An Early Morning Snapshot of Bay's Lunch

She wanted to take hot lunch today, so I had to make it at the last minute. Here it is, a little dark because there's no natural light right now!

Tomato Soup, crackers, shredded cheddar; strawberries; milk to drink.

Hot Lunch for Friday

Yesterday, the girls made their own lunches. They were thrilled. I really wanted to photograph them and post them on the blog, but I was in bed with a killer headache. Fancy put cheese and dessert together in one bin and cut-up bananas and cucumbers together in another. And she thought her lunch was delicious. ;)

I hope they think that the lunches I packed them today are equally delicious. Even if I didn't do weird food combining.

My apologies for the poor photo quality. I was rushed this morning.

Bayberry's lunch was mac & cheese in the Thermos, a clementine orange, pudding, green bean "chips", cucumber, and fruit punch. Below shows how it all fits in her Lunchopolis kit.

Fancy has mac & cheese, vanilla bean Greek yogurt, granola, clementine, half of a banana, and fruit punch. Below shows how it all fits in her Laptop Lunch carrier.

I can't believe this

Apparently, when a kid leaves his or her lunchbox behind in the school cafeteria, one of the lunch ladies takes it home with her. And then fails to come back to school for several days in a row. Bayberry left her $40 Laptop Lunchbox at school last week. Now, it's nowhere to be found, one of the other lunch ladies told her that another lunch lady takes them home when they're left behind, and no one will do anything about it.

I'm livid. And too sick to storm the school demanding my belongings.

So for now, I pack creatively.

Here is Bayberry's lunch for today:

Peanut butter & Nutella on Whitewheat; two baby bananas; mini saltine crackers; Boy Scout cheddar cheese popcorn; Chicken & Stars soup; orange juice.

"Mom's Sick" School Day Lunch

Boy oh boy, am I ever. I'm trying to get in to see the doctor today. I've got a fever and terrible cough. So lunch is....processed today.

Fancy has a Thermos full of ravioli, two baby bananas, an oatmeal cream pie, and a bottle full of apple cider.

Lunch for Friday

TGIF! Phew! I hope you all had a great week and enjoy your weekend! Here are the last lunches of the week...

For Bayberry: Two lasagna rolls stuffed with meat sauce & mozzarella; two peach halves; a small whole wheat brownie with walnuts. Pineapple Orange Juice to dink.

Fancy has a cheese pizza made on half of a whole wheat English muffin; two peach halves; a hard-boiled egg; a small whole wheat brownie with walnuts. She's also taking Pineapple-Orange Juice.

Kids' Lunches for Wednesday

Already halfway through the school week! I can't believe how fast time passes when you're packing lunches. One of these days, I'm going to do something super creative in the kids' lunches. It's just a matter of finding the time. ;) Anyone have some they can spare? Time, that is. I'm fresh out.

Bayberry is taking a nitrate/nitrite-free hot dog on whole wheat bun; a handful of muscadine grapes; some homemade macaroni and cheese; some peas & carrots (frozen...just pop them in the lunchbox and they're thawed perfectly for lunchtime munching); and a couple homemade oatmeal cookies with butterscotch chips (effectively using up the last of my butterscotch chips, which I mistakenly purchased, somehow thinking they were caramel. Work, brain, work!). She's taking juice to drink.

Fancy didn't want mac & cheese. She asked for another peanut butter sandwich. This time, we opted for Nutella as the complement to the peanut butter. The sandwich is on 12 grain bread. Some peas & carrots and a couple cookies round out this classic lunch. She's taking milk to drink.

Lunches for Monday

Hello Readers!

I hope you enjoyed your weekend. Both of my children had parties to attend this weekend. One came back with a swollen nose (ball, meet face. face, ball.) and the other with a swollen attitude (why do sleepovers always, always result in bad attitudes? Oh, yeah -- it's the lack of sleep!). And here we are, back at Sunday, getting ready for a new week ahead.

Before I start with the packed lunches, I have a question for you. I've begun Weight Watchers. Is anyone interested in seeing my lunches daily? They aren't packed, but I'd be happy to share them if anyone needs "diet" inspiration. Let me know: Should I post my lunches, or shouldn't I?

The Army Man is taking a not pictured meal tomorrow: whole wheat pasta tossed with olive oil and black pepper, with sauteed spring vegetables and turkey kielbasa, topped with Parmesan cheese; a few strawberries, and a mini muffin.

Bayberry's lunch:

A leaf of lettuce holds a baked potato. On top of the potato is a serving of meat sauce (like you use for a pasta dish) and some shredded mozzarella cheese. She has two mini sweet potato muffins (made from a mix) and a few strawberries and grapes. She's taking water to drink.

Fancy's Lunch:

Nothing fancy about it: peanut butter & banana with a drizzle of honey on a small flour tortilla; two mini muffins, grapes, and halved strawberries. She's taking milk to drink.

Last Lunch of the School Week

I've been so busy that I have actually been spacing out appointments and skipping practices. I missed the girls' dentist exams today and had to reschedule them. We skipped soccer practice yesterday because everything was becoming too much. Knowing when to let go is a valuable parenting tool I wish I'd learned a decade ago. I'm thankful I have it now. We all needed that breather last night. My husband comes home tomorrow. Phew! We've almost made it! I can't believe I'm the same woman who handled everything for 8, 12, and 15 months while her husband was in a foreign land. It's amazing how much I've come to expect his role in this family (that statement surely must sound odd to a nonmilitary family). Once so used to doing it all myself, now I welcome the division of responsibility and miss it sorely when it's gone. :)

Anyway, lunch. I can't believe I'm letting myself do this, but Fancy talked me into making her a Breakfast for Lunch like her classmates had. Oh, well. At least I know what's in it.

She has cold cereal (milk to pour over also serves as her drink), orange segments, grapes, and strawberry cream top yogurt.

Bayberry's lunch is more traditional. For those of you new to the blog, Bayberry has access to a microwave at school, which broadens our lunch-packing horizons.

A hot dog on a whole wheat bun (ketchup in the little container), a tomato, whole wheat pasta with cheese & turkey pepperoni; orange segments and grapes, and pomegranate yogurt. Apple cider to drink.

Hot Diggity

Tomorrow's Friday, and my girls are bringing hot dogs in their lunches. I found some no nitrate/nitrite, all beef, natural, REAL meat hot dogs to send them to school with (way better than the weird greenish-grey "hot dogs" they could get at the cafeteria.

Bayberry has a microwave at school, so she'll be using that to warm hers. Fancy doesn't, so I'm packing hers in hot water in her Thermos and she can assemble it at lunchtime.

Both have the same lunch, just different amounts. Hot dogs on wheat buns, cheese bits, cookies with frosting, cucumbers, and muscadine grapes. Orange juice to drink.

Enjoy your three-day weekend. I'll see you Monday for another lunch!

DIY Taco Lunch

As I was saying...the girls want cafeteria food. And I can't let them do that. So I improvise! Thursday: Tacos! (Oh, and Picky Eater's new nickname is Fancy, because she eats whatever tickles her fancy.)

Fancy has taco meat in her Thermos, green grapes, a mini cupcake, blue corn taco shells, shredded cheddar, lettuce, and sour cream. Juice to drink.

Bayberry is taking the same thing, except she also has tomatoes, green onions, and yogurt star cookies. She's also taking juice.

3 Lunches for Wednesday

Yesterday, I was so wrapped up in Picky Eater's project that I didn't get around to packing lunches until this morning! That was hectic and NOT something I care to do again! Here are lunches for Army man & the girls for Wednesday:

(My apologies for the poor lighting. I have to remember that it's getting darker earlier and I need to get back to packing lunch at 4 like I used to!)

These 3 lunches will show you that you really don't need to make changes from adult to kids lunches if you plan carefully. Army Man has four mini bagel pizzas (Two whole mini bagels topped with spaghetti sauce, mozzarella, and mini turkey pepperonis, baked at 375 for less than 10 minutes); a handful of muscadines (grapes), and a mini cupcake. He's taking Crystal Light to drink. I'm so glad he's off the Atkins diet.

 

Bayberry has two mini bagel pizzas, a Campari tomato, a few cucumber slices, some muscadines, two mini cupcakes, and a few pretzels. She's taking orange juice to drink.

Picky Eater needs a new nickname. Something less negative. I'll be thinking on it. Anyway, she has two mini pizzas, a few cucumber slices, 4 muscadines, a few pretzels, and a mini cupcake. She's taking milk to drink in her brand new, smaller Sigg brand stainless steel bottle that I got for NINETY-SEVEN CENTS at Dick's Sporting Goods today. What a steal! To give you an idea of how much of a bargain that is, I paid nearly $20.00 for her Hello Kitty Sigg before school started.

Monday's Lunch

Here's Monday's Lunch. Tuesday is grocery day, so we're using up little bits of this and that for lunch. Army Man's lunch, though not pictured: Leftover pork chop, steamed broccoli, peach crisp, and baked beans. Here are the kids' lunches for Monday:

Bayberry: Polenta cut into cute shapes (pizza sauce to dip, not pictured); steamed broccoli, peach crisp; apple slices (dipped in Fruit Fresh to keep them from browning); baked beans. Juice to drink.

Picky Eater: Popcorn; polenta with pizza sauce to dip; cucumber slices, apple slices, and baby carrots: peach crisp. Baked beans in a Thermos. Juice to drink.

One Hot Lunch & One Cold Lunch

We had Open House at Picky Eater's school this evening, which threw my whole schedule (Home at 3:45, homework, chores, and lunches done before dinner, dinner at 7) off. It was nice to see her new teacher, though, and talk with her gifted class teacher, and see the principal and the rest of the staff. I love her school and all of its teachers. We're lucky to have such a supportive, nurturing learning environment for our little girl. I do wish they'd wake up and smell the lunches, though. It's time for fresh, whole foods for our children.  

It's almost grocery shopping day so the pickings are getting slim, but we're still bringing tasty lunches! Here's what the girls are having for Friday:


I've noticed that Picky Eater has been coming home with lots of leftover food from lunch, so I'm cutting back on what I send. Bayberry, on the other hand, almost always comes home with a clean lunch box. I asked her if she was getting enough to eat and she assures me that she is. Today, her lunch looks small, but it's a standard lunch menu.

Bayberry: An Almond Grain burger from Earth Fare with a Homemade Soft Sandwich Roll. Condiments in the little container. Orange segments and some homemade crackers  round out the offerings. Juice to drink.

Picky Eater: She has a sandwich on a homemade roll -- it's fruit spread and peanuts! Also, some carrots, crackers, grapes, and dates. Juice to drink.

Lunch for Thursday

I love that Bayberry gets to use a microwave. That really opens up lots of possible lunches for her. Picky Eater can't use a microwave (imagine the chaos and dangers of letting elementary school students as young as four years of age use a microwave unsupervised!). However, I do live right across the street from her school. It's occurred to me to deliver her some hot lunches throughout the year. I think that would be fun, and parents are encouraged to eat lunch with their children when they can.

But for today...

For Bayberry: In her large main compartment, she has Coconut Black Beans & Rice and Steamed Broccoli, which she'll heat up at school. She has a corn muffin, grapes, and a small sweet potato/butternut squash pie (More about that in a minute). She's taking water to drink.

Picky Eater is taking a corn muffin, some grapes, a mini pie, carrots, cucumbers, orange segments, and a small bit of salad dressing for dipping her veggies. She's taking lemonade to drink.

For the mini pies, here's what I did (Shhh...the kids think it's pumpkin pie!)

For the crust:

Combine 1 1/3 cups flour (1/2 whole wheat and 1/2 unbleached all purpose is great!), 1/2 tsp sea salt in your food processor. Add 8 Tbsp butter (or coconut oil, which is wonderful in baked goods) and pulse 12 times. Slowly pulse in 2 to 3 Tbsp ice cold water. Remove to a lightly floured surface and form a ball.

Divide your dough into 16 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball. Flatten each ball into a round miniature pie crust.

Place each crust into a mini muffin cup. Set crusts aside so you can prepare the filling.

For the filling:

Steam 2 cups of peeled & diced orange vegetables. Sweet potatoes, butternut squash, pumpkin, even carrots are fair game! Drain any water away from the cooked vegetables.

Process until smooth, then stir in 1/4 cup maple syrup, 2 Tbsp flour, 2 tsp ground nutmeg or cinnamon, and 1 beaten egg (I used Ener-G egg replacer, though).

Fill mini pies to 3/4 full. Bake at 400 degrees until puffed up and cooked through, about 20 minutes. Watch carefully to make sure they don't overcook.

Hello, Monday

Tomorrow's lunches for the kids are full of variety and color. I love that. I've even arranged for part of their lunches to be served warm.

Bayberry has noodles with carrots, parsnips, and peas tossed with butter, which she'll heat up at school; 2 Thumbprint Cookies; Strawberries, grapes, and orange segments; 1/2 of a toasted cheese sandwich, and 1/2 of a cinnamon roll. She has water to drink.

Picky Eater has 2 Thumbprint cookies; 1/2 of a toasted cheese sandwich; 1/2 of a cinnamon roll (cut into bites); orange segments, grapes, and strawberries. In the morning, I'll heat her up some soup that she's taking in her Thermos. The soup is noodles in broth with the same veggies as Bayberry's. She's taking orange juice to drink. I'll update with a picture of the soup tomorrow.