FIVE!

Five? Yes, five! Say it ain't so... and why does this one feel like such a big one to me? She's only one day older than she was yesterday, yet I can't help but look at her like she's a big girl all over again. So, this is obviously the second big thing I wanted to share this week. And, while we feel the impact of such a day, it's relatively calm around here. It's just the kiddo and me, and like every Wednesday, we're off to school this afternoon. It will be a nice meal out with just us tonight and a party this weekend. So, at the very least, a special lunch was in order for my big girl today.

Couscous, colby cheese, watermelon, frozen Greek yogurt, cucumber, spinach, and turkey pepperoni.

As usual, the frozen yogurt was made in silicone ice cube molds, but this time, I used two flavors to create the two colors. Turned out pretty cute, I'd say.
I also sent dad with a lunch today. Here's that one.

Momables inspired BBQ chicken pasta salad with cucumber and colby jack cheese, frozen yogurt, strawberries, and grapes.

In these lunches...

(Products above contain affiliate links)

My Holiday Star

We've had an eventful couple of weeks at the new school, starting with our very first holiday program, and it was so cute. I mean, who can resist a bunch of wee kids singing? Not this mama! They were so cute. Each class sang three songs, then the group as a whole sang another song to wrap up the show. So, for my own little Christmas star, a simple, but special lunch.

The next major thing was our very first field trip, which happened to be Chippewa Nature Center. So fun! But, I'll post more about that another day.

Anyways, I hope everyone's  holiday plans are coming together. Ours are finally getting there. Cookies are all done. Packages wrapped. Preparing for family and fun... and some craziness, too!

Carrots, grapes, spaghetti with Parmesan, and reindeer grahams.

In this lunch...

Product above contains affiliate link

Kale Bistro Salad Bento

This lunch post today is mine, all mine, and is one of my favorite salads. I'm not sure when kale and I became such good friends, but I just love this stuff. We are lucky enough to get a couple varieties at our farmer's market, which is really the best stuff in my opinion. Before that, though, my local deli started carrying a kale salad that included some other mixed greens, tomato, onion, raisins and edamame. Later, I got addicted to Trader Joe's kale and edamame bistro salad, but I don't get downstate often enough to feed my craving. But, I've found it's so simple to make my own. Kale is the base, of course, and the salad has to have either dried cranberries or cherries, as well as some 'meatiness' to it from almonds or edamame, but past that, throw in whatever veggies you like or have on hand. Toss with a light dressing of your choice, and you have a masterpiece! I could just about eat this for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Sometimes I make a big batch (minus dressing) and I eat it all we have leftover salad to snack on for days. I kind of feel like I might need a kale intervention at some point. Just sayin'!

Salad of kale, shredded carrots, dried cranberries, cucumber, and slivered almonds with a red wine vinaigrette, vanilla Greek yogurt with raspberries from the garden, colby cheese, turkey sausage, and a Ghiardelli chocolate treat.

In this lunch...

(Products above contain affiliate links)

Summer is Flying By

I will cling to the warm weather and summer fun as long as humanly possibly. I may or not be pouting and stomping my foot. I know everyone is talking about back to school, but I'm just not ready to think about the summer coming to a close. So, we're rocking the fun spring butterfly box today, August or not! Summer will not fly by any quicker than it has to, at least.

Strawberry banana Greek yogurt with fresh strawberries and slivered almonds, celery and cucumbers, Ritz crackers, turkey pepperoni, and sharp cheddar cheese.

In this lunch...

(Product above contains affiliate link)

Lunch with a Smile

So, I'm told by my kiddo that if your sandwich, or lunch in general, is smiling at you, it just happens to taste better. Who am I to argue with that? For this lunch, I decided to try a new spin on the traditional peanut butter and jelly by serving it on a mini bun rather than sandwich bread. Verdict? Well, since it was smiling, it was delicious!

Carrots, cucumber, strawberry, PBJ on a bun, cheddar/mozzarella cheese, and mixed nuts with butterscotch chips.

I decided to test this whole smiling face theory on the hubby today, too. I do, after all, hold a degree in Biology, so the scientific method is an old friend. So what if it was my 4-year-old that constructed the hypothesis? I think she might be on to something here. The hubby said his lunch was great, and I'm thinking it was that smiling face that made all the difference!

Maple Greek yogurt with slivered almonds, oranges, grapes, spinach salad with carrots and pea shoots, and a grilled cheddar and Havarti cheese sandwich.

In these lunches...

(Products above contain affiliate links)

Snacker Stacker

I can't believe that it's August! How does the summer seem to fly by so quickly every year, yet an eternity seems to pass before the next one. We are just now getting around to planning a small family getaway. Where does the time go? Speaking of time, here is a super fast and easy snack box. I love these little stackers... so fun!

Goldfish, Swiss and Colby cheese, cherry tomatoes, yellow bell pepper, and watermelon.

Veggie Tales Lunch

Let me say that I thoroughly love and hate Veggie Tales all at the same time. I have my reasons. We'll leave it at that. Either way, they sing catchy tunes (sometimes ones that get lodged in my brain for weeks.. perhaps one of the reasons I loathe/love them) and send a good moral message, and kids love them. The fact that they are made of, well... vegetables just makes them look literally good enough to eat. So, why not eat them for lunch? Sure, yeah, the kid will have to bite Larry's head off and eat Bob's 'guts'. Eh, all in good fun (and nutrition), right? Right!

Grapes, Swiss cheese (Bob) and turkey pepperoni on whole wheat toast with mustard, Sweet 100s out of our garden, and a Persian cucumber (Larry) with candy eyes.

Some of my fellow bento blogging pals have also been bit by the VeggieTales bug, and are biting back! Be sure and check out these fun VeggieTales lunches they created.
A Boy & His Lunch - Veggie Tales Bento
Becoming A Bentoholic - Veggie Tales Jonah
BentoLunch.net - VeggieTales Bento
BentOnBetterLunches - Veggie Tales
Keeley McGuire - A Very Veggie Tale
What's In Our Lunch Bags - Veggie Tales Larry & Larry-Boy (and more!)

Zoo Day ... Hooray!

 

We are very fortunate to have a zoo quite literally 5 minutes from our house. So, thanks to that and an annual membership,  'Zoo Day' can be Everyday if we really wanted. And, it so happens that on warm days when we get a little stir crazy, it is often where we end up. When I was growing up, I went there quite a bit with my grandparents. Those visits and this zoo occupy some of the fondest memories of my childhood. In fact, this zoo has created some of my fondest adult memories too. I worked at the zoo for quite some time, first as a zookeeper, then in their education department, as a conservation coordinator. The experience was a rich and rewarding one. And, now, I get to take my own daughter there to create memories for her.

Cucumber, grapes, dry roasted peanuts in the container, and cheddar/mozzarella cheese stick. Turkey, lettuce, and mustard 1/2 sandwich not pictured, but also included for this lunch.
We almost always eat lunch down by the train at the concessions area called Train Whistle Cafe. I usually grab a bag of fresh popped popcorn while we're there, too. Yum!

In this lunch...

(Products above contain affiliate links)

Mommy & Me Leftover Lunch

When we have leftovers, it's the perfect time to do 'mommy and me' lunches. So, that's exactly what we did today.

Watermelon, yellow bell pepper, leftover teriyaki chicken, leftover spaghetti, and a homemade oatmeal scotchie.

I have to say that I do not cook chicken. The crockpot does it for me on occasion, but when I try to put it in a skillet or in the oven, forget it. I tried to make it really simple for myself and threw chicken breast chunks in teriyaki marinade overnight. I threw them in a pan with oil, then when they were mostly cooked, I added some water. No, I don't know what I'm doing, but they turned out pretty darn good. Bonus!

Leftover spaghetti and teriyaki chicken, yellow bell pepper, watermelon, cantaloupe, Skinny Cow chocolates, and a homemade oatmeal scotchie.

In these lunches...

(Products above contain affiliate links