Fruit for Thought

Right now, Molly is on a big fruit kick.  We are trying all kinds of new fruits and some old ones too.  She is asking for fruit with every meal and instead of dessert.  Molly has always been open to trying different types of foods and the more strange, the better.  (That is, if Mom or Dad eat it first.)  So now we are on the look out for new and exotic fruits for her to try.  I'm thinking about persimmons and pomegranates.  Maybe kumquats?  Keep an eye out for whatever I can find around here.

Our main entrée is a sandwich made from Trader Joe's Pumpkin Bread and whipped cream cheese.  This boxed pumpkin bread mix is so flavorful.  We substituted apple sauce for the oil in the recipe to bring down the fat content.  When we baked it, the whole house smelled incredible.  We then sliced a few pieces and spread some whipped cream cheese on them.  

Our vegetable side is a cucumber that has been cut into sticks.  For some reason these particular cucumbers have a very strong cucumber flavor and it's really delicious.

Our fruit side is kiwi, raspberries and star fruit.  Molly requested this combination.  It's funny that even though we are in the beginnings of winter here in Western PA, there is an abundance of amazing fruit that is available to us.  This combination of fruits is the perfect mix of sweet and tart.

Our diary side is Dannon Light and Fit vanilla yogurt.  A sweet and creamy side that boosts the protein and calcium in this meal.  Molly also requested this because she, along with the rest of our family, loves yogurt.

Finally, we put in two Hershey's Kisses as an added treat to get her through Wednesday.  This week seems to be dragging on a bit so why not add a goody to give a little push for the rest of the day.  

Purses for Lunch

Molly is always willing to try something new.  She tried sleeping overnight at a friend's house for the first time this past weekend.  She is trying ballet classes this year.  She's always trying new ways of singing, dancing and making little crafty art projects.  And she is the first one to try something new to eat.  We are so lucky that Molly is open to new things.  She has found that her options are so much more broad because she has tried these things and actually likes them.  A perfect example is the purses that she will be enjoying for lunch.  I bought these several months ago and made them for dinner.  Both her father and I oohed and aahed over them but the kids were a little resistant at first.  Then, Molly decided to be brave and take a taste.  She loved them.  She encouraged her sister to try them and she ended up liking them too.  Thanks to her willingness to try new things, she gets a favorite for lunch tomorrow.

Our main entrée is Trader Joe's Perline Pasta and Prosciutto with a drizzle of light Italian dressing.  These little herbed pasta purses are filled with a yummy blend of prosciutto and cheese.  Incredibly delicious!  Plus, what girl doesn't love a purse?

Molly really enjoyed the carrots today so we've decided to cut up a few more with our crinkle knife for tomorrow's lunch.  If we just threw in some baby carrots, we'd probably have a few return home.  But with this "neat looking" cut, we have no left overs.

We've quartered an apple for our fruit side.  These apples are amazingly juicy and sweet.  Each bite is crunchy and fresh.

Dessert is Annie's Homegrown Bunny Friends.  This variety of flavors is the best of all worlds.  You have the plain vanilla, chocolate and chocolate chip all in one snack.