I have a whole bunch of questions. I'm not sure if this is the best way to post but thought I would give it a try. Here goes:

1. PICKLES- the past two years I've had trouble with my 9 day sweet pickles. They are good until day 4 when they go in fresh water over night. On day 5 I drain, put more fresh water and leave for 2 days. At that point they always go moldy. What am I doing wrong?

2. JOB- I applied for a job teaching .64 today. Things are so political here that's it's almost a given that I won't get it but thought I would ask for your prayers anyway.

3. SCHOOL LUNCHES-I need some fresh new ideas for snacks and lunches.

Thanks for your help ladies...you're great

By Marg on Tuesday, August 24, 2004 - 06:20 pm:

1. no idea

2. I'm praying for you

3. If your children are old enough, I sit down with them at the beginning of the year and let them right down everything they like to eat at lunchtime. Then we do a weeks menu on Saturday or Sunday. If they are old enough could they help pack their own lunch?

Good luck!

By Mommyathome on Tuesday, August 24, 2004 - 08:49 pm:

1-Ditto Marg
2-Good luck anyway!
3-What about trying school lunches? DD brought home her school lunch menu today. I like it because it shows the calories and fat etc. for each day. Then we can decide which days she doesn't want to eat, which happens to only be 3 days this month. So, that's only 3 home lunches I have to think of and create

By Dawnk777 on Tuesday, August 24, 2004 - 09:14 pm:

1. Never made pickles. I don't know.
2. Good luck with the job hunt!
3. At the high school, the line for normal school hot lunch is WAY too long, so she doesn't want to take it. Most of the time, she takes a brown bag lunch and sometimes she brings money for pizza (normal restaurant pizza, not hot lunch pizza).

Same with the middle schooler, there are a couple of days she for sure wants hot lunch. The rest of the time she brown-bags it, too.

Ham and provolone cheese sandwich on wholewheat bread, a Dole fruit bowl or fresh fruit, a granola bar, and maybe chewy fruit snacks. Pretty much standard for my kids. I'm assuming this year will be the same.

I had it easy when they were in elementary school because they both took hot lunch nearly every day!

By Paulas on Wednesday, August 25, 2004 - 01:39 am:

Thanks for the help ladies...especially with the pickles LOL

She orders hot lunches once a month (that is all that is offered). She's actually pretty good with sandwiches and soup in a thermos but it's the snacks that I have trouble with. She won't eat fruit bowls, fresh fruit (a banana gets yucky). Sometimes an apple. I'm looking for something that is somewhat healthy that she will eat.

By Kittycat_26 on Wednesday, August 25, 2004 - 07:58 am:

I asked my mom about the pickles as she makes these quite a bit. Her suggestion was to try rinsing the pickles really good before putting them into the fresh water on day 5. She's had this happen to her and typically it was when she was in a rush and didn't rinse them as well as what she normally did.

If nothing else, it is worth a try.

By Andyjoy on Wednesday, August 25, 2004 - 12:25 pm:

Lunch ideas: As a kid I didn't like whole apples in my lunch, but I would eat them if they were pre-cut. What about more unusual fruits like kiwi, pear, plums, or tangarines--these were my favorites. What about Jello (maybe sugar-free?) with fruit in it (pineapple, mandarin oranges, etc.)

By Colette on Thursday, August 26, 2004 - 06:41 am:

Lunch ideas. My dd is vegetarian so I try and make everything in that lunch box healthy, even if it's to much food (in which case she brings it home). I bought a wide mouth thermos and she brings vegetarian chili, whole wheat pasta salad, chowders, lo-mein, various different indian dishes, pretty much anything I can get in that thermos she takes. I also usually include cheese and crackers, a fruit salad (no apples or banannas), hummus and pita bread, granola bars, etc.

By Lauram on Thursday, August 26, 2004 - 05:31 pm:

What is .64?

By Tink on Thursday, August 26, 2004 - 10:28 pm:

Laura, I'm wondering, too. Anybody know?

By Paulas on Friday, August 27, 2004 - 02:32 am:

.64 means 64% of a full time position.

By Paulas on Friday, August 27, 2004 - 02:33 am:

It's 64% of a grade three position. Someone else does the other 36%.

They still haven't hired yet and today is Thursday and school starts on Wednesday.

By Coopaveryben on Friday, August 27, 2004 - 10:15 pm:

School Lunches: Hmmm..my son loves wraps, you have to make them the night before. You just take a tortilla and put the same things you would a sandwich, roll it up, wrap it in saran wrap and stick it in the fridge. Mini Carrots and ranch dip, graham crackers, string cheese, yogurt (my kids LOVE Yumsters), sliced cucumbers, grapes, peanut butter and banana sandwich, sliced apples (if you sprinkle them with lemon juice they don't brown) and you can even give them some yogurt dip or carmel dip, apple sauce, thermos with any kind of soup/spaghetti, chef salad, or raisins. I never pack chips or any other junk because the reason I pack there lunch is because the cafeteria is so unhealthy.

By Coopaveryben on Friday, August 27, 2004 - 10:18 pm:

for snacks my boys love sliced banana's with a little peanut butter on top, they love graham crackers and milk, grapes and cheese (sounds wierd but for some reason they like the two together), sliced apples and peanut butter, celery with cream cheese(they like celery in their lunch too), any fruit and vegetable they can dip