Bento of the Week: October 24, 2011

• Fusilli Pasta (Tossed lightly with garlic butter)
• Zucchini & Ranch Dressing
• Red Grapes
• Lassy Mogs (Anyone ever had these Canadian cookies before?)

Bento of the Week: October 17, 2011

• Homemade Gogurt (In a smart travel tube.  The squeeze tubes come in lots of fun, bright colors!)
• Red Grapes (The adorable green frog was on them when I bought them.)
• Pretzels & Peanut Butter
• Lassy Mogs (They're a Canadian cookie.  The frog made them.)

Bento of the Week: October 10, 2011

• Teriyaki Chicken Drumstick (I used Jessica Seinfeld's idea and added 1/2 cup pureed carrots to the teriyaki sauce.)
• Fried Rice (This was a batch I made ahead and froze)
• Shelled Edamame (from a bag)
• Pineapple Rings (from a can)

Bento of the Week: October 3, 2011

• Tortilla Chips with Nacho Cheese & Sour Cream (The nacho cheese sauce was too spicy for the kids, so I cut it with some sour cream...)
  
• Chives (Because if the school district can count it as a vegetable, so can I)
• Bouncy Little Cherry Tomatoes (a garden favorite)
  
• Celery (for dipping in the extra nacho cheese sauce)

Bento of the Week: September 26, 2011

• Veggie Frittata (You can put anything in a frittata.  Serve it hot or cold.  They're just like a crustless quiche.  But better.)
• Corn on the Cob (From last night's dinner...)
• One Red Plum
• Homemade Microwave Brownies (They're done in five minutes.  They're chewy, moist, and rich!  I've made a batch a day for the past five days.  Mom jeans, here I come!!)
• Mini M&Ms (In a craft jar.  Oops, I just noticed there are two chocolate items in this week's lunch.  Was that really a mistake?)

Bento of the Week: September 19, 2011

• Crackers, Round and Square
• Colby Cheese (Love that it's two-toned)
• Deli Meat Turkey (I sliced up a pound package for this week's lunches)
• One Red Plum (My new favorite fruit.  I just planted a plum tree!)
• Homemade Granola Squares (Because when you make them yourself, you can make any. shape. you. want.  I chose a 2.5 x 2.5 inch square.  Wild!!!)

Bento of the Week: September 12, 2011

• PB&J Sandwich on White Bread (I hear a diet rich in whole grains makes you a very unpopular lunch maker.  Relax a little!  White bread won't kill ya!)
• Fresh Strawberries (Because they were cheaper than apples this week!  Woo hoo!)
• Homemade Gogurt (Yogurt in a travel tube.  You can take it through airport security, also.)
• Hard Boiled Egg (Yes, it's colored.  No, it's not Easter.  Did you know you can dye eggs year round?  It really works!  Try it!)

Something That Works: Lunch Choices

Sometimes I pack a lunch that doesn't appeal to one (or more) of my children.  Normally I encourage them to take it and try it.  Sometimes, though, the "take it and try it" approach doesn't work.  That's when you can offer a lunch choice to your child that is quick to pack and easy to make.

Here's how you can give your kids a lunch choice during the week without going crazy:

1. Offer Leftovers.  Pasta salad, pizza, quesadillas, and frittatas.  These dinner staples all work as lunch repacks.  Toss in some fresh fruit and chocolate and your child will be happy!
2. Freeze Sandwiches.  It works for Smuckers Uncrustables.  And it can work for you.  Just make the sandwich, uncrust it, and freeze in a sandwich baggie.  Or if you're anti-plastic-baggie, wrap with non-bleached vegan waxed paper and put in a reusable fair trade bamboo container.)
3. Stock Ready-to-Go Lunch Options.  Tortilla chips, refried beans and salsa.  Cottage cheese, canned pears and granola.  Marshmallows, graham crackers and Hershey bars.  (No, not that, actually.)
4. Eat Native American Style.  Native Americans used to eat something called pemmican to sustain them on their heap big journeys.  You can do something similar for your little Indians.  Pack trail mix, dried fruit and maybe some beef jerky.  It's a calorie-dense lunch which is also high in sodium, so use this lunch choice sparingly.  And pack some water, too.

Bento of the Week: September 5, 2011

• Baked Baby Red Potatoes (Thoroughly buttered, salted and parsleyed!)
• Li'l Smokies
• Orange Mini Wedges (Seriously, just cut an orange "smile" in half...)
• Edamame (Quite possibly the worlds funnest vegetable!  Can be packed in lunches frozen.)

Bento of the Week: August 29, 2011

• Raspberry Yogurt 4oz. (with a teeny tiny cocktail spoon!)
• Homemade Chex Mix (eeeeasy to make...I'll tell you later...)
  
• Lassy Mogs (a Canadian cookie with all the good stuff)
• Plum (very jooooocy)
  

NEW Bento Planner for September!

How to Make Homemade Chex Mix

This is a fun snack mix to put in your kids' lunch.  This stuff isn't low calorie, but it sure is good.  Heck it's not even healthy, but a little ain't gonna hurt.  ;)

Homemade Chex Mix

20 cups of tiny crackers, pretzels, corn squares cereal, nuts, corn chips, cheese puffs, etc.
3/4 cup canola oil
2 packages ranch dressing mix

Mix the 20 cups of crackers.  Drizzle on the oil and mix well.  Shake on the ranch dressing mix.  Mix well in a large bowl and store in a gallon size zip top bag.

4 Ways to Reduce Food Waste in Lunches

"I know I packed your lunch--so what on earth did you eat today?"

Every day after school the kids and I clean out their backpacks, sign papers and empty out the lunch box.  There were days where not all of the food was eaten.  In fact, there days I wondered if my kids were eating at all!  Lots of food going to waste.  Mommy was not happy.

We learned a few things that helped prevent food waste in lunches:

1. Pack less.  I know, I know, a mother can't stand the thought of her child being hungry.  But, if your lunches are coming back with a lot of waste, try packing a half sandwich instead of a whole.  Then pack a half apple instead of a whole.  See what works.  No need to starve your angel.
2. Serve food in smaller or bite size portions.  For some reason, kids have no problem eating 5 mini muffins, but sometimes won't touch the full size muffin.  We'll call it the "cute factor".  Mini is super cute and way more fun to eat--whether it's mini pizzas or mini M&Ms. (Although I've never had a problem getting my kids to eat the USDA recommended serving of M&Ms or pizza.)
3. Re-pack uneaten food.  Be careful with this one.  Stick with food items that are shelf stable like trail mix or crackers.  One day I put trail mix in the kids' lunch.  The trail mix came back with all the M&Ms picked out.  Guess what I put in their lunch the next day?  Recycled trail mix.  With no M&Ms.
4. Ask for your child's help.  They can tell you what they like to eat or what the trendy veggie of the week is. They also may be avoiding something you pack because "brown apples taste bad".  Listen to your kids and they'll help you pack the perfect lunch.

Bento of the Week: August 22, 2011

• Peanut Butter and Jam Sandwich (never gets boring...)
• Tea Crackers ("crackers" meaning "cookies")
• Fresh Carrots (sliced, not babied)
• Sunflower Seeds
• PEZ Dispenser (with a five little PEZ candies)

Bento of the Week: August 15, 2011

• Six Week Bran Muffin (No, they don't last six weeks...the batter in the fridge does!)
• Rold Gold Everything Bagel Pretzels (no kickbacks from Rold Gold, my kids just like these pretzels)
• Plum
• String Cheese
• Mini M&Ms (in a baggie so they won't get eaten by the dinosaur)

5 Reasons to Pack Your Kid's Lunch

The lunches you pack for your children will always be superior to anything they will be served at school.  Here's why:

1. You pack love.  When your child sees you pack their lunch, they know that you love them.  A nice note wouldn't hurt either.  Kids love the love...
2. You know your child's preferences.  That means you will not be packing limp sloppy joes, canned green beans, canned fruit cocktail, and a packaged pastry.  That's what all their friends will be eating.
3. You make good nutritional choices.  Fresh is best!  It may not be convenient for feeding the masses at school, but you're not feeding the masses.  You can take the extra 45 second to cut up a sweet, juicy mango for your child. 
4. You have no contract.  Schools contract with food suppliers.  They are stuck serving the same stuff all year.  You are free to change brands, varieties, flavors and sizes. 
5. You can help your family expand their food palate.  Want to help your family try new foods?  Eat healthier?  Avoid food dyes?  Experiment with different ethnic foods?  This is your canvas!  Be sure to ask for feedback from the kids.  Remember that presentation is just as important as flavor!

Bento of the Week: August 8, 2011

• Whole Wheat Bagel with Peanut Butter, Craisins & Raisins
• Matchstick Carrots
• Watermelon Balls (Round fruit from a round fruit.  Ooooh. )
• Mozzarella Cheese Stick (cut in half, just for funsies)

NEW Bento Planner for August!

Summer ain't over yet! 

Check out this cute bento planner--complete with flip flops and a palm tree to rest under.  Now, let's make lunch!

How To Make Cute Lunchbox Liners

You can make your child's lunch colorful and playful just by adding laminated scrapbook paper to the bottom of the lunchbox.  I went to my local scrapbook paper store and picked out five of the darlingest, brightest, darned cutest papers I could find.

I use the Ziploc divided containers, so the measurements below are for those...

Here's how to do the rest.

1. Buy some cute double-sided sturdy scrapbook paper.  Think of what your kids would like!
2. Cut your paper into these dimensions using a paper cutter: (4 1/4" x 5") (2 1/2" x 2 1/2") (2 1/2" x 1 3/4")
3. Borrow a friend's corner punch (it rounds the corners of the paper--thanks Holly for letting me borrow yours!)
4. Go to Ye Old Office Store and get them laminated (or if you live close to a Lakeshore Learning Store, go there--it's only $.29 a foot!)
5. Cut the extra lamination off--not too close to the edge.
6. Now play mix and matchy with your adorable scrapbook paper lunchbox liners!

Lots of fun colors in your child's lunchbox make lunchtime fun.  When your child comes home, just take out the liners and wipe them clean with a damp cloth.  Or the rear of your skinny jeans ;)

Bento of the Week: July 25, 2011

 

• Homemade Whole Wheat Taquitos (baked, not fried!)
• Tortilla Chips with Shredded Cheddar Cheese
• Sliced Cucumbers (guarded by an angry purple mastadon...)
• Sour Cream and Refried Bean Dipping Cups (in plastic shot glasses used for anything but shot)
• Starburst candies (Because for FHE this week we talked about looking for the good inside of things...the candy is wrapped in trash, right?  But there's sweet stuff inside!) 

How To Make Baked Whole Wheat Taquitos

 















Easy Whole Wheat Taquitos
1(10 count) bag whole wheat tortillas
1 lb ground turkey
taco seasoning (packaged or homemade)

Cook the ground turkey with taco seasoning. 

Cut 10 whole wheat tortillas in half, so you have 20 half tortillas.  Spread a little taco seasoning on the wide end of the tortilla.  Roll tightly and lay on baking sheet seam side down.

Bake at 20 minutes at 400 degrees F or until crisp.  

This is an easy-freezy lunch.  I like to make up a big batch and freeze it all.  They defrost in time for lunch and they're great for dipping.

   

Bento of the Week: July 18, 2011

 

• Whole Wheat Waffles (with Nutella inside...)
• Tiny Pretzels
• Celery (with Peanut Butter--my favorite form of protein!)
• Cheddar Cubes (on cute little party picks)
• Chocolate (just 'cause I feel like a nice mommy this week)

Bento of the Week: July 11, 2011

 

• PB & J Sandwich Fingers (with gummy bears!)
• Mango (sliced all fancy-like)
• Graham Crackers (with peanut butter and sprinkles on top--because sprinkles taste like magic!  Ask any kid.)
• Babybel cheese (with a star cut out.  A Dr. Seuss book I read says that stars are all the rage this year.  Or maybe that was last year.)

FREE Printable Bento Lunch Planner

What's the secret to packing quick lunches for your kids?  Planning.  This free Bento Lunch Planner can help with that!  Be sure to check back in August for a new printable lunch planner (with more cute graphics!)

You can fill in the blanks yourself or even have your kids color in what they would like to see in their lunches.  Click on the image to print a copy!

Bento of the Week: July 4, 2011

• PB&J on whole wheat bread (Uncrusted, your highness.  You're welcome.)
• Homemade Gogurt (vanilla yogurt in a pink 3 oz. squeezy tube)
• Whole Wheat Honey Braided Pretzels
• Sliced quarter apple (I love the micro slices of apple)
• A kiss!

Bento 101 for Mommies

Bento boxes are a super easy and fun way to pack a lunch.  It inspires creativity!  The food doesn't have to be Japanese or look like characters from Hello Kitty.  In fact, this mommy prefers bright colors, delicious food, and minimal prep time. (Oh, and chocolate.)  (Sometimes I share.)

So, here's a quick li'l list of tips that will help you start packing adorable, delicious bento lunches for kids in no time!

1. Make it Fast.  Yes, there are some moms who like to take their time making elaborate bento box lunches for their children.  I guess I'm not one of them.  I like to do lots of freeze-ahead stuff, easy veggies and pre-planned menus.  It saves time, which you can then spend with your adorable children.
2. Make it Cheap.  You don't need to shop all organic or provide odd trendy fruits that are definitely out of season.  Shop in season, make stuff from scratch in big batches, and buy a stack of cheap plastic reusable divided lunch containers.  We made the mistake of buying a $25 bento lunch box for each kid.  Yeah, I did the math.  That's $75 (plus shipping!) This year we bought the cheapy-cheap Ziploc Divided containers at Ye Olde Big Boxe Store.  Like, $5 for 2.  Niiice.
3. Make it Fun!  If you find a cool cookie cutter (to cut sammiches!), tiny umbrella toothpicks (for grape kebabs!), or other fun cheap stuff, buy it!  I have a collection of little finger skateboards that I like to put in the kids' lunches.  Not edible, but very cool to see a skateboarding granola bar.  Awesome.  This is the time to think creatively, and think like a kid!  Ask for their help...because kids know how to have fun.  Some of us adults, well, it's a wee bit harder, but you can do it!

Now let's make lunch!

Sad, Sad Lunches

A crumpled brown bag.  A ziptop bag of slightly dried out carrots.  A prepackaged bag of "cheese-flavored" crackers.  A warm yogurt.  A bagel with pb.  And sometimes a handful of chocolate chips and a juice box.

That is a sad, sad lunch.  I packed one-hundred and eighty lunches (minus sick days, and "oh-shoot!-we're-out-of-yogurt-and-baby-carrots" days) for each of my three school-aged kids last year. 

I always believed that the reason I packed lunches for my children was because I love them!  And yet...where was the love?  Ain't no love in dat sad, sad lunch.

So, here is my attempt to make lunch fun, healthy, creative and full of the most important ingredient in a kid's lunchbox--love!