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Show Carolyn's Kitchen Brown bag lunches with variety By CAROLYN KURR WARDLE Are you tired of having the same thing in your lunchbox day after day? Brown bag lunches can get dull and boring. However, with a little thought and imagination they can become as full of variety and tasty as eating out and a lot less expensive. Make sandwiches more interesting in-teresting by using different kinds of breads such as rye, pumpernickle or whole wheat. Pocket bread also makes fun sandwiches. Put tomato, lettuce and sprouts in separate bags. When you are ready to eat place them on your sandwich for a fresh taste. Soup is a nutritious addition to any meal and it is easy to take in your lunch. Simply put hot soup in a thermos. It will still be hot when you are ready to eat. Salads are also easy to take in a brown bag. For a crisp salad at lunchtime, put lettuce in a plastic container; add your choice of vegetables, cheese and beans; and cover with a tight lid. Put the dressing in a separate container and add it when you are ready to eat. For calorie counters, take crisp vegetables with a low-calorie dip. A simple and tasy lunch is a muffin with sliced cheese, and an apple. We all like treats and it is fun to find an unexpected goodie in your lunch. Fruit Leather is a fun treat that retains many of the nutrients found in the fresh fruit. The commercial com-mercial varieties are expensive and are also made with added sugar. You can avoid this by making your own. Follow these few simple steps for sweet homemade fruit rolls. I' ruit Leather Select fully ripe fruit that is of high quality. Wash and cut away imperfections. Pare if necessary and remove pits or. cores. Cut fruit into pieces. To preserve the color of light fruits (apple, peach, apricot, banana and pear) add commercial ascorbic-acid mixture. Follow label product. Cook pieces of fruit in a heavy pan for 15 minutes over low heat. Avoid scorching. Puree the fruit when cool. Line a cookie sheet with plastic wrap securing the edges with masking tape so it won't flop over into the puree. Pour puree evenly over plastic to '4-inch thickness (about 2 cups per cookie sheet). Set in sun to dry. Cover with a layer of cheesecloth pulled taut. Secure it with boards or brick. Make sure the cheesecloth does not touch the puree. A full sun window may also be used to dry the puree. It takes approximately two days to dry, depending on weather conditions and type of fruit. The leather is sufficiently dry when it can be peeled easily without various parts adhering. Roll the leather up like a scroll wifhin the plastic. Store in plastic freezer bags or tightly sealed containers in a cool dry place. For long-term storage, refrigerate or freeze. |
