Brought to you by Victorville Hyundai- August 2020
Back to school may look a little different this year, but that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy the pomp and circumstance that this time of year brings. The excitement of unopened notebooks just waiting to be filled with your latest ideas. A new backpack that has just the right amount of pockets for all of your pencils and pens. And new lunch pails and thermoses awaiting your BEST hot/cold lunch recipes.
Options are varied from kindergarten to college for the format that education will take shape in- virtual, in-person, home school, and hybrid. There is one constant that remains amongst the myriad of shifting variables, it’s still FUN to take in all the sales and look through the latest recommended back to school purchases to enhance your learning experience.
Bookmark this guide to refer back to all the amazing lunch ideas and resources all year long! Let’s dive right in...
Prepping your Insulated Food Thermos
Cold Food Prep
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Place your thermos inside of your fridge with ice water inside of it to allow it to chill for 5 to 10 minutes.
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Remove from your refrigerator and empty the ice water. Dry the inside of your thermos depending on the contents that will be going inside.
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Immediately add your cold lunch items and seal your thermos.
Hot Food Prep
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Carefully fill your thermos with boiling hot water. Allow to sit for 5 to 10 minutes with the hot water inside.
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Carefully drain the hot water from your thermos and wipe it dry.
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Immediately add your hot lunch items and seal your thermos.
Priming your thermos will allow you to achieve maximum cool or hot temperatures for your food. Who doesn’t want their hot items H-O-T and they're cold items brrrrrrr COLD! There is nothing worse than sitting down for lunch to eat subpar items that have been reduced to room temperature when they weren’t meant to be.
Cold Food Lunch Items
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Smoothies! This is great to put in your thermos for your kids when you are ready for that healthy boost of fruits and veggies at lunch time. We LOVE Awake Juice Bar’s Blueberry Bliss Smoothie or Awake Acai Bowl.
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BLT Sandwich, Pastrami, or even a Club Sandwich. Sandwiches are a lunchtime classic, but eating a soggy, questionably warm sandwich is THE WORST. Try cutting your sandwich into strips, small triangles, or circles and placing it inside of your cold prepped thermos to eat a fresh sandwich at lunchtime.
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Pasta Salad. On a hot summer day cold pasta can be quite refreshing. This doesn’t have to be a hard recipe. Just grab your favorite box of Betty Crocker Suddenly Salad and add some leftover chicken or even lunchmeat.
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Greek Yogurt + your favorite mix-ins. Yogurt isn’t just for breakfast. You can dress it up with granola, your favorite fruit, nuts, or the ultimate kid favorite...mini m&m’s.
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Buffalo Chicken Wrap with Bleu Cheese and Celery. If you are looking to spice up your lunch, make some mini buffalo chicken wraps to throw in your cold prepped thermos.
These cold food lunch items are sure to help mix up school lunches for everyone!
Hot Food Lunch Items
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Mac N Cheese. Whether you are college aged or kindergarten, who doesn’t LOVE mac n cheese!?!? Classic comfort food. EASY to make. You will delight your taste buds when you open your hot prepped thermos full of ooey gooey cheesy mac n cheese!
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Chicken nuggets. What kid doesn’t love chicken nuggets? Throw a handful of chicken nuggets in your hot prepped thermos, put a side of ketchup in a small tupperware on the side and BAM, instant kid WOW-factor at lunch.
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Grilled Cheese like your grandma makes! Thick sourdough and a few slices of cheese grilled to perfection and cut into strips for easy HOT transportation. We are loving Corky’s Kitchen and Bakery Kids menu for EASY curbside pick-up on your way to school or even a quick school break while distance learning.
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Mini-Corn Dogs and Pizza Rolls. Hot lunch perfection and a perfect fit inside of your thermos.
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Meatballs. I am sure you never thought of this as a stand alone lunch, but they are like protein bites on the go for your kiddos. Heat them to piping hot, throw them in a thermos, add some tomato sauce on the side and your kids will be in spaghetti-esque heaven.
Now that you have two weeks worth of lunch ideas for you, your kids, or maybe even the college student in your house, let’s talk about how to take virtual learning to the outside world with some versatile lunch trays PERFECT for lunch dates on the road in your Hyundai Tucson!
Best on-the-go Lunch Trays
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DIY lunch tray created from a shower caddy + pencil holder (pictured to the below).
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Car Steering Wheel Tray Desk. Two-Sided for laptop, frink, food, work table holder
Just because school may be virtual, or maybe you decided to homeschool or enjoy a hybrid option; that doesn’t mean that your lunches should be uneventful or even all at home.
There are so many recipes that are perfect for insulated food containers and options that make on-the-go easy. We have plenty of amazing High Desert locations for you to take a quick lunch break to change the scenery while safely social distancing. Drive your Hyundai Tucson to these local desert hangouts to learn and lunch in a new setting.
Best High Desert Lunch Locations
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Mojave Narrows- Arguably one of the most picturesque places in the High Desert. Drive in and enjoy the lake, sit below the tall shade trees, or enjoy one of the picnic tables. When you are done with lunch, you can go for a quick walk around the lake before heading back to your virtual learning school fun.
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Hesperia Lake- This is the PERFECT location for a quick lunchtime vacay. Bring a fishing pole, bread for the ducks, and you are set for a 30-60 minute lunchtime adventure. If you have little explorers in your house, this is a great location to give them a mental break, quick energy burn, and still make it back home in time to finish your virtual school day.
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Horsemen’s Center- With 80 acres of rural park amenities, this desert location is nestled into a rocky mountain alcove. You and your kids will LOVE coming here for the scenery, bike riding, amateur rock scrambling, and wide open space perfect for a quick water battle! Bring your lunch to grab a bite at the picnic tables, run off some energy, and head back home to finish your remote work, distance learning adventures.
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Mojave River Trail in Victorville and Riverwalk South in Apple Valley- 3.9 miles of riverwalk heading towards and connecting to Mojave Narrows and 2.75 miles of riverwalk heading south into Apple Valley; there is plenty of open space for you and your kids to stretch your legs, ride a bike, and enjoy a quick outing to break up the day. If you park near the Victor Valley College you can enjoy the picnic tables to lunch at before heading out on the trail.
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Elmer’s Bottle Tree Ranch: If you are looking for a little lengthier lunch, maybe you're up for a true midday getaway, venture out on Route 66 to Oro Grande. You will find a hidden gem of the High Desert to explore. With hundreds of colorful bottles on display in various unique set-ups, this will spark curiosity in all ages.
We have covered everything from hot lunch, cold lunch, on the go eating, and the BEST places to enjoy your lunch in and around the High Desert. The only thing left to discuss is having the right vehicle to keep you and your family safe, comfortable, and enjoying the adventures that the social distance life brings.
Hyundai Tucson- The Best Compact Crossover on the Market
The Hyundai Tucson is a powerful compact crossover providing you enough car to seat a family of 5 comfortably; Plenty of cargo space (pictured below) to store backpacks, groceries, or picnic necessities for your adventures outside of the house. The Hyundai Tucson has an understated elegance to it and unique features that will have you craving this vehicle for all of your future adventures.
Back to school means more time in your car. Yes, even if you are distance learning, this is the case as you drive around town to pick-up the necessary supplies to ensure success. The Hyundai Tucson will bring 23 combined city/hwy miles. It is equipped with YES essentials cloth which is spill resistant, odor resistant, and antimicrobial. You will have a 7 inch infotainment center with Apple and Android Auto integration.
Enjoy easy parking with rear cam displays for easy backing out or parallel parking. The Hyundai Tucson is versatile and can easily accommodate friends, family, and gear.
If you are feeling the age of your vehicle, maybe the paint is fading, there are scratches on the doors, or you have costly repairs beginning to stack up...it’s a great time to upgrade your vehicle, get a refreshed warranty (America’s Best), and a new low payment. Check out today’s prices here.
