The Lunch Lady Strikes Again

With my granddaughters here and Little Indy in college, I'm the lunch lady and I sometimes forget how creative I can be and draw a blank as to what to fix them for lunch.

Some days I feel burnt out with our usual repertoire of lunch time nosh.

Mac and Cheese
Grilled Cheese
Quesadillas
Tuna
Chicken Salad
Pizza Bagels
Sammies (sandwiches)

All served with a fresh fruit, carrot sticks, a drink and sometimes baked chips of some variety. 

We've also been known to frequent Taco Bell or Subway.


So the other day I was really bored. I'd had no complaints from the little princesses, but I just didn't feel like any of those things. I don't eat any of those things myself for lunch...except the occasional sammie from Subway or a burrito from Taco Bell. I almost always have my Mean Green Smoothie unless Madley takes me out to lunch or we are on a picnic or whatever...but back to my boredom...I remembered how much I like these little pinwheel tortilla roll thingys and the girls had never tried them so I made some.

Smart move on my part. They loved them...even our little picky one. She wanted more. So we have added tortilla pinwheel thingys to our lunch menu here at Nana's Kitchen.

I just take a flour tortilla, spread on whipped cream cheese, add ham, salami and for Madley...baby spinach too, and roll them up and slice them into fun pinwheels.

Okay...so when I am bored with these, what suggestions do you have for lunch ideas that don't include fish sticks or chicken nuggets?

Homemade Flour Tortillas & Indiana Jones

My daughter is almost through college and will be an Archeologist next year...she is going on her first dig this summer...she shall be known from now on as Indiana Jones-ette or "Little Indy" for short...well she decided we would do Mexican food for Cinco de Mayo yesterday...and when she takes out her whip and hat ...I do what she says.

We used some of her Cuban picadillo and the leftover meat from the Marlboro Man's favorite sammie- I chopped the meat smaller, added salsa and with the onions that are in there... it was delicious on these homemade flour tortillas! (recipe below) Served with some pinto beans and all the things we like on our tacos...

Little hands making great tortillas.

Oh yum.

Homemade Flour Tortillas
my recipe...

6 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil

2 1/2 cups of warm water

Add to a mixer bowl, all the flour, baking powder and salt. Mix well with spoon. Add the canola oil (vegetable is fine). With the dough hook attached, turn mixer on low and after a few seconds pour in the warm water slowly. Mix on low for  a minute and a half or until well mixed. You can also do this in 2 batches in a food processor. Or by hand. Ouch.

Once dough is finished mixing, tip bowl over floured surface and scrape the dough out. Divide into 4 equal sections, cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 20-30 minutes.

Divide each portion into 4 equal parts and make four equal dough balls from each section. Using a floured rolling pin, roll out each portion to how ever big or thick you like. Stack the tortillas on a plate separating each one with plastic wrap or waxed paper. Let rest for another 10 minutes.

Heat griddle or cast iron skillet over medium heat, spray with vegetable cooking oil lightly and cook the tortillas on the griddle or skillet for 1 minute on each side or until lightly browned. Serve with whatever you like or just eat them all while you watch Indiana Jones movies.