Back from the break!

I think the first day back from a break is the worst. Even though the chics consistently got me up before sunrise during their Thanksgiving break, somehow the sound of the alarm this morning was just excruciating. After getting the big chic ready for school today I realized that I forgot to make her a lunch! Oops! We were so preoccupied with other things this weekend, that school kinda snuck up on me. Fortunately there's always the dining hall! Tomorrow, though, little chic has school, too and there is no dining hall at preschool.

Cucumber slices, Clementine with dried cherry, Wheat Chex, Cheddar cheese with ham twirls

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 :) )

1st grade, here we come!!

Today's the big day! YAY!!! And I'm not even going to try to pretend that I was a teary eyed mommy walking my sweet little angel in to the school this morning. No, no...I was the one that slowed down just long enough for the big chic to jump out and then peeled out of the school parking lot screaming, "WOOOOHOOOO!". I'm just kidding! I walked her in, took her picture, the whole thing, BUT I admit that as I drove out of the parking lot, I might have said, in a very soft yet excited voice, "woohoo!"

Let's be real, these last few weeks of summer have been a killer. The big chic and little chic are beyond tired of being together and could be a psychological study in mood swings. One minute they are hugging each other and playing nicely together, the next minute someones crayon "accidentally" marks on someone else's paper and the screaming, crying, and whining begins. Last year, at the end of summer, I was a sobbing crying mess because my first child was starting kindergarten. This year, at the end of summer, I was a sobbing crying mess because I couldn't take one more "I'm telling mommy!" or "Then I'm not playing!". I will miss the big chic while she's in school today, but I sure as heck am not going to miss the fighting!

Back to school means back to lunches. This year will be a bit different. I'm probably going to let her buy lunch a little more. The school is keeping the same lunch provider as last year so we know enough about the menu options now to let her eat there a little more. AND the little chic will be starting preschool next week, so I'll be making two lunches a couple times a week. We are sticking with the tried and true Laptop Lunchboxes, but we've added a few pieces to the collection to make my life a little easier. Another difference is that, this year, I'm not going to promise to post every single day. I have so much going on this year that I'm a little nervous about how it's all going to work out. But, the healthy lunch issue is important to me so I'm continuing on with the blog hoping that someone somewhere is getting some inspiration.

So, after all that, here's our first lunch of first grade...

Yogurt dip with cucumber and carrots, Clementine and blueberries, Cranberry white chocolate cookies, Peanut butter and jelly flower cut outs.

The "I'm a lame mom" lunch

This evening in my house the hubs walked in when I was packing this lunch up and says,"What's the theme of this lunch?" I shrugged and said, "It's the I'm tired and just wanna get a lunch made lunch." He said, "No, it should be called the I'm a lame mom lunch." Thanks babe! Geesh - everyone's a critic!

Coconut cake slice, Orange slices, Whole grain crackers, Coconut chicken tender (from Cent Mkt), Carrots and ranch dip.

Seriously, though, the big chic said that the past couple lunches haven't been very fancy or pretty, so I promised her that there would be some awesome lunches this week. She's crackin the whip so I better start planning!

Why my husband is awesome...

Yesterday the big chic was acting kinda puny so I didn't pack her a lunch for today cause I wasn't sure she would be going to school. Turns out she was just tired from a busy weekend and she woke up this morning ready to tackle the world. Since I hadn't packed her a lunch, we decided that today would be her hot lunch day for this week.

I was glad that she went to school not only because it meant she wasn't sick, but because the hubs was off work today and we had a TON of errands. By the time she got out of school, we were both worn out. I would have loved to come home and take a nap, but she had dance class this afternoon. The hubs and I agreed that I would take her to dance and he could stay home IF he made her lunch for school tomorrow. Honestly, it was a total ploy on my part to stay home and make him take her to dance. BUT, he agreed and I headed out to dance class.

I was certain that when I got home, he would be asleep in the recliner and would have "forgotten" to make lunch. So, I was surprised, when I walked in and found that not only had he made her lunch, he had made a themed lunch complete with cut outs and everything. This is his "southwestern themed" lunch.

Rodeo clown quesadilla on pb and celery (not sure how a rodeo clown fits in to a "southwestern theme" but hey, I'm not gonna complain), Mini peppers and olives, Mandarin oranges, Cactus quesadilla on "sand" (Sun Chips)

He was pretty proud of it and I was really proud of him. He even explained it, in detail, to the big chic. So glad I married a man that appreciates the creative lunch!

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

Just a bit of leftovers...

We just got home from an all day shopping extravaganza. (Seriously...since 7:30 am, people!) Although I am exhausted, I still had to throw something together for lunch tomorrow. We had sushi and teriyaki chicken at dinner and this bit of teriyaki chicken is all that was left. I added some edamame to make it more filling.

Teriyaki chicken, Cinnamon pita chips, Valencia orange

Everyone have a great weekend!

"That Sandwich I Like"

For some reason, when the family wants something "light", this is what we go with. This sandwich always impresses me because of it's simplicity...just a few ingredients for such an amazing flavor. The hubs and I call them "Tomato Mozzarella Sandwiches" but the oldest chic can never seem to remember that so she started calling them "That Sandwich I Like". She has called them that so many times that now I know exactly what she's talking about.

Because there are only a few ingredients, it is REALLY important to use the best ingredients. This is the time to bust out the special olive oil and the aged balsamic. They make a huge difference in flavor!

Tomato Mozzarella Sandwich, Chocolate fudge cupcake from The Cakery, Cheez-Its, Red pepper strips, Clementine.

Tomato Mozzarella Sandwiches

1 Vine Ripe Tomato (sliced thick)

2 thick slices buffalo mozzarella

2 slices Ciabatta

A few fresh basil leaves

Aged Balsamic Vinegar

Extra Virgin Olive Oil (La Espanola is our fave)

Salt and Pepper

Drizzle both slices of ciabatta with olive oil and balsamic vinegar and chiffonade the basil. Layer the sandwich...Mozzarella on bottom, then basil, tomatoes and then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top with second slice of ciabatta.

I think the sandwich is best when it's had a bit to sit and let all the flavors meld together. By the time the chic eats this for lunch tomorrow, it should be perfect!

Winter Break is OVER!

We are halfway through Kindergarten! I can't believe that in such a short time, dropping my precious child off at school every day has become the norm. Winter Break really DID feel like a break. And it really DID feel odd the first couple days when we slept in instead of jumping up to get ready for school. The first couple of days were blissful...the chics enjoyed playing together like they did before school started, I enjoyed having the big chic around all day, and we got to do things on our schedule and not the school's. BUT, after two weeks, the chics are arguing about everything, the oldest is whining about being bored, and I'm ready to get back to our "normal" lives. It's time to get the Spring semester started! With this "back to school" day in mind, the chic's lunch is a school theme.

Clementine with shape punches, Blackberry skewer, Red pepper shapes, School girl rice mold, PB&J chalkboard with cheese letters and chalk.

If you notice something different with our Laptop Lunchbox, you are correct! My friend Amanda at Lunchbox Limbo had some drama with her son's lunchbox and ended up with more lunchboxes than kids. She knew that I wanted the 2.0 and the large inner container and she offered her extra pieces to me! (Thanks Amanda!!!)

I've always wondered about the difference in height from the original and the 2.0. Amanda and I have tried to compare them, but inevitably, the day we think about comparing, one of the kids has their lunchboxes at school. We've never really been able to do a comparison. So, for those of you that wonder about the same thing, here is a photo of the difference in the original and the 2.0.



The 2.0 containers are just a tad too tall to fit in the original container, but the 2.0 container WILL fit in the original lunchbag. I'm excited about the possibilities that the bigger container gives me. I was worried that the big chic wouldn't want to take the blue container to school, but she actually asked me if she could use her "new blue lunch" for Monday.

More Halloween Fun

Well, after all my lunch whining, the field trip was cancelled today due to "flooding concerns". It's kinda funny, though cause although it's been raining A LOT lately, today there isn't a cloud in the sky. Would have been perfect weather for a field trip. They've rescheduled it for Thursday, so I guess I have to make the field trip lunch again. Ugh!

SOOOOO, another field trip lunch Thursday and Student Council Pizza day on Friday means that I had to go crazy with the Halloween theme for tomorrow's lunch. It may be my last Halloween lunch this year!

Jack-o-lantern mini peppers, Celery slices, Honeysweet yellow tomatoes with nori skull and Crossbones, Bat shaped cheese quesadillas, Pumpkin pie flavored yogurt, Apple eyeballs and blood orange slices.

-My friend Amanda got this skull and crossbones punch the other day for her son's lunches. While she was here, I had to go ahead and punch out some nori, for the chic's lunch this week. I thought they would work out pretty good on the tomatoes...I was wrong. I am praying that these stay on the tomato until her lunch tomorrow. Nori does NOT want to stick to the tomato. I don't know why either - it seems to stick on other things like that? Hmmmm??

-Stoneyfield Farms came out with a seasonal flavored yogurt for the fall - Pumpkin Pie! The chics really like it. Hopefully it will stay available through Thanksgiving!

-For the apple eyeballs, I used a small cookie scoop to make a ball from a peeled apple. Then I cut a baby carrot into slices and used a hole punch to make a hole in the center. I cut a chunk out of the apple at the top so the carrot slice could be recessed into the apple. Next, I cut a few dried cranberries in half and placed a half into the middle of each carrot slice.

-Lastly, blood oranges...I love making things with them cause they are so unexpected and really really do look like and orange that is bleeding. They used to be pretty hard to find but now they're available almost all year round. They taste pretty much like a regular orange but are so much more fun!

Brunch for Lunch

Why does breakfast food always taste so much better at lunch or dinner? My daughter certainly thinks it does, so her lunch today is a few of her favorite breakfast items.

Spinach quiche, Orange segments, Turkey sausage, Blueberry Flaxseed Pancakes with sugar free blueberry-ish syrup.

This lunch took me all of five minutes to throw together cause everything was already made and in the freezer. Usually I try to cook big batches of things and then stick em in the freezer for later. I figure if I'm already making something, why not spend a few more minutes and make more to save myself time later. The only thing I had to do was cut the orange! Simple AND healthy!

*Blueberry Flaxseed Pancakes - I'm not sure where I got this recipe, but I've had it a while and the girls love them. I serve them with sugar free syrup that has been mixed with a bit of blueberry puree.

Blueberry Flaxseed Pancakes

1 cup whole wheat pancake mix

1/4 cup ground flax seeds (not powdered)

1/2 - 3/4 cup skim milk (depending on how thick you like your pancakes)

1 egg

splash vanilla

1/2 cup blueberries

Combine all and cook on griddle sprayed with non stick spray.

As a side note, my daughter came home yesterday and said that one of the kids said, "I don't know your mom, but she sure makes good lunches!" Ha ha! I asked her if anyone ever says anything about her lunches and she said that some of the kids come over to her to see her lunch everyday. She was beaming with pride when she told me that and it makes me so so happy to know that she is proud of her lunches! That means she'll eat them more and ask to eat the hot lunch less. YAY!

One of the blogs that I read frequently http://bentolunch.blogspot.com mentioned a place in my area that carries Bento supplies. I am taking a trip over there tomorrow to check it out. I really want an egg mold (my oldest LOVES boiled eggs) and some cute accessories. I may even get a different type of Bento for my three year old (and maybe one for the hubs). Wish me luck!

You also may have noticed that my blog skin has changed. I've been experimenting with different skins, so don't be surprised if you come to visit and it looks a little different. The current on is from http://simple-blogskins.blogspot.com As the blog gets more and more traffic, it seems worth it to invest a bit of time to spruce things up a bit! Thanks for visiting!!