Something Different

Today was kind of strange when I was making Molly's lunch.  I usually have a main entree in mind when I am preparing Molly's lunch.  Today, I only had the sides planned and decided to just go with it and fill in from there.

Our main/vegetable entree is cucumber boats.  We mixed dill with some light cream cheese, scooped the seeds out of some small cucumbers and filled them with the cheese mixture.  YUM!

Our fruit side is sliced kiwi.  We weren't really going for a green and white theme but it just kind of happened.

Our dairy side is strawberry yogurt.  Molly likes strawberry yogurt once in a while for something a little different.

Our extra side is Scrabble Cheezit Crackers and Annie's Homegrown Bunny Graham Friends.  We thought that the Cheezits would be nice to scoop out any extra cream cheese.  The bunny crackers are a little something extra special.

Daddy's Birthday!

Tomorrow is Molly's Daddy's Birthday!  HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DADDY!!!!  We had a great weekend of celebrations with friends and family that included some scrumptious goodies and lots of laughs.  Some of the best things in life are these little get togethers.  The worlds' problems stop for those few moments when you are doubled over with laughter after a funny story that  a friend tells.

Tomorrow we will have a small celebration since it is Daddy's real birthday but Mondays are usually pretty busy at our house.  Sundays are too and Daddy was at church for most of the day today at a class for catechists.  The good thing about that is that he picked up a couple of hoagies (or sub sandwiches) on his way out.  Our youth group does this as a fundraiser and they are hard to pass up because they are so delicious. You'll see just below.

Our main entree is part of an Italian hoagie.  It's freshly baked bread with fantastic meats and cheeses.  Molly can eat an entire foot long sub by herself on some days.  We're hoping that this fills her up enough.

Our vegetable side is yellow pepper slices with Trader Joe's sun-dried tomato hummus.  We would probably put the peppers on the sandwich but Molly really enjoys dipping them in hummus.  This sun-dried tomato hummus is a little sweet from the tomatoes and had a fantastic basil flavor.

Our fruit side is a fresh plum.  This is paying homage to the sugarplum fairies of the Nutcracker Suite.  We've been listening to as much Christmas music as we can and the girls are always twirling around to the Dance of the Sugarplum Fairies.

Finally, our dairy/dessert is strawberry yogurt.  Molly asked for a twist so we switched it up a little bit and went with the strawberry instead of the regular vanilla.

Back to School!

We had a fantastic Thanksgiving and a great time over the break.  Our house is now in full on Christmas mode.  The tree is up, the lights are twinkling outside and the smell of Christmas trees is filling our house...care of a candle as our tree is artificial.  Before you know it, the jolly old man in red will be coming down the chimney with presents for all.  That is, if the kids start behaving.  I think that they are really excited and the excitement is taking over the part in their brain that tells them the proper way to act.  Or, maybe they are just ready to get back to school after a nice break.  Back to school and back to lunch.  Here is Molly's lunch for tomorrow.

Our main entree is provolone cheese, salami and crackers.  Molly asked for salami and cheese, but not in a sandwich and without any bread.  We improvised and added cheese crackers instead.  We used a fluted cookie cutter to make the meat and cheese into fun little shapes.

Our vegetable side is green pepper slices.  We had the choice of carrots or peppers and Molly chose the peppers because they are "softer" than carrots.  She lost another tooth over the break so now she is really cautious about what she eats so that the Tooth Fairy doesn't have to visit too often.  She'd rather have it spread out over time...and we're just fine with that.

Our fruit side is sliced strawberries.  Molly's brother picked these out on a recent trip to the store.  He would eat two or three bowls of these every day if he could.  They are a great source of nutrition and we are really lucky that they are available to us at this time of year.

Our dairy/dessert is strawberry yogurt.  We had to spell it out to Molly when we were talking about her lunch because if her brother gets wind of the word yogurt, all action stops and he wants some right then and there.  She requested that it be strawberry and lucky for her, we had some.

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

Our whole family is really big into soups.  I feel like my large stock pot may wear out by the end of the winter just about every year.  Whether it be chili, vegetable or chicken noodle, there always seems to be something simmering on the stove.

This fall, we've really be huge fans of homemade chicken noodle soup (recipe below).  Molly's Daddy and I especially enjoy it after a run in the colder weather.  Something about warm soup when your body is warm on the inside and cold on the outside just gets everything back to a happy warm fuzzy feeling.  We also enjoy this hearty soup before a run because it has a great balance of carbs, protein and vegetables.  This too is why we think that it is a great addition to Molly's lunch.  We purchased a small thermos for her so that she can enjoy some warm things this winter.  We also purchased a new lunch box carrier from Laptop Lunches that will house her current bento box, her water bottle and the new thermos.

Our main entree is homemade chicken noodle soup.  As stated above, it has a great combination of carbs, protein and vegetables so an all over great lunch.  (recipe below)  We are serving this with some old fashioned Club crackers

Our vegetable side is in the soup.  This recipe is chock full of onions, carrots and celery.  Don't tell Molly about the onions though, she's not a fan.  But she can't get enough of this soup.

Our fruit side is half of a banana.  Tip - if you leave the banana in the peel, only the end will turn brown and the kids don't seem to mind it.  We used our heart shaped micro cookie cutter to make light little imprints on the peel by pressing down very gently, not piercing the skin.  They are hard to see now but the should brown a little bit by lunch tomorrow.

Our dairy side is a Castle Wood Colby Jack Cheese Stick.  Molly asked for this in case she has any crackers left since cheese and crackers go so well together.

Finally, our dessert is strawberry yogurt.  We didn't fill it quite as far as we normally do because Molly said that the soup will probably fill her up.

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Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

1 large onion, diced
4-5 spears of celery in bite sized pieces
3 cups of carrots in bite sized pieces (nickled)
Salt and Pepper to taste

 - Add these to a large stock pot with a little bit of olive oil and saute on medium/low heat until the onions are translucent.

1 grocery store rotisserie chicken
(pull all the meat you can from the chicken and discard the skin and bones or keep them to make stock)
1 TBSP poultry seasoning
2 - 48oz. boxes of chicken broth + 2 cups water
1 bag Reames Frozen Homestyle Egg Noodles

 - Add the meat from the chicken and the poultry seasoning to the vegetables just to warm the chicken then add the chicken broth and water.  Bring to a boil.  Add the frozen Reames Noodles, return to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low, simmer for 10-15 minutes then serve.

*This recipe freezes well.

Running Lunch

I started a Couch to 5K training group this past Sunday and tonight was our first run.  It was so much fun!  I roped three of my friends in so that they can see how awesome running really is.  You might ask why I am doing this training since I've already run in several 5Ks and on a relay team at the Pittsburgh Marathon last year.  Answer: I want to learn more about this sport that I have learned to love.  I want to make sure that I'm doing it right and I want to get tips to help me become a better athlete.  I also want to be a positive face in this crowd.  I am an overweight asthmatic 30-something mother of three.  If I can do it, anyone can.

I always hated running because "I couldn't do it" because I was too heavy or because my breathing was bad, etc.  But, you know what?  I CAN do it and now I run on a very regular basis.  I don't consider myself a runner, I consider myself a glorified jogger but I strive to be a runner someday.  I've been working on losing weight, well most of my life (gotta get that thyroid to start working with me and keep working) and I train no matter what the weather or the hills around my house.

I do this to get out of my house, BY MYSELF!  I am lost in my own thoughts and my only worry is getting from point A to point B.  I have no kids yelling "MOM!" at me.  And I feel fantastic after I get back.

I have to say that my husband is an incredible support in all of this.  He's a runner too and we are always working in our training runs so that each of us has equal time.  I also get great support from my friends and family who are cheering me on.  Finally, the support of all of the "Peeps" at Mojo Running & Multisport is so wonderful.  It is a team that I am proud to be on.

Okay, stepping off of my soapbox and onto the kitchen floor to whip up Molly's Lunch!

Our main entree is a ham and cheese sandwich.  We used a multi-grain roll from ALDI, then added ham, pepper cheese and mustard.  Molly's Grammy was nice enough to share the delicious multi-grain rolls with us so we had to add them to Molly's lunch right away.

Our vegetable side is carrot sticks.  Nice and simple and a favorite of Molly's recently.

Our fruit side is a kiwi.  Not as cool as Frankenkiwi, but still just as yummy!

Our dairy side is a Castle Wood Colby Jack Cheese Stick.  Molly requested that this be added just in case she is really hungry tomorrow.  She's definitely feeling better. ☺

Finally, our dessert is Low Fat Strawberry Yogurt.  This too was a request of Molly's and we were happy to give it to her.  She and her siblings are pretty much over the Halloween candy (thank goodness) and are now asking for fruit, yogurt and graham crackers at dessert time.  I think our influence is rubbing off on them.

Fun Fruity Froggies!

Whoa, what a crazy night here.  We have been super busy but we keep on going.  Tomorrow, Molly's little sister is the snack person at preschool.  It is the letter "F,f" day so we decided to make fruity frogs.  We were right in the middle of making them when we realized that there would be no way to bring them to school all in one piece.  So, now we are doing fruity frog faces.  The feet just didn't fit.  But, Molly is the lucky recipient of two fruity frogs since she has a perfect container for them.

Our main entree is a Trader Joe's pimento cheese sandwich.  Yes, the return of one of Molly's favorite lunches of all time!  We used Trader Joe's flat bread, spread some Trader Joe's Pimento Cheese Spread on it and cut it into triangles.  Molly's Daddy was nice enough to make this for us since we were still working on the preschool treat.

Our vegetable side is carrot sticks.  Daddy chopped these up for us too.  He's so awesome to help out and put extra love in Molly's lunch.

Our fruit side is the fruity frogs. They are quartered Granny Smith apples (core removed) with a slit cut out for the mouth.  Then we halved green grapes, notched out toes, and set them in front.  Next, we rolled a few little cream cheese balls and put mini chocolate chips in the center for the eyes and pushed them onto the faces.  Finally, we cut a little bit of a fruit by the foot fruit roll up into a long tongue.  Never know when there might be a fly hanging around at lunch time.

Finally, our dairy/dessert is low fat strawberry yogurt.  This will be a nice creamy end to a super fun lunch.

Thursday, By Request

We are looking forward to a fun weekend with more Fall traditions.  We're hoping that the weather will cooperate so that we can see some great fall colors, picnic and play outside.  The kids know that something is going on but I'm not sure if they realize exactly where we are going or what we are doing.

But, we have to get through the rest of the week first.  Molly requested everything in this lunch and it made it much easier to prepare.  So, only one more lunch to prepare before the weekend!  Can you tell that I'm excited? ☺

Our main entree is pasta salad.  We made some choo choo wheel pasta, added turkey pepperoni, provolone cheese, tomatoes, black olives and light Italian dressing.  This is a go-to lunch for Molly because she really likes any type of pasta.

Our vegetable side is cucumbers.  We used our crinkle knife to cut these up.  Molly had a huge smile on her face when I showed her.

Our fruit side is a Valencia orange.  This variety of orange is super sweet and juicy.  When I was living in Florida, Valencia oranges and Valencia orange juice was a must have in the fall/winter season.

Our dairy side is a cheese stick.  Molly requested this because she said it would taste good with the pasta salad since there was already cheese in it.  Interesting deduction but we'll take it.

Finally, our dessert is strawberry yogurt.  She has this the other day and really enjoyed it, so on the request list it went.