Pizza Friday!

When I was growing up, one of our traditions was to have pizza on Friday for dinner.  I don't know if it was payday or if it was just the easiest thing to do at the end of a long week, but we really enjoyed it.  We figured, why not give it a try for Molly's lunch?  Here you go...

Our main entree is turkey pepperoni pizza.  We purchased a pre-made crust and added sauce, cheese and turkey pepperoni.  We're so excited to hear Molly's reaction.

Our vegetable side is a garden salad.  Another one of our traditions was to have a big salad with our pizza nights.  It makes sense because that way, there was always a vegetable on the table.  We also added a side of light Italian dressing.  It looks like a lot from this angle, but it is less than a tablespoon.

Our fruit side is sliced strawberries.  They are on sale at the store right now and the sweetness and flavor keep getting better and better.  We can't wait to go pick our own this summer!

Our dairy side is a Babybel cheese.  We figured that Molly might need a little something extra and this is a perfect fit.

Finally, our Fun Friday Treat is a small package of M&M's and some Smarties.  Molly's Nana was the candy giver this year for Easter.  We were happy add some of these sweet confections for a special treat.

Summery Lunch

Now that the weather has gotten much warmer, we're feeling the summer bug biting.  This means cool refreshing salads and simple sides.  We had a fantastic meal with wonderful friends tonight and one of our favorite things was eating outside.  Something about a great meal with great friends in the fresh air makes any stress of the day just melt away.

This made Molly decide that she wants to go summery for her lunch.  We were happy to oblige!

Our main entrée is a "big plain salad" per Molly's request.  She's so funny when she wants something.  Her eyes get wide and she can't come up with the words fast enough.  Our salad (romaine lettuce) is being served with light Catalina salad dressing.  We also added a few yellow tomatoes because Molly really likes them and she said it would be okay.

Our fruit side (since our main entrée is also our vegetable) is mixed berries.  We brought these to our friends' house as a topping to some vanilla pudding.  There were just enough left over to toss into Molly's lunch.

Our grain/dairy side is cheese toast.  We added some shredded cheddar cheese to a flat bread and melted it in the toaster oven.  When it cooled, we cut it into manageable pieces. We also added a string cheese on the side for some extra protein.

Finally, our fun Friday treat is two rolls of Smarties.  There wasn't enough room for anything else. ☺

Back from some time off

We took last week off from Molly's Lunch Box and Molly bought her lunch all week.  What?  Well, on Monday, Mommy was too tired to make lunch because she was up at 4am on Sunday getting ready to run her leg of the Pittsburgh Marathon with the Moms on the Move relay team.  An absolute blast but very tiring.  On Tuesday, there was no school because of election day since they use the school as a voting place.  Then, the rest of the week, Daddy was in Las Vegas for business so Mommy was pretty busy keeping the house in order by herself.  Now, Daddy is back and Mommy is well rested so we're back at it.

Our main entrée is a real quesadilla.  We used two flour tortillas and filled them with shredded cheddar cheese.  We toasted this on the stove then cut it into triangles.  This is being served with a side of jalapeño salsa.  Yes, Molly likes spicy food.

Our vegetable side is cucumber sticks.  We haven't had these for a little while and Molly is asking for them so we are happy to oblige.

Our fruit side is strawberries and blackberries.  Molly picked out these blackberries at the store and hasn't had a chance to eat any yet so we're tossing the last few into her lunch so that she gets a taste.

Finally, our dessert is Smarties.  This is in homage to Molly's Uncle Greg who ran the full 26.2 miles of the Pittsburgh Marathon because he loves Smarties.  Way to go, Greg!

Lenten Lunch 4

YES!  Mommy is on the mend!  Which means that Molly will be packing her lunch and getting some good nutrition.

As I was thinking about Molly's lunch, I was trying to think of the meatless meals that we had during Lent when I was growing up.  Then, it hit me...breakfast!  At least two or three times during Lent, we had breakfast for dinner.  We would usually have pancakes or waffles or french toast; then some sort of potato, scrambled eggs and usually some fruit.  Today's lunch is a bit of a twist on the regular breakfast that is served for a Lenten meal.

Our main entrée is a cinnamon raisin bagel thin by Thomas' bagels.  These are wonderful because you still get the great bagel taste, the delicious flavor and the bagel "chew".  But, it's not nearly as filling and doughy as a regular bagel.  We've spread some light cream cheese on the bagel thin and created a sandwich with it.  We've also added a small container of roasted pepitas or pumpkin seeds.  These will add a nice crunch, a savory element and a little extra protein.

Our fruit side is a sliced plum.  This has a sweet and tart flavor and it's nice and juicy.

Our diary side is Dannon Light and Fit Vanilla Yogurt.  Molly's favorite!

Finally, we have our Fun Friday treat!  We added a roll of Smarties candy for her special treat.