Would you spend 10 minutes doing something one time that would make your kid’s day for a month? Of course you would!
This is all you have to do… get a multi-colored pack of post-it notes (or not, you can use the pale yellow ones if you want) and write twenty messages on them. Put one in your kid’s lunch box (or backpack) each day.
That’s it.
Why do them all at once? Because if you’re like me, the creative juices aren’t exactly flowing at 5:30 AM. I like to sit down and write out a month’s worth at once and then I’m ready to roll when I’m packing lunches. I actually keep mine posted inside the cabinet door I store all the school lunch stuff so that I can quickly scan them and pick one.
Done and done.
And if you've got writer’s block, here are some of mine. Help yourself!
UPDATE: If you ever feel bad because you're not Perfect Mommy, just read this... When I opened Angel Baby's lunchbox last night, I noticed that Brutus' note was in it. I asked why...
AB: You put the notes in the wrong lunch boxes.
Me: Oh no!! BAHAhahahaaaaa… I bet y’all thought I’d lost my mind!
AB: You musta BEEN lost your mind.
Me: HAhahahaaa….. right?! Wait. What?
AB: You do that all the time.
Me: I DO?!
AB: Yeah, the teachers let us go to each other's table and switch them. And the sandwich boxes. You mix those up too. It’s OK… the teachers all (ALL??) think it’s funny.
Me: No, the teachers think your mama’s a drunk.
Lunchbox Notes:
1. I can’t wait to see you later so we can ketchup!
2. Be a LEADER today.
3. Did you know that sometimes I kiss your cheek when you’re sleeping at night? Well I do!
4. If someone drew a picture of “awesome” it would look just like you.
5. You know what happens when I think of your smile? I smile too.
6. If the world were a sundae, you would be the cherry on top!
7. Just do your best and let God handle the rest.
8. You are just so NEAT! I think about you all the time.
9. You think of me and I’ll think of you and it will be like we’re having lunch together.
10. You are kind. You are smart. You are important.
11. I dreamed of the perfect child and got one – you!
12. Someone must have dipped you in AWESOMESAUCE!
13. I can’t wait to see you and hear all about your day.
14. Guess what? I’m thinking about you right now.
15. Be kind to someone who’s sad today.
16. I’m so proud of who you are.
17. When I count my blessings, I count you first.
18. Did you feel that? I just hugged you in my mind.
19. You get a special dessert tonight! Just because!
20. I love how hard you always try to do your best.
This recipe is a staple for my family. I've been using the hand-written copy I
scribbled from Mom’s recipe book for almost twenty years now.
I'd never known anyone else to make it so imagine my delight when a friend
brought it to a potluck last week!
It was like I’d run into my kindergarten teacher. And she still looked exactly
the same as she did in 1979. And then she gave me the best hug.
This is a recipe Pillsbury published decades ago to use with their crescent
rolls. We've made a few minor tweaks to it but, for the most part, it's the
original.
The changes I've made are really about measurements. Their recipe reads to use
4 cups of zucchini but sliced zucchini is a hard thing to measure. Depending
on the size of the zucchini and what you're using to measure, "4 cups" can
yield a lot of different amounts.
Just be sure to use small zucchini and start with about 1.5 pounds. It's
better to have a little too much than not enough. You can always discard the
little bit of excess you might have.
I really and truly SUCK at estimating what size pie pan to use for recipes.
I’m ashamed to admit how many times I’ve poured whatever filling into a crust
to find it only came halfway up the side. Which means I either have to start
over with another pan or just have an ugly pie.
Recipes are notoriously vague or just outright WRONG about pie pan sizes. As
I’ve said before, any jackleg can make a recipe blog. Ha!
I’ve failed enough times to make me pull out my math hat and lean on some
basic geometry. Sorry Mrs. Hoffman, I didn’t actually remember how to do any
of it but I did look it up and employ it, so that’s something.
HOW TO DETERMINE WHICH SIZE PIE PAN TO USE
Multiply the radius (half of the diameter) times the radius again times 3.14
(pi) times the depth to get the cubic inches of the pan. To calculate the
volume, divide the cubic inches by 14.44.
It’s not as hard as it sounds.
RADIUS x RADIUS x 3.14 x DEPTH = CUBIC INCHES
CUBIC INCHES / 14.44 = VOLUME
So, if I had a 9-inch pie pan that was 2 inches deep, I would multiply 4.5 x
4.5 x 3.14 x 2 which would give me 127.17 cubic inches. 127.17 x 14.44 = 8.8
cups of filling.
Then you either have to apply some common sense or literally measure the
filling to determine if the pan size will work. Looking at this recipe, I see
we’re starting with 6 cups of zucchini and an onion (which I know will cook
down some) and adding some cheese and eggs, then I figure the crust will take
up some volume and that I’m not likely to fill it all the way to the brim and
I figure that size pan will be about perfect.
This recipe is perfect for squash too! We always had a garden when I was
growing up and always had more zucchini and yellow squash than we could eat so
we used this recipe with both!
This really has an Italian feel to it from both the mozzarella and herbs but
not so much that it doesn’t pair well with any holiday meal or Sunday dinner.
This is also great for a meatless main dish or even to serve at breakfast
since it's such a close cousin to quiche!
NOTES ON COOKING ZUCCHINI PIE
Using small zucchini will allow you to measure more accurately AND will produce less liquid when cooking. You will need about 6 small zucchini or approximately 1.5 pounds.
Use a pie pan that will hold about 8 cups of filling. Either a 2-inch deep 9-inch pan or 1.5-inch deep 10-inch pan is perfect.
The filling will not expand much when cooking so you can fill the crust pretty full.
Be sure to read the note in Step 2 about pouring out any excessive liquid. If the zucchini are older, too large or if they may have partially frozen in a super cold refrigerator, they are likely to really put off some water.
Don't fret over the making the crust. The dough is very forgiving and pliable. Just get it in there the best you can and if it looks a mess when you're done it will just add to the rustic appeal of the recipe!
You can use a ready-made crust for this but the crescent roll crust really is worth the effort. There's just something about it that goes with this. I can't say I'd love this as much as I do without the crescent roll crust.
Don't skip the mustard. I know it sounds odd but it gives the pie a little nip of acid that balances the richness from the crust, eggs and cheese.
The original recipe uses yellow mustard but I really like dijon better.
Stir in parsley, salt, pepper, garlic powder, oregano and basil then let cool a bit while you prepare the crust.
Separate dough into 8 triangles. Place dough pieces in ungreased 9-10 inch pie plate (see notes), press over bottom and up sides to form crust. Firmly press perforations to seal.
Brush bottom of crust with mustard. You can use the backside of a spoon or a pastry brush for this.
Add eggs and cheese to zucchini then stir well to incorporate.
Pour filling into prepared crust then bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until mostly set. If necessary, cover crust with aluminum foil during last 10 minutes of baking to prevent excessive browning.
Remove from oven and let stand, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes for pie to set up completely before serving.
Notes
Using small zucchini will allow you to measure more accurately AND will produce less liquid when cooking. You will need about 6 small zucchini or approximately 1.5 pounds.
Use a pie pan that will hold about 8 cups of filling. Either a 2-inch deep 9-inch pan or 1.5-inch deep 10-inch pan is perfect.
The filling will not expand much when cooking so you can fill the crust pretty full.
Be sure to read the note in Step 2 about pouring out any excessive liquid. If the zucchini are older, too large or if they may have partially frozen in a super cold refrigerator, they are likely to really put off some water.
Don't fret over the making the crust. The dough is very forgiving and pliable. Just get it in there the best you can and if it looks a mess when you're done it will just add to the rustic appeal of the recipe!
You can use a ready-made crust for this but the crescent roll crust really is worth the effort. There's just something about it that goes with this.
Don't skip the mustard. It gives the pie a little nip of acid that balances the richness from the crust, eggs and cheese.
The original recipe uses yellow mustard but I really like dijon better. If using yellow mustard, reduce to 2 teaspoons.
