A few from this week...

Two lunches (okay, technically three - I made the first lunch twice) to post today from this week. Both chics took this lunch this week:
Orange segments with blueberries, Homemade granola bar, Carrot and okra chips, Black olives, Turkey and cheese skewers.

These granola bars are called Playgroup Granola Bars. I used to make them all the time. That was before I found the Smitten Kitchen granola bar recipe! Anyway, I've been making Smitten Kitchen's granola bars for so long that I completely forgot about this recipe. One of my friends made them the other day and it reminded me of them. Although I like the Smitten Kitchen's granola bars more, the Playgroup Granola bars are much easier and require less special ingredients.

The other lunch for the week was a leftover lunch...Big chic took leftover Pioneer Woman's Spaghetti and Meatballs.

Spaghetti and meatballs with parmesan cheese, Celery sticks, Fruit leather

Pioneer Woman's Spaghetti and Meatball recipe is really good and fairly easy. I made a batch of it a couple months ago and froze the leftovers in the trusty Foodsaver. All I had to do for dinner was cook the pasta and heat up the sauce. It's perfect for a busy weeknight and it's even better the next day (or a few months later :) )

Baked Lemon Pasta

Yesterday, I came across a recipe that I had never seen before. I thought that I knew all of Pioneer Woman's recipes, but I was mistaken. I was trying to find a recipe that I could add a random 1/2 pound of sea scallops left in the freezer. Some sort of pasta seemed like a good option and I thought that Pioneer Woman had a scampi recipe. Well, it turns out that she didn't have a scampi recipe, but she did have a recipe for Baked Lemon Pasta. Lemon...scallops...pasta...sounded like a winner to me! I've gotten pretty fast at making homemade pasta so I made a batch of fettuccine to go with the sauce. Her recipe doesn't use scallops (or any other meat) but I thought it would be a good pairing. I seared the scallops and then quartered them but I didn't add them until I baked the pasta (I had a sneaking suspicion that the big chic would want to take it in her lunch and didn't want her to worry about having a stinky seafood lunch!) Although the recipe sounds a little weird (sour cream?), it was really good...kinda like a lemony fettuccine alfredo. It was so popular with the chics and the hubs that we only had about 1/2 cup leftover! Just enough for big chic's lunch...

Lemon pasta, Watermelon, Cookie, Caesar salad

We are currently overhauling the chics' playroom and went to Ikea this weekend to get some storage ideas. We always leave Ikea not with boxes of furniture, but with bags of food. These cookies are from our last visit. They're called Kakor Chokladflarn. They're like the Swedish version of a Peppridge Farm Brussels cookie. But better...much, MUCH better!

Big chic gets to buy her lunch for the rest of the week. Because I don't want to leave a balance in her lunch account over the summer, I figured out that she needs to buy lunch two times a week for the next three weeks to use up the balance on her lunch account. After looking at the lunch calendar, she chose Thursday and Friday of this week. So I'm off of lunch duty for the week! Everyone enjoy your weekend!

Food Revolution

I love Jamie Oliver! I've been a fan since he was a curly headed young bachelor whose show I could only watch on BBC. He's was so cute and British and his recipes were always good. Well now in addition to being cute, British, and a great chef, he is passionate about changing the school lunch system. How could I NOT love him? I don't know how many of you are watching the show "Food Revolution", but if you're not, you should be. He is trying to change the school lunch system in West Virginia and his journey and revelations are very frustrating and sad at times. I almost passed out when they informed Jamie that french fries were considered a vegetable option! His FIFTEEN vegetable noodle dish was not an acceptable lunch, but a hamburger and fries somehow met their lunch standards. Appalling! Anyway, he's made a stir fry on the show several times for the people in the community to demonstrate that food can be healthy AND taste good (shocking, I know!). I made the stir fry yesterday and big chic made sure that there was enough left to take in her lunch for tomorrow.

Sizzling Beef with Scallions and Black Bean Sauce, Bean sprouts, Fruit leather

You can find the stir fry recipe here. I used noodles instead of rice and added bean sprouts on the top after cooking. It was delish! Check out Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution by clicking the button on my sidebar. Sign his petition! And watch the show on Friday nights on ABC!

Homemade Pasta

I've been on a homemade pasta kick lately. I've always loved pasta but the hubs doesn't so we don't really eat it that often. Last week I decided to try to make my own pasta and after taking one bite he said, "You have made a huge mistake...this is awesome! Now, I'm never going to want to eat the store bought stuff again." I do not have a pasta machine so I made it all by hand and it really wasn't as big of a deal as I was expecting. You have to roll it out super super thin, which takes a while, but the results are definitely worth it. I also love the fact that I get to use my all natural free range eggs and whatever type of flour I choose.

So...what's the point of all this? Well, this weekend we went to eat at an awesome little restaurant and although we did not order it, we saw tons of orders of fettuccine alfredo delivered to the tables around us. I probably haven't eaten fettuccine alfredo in 17 years, but after seeing those plates at the restaurant, it was all I could think of. I thought about fettuccine alfredo all night. When we woke up the next morning, I told the hubs I was going off to the store to get the ingredients cause I had to make some. Now I know it's horribly bad for you, all cream and butter and cheese, but we figured once in 17 years won't kill us! So, I made the fettuccine and prepared the sauce all from scratch and it was delish! The chics had never had it before, so you can imagine what they thought of it! The big chic wanted me to save some for her lunch on Monday, and since we probably won't make it again for another 17 years, I agreed. Here it is...

Whole wheat hearts, Frozen green beans, Mandarin oranges, Fettuccine alfredo

Spaghetti and Meatballs

When a recipe is on the cover of Bon Apetit magazine, I expect it to be good...no...I expect it to be GREAT! We've made several of the cover recipes over the years and most have been outstanding. When I got the latest issue, I knew immediately that I was going to have to make the cover recipe...Spaghetti and Meatballs All'amatriciana. It looked fantastic! The hubs doesn't normally like many pasta or Italian dishes (crazy, I know) but I knew that he would be willing to give it a go if it was the COVER recipe.

Finally we had a day, a few weeks ago, where I had a chance to make it. I have to say that I was a little disappointed with the recipe overall, but the chics devoured it. The recipe made a ton so I froze the leftovers with my lovely Foodsaver. I'm so glad I did cause the big chic asked me to make it for her lunch for tomorrow!

Spaghetti and meatballs on whole wheat pasta, Breadsticks, Cucumber slices, Clementine, Pecorino Romano cheese

A Lame Lunch and an Awesome Butternut Squash Lasagna

Today's lunch was not very exciting or pretty. More functional than fancy. It was field trip day AGAIN and it got cancelled due to rain AGAIN. But, I got the cancellation e-mail on my Blackberry while I was driving to the school this morning, so it was obviously too late to change things up. So, field trip lunch part four...

Fruit Bites, Sugar Snap Peas, Carrot Chips, Baby Banana, Pirate Booty, Hot Dog Wrap

Although it was kinda lame, there were a few yummy things.

-First, carrot chips - YUM! They are crunchy and sweet and a little salty. They are obviously not as healthy as fresh carrots, but are great for a bit of variety.

-Then, I found out that a HOT hot dog will stay warm until lunch when wrapped in several pieces of aluminum foil. One of the dance teachers at the chic's dance studio suggested this when I was complaining about field trip lunches and it worked wonderfully! I just wrapped it in the tortilla and heated it in the microwave. Then I wrapped it in a couple sheets of aluminum foil and stuck it in the bag as far from the banana as possible. I'll remember that little trick for future field trips!

-I have to share an awesome recipe that I found a few days ago - Baking and Books' Butternut Squash Lasagne. Everyone in my family loves butternut squash so I try to keep it around in the fall. I love the combination of butternut squash and pasta. Butternut squash lasagna is always awesome BUT what made this one different, and in my opinion far superior, were sage and thyme. Sage is such a great fall flavor and it made the lasagna stand out from the others. Here it is fresh out of the oven:

and a slice (one day I'll have a good camera!):

This one will be in my permanent fall recipe collection. It was scrumptious!

-There's no lunch for tomorrow (student council pizza day) so this is my last post of the week. Everyone have a safe and happy Halloween with your little trick or treaters!

Amuse-bouche

I'm one of those people that can never pick ONE thing at a restaurant. I want to try everything. I love eating with groups of people cause that means there are more things to sample. If you don't want my fork on your plate, you'd better not go eat with me! My favorite dining companions are other foodies that just pass plates around so everyone can try everything. The hubs is used to my food obsession now and just shrugs when I order two entrees or several different sides "cause we're out of town and may never get to come back to this restaurant and I can't come here and say I didn't try _______." I guess that's why I've always loved the idea of amuse-bouche. Amuse-bouche is a French term for little bites of this and that. They're not really an appetizer or an hors d'oeuvre because they are only one bite. But it enables you to try a bunch of things without getting full on only one item. They are supposed to amuse your mouth. How can you not love that?

When the chic was very small, I used to make her these little tea sandwiches with all sorts of decorations and fillings (picture below). So, yes, I guess I've created my own food monster. She loved it cause said that it was what princesses ate. And throughout the past couple years, she's become my little eating companion and she also wants to try a little bit of everyone's everything. So, for her lunch tomorrow, I thought she would enjoy an amuse-bouche. This one did take a little longer than normal. I probably spent an hour in the kitchen getting it all together. But, since there was only one bite of each thing, I wanted to make each one of them special. I'm imagining lots of smiles when she opens her lunch tomorrow.

(left to right starting with top row) Strawberry filled with Nutella and topped with choc chips, Cheese and spinach ravioli, Cucumber filled with hummus, Mini hot dog, Heart Pb&J, Babybel cheese, Chic boiled egg, Snap pea stuffed mini pepper, Apple dipped in peanut butter and hazelnuts.

If you'd like a chuckle...here is the very first decorative lunch I made the big chic. I can't believe I actually found it! We've changed cameras and computers three times since then! I did get to look through lots of baby pics while searching for it though, which is always fun. This picture was taken after she had dropped the plate so some of the toppings are a bit messy. This was the summer of 2005.

Back to the Laptop Lunchbox!

So after several days of weirdness, we are back to the good ole Laptop Lunchbox and I couldn't be happier about that!

Tofu is a staple in our house. We've never made a big deal about whether or not they eat it and it's always been served very nonchalantly. It's just another protein. They learned to like it before their friends and family could voice their own opinions about tofu. My father really hates it (although I'm not sure he's actually ever eaten it?) and he and the oldest chic go around and around about it. It's gotten to be a game to them. She says she loves it, he says, "Gross!" and she just keeps rubbing it in his face that she loves something that he thinks is gross. We even threatened to make him a tofu birthday cake last year, but I could never find a recipe. (Anyone got one?) Anyway, she saw the package of tofu in the fridge the other day and asked me when I could make it. So, here it is...

Udon Soup, Asian Pear, Powerball, Carrot/Cucumber ring (I had one leftover from yesterday), Sesame Crusted Tofu with Teriyaki Dipping Sauce

The sesame crusted tofu is ridiculously easy. Drain a package of firm tofu (tofu should really be on your "must buy organic" list if at all possible). Press the liquid out as gently as possible between paper towels or a clean kitchen towel. Slice and press again. The drier the better! Brush each piece with teriyaki sauce, tamari, soy, whatever you like, and then roll in sesame seeds. Pan fry in a bit of oil until golden. (Maybe not as golden as mine are, but I was arguing with the chics about whose Twinkle Toes shoes are whose!) So, that's it. Yum!

Here's the soup that I make when the chics want "noodle soup". It's really just a base idea and can be adjusted to whatever veggies you have on hand. This is what I did today.

Speedy Udon Soup for One

1/2 package Cooked Udon Noodles

3 Baby Carrots

3 Sugar Snap Peas

1/4 cup Shelled Edamame

1 cup Beef broth (low sodium)

pinch Five spice powder

pinch Curry Powder

Place Udon noodles in a bowl. Mix remaining ingredients together in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil 10 minutes or until veggies are softened. Pour over noodles and stir until noodles separate. (I find that pouring the hot soup over the cold noodles helps cool the soup just enough for little mouths!)

And if you haven't visited Laptop Lunchbox's blog lately, you need to! Their last blog post was about Foodie Footsteps! I was thrilled and honored to actually be mentioned on the site that started me on this whole lunch journey. We LOVE our Laptop Lunchbox!!

Time to Cut the Basil...

When my basil bush starts growing out of control, it's time for pesto! I don't always have pine nuts so I just improvise with whatever nuts I have. This time I used walnuts which seem to substitute really well. My oldest really likes it so that is what she's getting for lunch tomorrow.

Vanilla yogurt with frozen blueberries, Sliced tomatoes and green beans, Pecan brownie bite, Whole wheat pasta with homemade pesto and a ricotta heart.

I really like to make brownies in a mini muffin pan because they are the perfect size for the chics! Plus, they are a lot neater than trying to cut gooey brownies into squares.

Brownie Bites

Your fave brownie batter (any batter will do...homemade, box, pouch, whatever) prepared according to the directions

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray mini muffin tin with non-stick spray. Scoop a tablespoon of brownie batter into each cup. Bake 12-15 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely in the pan. Run a knife around the edge and pop em out.

Asian Flavor

Today's lunch was a collaboration of events. My daughter wanted noodles... and I had some Udon from Costco, and I had a bunch of veggies left over from fish tacos...and some pork chop from, well, pork chops...AND she loves Mu Shu Pork. Mix it all together and this is what you get...

Mu shu-shi, Pluot and strawberry, Babybel cheese, "Sesame" Udon (it's actually flax seeds)

Mu shu-shi

(Get it...Mu shu sushi? heehee!)

1 Whole Wheat Tortilla

1 Tbsp Hoisin sauce

1/3 cup Chopped Cabbage, cucumber, carrots, red bell pepper, and cilantro

Cooked Pork, just a few slices (could use chicken or tofu)

Sprinkle of flax seeds (or sesame seeds)

Spread the hoisin on the tortilla. The picture doesn't show it, but spread it all the way out to the edge. That helps it stay sealed shut. Place chopped veggies on one end of the tortilla and top with the pork. Sprinkle with flax seeds. Roll up as tightly as possible without tearing the tortilla. Cut ends off to make a flat edge. Cut the remaining roll into four equal pieces.

*Hoisin is pretty high in sodium, but there's only a bit in the whole roll. I figure it's worth it if she's also eating all those veggies!

In the beginning...

In the beginning, there was a woman who loved to cook. Really loved it. She loved spending the day in the kitchen chopping and mixing and creating. And then she had children, and she began to think about the nutritional value of the food she loved to create. So, she learned to read the labels, worried about pesticides and hormones, and taught her children how to be "healthy eaters".

This should end, "and then her daughter started Kindergarten", but really, this is just the beginning; the beginning of my attempt to feed my daughter a nutritious lunch that is packable, portable, and appealing enough to keep her from longing after the sodium filled hot school lunch. And, let me tell you, this stressed me out. I started thinking about lunch WAY before I should have. Not because my daughter would be resistant. I have to say that if I've done one thing right with her (so far) it's been her eating habits. No, not because of her, but because there just seemed so few options for school lunches. A sandwich, chips, some carrot sticks...I mean, how much can you do with a plastic baggie? Let me say, before anyone runs off screaming about this freaky health nut mom, that I'm really not unreasonable about the nutrition. We've bought PopTarts before and I allow them to eat normal kid food on occasion. Just not all the time. I'm just trying to make healthy the norm.


So after doing a little research I came across Laptop Lunches http://www.laptoplunches.com/. My problem was solved! A versatile little lunchbox that allowed her to take things like salad (one of her faves) and dressing without having to take mom's containers. These lunchboxes are a little more expensive than your typical lunchbox, but I thought that, in the long run, I would save money cause I wouldn't be buying plastic baggies- not to mention the environmental impact of less plastic in the trashcans. So I ordered it. When we got it, my daughter was thrilled. It was her first item for school and she cherished it. She had a little trouble opening it up, but after a few tries, she was a pro. We even did a few test runs to make sure that she could handle all the compartments and lids and such.

And as all first Kindergarten moms do, I took pictures of her first time with her backpack, her first time opening her locker, AND her first lunch in her laptop lunch. I posted them for my friends and family to see and the response to the lunch was crazy. I got text messages, voice messages, e-mails, and Facebook comments all day about it. So I posted the picture from her lunch the next day to a few friends, and thought, "Ya know, I should figure out a way to post these lunches for anyone to see." So, here it is. My blog about my adventures making lunches. I'm not a nutritionist or anything...just a mom that is concerned about food.

So far we've been pretty successful. She loves her lunchbox and the lunches I've packed. And I've really enjoyed trying to be creative with it. The lunchbox really allows for so many different items and it has taken me much less time to make her lunch than I was anticipating. So this blog is for all my friends and family and anyone else that is interested in making lunches for your kids. Hope you enjoy it and maybe find a bit of inspiration...now I gotta go make a lunch!





First Day - Diced peaches and blueberries, pretzel sticks and fig newton cookies, ants on a log, turkey cream cheese and raspberry jam sandwiches on cranberry orange bread.

Second day - Crinkle cut carrots with blue cheese dressing, diced honeydew melon, double chocolate brownie, spinach ravioli tossed with olive oil and Parmesan cheese.