Lunch. (& a salmon cake recipe)

My kids are starting daycare this week!  While this makes me both nostalgic and a little weepy, I’ll admit to being a little excited for next week – the overlap week where they are in their “school” but mine hasn’t started yet!

One of my biggest worries with them starting school is that I will have to pack all three of us a lunch.  Every day.  I am not that creative with my meal planning and I come by it honestly.  When I was in the 5th grade I mentioned to my mom that I liked peanut butter and dill pickle sandwiches (in a bun).  I’m not sure where I ever learned of this combo, but I did enjoy it.  That is, until my mom packed me this same sandwich for lunch.  Every day. By the end of grade five, my sandwich was going straight from my lunchbox to the trash.  I haven’t even looked at such a sandwich since.

I hope I don’t fall in to this pit fall with my own kids.  It is so easy to latch on to what is proven.  I’m hoping to get creative and I’ve been eyeing some of the bento style lunch kits, hoping I’ll be inspired to provide variety by all the little compartments.  Besides, I have the advantage of having access to thousands of recipes on the web.  There really is no excuse.  So I’ll be surfing the web this week, looking for new ideas.  I’m also taking part in the Lunch Revolution Blog Party.  In the interest of helping others come up with ideas, here is one of our favourites:

Salmon Cakes

• bake a piece of salmon for about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile boil some peeled and cubed potatoes until soft. Then mash the potatoes with a little butter and milk & add some veggies (I often use corn and lightly fried onions).
• Pour in 1 lightly beaten egg.
• When the salmon is done, cut in to small pieces and add to the potato / egg / veggie mixture.
• With your hands make little patties and coat in crushed cornflakes.
• Fry the patties in olive oil.

Simple and Delicious!