Quick Mommy Lunches

We all love being moms!  And we adore our children!  Let's be real for a minute and acknowledge that we get super busy and maybe forget to take care of ourselves sometimes.  If Mama don't take care of herself, ain't nobody happy!!!  Can I get an AMEN??  

Today I want to feature three lunch ideas for a typical busy day, that give me a boost of energy, keep me full for several hours, prevent the afternoon headache, and keep me in a good mood for my family.

THE KEY IS PROTEIN!!

So let's find a way to work it into our lunches, people!

Lunch Hash and Eggs 
*I can't claim this as anything unique or original.  It's just something I like to eat.  But maybe you never thought of it as a quick lunch.  So I get a couple coolness points just for helping you out, right fellow mommy??
Ingredients: Store bought frozen shredded hash browns
Whatever veggies you want to include...I always do fresh spinach leaves
Whatever type of cheese you want
1 or 2 eggs
1 or 2 tablespoons Vegetable oil
Instructions:  Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat.  Once hot, add the frozen hash browns.  Do not flip until they start to get brown on the side that is down.  I mean don't even touch them.  They are way better browned and crunchy and don't need to be flipped and stirred a lot.  Once browned, flip and brown the other side.  At this point, add the vegetables you would like to use so they can get tender (except for spinach...it only needs to be wilted for a few seconds right at the end).  You have a choice here, you can add the cheese in to the hash and mix it in.  Or you can wait and top the whole shebang with the cheese at the end.  Whatever floats your zucchini boat! (pun alert) Ha!  When the hash is ready, transfer to a plate (you can line it with paper towels if you want to soak up some of the oil).  Fry or scramble an egg or two (your source of protein!) and top the hash with it.  Last step, enjoy!

Loaded Sweet Potatoes

A very delightful recipe from www.budgetbytes.com, that is loaded with yummy and nutritious ingredients.  Your source of protein here would be the walnuts and cheese.  You can find the recipe here:  http://www.budgetbytes.com/2013/03/loaded-sweet-potatoes/

I've made it several times and never been disappointed!

The Loaded Salad

Last and kind of well...least, a big salad, loaded with lots of protein-filled ingredients.  I'll be real again and say that it's always a chore for me to eat a salad.  But it can be a quick and filling lunch if you make it that way.  

Ingredients to add for protein:

Cheese (of course, can I make anything without cheese??)

Garbanzo beans (Chick peas)

Avocado

Bacon (real, not bits)

Nuts

Hard-boiled Eggs

Something I love to do around lunchtime is to pour the dregs of my morning coffee over ice and add milk.  Again, nothing original or unique...just another energy boost thought.

Moms, dear friends, I just want to say, keep doing what you're doing!  You are an awesome mother!  You are the only person in the world perfectly equipped to be the mommy to your children.  God made you that way.  I truly believe that.  And I salute you, The Army of the Banana Republic (my name for my peers...moms of young children).  Haha!  Love to all!  And happy lunchtime!