Restaurant for Lunch!

Today we had restaurant day for lunch. This does not mean that we go out or that we order in...although we do those things sometimes, I have instituted a new lunchtime eating adventure for the kids that costs nothing and gets a chore done for me.

We have friends who have a joke after eating dinner: "Do we throw out this little bit of food, or do we put it in the refrigerator and throw it out two weeks from now?"

Restaurant lunch at my house says: "neither!"

To get the appeal of Restaurant Lunch, you have to know that I'm a pretty severe mommy when it comes to food. With a few exceptions, around here you eat what is prepared for you; no short order cooking. In dire cases, after an effort has been made, bread and butter is provided. And there's always snack time rolling around. No one is starving under my stringent rules, but neither am I making three different lunches for the munchkins everyday. No WAY!

So on Restaurant Day, I pull out all of the leftovers from the fridge...the ones that aren't enough for another meal for the family. You know, that one piece of pizza or those two pancakes or even that half a PB & J (leftover ones are GREAT grilled). Then I sit the kids down and ask them to choose from the "menu." The rule is that if everyone wants some of something, I split it three ways. They LOVE getting to choose what they are having, I LOVE not wasting food and cleaning out the fridge. I have only done this twice, but I think I may institute it every week. Today, Pixie had stacked pancake, Pizza Hut pizza, grapes and 1/4 a peach. And was very happy. Likewise Bud, who had stacked pancake, the fruit and half a breakfast burrito. (Everyone wants stacked pancake...) Having fresh fruit to round out the meal helps.

My refrigerator is cleaned out!

Yahoo!

OK, just needed to share my happy moment for the day.

And, the photo is from our recent family vacation. Consider it "gratuitous eating shot". :)