Maybe this sounds silly, but for me, I find baking to be very therapeutic on long winter days. It's a productive activity that blesses our family because it's gotten my mind on something worthwhile and then we have good things to eat!
I am constantly trying to come up with creative foods to put into my kids' lunchboxes that fill and nourish them, but that they can eat quickly. Here's a list of ideas I'm looking at today: