All Request Lunch

Molly likes to make requests when it comes to her lunch and tomorrow's lunch is no exception.  She requested every item and knew exactly what she wanted.  You have to love the way that kids get excited about the small things in life.

Our main entree is a Buffalo chicken and smoked Gouda cheese sandwich.  Our bread is a 12 grain variety because we are trying to slowly merge into all whole grain instead of any white bread, pasta or rice.

Our vegetable is some baby carrots.  Molly saw these in the refrigerator and was quick to request them to be part of her lunch.

Our fruit side is sliced strawberries.  These only have a few days left before they end up in the compost bin so we are trying to use them quickly.  Molly agreed that they would be a nice addition to her lunch.

Finally, our dairy/dessert is Chobani Champions vanilla chocolate chunk.  Again, requested by Miss Molly herself.  ☺

All Request Lunch

It was a busy day at our house today.  Molly had her picture day so there was some extra primping in the morning.  Molly's sister had preschool.  Then, Molly's brother and I had Mommy & Me.  Molly's Daddy started his new position at work today too.  After all of that, there was Faith Formation (CCD) this evening for three of the five of us.  Plus, it's garbage night.  One last thing, dance classes start tomorrow for Molly and her sister so they are about to burst with excitement trying to plan everything.  Whew, that was a lot for one day.  Now off to make Molly's lunch.  The wonderful thing about her mind going crazy with lots of fun things is that she tries to incorporate her lunch into her thoughts.  This lunch was completely by request and I'm sure that Molly will enjoy every little bit of it.

Our main entree is a salami and cheese sandwich.  Molly asked that we use salami, pepper-jack cheese, mustard and our whole grain white bread.  We thought it was a great idea.  We used  pumpkin cookie cutters just for fun.

Our vegetable side is carrots.  Molly is going through a big carrot phase these days.

Our fruit side is a whole bunch of red and green grapes, again.  Molly said that they tasted so good today, that she can't wait to have them for lunch tomorrow.

Our dairy side is a colby-jack cheese stick.  We were told that these really help to complete the meal when Molly is feeling extra hungry...and apparently she has been lately.

Finally, our dessert is a Chobani Champions Verry Berry.  Molly has had one of these for a few days so she was craving the sweet and creamy flavor.

Requested Lunch

Since this week is shorter, we've gone with our all request lunch for tomorrow.  As I stated yesterday, Molly really is a creature of habit.  When I asked her what she wanted, I could've guessed before she even opened her mouth.  Of course she asked for a pimento cheese sandwich "quesadilla" as her main entrée and a few other favorites for her sides.  I was surprised, however, that she asked for a special treat on a Tuesday.  Not that I'm not flexible about these things, but she usually doesn't stray from our normal routine.  I had to decline her request though, since tomorrow's lunch will definitely have a treat in it.

Our main entrée is a pimento cheese sandwich "quesadilla" made with Trader Joe's pimento cheese spread and middle eastern flat bread.  If Molly had her way, she'd probably eat one of these every day of the week.

Our vegetable side is sugar snap peas.  We figured that she'd request cucumbers but when she saw these in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator, her eyes lit up.

Our fruit side is sliced strawberries.  Her choices were kind of slim on fruit because we need to go to the grocery store; but she was very happy to have strawberries as an option.

Finally, we have our dairy/dessert staple, Dannon Light and Fit vanilla yogurt.  Molly must have probiotic proficiency because of the amount of yogurt that she consumes.  But, it tastes really good so we don't blame her for wanting it all of the time.

Twos Day

Have you ever eaten something and craved it for every meal afterward?  Molly has eaten homemade pizza for 3 of her last 4 meals.  After dinner, she asked to have it again for lunch tomorrow...if there was any left.  Lucky for her, there were three pieces of a mini pizza left.

I really don't blame her for wanting the same thing over and over.  I remember being a peanut butter and jelly junkie when I was young and would eat it for every meal without deviation.  It just makes me wonder what the favorite foods will be for her brother and sister.

Our main entrée is homemade pizza...again.  This is the last little bit left over from our Super Bowl party on Sunday.  The mini pepperoni makes it extra fun.

Our vegetable side is cucumber slices.  This cucumber is extra crunchy.  It will be a great addition to this lunch.

Our fruit side is strawberries and kiwi.  This combination is great whether as whole fruits or juice.  Trader Joe's makes a delicious strawberry kiwi juice that our family really enjoys.

Finally, our dessert is some Annie's Homegrown Bunny Grahams in honey flavor.  A nice little change from the normal yogurt and an added sweetness and crunch.

Food Trend Lunch

Molly is definitely a creature of habit.  She jumps on these eating trends and will ask to eat the same thing for days on end.  She enjoyed her sandwich so much that she not only requested it for her lunch tomorrow but she also requested it for her dinner tonight.  She is also still on her yogurt kick.  We've had request lunches before but this is a trend request lunch.  Seems a bit redundant to me but it's easy to prepare the same things and Molly likes it, win win!

Our main entrée is a turkey and pepper jack cheese sandwich on whole grain bread.  We added a little bit of mustard and then we used some of our favorite cookie cutters to "lose the crust", as Molly likes to put it.

Our vegetable side is sliced cucumbers.  These will bring the crunch factor into this lunch.

Our fruit side is blueberries and kiwi...again.  We can't blame her though.  Blueberries and kiwi are a great combination.

Finally our dairy/dessert side (again) is Dannon Light and Fit vanilla yogurt.  Molly would rather have this than most any other dessert.

No Pizza Monday

We had a rare thing happen this weekend.  No pizza!  Well, the kids had pizza on Saturday night but there were no left overs for Molly's Monday lunch.  This was a big dilemma since I usually count on that Monday staple.  So, I asked Molly what she wanted for lunch tomorrow and her request was a good old peanut butter and jelly.  Also, we had part of our extended family over today and made some chocolate chip cookies and those were definitely on the request list.  So, although she may not indulge in her regular Monday pizza, she does get a nice little treat instead.

Our main entrée is a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on whole wheat.  We chose classic Jif creamy peanut butter and Trader Joe's strawberry jam.  A great combination.

Our fruit side is a mix of blueberries and kiwi.  We found these blueberries at Sam's Club at a pretty decent price and they are nice and sweet.  Molly will be really excited to have two of her favorite fruits in her lunch.

Our dairy side is Dannon Light & Fit vanilla yogurt.  This was another request of Molly's.  We are more than happy to give it to her too.  It is so good for her, yet she thinks of it as just another delicious treat.

Finally, we have our homemade chocolate chip cookies.  Molly, her sister and our special friend helped to make these awesome treats.  There is just something about homemade chocolate chip cookies, they taste better than just about anything else in this world. ☺

Turkey Tuesday

Molly was adamant about what she wanted for lunch.  She asked what we had and when it wasn't what she wanted, she asked if I was going to the store tonight.  I agreed that I would go to the store and a little light in her eye gleamed.  I can completely understand why she was like this.  I was craving a salad all day.  Not a spinach salad (what we had on hand) but a nice romaine lettuce salad.  Most people crave chocolate and yes, we do too...a lot, but a salad?  Well, Molly's craving is a turkey sandwich with provolone cheese.  Guess the apple didn't fall too far from the tree.

Our main entrée is a turkey and provolone sandwich on whole wheat.  We also added some sprouts for crunch and a little bit of mustard to tie it all together.  We hope that this will satisfy Molly's craving. ☺

Our vegetable side is slices of cucumber.  Molly requested these as well.  She said that she really liked how refreshing they were today and wanted more tomorrow.

Our fruit side is the last of the strawberries from Molly's Grammy.  I noticed today that these strawberries are from Plant City, FL.  When I lived in Florida, I went to the Strawberry Festival in Plant City and it was amazing.  Hands down, the best strawberry shortcake I've ever had.

Finally, our dairy/dessert side is Dannon Light and Fit Vanilla yogurt.  Molly can't seem to get enough yogurt lately.

Another Request!

Since Blogger wasn't working last night, I am going to blog about Molly's lunch a little late so it will be short. This whole lunch was by request.  It all stemmed from our mini ravioli dinner and blossomed from there.

Our main entrée is a pasta salad.  Trader Joe's sells these yummy little packages of deliciousness and calls them mini ravioli.  Our whole family really likes them, even the pickier eaters.  We made these dry pastas for dinner last night and used the left overs for Molly's lunch.  We added some light Italian dressing and small pieces of pepperoni for spice.

Our vegetable side is a baby spinach salad with cucumbers, shredded carrots and fennel.  We served some of the light Italian dressing on the side to compliment the pasta salad.

Our fruit side is a kiwi sliced into spears.  Just a little different than the normal round slices.

Finally our dairy/dessert side is Dannon Light & Fit Vanilla yogurt with fresh raspberries.

Breakfast Request

As I said in yesterday's post, I usually sit down with Molly and we discuss what she might want for lunch.  Today was no exception.  As we finished our dinner, Molly chimed in with, "Mom, I know what I want for lunch tomorrow."  I was thrilled.  I didn't have to think of anything to make.  Sometimes she'll say, "anything but peanut butter and jelly."  Sometimes she'll only say that she wants apples as her side.  But today, she told me everything that she wanted and a few extra things just in case we didn't have something.  Most days I kind of guide some of her decisions so that we can include all of the food groups and I had to remind her to include a vegetable today.  Other than that, this is all Molly.

Our main entrée is a waffle sandwich.  We toasted two whole grain waffles; a little more than usual so that they don't get soggy.  To that, we spread whipped cream cheese, that we flavored with maple syrup, on both of the waffles. We then added very thinly sliced apples and sandwiched it all together.

Our vegetable side is cucumber sticks.  Molly agrees that cucumbers don't have an overpowering flavor and that they will go well with our breakfast for lunch.  Plus, cucumbers are crunchy so they add a great texture to our lunch.

Finally, our dairy/dessert side is Dannon Light and Fit Vanilla yogurt.  Molly really likes this yogurt at just about any meal.  We added some fresh raspberries at Molly's request.  They are so flavorful and the crunchy seeds add a different texture to the creamy yogurt.

Welcome Wednesday!

Yes, we are welcoming Wednesday with open arms this week.  It is the final full day of school before Christmas break.  That means that Christmas is almost here and we couldn't be more excited.  We are ready to celebrate the birth of Christ with our friends and family and even strangers as we greet them with a hearty "Merry Christmas!"  This time of year is amazing to watch when you have children.  The Christmas lights sparkling in their eager eyes and the incredible smiles that stream across their faces are unmatched by even their birthdays.

We would like to wish each and every one of you a Very Merry Christmas and a Joyous and Prosperous New Year!  See you next year in 2011!

The Final Lunch of the Year is a by request only lunch.  Molly and I sat down and she decided what she would like and I said that she could have anything.  This is what she decided on...

Our main entrée is pepperoni, cheese and crackers.  Molly thinks that this "party food" is one of the coolest things to have for lunch.  We used Keebler Town House Toppers Crackers in their holiday variety.  If you look closely, you can see a tree and a snowman embossed on the center of the crackers.  The cheese is Colby Jack and it and the pepperoni were loving prepared by Molly's Daddy.  (Thanks Daddy!)

Our vegetable side is a baby spinach salad with pea shoots.  It is served with Trader Joe's Balsamic Vinaigrette.

Our fruit side is a combination of Clementine segments, raspberries and pomegranate seeds.  Molly said that she really likes it when she gets a combination of fruits because she has so much to choose from.

Finally, our Christmas dessert is one of Molly's Daddy's Famous Pizzelles that has been broken in to bit sized pieces and a Brown Eyed Susan cookie.  These two are some of our absolute favorite holiday cookies and Molly definitely deserves a very special treat for her final school lunch of 2010.

Again, Merry Christmas to One and ALL!