Hoppy Halloween 2014!

Yes, the title rhymes! I'm that special! Speaking of 'special', know what the kiddo chose for her costume this year? WyldStyle from The Lego Movie! That meant mama was making a costume again this year (instructions will be up tomorrow). So, you'd think a fun lunch with the character as the theme, right? You'd be wrong. I'll leave that one to the professionals (in this case, Lunchbox Dad). Instead, I went with a dinosaur for today. Yup, you heard me right. A dinosaur.. the kiddo's favorite I'll have you know. And now that this year's costume is finally done, all she cares to prance around in is last year's dino I made for her. So, I thought along with lots of other Halloween themed lunches, today's would be dedicated to the dino, but not just any dino. This one's a witch. May she now peacefully become extinct!

Oh, and did I mention the Bento Bloggers & Friends are hopping again? Be sure to check out all the other amazing creations, the next of which is from Loving Lunches, by clicking here or on the graphic below. Happy Halloween!

Cheese quesadilla, romaine lettuce, celery 'broom', cauldron with candy corn and cashews, salsa and sour cream, oranges, and gummy eyeball.

PM Snack - Carrot shavings and cheddar owl crackers.

Dinosaurs not your idea of the traditional Halloween fare? How about something a little more traditional? Here's another fun Halloween lunch that is super simple, quick, and delicious!

Peanut butter, jelly, and pumpkin butter sandwich, cheddar owl crackers, candy corn, and strawberry Greek yogurt.

PM snack - pretzels and carrots with chive cream cheese. After school program snack - Swiss cheese, turkey pepperoni, and yogurt raisins in the container.

In this lunch...

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Recipe Review - Pumpkin White Chocolate Cookies

I am totally one of those people that keeps a long list of pumpkin recipes all year long, and for some reason, it only feels appropriate to make them in the 2 month window of October and November. Since I buy my pumpkin in a can, it really is a silly thing, especially since I struggle every year between the family favorites and the new things to try. This recipe is a little bit of both, having adapted it from another fall favorite. I hope you enjoy!

Pumpkin White Chocolate Cookies
Ingredients - 1 c unsalted butter, room temperature, 2 c sugar, 1 egg, 1 c canned pure pumpkin, 1 tsp vanilla, 3 c flour, 2 tsp baking soda, 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp nutmeg, 1-12oz bag white chocolate chips* (~2 c)

Beat the butter and sugar until fluffy. Then, add the egg, pumpkin, and vanilla, beating to combine. Then, add the remaining dry ingredients, except white chocolate chips. When thoroughly mixed, stir in the chips.
Drop these by the spoonful on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes, rotating the whole cookie sheet half way or 10 minutes through the baking time. Cool before storing. *I think these would be excellent with butterscotch chips, or a combination of butterscotch and white chips, as well. You can't go wrong with either I imagine.

Apple Picking & A Patch

We were very fortunate to have a beautiful warmish day on Sunday, so we took full advantage and headed to Leaman's Green Apple Barn for one last trip this fall. We lucked out that we went when we did because it was the last weekend for apple picking. Let me tell you, my kiddo played hard with her friends, and helped this mama pick a peck of apples, too. So, not only did she have a blast, but she earned her first fun patch for her Daisy uniform. Now, if only they had a patch for baking apple pies, we'd be set! I figured I'd tie in lunch today with our fun yesterday, and remind her how proud I am of her.

Peanut butter & apple butter sandwich, candy corn, frozen strawberry Chobani yogurt, James apple (fresh picked), and celery.

PM Snack - Swiss and cheddar cheese, mini pretzel crisps, and candy corn.

In this lunch...

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Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! This is actually lunch from yesterday for the kiddo and the hubby because who has time for lunch on Thanksgiving, right? Besides, need to make some space for the feast tonight! I still thought I'd share lunch, though, and wanted to be sure you readers know how thankful I am for all the comments, feedback, messages, questions, etc. this past year, both here and Facebook. I'm also thankful for all those wonderful bento bloggers out there that I continue to learn from all the time! And my family... always my family. Have a great holiday, and try not to get trampled on Black Friday.

Orange bell pepper, turkey pepperoni, watermelon, Colby sandwich, and Trader Joe's honey roasted peanuts.

Pirate's Booty cheese puffs, oranges, strawberry yogurt w/ pomegranate arils, Trader Joe's triple ginger cookies, ranch dressing in the container, and kale salad with tomatoes, feta, and Havarti.

In these lunches...

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Harvest Nibbler

Today's lunch was a simple fall harvest nibbler. Simple, yummy, fast, and obvious that mom is clinging desperately to fall, even though the snow is the only thing falling at the moment. Sigh...

Wheat Thins crackers, orange bell peppers, celery, pepperoni, red grapes and pomegranate arils, Brown Cow maple Greek yogurt, colby-jack cheese.

In this lunch...

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