Leftover Lunch

We are utilizing little leftovers for Molly's lunch.  We made the tortellini yesterday for her brother and sister's lunch.  The carrots were the very last in the container in the fridge and the strawberries were the final ones in their container.  Our refrigerator looks so much cleaner, which makes Mommy very happy.

Our main entree is a tortellini salad.  We added mini turkey pepperoni and light Italian dressing to Trader Joe's fresh cheese tortellini.

Our vegetable side is carrot sticks.  We keep carrots and celery sticks in a container filled with water in the refrigerator.  It keeps them so fresh and crispy.

Our fruit side is sliced strawberries.  Molly's Daddy was nice enough to cut these into perfect little pieces for our girl.

Finally, our dairy side is a string cheese.  There wasn't a lot of room for a dessert so we decided that a little extra protein would work just fine.  We'll make sure that she gets something sweet at dinner. ☺

Easy Lunch

After a very full and fun Valentine's Day, we were looking for something easy to make for Molly's lunch tomorrow.  Sure, a classic pb&j is always a nice and easy option but we decided to mix it up a bit.  Then we threw in some other classics.

Our main entree is a Nutella and peanut butter sandwich.  We use a 12 grain bread for this because we think that it tastes awesome with any nut butter and since Nutella is a nut butter and so is peanut butter...no brainer!

Our vegetable side is cucumbers slices.  We used our crinkle knife to cut these into fun shapes.  Molly said that she really likes them this way because they are more fun to eat.

Our fruit side is a banana.  We cut a small chunk off of the top and then used cookie cutters to press in our special message to Molly.  It will be more visible when she sees it at lunch but it browned up pretty nicely while we were fixing her lunch.  ♥ U, Molly!

Our dairy side is a string cheese.  This is a great option for a little extra protein or a little extra something in case she is still hungry.

Our dessert is vanilla yogurt with mini chocolate chips.  Molly really enjoyed the mini chocolate chips the other day so we thought she'd enjoy them tomorrow.

100th Day of School

Tomorrow is the 100th day of school for Molly.  It is such a milestone for these kids because even though school seems to drag on at this time of year because it's a reminder that summer is just around the corner.  They really don't celebrate it much as the kids get older but I've heard some fun things that some of the teachers are doing. My friend told me that her daughter's kindergarten class is dressing up like they are 100 years old.  I begged for pictures.  Molly had to bring in 100 of something when she was in Kindergarten.  She chose fun little glow in the dark beads because she was very into making bracelets with them at that point in time. 

Happy 100th Day of School, Everyone!

Our main entree is a pita pocket sandwich.  We used a new whole wheat half pita and stuffed it with salami and provolone.  We then used one of our food safe markers and wrote a little message for Molly on it.

Our vegetable side is green pepper.  We cut out several 100's with a small cookie cutter.  Molly just loves peppers and we thought it would be a nice compliment to her sandwich.

Our fruit side is natural (no sugar added) applesauce.  Molly has a loose tooth so she asked to have things that wouldn't hurt her tooth.  We added a 100 that we cut out of a whole fruit leather.  We're not sure if this will be swimming in the applesauce by the time Molly gets to lunch, but that might be fun to find too. 

Our dairy side is a cheese stick.  Just in case Molly is still hungry after eating the rest of her lunch.

Finally, our Fun Friday treat and 100th day of School treat is strawberry Jell-O Jigglers cut into a 100 with our trusty cookie cutters. ☺

Leftover Monday

We are doing our best to eat healthy, incorporate more fruits and vegetables into our meals and not waste things that we buy.  We're trying to figure out how to list all of the things that are in the fridge or freezer so that they don't spoil before we get a chance to eat them.  We are also trying to do more menu planning, or better menu planning.  It goes well for a few weeks, then life's little chaotic episodes take over and the plan drops.  I guess it's a constant battle but it's one that we're willing to fight so that we can keep our food fresh and healthy and produce less waste.

Our main/vegetable entree is a large spinach salad.  We added some meat from leftover chicken legs that we had for our dinner tonight.  Also included are yellow peppers and some French dressing on the side.  Molly is a fan of French dressing lately and while it is not the healthiest, she doesn't use it often so once in a while, it's fine.

Our fruit side is mixed fresh berries.  Raspberries, strawberries and blueberries to be exact.  We had this mix in our dessert this evening.  We made some sugar free lemon pudding and topped it with the berries.  Everyone was very pleased.

Our dairy side is a Frigo Cheese Head cheese stick.  Sometimes a salad can be filling and sometimes it can leave you hungry, so we added this as an option in case Molly is still hungry.

Finally, our dessert is a Chobani Champions Orange Vanilla Greek Yogurt.  Molly said that it tastes like a creamsicle so it's a perfect dessert for her.  It's also a great size for kids and adults alike because it is not too much, just a perfect sweet note for the end of a meal.

Full Friday

This Friday is going to be a little hectic, actually this whole weekend is.  We have plans for just about every day. Tomorrow after school, Molly has ballet.  Then we will be headed to the High School for a basketball game that Molly and her BFF's (along with several other girls) will be able to cheer at as part of his past summer's Rah Rah Camp.  After that, we (the BFF's and their families) are going to go out for an ice cream or some sort of other snack.  Molly can't wait.  She actually went to bed early tonight so that she will be energized for tomorrow.  Saturday, we are going to see Mary Poppins on stage!  I'm REALLY excited about this one because Mary Poppins has always been a personal favorite.  After that, we will come home and cheer on our favorite Pittsburgh Steelers as they play in a playoff game.  HERE WE GO STEELERS, HERE WE GO!!

Our main entrée is a good old pb&j.  Molly requested this classic lunch staple.  We spread peanut butter and strawberry jam on whole wheat bread and then used a large flower cookie cutter and a small star cookie cutter to cut it.

Our vegetable side is a baby spinach salad.  We added a few shredded carrots for sweetness and crunch.  This is accompanied by Trader Joe's Balsamic Vinaigrette.

Our fruit side is a kiwi and some pomegranate seeds.  Both pretty and delicious.

Our dairy side is a string cheese stick.  This provides a little extra protein to round out our lunch.

Finally, our Fun Friday treat is two Aldi Milk Chocolate Covered Gingerbread Hearts.  Molly will be so excited to have this special yummy treat, and she truly deserves it. ☺

Let It Snow!

December 1st came and so did the snow.  I knew that there was a possibility of snow today but I did not expect to look out the window this morning and see my van covered in the white stuff.  The chill in the air and the beautiful snowflakes falling are just another reminder of the Christmas season that is upon us.  This is my kind of winter.  Just enough snow to cover everything in a beautiful shimmer of white but still warm enough that you can stand outside and not freeze completely.  I did not care for "snowmageddon" last year with several feet of snow.  I'll take a little more so that we can make a snowman and that will do it for me.

Our main entrée is banana bread sandwiches with whipped cream cheese.  These are something that you might find at a tea party.  Molly has always loved to play tea party so we decided to pay homage to one of her favorite things during this lunch.

Our veggie side is sugar snap peas.  We are giving the salads a break for the day.  Molly really enjoys these sweet and crispy veggies.

Our fruit side is apple slices.  These will be a nice accompaniment to the banana bread sandwiches.

We also added a string cheese to add some protein and calcium.

Finally, we have Aldi Pfeffernusse Cookies for Molly's dessert.  These cookies are like gingerbread but lighter in texture and flavor.  They are chewy and yet have that little crunch from the white icing.  YUM!

Lunch Before Break

Do you remember the school days leading up to a holiday break?  They seemed endless and pointless to me as a kid.  The clock would never go fast enough because I knew that there was so much fun to be had when I got home.  Plus, we never did much of anything educational, in my opinion.  Why did we even bother going to school?  The excitement of the upcoming time off wiped out any possibility of learning.  Molly is experiencing this right now.  She was bouncing when she got home and could barely stand to leave to go to her catechism class tonight.  She has grand plans about making place mats and name cards.  Molly is a great artist and loves to decorate so I'm sure that she has even bigger ideas for how she will decorate for Thanksgiving.
Well, this is the last lunch before her break.  Not much longer until vacation baby girl!

Our main entrée is a turkey sandwich!  Just kidding...mostly.  It's actually a peanut butter and jelly on whole wheat but it is cut with a turkey cookie cutter and a pumpkin cookie cutter.  We're getting excited for Thanksgiving at our house so we decided to get the ball rolling early with the turkey and pumpkin.

Our vegetable side is mixed vegetables that were frozen, then cooked and then chilled.  Molly really likes this combination and it tastes very good cold.

Our fruit side is Aldi canned Tropical Fruit Salad.  Pineapple, Mango and Papaya are just a few of the fruits in the lovely blend.  It's sweet and juicy with a delicious tropical flavor.

Molly requested some string cheese so we were happy to oblige.  We usually have this as a snack in our house but once in a while we'll add it to lunch for extra calcium and protein.

Finally we have Archer Farms Organic Strawberry Real Fruit Strips from Target for our dessert.  We used a heart shaped micro cookie cutter to make this normally long rectangular strip a little more special for Molly.  *These were called fruit leather when we were growing up.  Then we put it in a heart shaped silicone cupcake liner to make it fancy.

Requested Repeat Lunch

Molly came home and raved about her lunch and requested that we repeat it.  I love when kids really enjoy something different.  Most kids wouldn't even try peanut butter on banana bread.  You'd get the, "eeewww, MOM are you kidding me?  I'm not eating that.", reaction if you even mentioned it.  But now it is so popular at our house that not just one, but two kids requested it for tomorrow.  The third may want it as well but he doesn't quite have the verbal skills needed to express that yet.

Our main entrée is again homemade banana bread spread with Whole Foods honey roasted peanut butter and made into sandwiches.  If you are looking for this yummy and healthy (two words that are rarely put in the same sentence) recipe, check our post about yesterday's lunch.

The strawberries were a big hit too, so we are going to oblige Molly's request for them to again grace her lunch box.  We can't blame her, they are really delicious and the smell is very comforting.

We switched up the vegetable a little bit.  Our vegetable du jour is edamame.  Yes, those cute little soy beans that almost look like lima beans but taste a little different.  We had all three kids eating them at dinner tonight.  #2, Molly's sister, usually doesn't like them but tonight she ate them like they were going out of style.

We also added a Frigo Cheesehead String Cheese for some added protein and a little salty flavor.  We all are big fans of cheese in our house and this is one of our favorites.  The kids and adults really enjoy this easy and convenient snack.

For dessert, we've decided on old fashioned vanilla wafers.  Yes, most of the time these little lovelies are found in banana pudding or as the base of a tiramisu when lady fingers aren't available, but they are a nice and sweet little treat all by themselves.  Plus, they aren't a heavy cookie that sits at the bottom of your stomach for the rest of the afternoon.