Pepperoni Roll

I went to my favorite bake shop to get some birthday goodies (my birthday was yesterday) and picked up a pepperoni roll for the girls while I was there so tomorrow's lunch was nice and easy. 

Tomorrow's lunch is in a Laptop Lunches bento box.

Our main entree is the scrumptious pepperoni roll.

Our vegetable side is mixed pepper rings.

Our fruit side is raspberries and blueberries.

Finally, our dairy/dessert is plain Greek yogurt with honey and a few sprinkles.

2 Different Lunches

There are days when the girls are so happy to have the same thing and then there are days when they don't exactly agree on the menu.  Today, we are doing a repeat for Molly and something different for Bean.

Molly enjoyed today's lunch so much that she requested more/bigger pieces of our Healthy Banana Bread with whipped cream cheese sandwiches for her main entree.

Her veggies are cucumber slices.

We mixed blueberries and prune plums for her fruit.

Finally, her dairy side is a Babybel with a little bear cut out of it.

Bean's main entree is a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  We used one of our new Lunch Punches to cut out a fun little cupcake and then we used our food safe markers to decorate it. There are a few rainbow goldfish swimming around her sandwich in case she is still hungry.

Her veggie side is cucumber slices, just like Molly.

The fruit mix for Bean is prune plums and strawberries.

Finally, her dairy side is a Babybel with a little heart cut out of it.

Tomorrow is blue day in Bean's Kindergarten class so we skewered some blueberries and added an Archer Farms blueberry and pomegranate 100% real fruit bites.

Patriotic 4th of July Lunch

We're at it again!  The Bento Bloggers and Friends are doing a patriotic blog hop.  We all were talking and noticed that we are so proud of our countries and wanted to celebrate them with awesome lunches.  Canada celebrates their Independence Day on July 1st and the United States of America celebrates their Independence Day on July 4th.  We have friends in both countries that will hop with us and it made sense to hop a few days prior so that we could take the holiday off to celebrate.

Our main entree is an American flag open faced sandwich.  We cut the crusts off of our bread and created a rectangle for our flag.  Then, we spread some whipped cream cheese on the bread.  Finally, we added sliced strawberries and a few blueberries to create Old Glory.

Our vegetable side is zucchini and red peppers.  We used a small star cookie cutter to cut out the center of the zucchini to create white stars.  Then, we used our micro star cookie cutter to cut the red pepper into red stars.  We added an American Flag pick and a Captain America Shield ring to this section too.

Our dairy side is vanilla yogurt.  We added a few star sprinkles to the top to match our theme.  We also added a Statue of Liberty (one of our favorite symbols of freedom) to the bowl.

Finally, our fruit/dessert is a patriotic strawberry.  We dipped fresh strawberries in white chocolate and then just the tip in some blue sprinkles.  These were a HUGE hit with the kids.  Plus, they are much more healthy than most other holiday themed desserts.  There are two sparkly star picks below the strawberries.

Now it's time to HOP on over to see what incredible fun thing Bobbi has created for her kids at Bobbi's Bentos, then keep hopping to see what everyone else has imagined up to represent their patriotic side.

Final Lunch of the Year - The Un-Birthday Lunch

WE DID IT!!!!!!!  2nd grade will be a thing of the past at 3:30 tomorrow afternoon.  This year was filled with lots of ups and downs but all in all it was a fantastic year.  Molly made huge strides in her reading and math, plus she formed a lot of great friendships.

Tomorrow, she will be celebrating her un-birthday since her real birthday is at the very end of this month.  We put together her goody bags to give to her classmates and included little squirt toys, bubbles, glow sticks and yo-yo's.  A GREAT way to start the summer off.

Tonight is the last time that we will be making just one lunch during the school year.  Next year, Molly's little sister will be joining the ranks at the elementary school.  We are SO excited for both of them.

Our main entree is a Molly sandwich.  This is Molly's favorite, a salami and colby jack cheese sandwich that we added some embellishments to. We used eyes that we picked up at the bake shop, our food safe markers for her face, and since Molly is known for her curly hair, we added some ramen noodles that are sprinkled with a tiny bit of the flavor packet to make her beautiful brown hair.  Finally, there is a little cheese bow in her "hair" just for fun.

Our vegetable side is a red pepper.  This is Molly's favorite vegetable.  We added a Happy Birthday pick and a few little candle picks to go along with the un-Birthday theme.

Our fruit side is Molly's favorite; strawberries and blueberries.  We had lots of fun with birthday picks in this container.  We have a "happy birthday" pick, a balloon and several of the little candles.  So much fun!

Finally, our Final Fun Friday treat is cake balls.  These are like cake pops without the stick.  They are chocolate cake mixed with cream cheese frosting then dipped in white chocolate with a few sprinkles added.  We put them in little cupcake wrappers and added another balloon pick and a candle pick.

Happy Un-Birthday, Molly!!! ☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺

Have a FANTASTIC summer everyone.  We'll be posting a few random things here and there but otherwise, see you in August!!

Theme Week Lunch 4 - 3rd Grade!

We were going to save this lunch for the last day of school but Molly will be celebrating her un-birthday at school on Friday so we decided to switch up the last two days.  We can't believe that the 2nd grade is almost over and our big girl will be a 3rd grader in a few short months.  It is so exciting to think about all of the fun things that she has to look forward to next year.

Our main entree is a cheese quesadilla.  We melted cheese between two flour tortillas, cooled it down and then used a number 3 cookie cutter to cut out lots of 3s for our favorite soon to be third grader.  There is a side of Trader Joe's salsa verde for dipping because it is one of Molly's favorites.

Our vegetable side is cucumbers.  We have a small number 3 cookie cutter that we used to cut these out.

Our fruit side is green grapes, blueberries and apricots.  We used the same small number 3 cookie cutter to cut out the apricot to keep up with our theme.

Finally, our dairy/dessert is a Chobani Champions Chocolate Chunk Greek yogurt.  This is Molly's favorite yogurt so we had to include it.  We used some small Post-Its on the lid that say, "Look Out 3rd Grade, Here Comes Molly!"

One more lunch before summer vacation!!! ☺

Purse Lunch

This is the last week of school this year and we've decided to make a theme lunch every day this week.  This is not an easy task but we're up for it and have the whole week planned out.  Hopefully it will all go off without a hitch. ☺
Monday is the purse theme.  We found some really cute picks at a local bake shop and decided to just go with it.  Plus, one of Molly's favorite entrees is purses.

Our main entree is Trader Joe's Perline Pasta and Prosciutto.  These are little purses of pasta hold yummy bits of prosciutto and cheese.  We added a little bit of light Italian dressing to keep the pasta from drying out.

Our vegetable side is carrot chunks.  These are manageable little pieces that Molly will be able eat easily and quickly during her short lunch period.  We added a little purple purse to this container.

Our fruit side is strawberries and blueberries.  The berries are in full bloom here in PA and taste so delicious this year.  We added a little blue purse to this container.

Finally, our dairy/dessert is vanilla yogurt.  A sweet and creamy end to a yummy lunch.  We added a little pink purse to this container.

Picnic Lunch

While looking for inspiration for Molly's lunch, I channeled our weekend.  We had so many picnic-like meals, it was easy to figure out a great lunch.  *side note - has anyone else realized how many different "salads" there are at a picnic?  pasta salad, fruit salad, veggie salad, jello salad, etc.  I wonder if picnic is another word for salad somewhere?  haha!

Our main entree is a cheese tortellini salad.  We cooked up some Trader Joe's cheese tortellini for lunch today for Molly's siblings.  The rest were put in a container, light Italian dressing was added and there you have it. One of Molly's favorites.

Our vegetable side is mini cucumber slices.  We picked up another bag of these mini cucumbers at Sam's Club today.  They are crunchy and great by themselves or dipped into hummus or a yogurt dip.

Our fruit side is strawberries and blueberries.  We saw a lot of fun recipes for strawberries and blueberries incorporated into desserts for memorial day.  The idea of a vanilla yogurt parfait with strawberries and blueberries sounded really good.  This and the next container could be that, just deconstructed.

Our dairy/dessert is vanilla yogurt.  Molly is all about the vanilla yogurt right now.  Parfait or no parfait, it's a great end to a healthy lunch.

Warm Lunch!

Winter is coming into it's own now in Western PA.  This means that we will be using Molly's thermos more often so that she can have something warm in her lunch.  This is the first of many warm lunches to come.

Our main entree is Trader Joe's Gnocchi al Gorgonzola.  This is a HUGE hit with all three of our kids.  It was part of tonight's dinner and Molly asked for the leftovers in her lunch.  It has tremendous flavor and it more filling than you might expect.

Our vegetable side is canned green beans.  These are the no salt added variety.

Our fruit side is strawberries, blueberries and star fruit.  There were lots of great fruits available at the store today.

Our dairy side is a colby jack cheese stick.  This will serve as Molly's protein in her lunch.  We also added some new Club Mini Crackers to go with the cheese.

Finally, our dessert is vanilla yogurt.  Molly will most likely put some of the berries in it so we left it nice and plain.

1st Day of School Lunch!

Tomorrow marks the 1st day of second grade for our girl, Molly.  She is excited and nervous all at the same time.  I remember not being able to sleep the night before the first day of school.  The adrenaline was enough to make me sick.  Molly can't wait to see her friends and meet her teacher even if there is some resistance on her part since she's such a homebody.  We are very excited to hear all of the stories that the day will bring.

We had a fantastic and busy summer but we are ready to get back at it.  We are ready for our scheduled days and the fun that weekends hold.  We are looking forward to an incredible year with lots of new adventures.

Our main entree is tortellini pasta salad.  Molly chose this for her first lunch because she wanted something that reminded her of the fun summer meals that we had.  The salad includes Trader Joe's Cheese Tortellini, turkey pepperoni, light pepper jack cheese, sliced olives and light Italian salad dressing.  This should keep her nice and full for the rest of the school day.

Our vegetable side may seem a little different.  They are called ground cherries.  They are actually tomatoes and a member of the tomatillo family, which is why they have a "wrapper" around them.  You just peel the wrapper off and pop the sweet little cherries out.  Ground cherries are very sweet and have an almost pineapple-like flavor.  We found these at a local farmers' market and we can't get enough of them.

Our fruit side is a sliced Granny Smith apple and blueberries.  Molly chose these and actually helped clean them and put them in her lunch box.  They are both tart in flavor and will offset the sweetness of the ground cherries.  It's kind of like opposite day. ☺

Finally, Molly chose Dannon Light and Fit vanilla yogurt for her dessert.  She said that she wanted to put a few blueberries in it and maybe even dip her apples in it.  After Molly left to get her backpack and outfit ready, we added a single Hershey's Kiss.  A simple reminder of the love that waits for her when she gets home. ♥

Have a blast in the 2nd Grade, Molly!  It's going to be an awesome year!

We purchased Molly's actual lunch box from www.laptoplunches.com

Red, White and Blueberry Lunch

I went through several of Molly's lunches and picked out some of her favorites for these last few lunches of this school year.  Breakfast for lunch is always a favorite of any of my kids.  We mixed this up a little bit to pay tribute to the good old U.S. of A!!!

Our main entrée is a waffle sandwich.  We toasted two waffles, extra crispy so that they don't get soggy, then added light cream cheese, flavored with maple syrup, to each waffle.  We then added slices of strawberry to enhance to the sweetness.

As usual, there is no veggie side but we do have a two little sides in the box with the waffle sandwich.  We added slivered almonds to one small container for extra protein.  Then, we put some mini M&M's in the other container as a dessert or a yogurt topping.

Our fruit side, aside from the strawberries, is blueberries.  We had a few of these beauties left over after making a bunch of fruit salads this past week.  They are so sweet and juicy.

Our dairy/dessert is Molly's favorite Dannon Light and Fit vanilla yogurt.  She can add the blueberries, almonds or M&M's or just eat it plain.

Fun Friday...with chicken!

Now that Lent is over, we can eat fast food and we can eat meat on Friday.  We decided, why not both?  This evening, we indulged in Chick-Fil-A for dinner.  I just happens to be my favorite fast food. ☺  We always buy extra nuggets for the kids because you never know when they are going to be going through a growth spurt which makes them ravenous.  Luckily for Molly, the kids ate their normal amounts of nuggets and she gets leftovers.

Our main entrée is leftover Chick-Fil-A chicken nuggets.  We are serving these with a side of honey mustard for dipping.  Lucky girl!

Our vegetable side is a romaine lettuce salad, as per Molly's request.  We are serving this with light Italian dressing on the side.

Our fruit side is strawberries and blueberries.  Molly enjoyed these so much in today's lunch that she asked for them again for tomorrow's lunch.

Finally, we see the return of Molly's favorite Dannon Light and Fit vanilla yogurt.  She was very excited to hear that it would be back!

There isn't a Fun Friday extra treat because we have gone through enough Easter candy this week to make a dentist faint.  Next Friday will have a special treat.

Spring is Here!

Spring is finally here!  At least it finally feels like spring in Western PA since the winter lasted for what felt like an eternity.  It has been warm for the past few days, the flowers are in full bloom and we have been cooking on the grill just about every night.  The other things that spring promises are fresh fruits and vegetables from local farms and back yard gardens.  We were lucky enough to find some great fresh produce recently and enjoy the taste of spring via strawberries and peppers.  YUM!

Our main entrée is a pimento cheese sandwich "quesadilla".  We used Trader Joe's Middle Eastern Flat Bread and spread Trader Joe's pimento cheese spread on it.  Then we folded it and sliced it.  This is Molly's favorite sandwich.

Our vegetable side is a romaine lettuce salad with yellow and red peppers.  We added a small container of light Italian dressing at Molly's request.

Our fruit side is strawberries and blueberries.  The blueberries are a little bit tart and the strawberries are very sweet.  A great combination.

Finally, our dessert is vanilla wafers.  Molly requested these too.  I think we'll be seeing our favorite yogurt soon though.

Lenten Lunch 2

For as much as Molly would love a leftover corned beef sandwich for lunch, it's a Friday during Lent which means that there is no meat.  We'll save our St. Paddy's Day leftovers for Saturday.  So, we've decided to take advantage of some other leftovers.  We served a variety of Irish Cheeses with crackers as an appetizer to our Irish dinners and we have some left.  They will make a delicious Lenten lunch.

Our main entrée is an assortment of Irish cheeses with pita crackers.  Molly really likes these sharp and creamy cheeses that can be compared to cheddar and gouda in flavor but they are still very unique.

Our vegetable side is green pepper slices.  We had a bit of green pepper leftover from Molly's St. Patrick's Day lunch and she likes them, so might as well chop it up and pack it for lunch.

Our fruit side is a clementine and some blueberries.  There is a distinct tart and sweet flavor that goes along with both of these fruits to they compliment each other very nicely.

Finally, Molly requested yogurt for her dairy/dessert side.  (Shocker!)  So we have her favorite Dannon Light and Fit vanilla yogurt all set for her.

But....it's Fun Friday so we added a special treat on the side.  We found a few Nestles Chocolate hearts for Molly's treat.

Do Over With Help

Molly has recently expressed an interest in helping to make her lunches.  I've changed my schedule a bit lately and I'm home more often in the evening.  So, I figured that the more involved she is in the process, the more likely she'll eat it or try new things.  (Note: She doesn't eat all of her lunch all of the time and will sometimes turn her nose up to trying something new or very odd to her.)  Molly enjoyed her lunch so much today that we are repeating a few of the same things, and she helped to make them!

Our main entrée is Molly's favorite "quesadilla."  She spread Trader Joe's Pimento Cheese Spread on a Trader Joe's Middle Eastern Flat Bread, folded it in half and we cut it into quarters.

Our vegetable side is the same as yesterday's lunch as well.  We sliced up a few cucumbers and added a pinch of Trader Joe's Shredded Carrots for sweetness.

Our fruit side is a clementine with a handful of blueberries.  Molly peeled and divided the clementine and added the blueberries.

Finally, our dairy/dessert is Dannon Light and Fit Vanilla Yogurt with a special little twist for our helpful little chef.  We tossed a bit of teddy bear sprinkles on top for a splash of color and fun.

Overwhelmed 1st Grader

Molly is falling into the normal overwhelming feeling that most kids her age get into.  Today I asked her why she didn't remember something that I remind her about almost daily, and she said, "Mom, there is just too much to remember."  As a parent, I forget that she is expected to remember so much more than I ever did at her age.  My biggest worries in the 1st grade were what color to use on my next picture or how to spell my name.  Molly is reading, writing in a journal, doing more math than I did in the 2nd grade and has to remember things for science, social studies and the arts.  She even has a PIN for her lunch.  She has to remember her address, telephone number, Mom's cell phone number, Dad's cell phone number, etc.  No wonder she can't remember to keep her elbows off of the table.  Poor kid.  I understand being overwhelmed so I'm hoping that with a little extra love and encouragement, we can help Molly get through this information overload.

Our main entrée is one of Molly's favorites, pasta salad.  We had some left over whole wheat rotini from dinner so we added a few pieces of mozzarella, mini pepperoni and Italian dressing.

Our vegetable side is cucumber slices.  They go very nicely with the pasta salad and she could even add them to the salad if she wants.

Our fruit side is kiwi and blueberries.  This batch of kiwi is on the tart side but Molly and her brother and sister pretty much prefer tart things, like lemons and limes.

Our dairy/dessert is another of Molly's favorites, vanilla yogurt.

Hang in there Molly!

Tuesday with a Treat

Molly is doing her best to feel better.  Poor thing still sounds like a dog barking when she coughs and she seems more sleepy than usual but she's powering through it.  What's really nice is that the teachers at her school are so open to help the kids that need to miss school.  The librarian told Molly to come in early and exchange her books so that she doesn't miss out on reading something new since Molly loves to read.  The art teacher told her that she could come in during recess if she wanted to get caught up on her art project.  I was also surprised that Molly only had a few extra papers in her folder to do as make up work.  I'm very thankful for such a spectacular array of teachers at Molly's school.

Our main entrée is a turkey sandwich with pepper jack cheese on whole grain bread.  We added Molly's favorite mustard and cut the sandwich into small triangles.

Our vegetable side is red pepper slices and cucumber halves.  We figured that this crunchy duo would be a nice accompaniment to her sandwich.

Our fruit side is apple slices and blueberries.  Molly has been asking for an apple in her lunch and blueberries are a favorite of everyone in our family.  They make a nice little mix.

We added a cheddar and mozzarella cheese stick for a little extra calcium and protein.

Finally, we added a little treat for our girl.  She is trying her hardest to feel better and keep up with her schooling so we added some Care Bear fruit snacks for a bonus to her lunch.

Breakfast for Lunch!

Just before 1pm today, my phone rang.  It was the school nurse calling to let me know that Molly was feeling dizzy and had a slight temperature.  Luckily, Molly's Daddy was working from home today so I was able to run down to the school to pick her up without having to take her little sister and little brother with me.  After resting for most of the day, she says that she's feeling better.  We'll see what tomorrow brings.

Our main entrée is mini waffle sandwiches.  We spread maple flavored cream cheese on each mini waffle and topped one side with thinly sliced apples, then sandwiched the waffles together.  We also added a small container of peanuts to add some protein and crunch.

Our vegetable side is, well... nonexistent.  Without some sort of egg dish or potato dish, it's hard to integrate a vegetable into breakfast.

Our fruit side is a mix of strawberries and blueberries.  There aren't enough apples to constitute a full fruit side in our opinion.  

Finally, we have our standard vanilla yogurt.  Molly is a really big fan breakfast for lunch so if she isn't feeling 100%, this should put a smile on her face. ☺

All Better Now

After a week of passing illness back and forth, I can happily report that we are all better now!  Woo Hoo!  We are back on track and slowly incorporating our regular routine back into life.  I didn't realize how dirty the house gets or how few groceries there are when the whole house gets sick at once.  I can also report that the house is mostly clean and Sam's Club has gotten a visit so we should be good for a while. ☺ Thanks again for all of your thoughts and prayers.  I will pray that none of your houses are afflicted with that horrible sickness because it was pretty rough there for a while.

Our main entrée is a typical Monday lunch offering.  Left over pizza from the weekend.  We got some good old Sir Pizza to celebrate everyone's wellness.  Cold pizza can always put a smile on Molly's face.  (and her sister's too.  She actually prefers it cold....kids!)

Our vegetable side is a baby spinach salad with Trader Joe's Balsamic dressing on the side.  We figure that if we can indulge in pizza, our sides should be pretty healthy to balance it out.

Our fruit side is blackberries and blueberries.  Molly's Grammy purchased these before she left for a nice vacation to a warm destination.  We are enjoying them as much as Grammy is enjoying the sunshine!

Finally, our dairy/dessert is Dannon Light and Fit Vanilla Yogurt.  We buy this in large containers because everyone in our family really likes it.  Also, this yogurt can be used as a healthy alternative to oils when baking so it's nice to keep on hand.

Weathered Wednesday

Well, the weather forecasters were WAY off.  We had a 2 hour delay because of some ice but we reached the mid-40's for our temperature by late morning.  I'm really glad that the forecast was wrong because it was a much safer day today as far as travel was concerned.  So, Molly ate the school lunch of chicken nuggets.  I was shocked though when she said that she only got the chicken nuggets, a bread stick and some chilled fruit.  They don't put the entire lunch on the plate anymore, the kids basically order what they want.  When did this happen? When I was in school, you were given everything and it all ran together.  I'm kind of happy in a sense that things don't have to run together anymore but I'm really disappointed that they let the kids order what they want.  No wonder she was starving when she got home.  What if you have a really picky kid and they only order the bread stick?  That doesn't seem like a good lunch or worth $1.75.  Thank goodness we don't buy lunch all that often.

Our main entrée is a turkey sandwich.  Molly requested this with pepper jack cheese and mustard on whole grain bread.  We added a few pea shoots for crunch and flavor.

Our vegetable side is a romaine lettuce salad with cucumber and carrots.  Our dressing is Trader Joe's balsamic dressing.

Our fruit side is blueberries and strawberries.  No, it's not the middle of the summer but thanks to Sam's Club, we can get these all year round.

Finally, our dairy/dessert is Dannon Light and Fit strawberry yogurt.  Most kids would rather something sweeter and more dessert-like, but Molly is just as happy with yogurt as she would be with a chocolate chip cookie.

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.