Star Student Wrap Up

Now that it's Friday, we are wrapping up the Star Student of the Week business. That also means that Waffles, the Koala class pet has to go back to school. In hind sight, I should have made a koala lunch because that part is tough. I thought I'd do another lunch and snack for the occasion, though. Today, the kiddo also gets to share some of her favorite things, so she is excited about that! Wish I could be there to see it! Hope you all have a great weekend!

Lunch - Leftover cheese bread, Swiss cheese, spinach and cucumber stars with ranch in the container, strawberries, and a hidden chocolate coin. Snack - Cashews, yogurt and chocolate raisins, mini marshmallows, and graham crackers. PIN

In this lunch...

Star Student of the Week!

So, the 1st grade class has a fun little thing where each week a different child is honored as the "Star Student". During that week, they get to be line leader, teacher's helper, and on Friday, they get to bring some things in and tell the class some things they want to share about themselves! How fun is that? In addition, they get to bring home the 'class pet' for the week... a koala named Waffles! Along with the stuffed toy, they also get a journal to write and draw pictures about all the fun things they did while Waffles stayed with them! I love this time they can celebrate being 'special' as an individual in the class.

So, naturally, I had to celebrate my 'Star Student' too! Monday's lunch was 'star' heavy for the occasion.

Lunch - Cheese quesadilla 'stars', cucumber 'stars', strawberries (stars cut out of center), chocolate coin, and some sour cream/salsa for dipping! Snack (below) - Red pears, carrot coins (with star cut outs), and peanut butter.

For Tuesday, I went a little more subtle. I thought that this was also a time to celebrate some of the things that make my little 'star' so special! One of her absolute favorite things is owls... ALL things owls! So, let's do an owl lunch, right?

Lunch - Peanut butter & Trader Joe's cookie butter on a toasted bagel, Swiss cheese accents, and in the bottom tier, frozen yogurt owls, spinach, and strawberry hearts. Snack - Veggie straws, and CLIF Kids fruit twist (and a little Lunchbox Love).

I know inquiring minds want to see this fella, Waffles, too, so here is a picture from the journal on his first night with us!

In these lunches...

Simple Halloween Fun

One of our favorite quick meals, whether it be lunch or dinner, is a simple tuna or chicken salad. It doesn't get any easier. Our version of tuna salad is made with mayo, a little mustard, chopped dill pickles, and a healthy dose of fresh ground pepper. Delicious as a sandwich or wrap, tuna salad is equally yummy with crackers and cheese, and is super easy to pack that way so we don't end up with any sad, soggy bread.

Tuna salad, cucumbers, toast rounds, Swiss cheese, and candy corn in the container.

In this lunch...

The Witches - Roald Dahl Day Hop

Yesterday was Roald Dahl Day, which is celebrated every year on his birthday, September 13th. Not only did I grow up reading Dahl's books and watching films adapted from them, but now I get to share them with my daughter.. and with a little bit of interpretation, lunch! I'm not alone in this, of course, so along with some fellow bloggers, we decided to do a Dahl-icious Blog Hop!

This year, I decided to use one of my favorite books from Dahl, The Witches, as inspiration for the hop. In a previous year, we also used that inspiration to make our own version of vegetarian split pea soup... so yummy and back on the menu this week thanks to some unseasonable cool weather. The Witches, if you haven't read it (and you need to .. just as soon as you are done with the hop, that is), introduces it's main character, and readers, to real witches... dangerous, terrifying, vile creatures that have powerful magic, especially the Grand High Witch! In an effort to rid the world of children, a plan is devised to turn them into mice by luring them in with chocolate and sweets laced with a special potion, Formula 86: Delay action mouse maker. But, these witches weren't expecting one special boy and his very special grandmother!

Cheese sandwich (seems appropriate for a mouse, right?), Hershey's kiss, peas, and creamed maple applesauce. Awe.. look how cute that mouse is!

And, I certainly couldn't forget our own vial of Formula 86 AKA apple juice with this lunch.

Now, it's time to hop on over to the next blog, Bebento-Kids, and see what inspired them! Click through this link or the graphic below!

When you make it all the way through the hop and end up back here, be sure to check out previous year's inspiration, James and the Giant Peach, too!

In these lunches...

The First Day of First Grade

I can't quite grasp the fact that the day has finally arrived. When summer began, I felt like school was a lifetime away, but here we are... the first day of 1st Grade! The time flew... I should have known it would. I find myself both excited for what the year will bring, what changes and growth are to come, and equally sad because every step towards those things sometimes seems a step further away from my little girl. Some days are just harder than others to watch her walk away...

I decided that I would take requests on the first day's lunch, and it should have been no surprise that waffles was what immediately got asked for. Waffles, it is!

Waffles w/ maple syrup, Colby Jack cheese, shredded carrots and a mini marshmallow, along with Silk dark chocolate almond milk and water.

Snack box - tricolor seedless grapes and a nut mix of raw almonds, cashews, dry roasted peanuts, and butterscotch chips.

Lunch, snack, napkin, and drinks were packed in our brand new Pottery Barn retro lunchbag that we were lucky enough to score at a local PB Outlet (thanks Gram). We also picked up a pencil bag that I may or may not have snagged for my own gel pens.. oops. The lunchbox we used today was also from Pottery Barn, but some of the other little goodies can be scored from Amazon in the affiliate links below.

In this lunch...