A Day at the Beach

You'd think with all the lakes in Michigan, I'd make it to a beach more often, but then I remember that it's Michigan. For all I love about it, you can never really count on the weather. This past week, for instance, it has been quite cool. Come on, now, Mother Nature. We don't get that long of a summer, so could you please crank the heat up a bit? It is still July, after all! It does look like this week has some warmer weather in store, so I'll take it. Having said all that, I did finally get up to the beach at a friend's cabin recently. We had a lovely afternoon, and packed more than just sunblock for the trip!

Lunch for mom & dad - Whole Foods sesame tofu and spring rolls (mine with the peanut sauce and hubby's with soy sauce), Trader Joe's kettle cooked potato chips and carrots for me and Naturebox cranberry almond bites with celery sticks for the hubby.

For the kiddo - Naturebox cranberry almond bites, Goldfish crackers and cashews, cheddar/mozzarella cheese stick (a Clif Kids fruit rope is tucked underneath), red bell peppers, turkey pepperoni, and a side of watermelons chunks.

I only wish the summer days were longer. Don't we all?

In these lunches...

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Road Trip Snack Box

It's inevitable that my child gets dragged here and there, but sometimes 'there' is an all day affair. I had to travel downstate for a doctor's appointment, and the driving alone is three hours, so packing snacks is essential. We're saving both time and money this way. Besides, when I get downstate, I also spend a bit of both of those at Trader Joe's and Whole Foods (perhaps a favorite educational toystore too), so why waste it?

Cucumbers and carrots, apples and peanut butter, mini chocolate bar, mozzarella cheese cubes, Goldfish crackers, Clif Kid fruit rope, Naturebox cranberry almond bites, and dried mango with cashews.

In this lunch...

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Accidental Rainbows

I love it when this happens. A simple lunch that was made to use up odds and ends in the fridge ended up being a rainbow of colors. Better yet, much of it is local from the farmer's market. Pretty soon, we'll be harvesting out of our own garden, too. That is always an exciting time of the summer. Now, if only a rainbow would come out in the sky. There has been far too much rain and cloudy skies (not to mention all that humidity) lately. Time for some more sunshine, for sure!

Bell pepper, cucumber, green beans, and jicama with homemade veggie dip, watermelon, blueberries, Naturebox firecrackers, and a mozzarella/cheddar cheese stick.

In this lunch...


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Big Boy Lunch

Yeah, I pack for my 'big boy' too. That is, the hubby. He has been in his new job for a little over a month now, and I'm so happy that he is finally in a place he enjoys. And, speaking of enjoying things, while I've yet to find a proper CSA around here, I did find a local farm that tries to offer some of the same opportunities. They participate at our Farmer's Market, and let 'members' know ahead of time what produce is available each week. While it's hardly providing me a basket share, I am still able to select things I haven't tried before and able to 'order' what I might need. The kale and carrots in this lunch are from this week, and are so delicious. Next week's order has 2 varieties of beans and some more of that yummy kale for sure! Oh, and the Santa Claus melon? Eh. Kind of a bust. The taste is similar to honeydew, but not as sweet and a bit mealy in texture. Then again, it may have been overripe. Either way, an interesting white fleshed melon, but not for us. I keep eyeballing all the other odd melons at the grocer now. We'll see...

Turkey, kale, and swiss bagelwich with condiments on the side, Santa Claus melon, carrots, broccoli, vanilla Greek yogurt with strawberry jam (and sprinkles.. who doesn't love sprinkles?), Trader Joe's Carmelized Onion Dip, chocolate square, and Naturebox Masa Chips.

In this lunch...

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On the Side

Sometimes, it seems that due to appointments or work schedules, we're splitting our lunchtimes between home and on the go. It works for us to pack part of the lunch for in the car and part of it is eaten before we head out the door, usually while mama gets ready. Having fresh fruits, veggies, and a variety of healthy snacks, like those from Naturebox, makes it easy.

Along with this snack box, the kiddo had a couple cheese quesadilla triangles before we headed out. This box has strawberries, cucumber, and dry roasted peanuts in the container.

Along with this snack box, kiddo had an Al Fresco uncured chicken frank before we were on our way. This box has grapes, carrots, apple hearts, a Trader Joe's triple gingersnap, and Naturebox's masa chips.

Isn't this box just the cutest? I was lucky to have fellow blogging bud, Lise, from Veggie-Bento pick this up for me!

In these lunches...

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Little Nibbler

These last couple weeks have been insane for us. Not just busy, but crazy in general. I had to finally just pause today and get myself to regroup. And, it was nice today that I could still toss together a fun little lunch in less than 10 minutes thanks to this cute Nibble Tray and some fun accessories. Lunch is served!

Cucumber, dried mango, smoked Swiss/cheddar blend cheese, smoked turkey, Campari tomato,  Naturebox Garden Crunchies almonds, and Ritz crackers.

In today's lunch...

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