School is officially underway this week for me and next week for others…and suddenly the hours between getting off the bus and bedtime disappear.
Homework.
Sports.
Activities.
Dinner.
Baths.
Bed.
And somewhere in there someone inevitably says…
“I’m hungry!”
So this week’s 3 Bites is all about making that after-school/homework window a little easier.
🧂 Cathy’s Pantry Pick
Create a Homework Snack Station
One of my favorite ideas for busy school days is to create a little Homework Snack Station.
It doesn’t need to be fancy. A basket, bin, or designated pantry shelf will do.
Fill it with things your family can grab without needing to ask <Click to find a recipe!>:
The goal?
Less “Mom, I’m hungry!”
and more
“I know exactly where my snack is.” 😂
💡 Kitchen Hack of the Week
Snack First. Homework Second.
Here’s a little experiment for the first week of school:
Instead of sending everyone straight from the bus to homework, build in a 10–15 minute snack/reset time.
Get home.
Grab a snack.
Drink some water.
Take a breath.
Then tackle homework.
Sometimes what looks like an attitude problem is really just a hungry, overstimulated kid who has been “on” all day.
Giving them a little transition time can make the entire afternoon feel calmer.
And let’s be honest…It might help the grown-ups, too. 😉
❤️ Around Cathy’s Kitchen
Year Two of College…and One Very Important Request
This past weekend, we packed up the car and headed off to college for Year Two!
My son is a student-athlete, living with three other guys, and by now we’ve got the college drop-off routine down a little better.
But before we left, I asked him the all-important question:
“What snacks do you want me to send with you?”
I was ready for a list.
Protein bars.
Trail mix.
Cookies.
Chips.
His answer?
“Your chicken wing dip.”
😂😂😂
Out of ALL the things his mama could send to college, the one thing he requested was my top-secret chicken wing dip recipe.
I mean…I’m not saying this dip is going to make him the most popular guy in the house, but I’m also not NOT saying that. 😉
And honestly, I kind of love that in Year Two, when he has access to grocery stores and all the food options college life has to offer, he still wanted a little taste of home.
Which got me thinking…
Should I do another installment of Cathy’s Kitchen Confidential?
You know…the recipes that I don’t always just hand out to everybody?
Because I might be willing to spill the secret behind this one.
Want the recipe?
Message me WING DIP and let me know!
Because apparently, some recipes are important enough to make the trip back to college.
And this one just made the cut. ❤️
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