more than can logically fit into the parameters of one day, but that won't stop me trying!
Can I suggest a weekend trip to Daylesford on Saturday? I have roped in my long suffering Mum as market buddy and if she's lucky I might even pack her some lunch! It's only market number two for Daylesford this year so expect some fresh faces and new goodies. I can't wait and have to keep reminding myself not to spend all my profit if I manage to make one!