Harvest Lunches

Whew! Harvest is over and seeding is under way. Between being back to work at nights as a nurse, dobie-mama, endless loads of laundry, farmwife, and mom to the sweetest baby....you could say life has been just a little chaotic!

During this harvest and seeding season, I have become the jedi-master of harvest lunches. I've even got a system down so that I prepare the next days meal the night before. Silly me thought there would be enough time in the mornings to prepare lunch and breakfast for my farmer, as well as feed and take care of my baby in the morning. All of this before my husband darts out the door to start a full day out in the field. Ha! Yeah right!

By doing the work the night before, I get to stay in bed with my baby and cuddle, all while my hubby gets up at the crack of dawn with breakfast and lunch ready to go. He gets fed and I get to "sleep in" (7:30am). It's a win-win!

During harvest, my husband drives truck while his father works the combine. In this scenario, he gets to park the truck for a bit, which allows for different meals like salads, sandwhiches and such. During seeding, he is maning the tractor, so everything has to be eaten on the go, using just his hands. Therefore sandwhiches only!

Eating regular old turkey and ham sandwhiches can get pretty boring. So my goal as farmwife is to provide some variety and excitement to my farmers lunches. The key to keeping them fresh and not soggy during the long days.....toast the bread! I swear it works! Try it!

Some examples of sandwiches include....

Buffalo Chicken Sandwich
Onion Burger Buns + Deli Buffalo Chicken Breast + Pepperjack Cheese Slices + Lettuce + Tomato + Shredded Carrots + Spicy Ranch (2 parts Ranch + 1 part Buffalo Sauce)

The Honey Ham
Kings Hawaiian Sweet Bread slices + Honey Ham + American Cheese + Lettuce + Mayonnaise + Honey Mustard

Classic Turkey
Whole Wheat Bread + Black Pepper Turkey + American Cheese + Lettuce + Mayonnaise + Mustard

The Italian
Hoagie Roll + Hard Salami Slices + Pepperoni Slices + Provolone Cheese Slices + Lettuce + Mayonnaise + Mustard

Good Old BLT
Whole Wheat Bread + Bacon + Lettuce + Tomato + Mayonnaise


Other tasty lunch options for harvest lunches include.....

Curry Chicken Salad Wrap  by Skinnytaste

Buffalo Chicken Salad

Coconut Chicken Salad by Skinnytaste

Peanut Asian Noodle Salad

Greek Panzanella Salad


Now let's not forget about things that go in lunches besides sandwiches! Here are the various foods I pick and choose from to add to the lunch box. Sides that accompany the tasty sandwiches include:

• Sliced apples
• Clementines (if in season)
• Pemican Jerky, Pepperoni Sticks, etc.  
• String Cheese
• Ants on a Log (Cucumber, Peanut Butter and Raisins)
• Nuts: Almonds, Pistachios, Mixed Variety
• Apple Chips
• Dried Fruit (Mango, Pineapple, etc.)
• Variety of Chips (Cheetos, Lays, Doritos, etc)
• Cookies
• Browned Butter M&M Cookies (my hubby's fav!)
• Vanilla Pudding Sprinkle Cookies
• Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Oreos

I'd say overall, my husbands lunches are pretty dang healthy and flavorful. It has a good mix of food that keeps him energized and going strong through very long 12+ hour days.

If you have other fun sandwich combinations....I'd love to hear them! I'm always game for ideas!