A Gourmet's Wisconsin Cupboard

Recipes and reviews of specialty gourmet foods made in Wisconsin.

20 August 2009

Back To School Care Packages - What Food To Pack?

As parents pack up their kids' gear to take them back to college, often included is a care package of food. But what to pack? The food must be nutritious, but as fast to prepare as the ever available junk food that lures from vending machines.
My coworker is mulling over her options this week. She's decided to send her college sophomore back to school with a variety of frozen chicken dinners. He's got a small fridge and access to a microwave. Microwaving chicken is even easier than boiling ramen, - but of course she'll send some of that along too, although she does so reluctantly. For easy lunches, she's packing him summer sausage and cheese.
She's also putting healthy snack foods like nuts, popcorn, and dried fruits in his care package. She's packing extra snacks because she knows he'll be sharing with friends.
Then she told me that she's going to get him kitchen scrub brushes that already have the soap on them. I looked at her quizzically. She explained that it's hard enough for her to imagine him scrubbing the dishes. She fears that requiring him to add soap to the dish cloth could derail any overture he might make toward cleaning up after himself.
Yes, packing a back to school care package for a college student definitely demands creative thinking.

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