Matthew 14:13–21 tells the well-known story of the five loaves and the two fish: “But Jesus said, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.” They said to him, “We have only five loaves here and two fish.” And he said, “Bring them here to me.”
Even in biblical times meals could be a bother! We moms can certainly relate. No matter how tired we are or how we feel, we make dinner almost every night for our families. We stare in the refrigerator hoping something will pop out that would feed everyone without much bother.
After 45 years of making dinners, you can bet that I’m always on the lookout for easy meal ideas. When I saw these wraps online, I just had to try them. I always have cheese and meat in my refrigerator so all I really needed to buy were tortillas (they were on sale for $1.99).
The benefits of these wraps are numerous. Each person can customize their own, the kids can make them by themselves, they’re easy to transport and hold, and all age groups love them. Plus, they’re easy! Now that baseball season is upon us, we have also found that the wraps are the perfect snack before practices and games.
Ingredients
- Tortillas
- Any toppings and sandwich items you can think of
Instructions
Fold a tortilla in half and then in quarters to get fold lines. Cut one slice from the center to the edge of the tortilla.
PC: Ann Kirsten
Using the fold lines as a guide, put different sandwich toppings in each quarter. You could do ¼ meat, ¼ cheese, ¼ sauce, and ¼ lettuce, for example. Or how about peanut butter, jelly, bananas and strawberries? The ideas are endless for these wraps. Scrambled eggs, bacon, and cheese would make a wonderful breakfast.
PC: Ann Kirsten
Once the tortilla is filled, fold the bottom edge up and then continue folding counter- clockwise until you have a fan shape.
PC: Ann Kirsten
Hold with the fan shape upright and the sandwich is ready to eat without making a mess.
PC: Ann Kirsten
I over-filled this one so the edges aren’t even.
To make these extra special, toast the “fan” in a pan sprayed with oil or butter. Or, for an easy Taco Night, make some with taco meat, cheese, salsa, and veggies. Do you have gluten-free members in your family? Simply use corn tortillas instead. Or, for you sourdough bakers, use this same method with homemade sourdough flatbread.
However you use this recipe, I think you’ll find that these are a fun and easy way to feed your family. Well, not as much fun as having Jesus perform a miracle in front of you, but a nice addition to your recipe repertoire.
“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31
Fun Facts:
Time: Most moms face cooking time constraints, whether they work or not.
Cost: Nowadays, it can be expensive to buy the quality foods you want for your family.
Pickiness: Kids with sensitivity issues are on the rise. Getting them to eat can be a nightmare.
Burnout: After cooking every single day, moms can suffer from burnout (especially if they don’t like cooking to begin with).
Tips:
To combat the time crunch, use a crockpot, prep veggies the night before, or do a week’s cooking on the weekend.
The cost of food is a hard one. I use the app for my store and “clip” coupons on my phone. I also shop sales and grow as much food as I can.
Pickiness is so hard. I was strict with my kids and used the old school; “Eat what you’re given” rule. Then, my youngest was born. I remember watching him one night at the table trying so hard to choke some fish down. His little face was red and tears streamed down his face. I realized in that moment that he wasn’t being belligerent; he wanted to make me happy, he just couldn’t. I pulled back a bit after that (it should be noted that he is now my most adventurous eater). If your child eats only certain things, sneak in some healthy things. Protein powder, tiny cut veggies or fruit?
And burnout. What mom hasn’t suffered from this? A number of moms I know have husbands who cook, what a wonderful break that would be. Every store deli now has dinners-to-go. Buy some chicken, mashed potatoes and salad and no one will be the wiser.
The Importance of Family Dinners:
Stronger family bonds – Dinner together provides much needed opportunity for communication and connection.
Improved academic performance – Children who eat with their family have been proven to do better in school.
Reduced risk of behavior problems – substance abuse, sexual activity and fighting are lessened when the family connects at dinner.
Better mental health – family dinners also lessen eating disorders, anxiety and depression in kids.
Healthy eating habits – kids have lower rates of obesity. Perhaps because, instead of snacking, they eat healthy choices as a family.
One word of warning about family dinners: DO NOT use them as a time to berate or discipline. Your child will do anything to avoid dinnertime after that.
Now that we know the importance of family dinners (and I’ve veered way away from this easy on-the-go recipe) I hope this helps you navigate the after school munchies, the crazy sports nights, and the “I’m just hungry” times.
Community meals play an important part in the Bible. Whether you eat a 10-course meal, a bowl of cereal or these wraps, look around at the people who surround you and praise God for the food. Everything will taste so much sweeter after that.
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Read more of Ann’s contributions to AllMomDoes here.
