Ben Franklin's Birthday

I love it when I actually remember things like Ben Franklin's birthday because it gives me a lunch theme, and a reason to stick to it! Ben Franklin was a politician, author, scientist, inventor, and philosopher. There is little that he didn't dabble in and make his mark. He was America's first postmaster, therefore of course he'd been on stamps, though, for the life of me, I can't draw a stamp with food markers, so that was out. He is also on the 100-dollar bill and was on the 50 cent piece. Ooh, and I have chocolate coins leftover from the holidays! So, it isn't a 50 cent piece, but you get the point. Ben Franklin was a patriot and philanthropist. As an inventor, he is most known for the Franklin stove, the bifocal lens, and the lightning rod. In fact, it is Franklin's kite and key experiment about static electricity that most think of first. I did. And that is where the inspiration for today's lunch came from, of course. Enjoy.

Carrot coins, Plum Kids organic fruit shreds, cucumber, red pepper hummus, chocolate coins, grilled cheese 'kite' with provolone clouds, fruit leather accents, and carrot key.

For another fun Ben Franklin inspired lunches, be sure and visit my bento blogging friend, Eclectic Lamb and her Benjamin Franklin Birthday Bento.

In this lunch...

Butterfly Box

We had bugs in our house today. Lots of them. All over the place. And it was a blast! Check out our guest post over at Melissa & Doug today to see what we were up to.
Here's a peek into our snack that we shared with them..

When it came to lunch time, we used our Bella Butterfly Snack Box again today! It also comes in a turtle design, and it has a hinged lid and divided compartments. Super cut, functional, and fun!

Cucumbers, orange bell pepper, Chobani Champions vanilla chocolate chunk Greek yogurt, frozen yogurt bugs, turkey and Swiss mini sandwiches, raisins (under the crackers), and a peanut butter cracker sandwich.

In this lunch...

Finger Lickin' Good

I have a confession to make .. a major one. First, let me say that I certainly have enjoyed a couple staple crockpot chicken dishes of late, and will continue to have them on meal rotation, but when it comes to 'real' cooking of chicken, I'm at a loss. The idea of touching and trimming, and the paranoia of knowing when the meat is cooked and safe, yet not dried out and stringy is a fine art I am far from mastering. In fact, I'd say that the last time I really 'cooked' chicken, was near 10 years ago. I know, right? Well, we really didn't eat meat for most of that time, and when we started dabbling with some, the expense of organic, coupled with my husband's reluctance and my ineptness, left us with few real, honest attempts. Today, I tried and conquered. The idea was a simple one, but it's a start. And, I must thank MOMables for the inspiration of their healthy chicken nuggets.

In my version, I used chicken breast tenderloins that I cut into nuggety size pieces. Then, I mixed 1/4 c plain bread crumbs, 1/2 c panko bread crumbs, 1/8 c Parmesan cheese, 1 tsp creole seasoning, 1/4 tsp garlic powder, and 1/8 tsp pepper together to coat the chicken pieces. Just like MOMables, I lined a baking sheet with parchment to lay the pieces on, then sprayed with cooking spray, and baked at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes. Mine turned out nice and crispy and browned. Oh, and they were yummy, too!

Apples, cheddar/mozzarella cheese, seasoned rice, MOMables style chicken nuggets, barbeque sauce, cucumber, tomatoes, and carrots.

In this lunch...

Something New

This is one of several new boxes that we were fortunate enough to add to our 'collection' thanks to Kendra over at Biting The Hand That Feeds You. I think it's probably a good thing that we don't have a Daiso anywhere near us. But, we are fortunate to be able to find lots of super cute things at BentoUSA (including this set) when the mood strikes!
I still feel like I'm in a lunch lull, but with a birthday coming up this month, and Valentine's Day around the corner, we'll get there yet.

Orange bell pepper, fruit jelly, veggie dip, strawberry, Goldfish crackers, grilled ham & Swiss, and choco-biscuits. Top tier (seen below) has sheets of Trader Joe's roasted seaweed.

In this lunch...

Snack Time

So, I was fiddling around on Pinterest again. At this rate, I'll get through my 'must try' list sometime before my ninety's. Ugh. Anyways, after a semi-failed attempt at some crazy veggie chili with cocoa and cinnamon in it, I found some hope in a delicious, simple corn bread, so be sure to take a peek. It can never compare to homemade, but I think it is my new favorite when it comes to using a premix. And since today, we had lunch at a proper restaurant, I'm sharing our snack for the day.

Cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, brown rice crackers, havarti cheese, and smoked turkey.

Jiffy Corn Bread
Ingredients - 1 box Jiffy corn bread mix, 1 box Jiffy yellow cake mix, 2 eggs, 1/2 cup water, 1/3 cup milk

Mix all ingredients together until just combined. Pour into a greased square baking pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes until golden and a toothpick comes out clean. Cut and enjoy!




In this lunch...

Panda-wich

Today's lunch featured pandas... obviously. We used our CuteZCute cutter to make the panda sandwich, of course. And what is up with that seaweed? Is anyone else's kid addicted to this stuff? Don't get me wrong, it is unique and delicious, but I can't keep the stuff in 'stock' at home long enough to enjoy it myself. I open a package, and it's gone before I know it. I've tried a couple other brands, but the Trader Joe's one is the keeper. Yum!

Trader Joe's roasted seaweed and cheese poofs, Momables 'philly' sandwich, colby/jack cheese, veggie dip, orange and red bell pepper, and celery.

In this lunch...