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School Lunches Straight From The Garden

killingsworth lunch

This school year, pack your kid’s lunches with yummy garden meals and snacks.

Parents everywhere are rejoicing and that could only mean one thing–school is starting back up again! You’ll pack your kids from head to toe in new clothes, stuff their backpacks with notebooks and pencils, and pack their lunches with…yucky junk food? Nope! This school year we want to help you come up with a few fun and healthy brown-bag lunch ideas both you and your children will be happy with. And the best part is–it’s in your backyard!

Cucumber tuna cups

This yummy (and inexpensive) snack will have your child’s friends envy of your cooking creativity.  

Ingredients:

1 large English cucumber cut into 1 inch thick slices 1 5 oz can Bumble Bee Solid White Albacore in Water tuna, drained  ⅓ cup of mayonnaise  1 teaspoon black pepper  Fresh dill for garnish 

  1. Scoop the seeds out of the cucumber slices leaving about ¼” on the bottom to make little cups. 
  2. Squeeze the water from the cucumber pulp you have scooped out, and finely chop it. 
  3. Combine tuna, finely chopped cucumber pulp, mayo, and pepper. Taste and add more mayo or pepper if needed. 
  4. Dab away any excess water in the cups and stuff with the tuna. Dress it up with dill.

Garlic parmesan zucchini chips

Serve these chips up with a side of ranch for a crispy and flavorful snack the peanuts are sure to enjoy. When they ask for more of these chips, you’ll have no hesitation. Ingredients:  3 to 4 zucchini, sliced into ¼” to ½” rounds  3 tablespoons olive oil  Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste  1 cup panko breadcrumbs  ½ cup grated parmesan cheese  1 teaspoon dried oregano  1 teaspoon garlic powder 

  1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.
  2. In a large mixing bowl combine zucchini slices, olive oil, salt, and pepper. 
  3. In a separate bowl, combine panko crumbs, parmesan cheese, oregano, and garlic powder.
  4. Dip slices of zucchini in cheese mixture and coat on both sides. Then place slices in a single layer on the baking sheet and lightly spray with cooking oil for a good crunchy texture.
  5. Bake for 10 minutes; rotate pan and continue to bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until chips are golden brown. 

Tomato and basil hummus

This tasty hummus recipe is a great way to use the tomatoes and basil you’ve harvested from your garden this summer. Plus, it’s a great source of protein and fiber! Ingredients: 1 ½ cups chickpeas 1 clove of garlic  ⅓ cup of sesame paste  10-12 basil leaves ¼ of a teaspoon salt  10-12 cherry or mini Roma tomatoes  1 tablespoon olive oil  Fresh cracked pepper

  1. Blend all ingredients together in a food processor. If the mixture looks too runny, add more chickpeas or paste.
  2. Drizzle with olive oil, and crack black pepper.
  3. Serve with sliced bell peppers, carrots, cucumbers or crackers.

Broccoli cheddar bites 

These bite-sized snacks are a lunch box’s best friend. Freeze any extras and microwave them when you’re ready to eat them! Ingredients: 1 large bunch of broccoli florets 2 eggs ½ cup packed, torn fresh bread (no crumbs) ¼ cup grated onion ¼ cup mayonnaise  1 cup, packed, grated sharp cheddar cheese  1 ½ teaspoons lemon zest  ½ teaspoon kosher salt ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Steam and chop the broccoli. You should have 2 to 2 ½ cups.
  3. Mix the beaten eggs and torn bread in a large bowl until the bread is completely moistened
  4. Add and mix the grated onion, mayo, cheese, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Add the broccoli and mix the combination together.
  5. Distribute the mixture in mini muffin pan wells and bake for 25 mins until cooked through and lightly brown on top.

Cucumber sandwiches 

These mini cucumber sandwiches put a gluten-free spin on the classic lunch meat sandwich. Your little ones will notice the difference, but won’t mind a bit!Ingredients: Cucumbers  Small tomatoes Avocado  Sliced chicken or turkey  Sliced cheese  Toothpicks 

  1. Slice the tomatoes, cucumbers, and avocado.
  2. Stack the meat, cheese, tomato, and avocado (add other vegetables if you’d like!) on top of a cucumber slice and cover with another cucumber slice.
  3. Stick a toothpick through the middle of the stack to hold all of the deliciousness together. 

So what do you think? Will your little ones get on board with these fun nutritional school lunch snacks and meals? We have a feeling they might especially if they helped grow the garden (one of our tips to teach your kids to go green)!  If you were too busy in the garden this summer and weren’t able to pay attention to your lawn, we’ve got you covered. Did you know we offer yard services? Schedule one with us today!

School Lunches Straight From The Garden

Bedbug inspection

How to Know if Your Hotel Has Bedbugs

Upon entering a hotel room, do you typically reach for the tiny toiletries, take a leap onto the bed, or perhaps start by inspecting for bed bugs? Knowing what to look for is essential. Anticimex Carolinas Service Manager Christian Tweed has shared valuable insights on identifying bed bugs in your hotel room and preventing them from hitching a ride back home with you. And if bed bugs do become an unexpected part of your vacation, remember that Clark’s Pest Control is here to assist!



Q&A with a Pest Professional


How do bed bugs get inside hotels?


Bed bugs are primarily hitchhiking insects as opposed to foraging ones, meaning that they get carried around on people’s clothes and belongings. Someone with an active infestation in their home can easily bring bed bugs to their hotel, but they can also be picked up during travel (airplanes, taxis, and rideshare services) and brought to a hotel room.


What do people misunderstand about bed bugs in hotels?


From a probability standpoint, all hotels will deal with bed bugs at some point in time. If you think about a bed bug’s method of travel, there’s literally nothing a hotel can do to stop them from being carried in. What I have realized is that luxury hotels are more likely to have an aggressive response to dealing with a bed bug case once it’s identified as they tend to have a higher quality of service and a reputation to protect. While this isn’t always the case, it has been my experience more often than not.

Got bedbugs? Call Clark’s at 866-781-4991 today!

What do you recommend travelers do when they get to their room to check for bed bugs?


Most hotel headboards hang directly on the wall. I start my inspection here before even looking at the bed itself. I have found bed bugs, their exoskeletons, and the telltale black stains they leave behind around the edges of or in the crevices of headboards. If the headboard looks clean, move on to looking over the pillowcases and comforter for any signs or stains. You can dig into the bedding as deep as you want here, but I encourage people to look over the top layer of things at the very least.


What are some lesser-known signs of bed bugs in your hotel room?


The specifics of the black stains they leave behind, which as gross as it sounds, are just digested blood as that’s all that bed bugs feed on. If the stains are on a hard surface, they will be small dots as if left behind by an ink pen and will smear into a brownish gray when moisture is applied. If they’re on fabric, they will usually bleed along the fibers making a small diamond, square or X shape.


If there are bed bugs in your hotel room, can they travel home with you?


They absolutely can, however this is easy to prevent. While staying in a hotel, keep as much of your clothing and luggage off the beds as possible. Storing suitcases in the bathroom might sound odd, but it’s an effective method of prevention.

Don’t tackle bedbugs yourself, call Clark’s at 866-781-4991!

What should you do with your suitcase if you suspect your hotel has bed bugs?


When arriving home from a trip, leave your luggage in the garage or on a porch and bring your clothes in one load of laundry at a time. If the clothes are dirty, wash them like you normally would, if they’re clean then run them through the dryer for at least forty-five minutes. Once your suitcase is empty, vacuum over it meticulously (don’t forget to empty the vacuum when you’re done), or if you’re in the right climate, expose it to heat for a few days by placing it in your vehicle (parked in the sun) or for a few weeks in your attic.


The Clark’s Solution


If you brought bed bugs back to you home, Clark’s is here to help. Our Bedbug Control service is designed to eliminate bedbugs and create a safe, comfortable environment.


A Clark’s Pest Professional will do an inspection and recommend a plan of attack to get rid of bed bugs now and prevent them from hatching in the future. Call Clark’s at 866-781-4991 today for more information.




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