Weekend Fun With Your Meal in a Bag!

Everybody I know is cutting back and spending less. But everybody I know still wants to enjoy life--especially when the weekend rolls around. So here's an idea: Take your road trip or go to the ball game, but pack your treats or meal with you. Brown bag it. This isn't just a work-day lunch idea anymore.

Here are a few suggestions and ideas for your own "Brown Bag Specials:"

• Use thinnley shaved slices of meat or sausage and heap on sandwich bread. Thin slices are easy to chew and taste better. Combine ham and turkey or several kinds of sliced cold meats.
• Use a variety of breads: bagels, buns, loaves, English muffins, corn bread or hard crusty rolls.
• Spread each slice of bread from edge to edge with butter or cream cheese. These spreads keep breads from drying out and fillings from soaking through.
• Combine meat and vegetables or cheese and fruit to make interesting fillings. We all love that chicken salad with grape halves, for instance. Experiment with different combinations. We never know what's good until we try it.
• Wrap lettuce, tomato and other veggies separately from the sandwich itself--they'll keep their crispness this way. Then assemble when you're at your venue.
• Have a mix-and-match sandwich basket--the variety will be fun for everyone.
• Create breadless sandwiches: Roll ham or turkey slices around a string cheese stick. Or bring a carton of ham, chick, or potato salad and when at your venue, plop a dollop of the salad on a slice of turkey or ham and roll up for a yummy breadless "wrap."
• Add an unusual cookie or bar--one you don't usually have at home. The surprise adds to the fun of the activity.

Now here's a fun recipe that makes a nice alternative to a cookie, that you might want to add to your weekend "Brown Bag Extravaganza!" Let me know if you take me up on this frugal weekend fun idea, and until next time, happy cook'n!

PEANUT BUTTER LOG (makes one 10-inch log or 1 dozen little logs)
1/2 C old fashioned peanut butter
2 1/2 - 4 Tbsp non-fat dry milk (I use powdered milk)
1/2 C raisins
1 Tbsp honey
Coconut, or chopped nuts, or sesame seeds to roll in (optional)

Blend peanut butter and honey. Mix in as much powdered milk as you need to make the mixture easy to handle and stiff. Knead in the raisins evenly along the dough as you form it into a one-inch thick, 10-inch log; roll in coconut, chopped nuts, or sesame seeds. Chill and slice. It can also be rolled out and cut with cookie cutters.