Review and Giveaway: Vermont Smoke and Cure RealSticks

As a Vermonter, I always love when I find something wonderful that I can put in lunches that is also from Vermont.  I've found just that in Vermont Smoke and Cure.

The wonderful folks over at Vermont Smoke and Cure were kind enough to send me a variety pack of their delicious RealSticks.

RealSticks are made with real meat, flavored with real spices.  There is nothing artificial added, and they have 50% less fat and 40% less salt than most other snack sticks.  That makes me pretty happy about packing them in lunches for the kids (and snacking on them myself).  If you are sensitive to gluten, you don't have to worry - these RealSticks are gluten free.

They have wonderful flavors, too - Chipotle Beef & Pork, BBQ Beef, Ancho Turkey, Uncured Turkey Pepperoni, Cracked Pepper Beef & Pork, and Honey Mustard Turkey.

The Chipotle was the only one that was a little spicy for the kids.  They like all of the other flavors.

My only wish was that they were a little smaller and could fit into the Easylunchbox without cutting them up, but that's a pretty minor complaint.

They would be great for a hiking snack, too.  I think I'll keep some on hand for extra energy during those hikes.

They ship, so you could order your own stock of the RealSticks, or you could also peruse some of Vermont Smoke and Cure's great other products - they have some phenomenal looking bacon, ham, sausages, and summer sausages, as well as gift boxes and even t-shirts and hats to show your love.  You could get some really great gifts for people on your list, and who doesn't love the gift of delicious food?

Now for the fun part - the good folks over at Vermont Smoke and Cure have offered to give one of my lucky readers their very own RealStick variety pack!  Enter on the Rafflecopter below, and good luck.

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Review and Giveaway: Matkins

Sometimes, kids are not the cleanest of eaters.  School cafeteria tables can be sticky and not the nicest place to set your apple.  Wouldn't a placemat be nice?

How about Matkins?  They are a reusable, stain resistant, portable, and - best of all - cute!

A while back, Matkins sent me a Matkin for each of the kiddos to review.  Each Matkin features a placemat (about 10" x 14", so most lunchboxes will fit nicely on it), a Minikin (a little washable napkin), and a Poppet (a little pouch to stow the Minikin in).

The Matkins roll up easily and have a little ribbon to tie them shut, so you can pop them right in a lunchbox (or a purse, if they are for you!).  They are washing machine and dryer safe, so you can easily clean up any spills.

We love all the different designs that the Matkins come in, and the kids had fun picking theirs out.  Just in time for Back-to-School, Matkins is offering a 2-for-$25 deal (a savings of $7), and you can also get a whole week's worth of Matkins for $65 (a savings of $15) by using the code WEEK at checkout.

They even offer personalization with embroidery!

Now for the fun part - Matkins has offered to send one lucky reader their Matkins of choice!  Simply enter on the Rafflecopter below.

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(US residents only, please.  See Rafflecopter for full terms and conditions.)

Review & Giveaway: Fun to Eat Fruit!

It should come as no surprise to any of my readers that we all love fruit around here.  A while ago, I received a really neat product to review - Fun to Eat Fruit!

They send apples (pears are also available) that are printed with fun, food-safe designs.  You can even get your own logo printed!

The apples come in really cool packaging - a tube, with padding between each fruit, that is virtually bruise proof.  Anyone who has ever tried to send apples through the mail should appreciate this.  The tubes are packed securely in triangular boxes.  The Girl's gerbils have appreciated those boxes - though they are not picky when it comes to cardboard.  Really, the added bonus of the cardboard is that it adds another level of padding to ensure that your fruit arrives to you in good shape.

The Girl took this picture at school for her own blog, and said I could use it

We really enjoyed the happy little apples - and they were nice fruit, too.  That's the really important thing - how did they taste, and did the kids like them.  The answer is YES on both counts!

Now for the fun part - the nice people at Fun to Eat Fruit have agreed to send one lucky reader two tubes of printed fruit! Simply enter on the Rafflecopter below, and good luck!


a Rafflecopter giveaway Stay tuned - I will have another review and giveaway coming soon!

Review & Giveaway: Robicelli's: A Love Story, with Cupcakes Cookbook

This is part of what I hope to make into a week or so of giveaways. Stay tuned - I have a lot of great things to share with you. Don't miss my Weelicious Lunches and Dick & Jane Educational Snacks Giveaways! 

I am going to post lunches separate from this review & giveaway, because I wasn't making cupcakes to send in the kids' lunches, no matter how much they would have appreciated them.  When I was asked if I wanted to review the Robicelli's Cupcake cookbook, I of course jumped at the chance, but I didn't know that it would be anything more than your standard, run of the mill cupcake cookbook.

Image courtesy Robicelli's

I can't remember the last time I read a cookbook front to back.  Robicelli's: A Love Story, with Cupcakes is a great read.  It is laugh out loud funny, often irreverent, never shying away from coarse language, I found myself stopping and reading sections aloud to The Hubby.  And, to top it all off, there are recipes - recipes I want to make right now.  French Buttercream in many variations, American "Buttercream," if you must, but really... try the French.

On the top of my list to try are the Dom Deluise (a cannoli inspired cupcake), the Butterbrew cupcake (inspired by a certain boy wizard - The Girl is begging me to make these), and the Carrot Cake Cupcake.  These need to happen.  I already promised a friend I would make the Dom Deluise for her upcoming birthday.

I would count this as a memoir with recipes.  Chronicling the lives and relationship of the Allison and Matt Robicelli, this book makes me want to go back to New York City, and maybe check out Brooklyn instead of just eating my way through Manhattan like last time.

They eschew fondant, food coloring, and cutesy decorations, instead sticking with serious culinary feats, like their famous Chicken & Waffle Cupcake, and making a Buffalo Chicken Cupcake something you actually want to try.  They don't simply make wacky flavors, but delve into the many cultures surrounding them in Brooklyn to find inspiration.  And also, the Golden Girls are represented.

In addition, there is a very funny and informative introduction about ingredients, equipment, and more.  The butter section in particular had me guffawing.

Let it be said that this is NOT a cookbook to hand to the kids and tell them to go to town.  The language is sometimes such that a sailor would blush, and the recipes are complicated (though they do have a one, two, or three whisk difficulty rating).  However, for a good, curl up on the couch and maybe drool a little kind of read, and for some truly crave-worthy looking recipes (I cannot wait to try them!), this cookbook is a masterpiece.  I can't wait to make some real French Buttercream.

Now for the fun part - one lucky ready will win a copy of Robicelli's: A Love Story, With Cupcakes.  Simply enter on the rafflecopter below and good luck!
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Be sure to check back on the blog for the rest of the week for more reviews and giveaways!

Lunches: 11.6.13 - PLUS Dick & Jane Educational Snacks Review & Giveaway!

This is part of what I hope to make into a week or so of giveaways. Stay tuned - I have a lot of great things to share with you.  Don't miss my Weelicious Lunches Giveaway!

Educational Snacks?  Count me in!  I was at the store and saw Dick & Jane Educational Snacks and knew they would be a great fit in our lunches.  The wonderful people at Dick & Jane agreed to send me some snacks to try out, and I have to say, they are a hit.

They have three varieties of snacks:
                    - US Presidents
                    - State & Capitals
                    - English & Spanish

The imprints are detailed and easy to read, and the kids love the lightly sweet vanilla flavor.  I also like that they are made with all natural ingredients, and to my readers who may have allergies in the family, they are nut free.

Presidential Snacks

Each box has a matching game on the back, and The Boy has taken off with the empty boxes to play the games.  He loves matching things.

States and Capitals

Living so close to Quebec, I wish that they had an English/French edition, though I realize Spanish is more prevalent throughout most of the country.  And how cool would math facts be?  Maybe someday... The Boy, my little list maker, particularly liked the state capitals, and The Girl's teacher asked me where we got them.  I'd say that's a positive.

When schools don't always teach things like presidents and states and their capitals, and when, at least in our area, the only second language kids generally get before junior high comes in the form of Dora the Explorer, having a delicious snack with some educational value can't be a bad thing.

Also super cool?  Dick & Jane Baking Company are supporting schools.  A portion of their proceeds go to Adopt-a-Classroom.  Literally putting their money where our mouths are.

I wish that they had more flavors - and maybe a savory line of crackers instead of just cookies.  These aren't super sweet, but it would be nice to change things up sometimes.

Kielbasa & apple skewers: 3g, remaining apple: 4g, fruit snacks: 15g, Educational snacks: 12g, yogurt: 12g

For Tuesday lunches, the kids both have some State Capital snacks.  The Boy also has some kielbasa skewered with apple slices, along with some fruit snacks he got for Halloween, the rest of his apple, and a yogurt. His snack is applesauce (not pictured, 15g).

The Girl has kielbasa skewered with roasted brussels sprouts, with some honey mustard for dipping, along with her State Capital snacks, yogurt covered raisins, yogurt, and apple slices.  Her snack is a banana (not pictured)

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Now for the fun part.  Want to try Dick & Jane Educational snacks out for yourself?  Enter on the rafflecopter below!!

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Be sure to check back on the blog for the rest of the week for more reviews and giveaways!

Lunches: 11.4.13 - PLUS Weelicious Lunches Review and Giveaway!

This is the start of what I hope to make into a week or so of giveaways.  Stay tuned - I have a lot of great things to share with you.

I don't know if you have seen Weelicious, but I sure have.  She has some really great ideas on her blog, and wen I saw she was releasing a lunch cookbook, Weelicious Lunches, I jumped at the chance to review it.  Overall, I am very pleased and can recommend this book.

Her introduction is great and lines up with how I like to feed my kids - with plenty of choices and variety, including interesting fruits and veggies.  In the beginning of the cookbook, there are a couple of gorgeous full-color spreads of different fruits and vegetables, as well as protein and grain options.

I am a bit disappointed that my favorite, Easylunchboxes, are not included in the book, but you can't have everything.

When it comes to the recipes in the book, there are a lot of them that I have marked to try.  The Boy really wanted me to make the melon mint salad, but then said that he didn't like the lemon juice, and he didn't particularly like the mint.  He's more of a melon purist.  I thought it was yummy.  I think Weelicious' children (and yes, I know her name is Catherine) really must enjoy sour flavors, because she uses a lot of pickles, and includes pickle juice and lemon juice in many recipes.  My kiddos are sadly anti-pickle at this point, though I do keep offering.

Some other recipes that looked worth trying are her beet & carrot salad (wonder if I could get the kids to eat raw beets?), ooey gooey mozzarella pesto melt (what's not to like in this picture?), avocado honey dip (sounds interesting), caramelized onion dip (because... caramelized onions), whole grain fruit-filled bars (seriously need to make these!), and more.

For my Weelicious inspired lunches, I made her couscous-carrot-raisin salad, along with my own version of her cinnamon roll "sushi" = I used some cream cheese that I whipped a little pureed pumpkin and maple syrup into, because we were out of honey, and I wanted to use pumpkin, as I had opened a can for dinner yesterday.  I tried an extra roll, and they are delicious.  I think the lunches will go over well.

Couscous-carrot-raisin salad: 15g, apple slices: 4g, cinnamon roll "sushi" - 30g, yogurt raisins: 16g, Cheez-its: 10g

The Boy also has apple slices, Scrabble Cheez-its, and yogurt raisins in his lunch.  His snack is applesauce  (not pictured, 15g)

The Girl also has Beet crisps from the store, yogurt raisins, and apple slices.  Her snack is a banana (not pictured)

A really nice feature about the Weelicious Lunches book is that there is a whole section with ideas of things to put in various lunches - from non-themed lunches, to things like Valentine's Day, Spring Fling, Retro Lunch, and Halloween Happiness, as well as a great chart about which recipes are safe for allergies and sensitivities.

Weelicious has generously offered to send a copy of Weelicious Lunches to one lucky reader.  Enter on the Rafflecopter below, and good luck!
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Be sure to check back on the blog for the rest of the week for more reviews and giveaways!

Back to School 2013: MOMables!

With school here, sometimes the menu planning can get a little hectic.  Do you find yourself in a rut and want some new ideas?

MOMables to the rescue!

MOMables is a school lunch meal planning service that helps parents feed their kids a variety of lunches they will love. Their one simple plan approach has built in substitutions for vegetarian, gluten free and nut free options when needed (it is not a dairy free or vegan plan).

MOMables was started by Laura Fuentes, a mom of 3 kids under seven years old, to help other parents get out of the lunch packing rut. MOMables offers a weekly school lunch meal plan with 5 lunch ideas, a prep-ahead sheet and a shopping list to help us busy parents feed our kids good food they will actually eat for only $6 per month!

Laura has been kind enough to offer my readers a sample week of MOMables for FREE, when you sign up for their weekly newsletter. It’s also loaded with free recipes, tips and so much more.

In addition, one lucky reader will win a free 3-month subscription to MOMables menus!

Enter on the rafflecopter below, and good luck!  Mandatory entries are to leave a blog comment about your go-to school lunch, to follow MOMables on facebook, and to sign up for their weekly newsletter.  

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Stay tuned for more Back-to-School giveaways to come!

Back to School 2013: King Arthur Flour Giveaway (And King Arthur Flour's Bakers' Harvest Festival)!

It is no secret that I am a huge fan of King Arthur Flour.  Last year, I was invited to their Blog & Bake, and I try to make at least one trip down to the store each summer, just to be in my happy place.

In a couple of weeks, King Arthur is having a Bakers' Harvest Festival.  I don't think I will be able to go, but I wanted to share the information with you.

If anyone happens to be near their Store, Bakery, and Education Center in Norwich, VT (or if you are up for the road trip!), the public celebration is from 10 AM - 4 PM on Saturday, September 7th.  There will be hands-on baking education, activities for kids and grown-ups alike, and the first-ever live baking competition at King Arthur Flour.

The Baking competition is BakeRace: Apple Challenge.  Amateur King Arthur Flour employee-owners will face off against one another, followed by the professional King Arthur Flour bakers.  It is sure to be entertaining!

If you don't want to compete, you can still watch, and it is bound to be a lot of fun.

For pre-registered attendees, there is also a baking education conference on September 5th.  The conference will have hands-on classes and seminars from KAF's experts as well as special guest instructors including Gesine Bullock-Prado, former White House Pastry Chef Roland Mesnier.

There will be a fund-raising tasting supper on Friday, September 6th to benefit Hunger Free Vermont.

For more information about any of the festivities, or to register for the conference and tasting supper, go to
kingarthurflour.com/bakers-harvest.

Now for the fun part - If you cannot attend the Bakers' Harvest Festival, you can still enter to win my Back-to-School Giveaway!

Ready for all your baking needs, you can enter on the Rafflecopter below to win a 5lb bag of King Arthur Flour White Whole Wheat flour, along with a great 15" Dough Whisk (I never knew I needed one until I had one... then I knew I needed it all along)

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Good luck, and stay tuned for more Back-to-School Giveaways! 

Back to School 2013: Lunchbox Love Giveaway!

What better way to send your child (or loved one) to school (or work) than with a little love?

I have used Lunchbox Love notes for a long time, and the kids adore them.  They call them the "Did You Know" cards, and they can't wait to share their little facts with each other.  They especially like the new jokes editions.

On one side, there is a little bit of trivia or a joke.  On the other, there is a little love note.

The great people at Lunchbox Love are offering a great prize of their new Volumes 49-52, which include 3 with trivia and 1 with jokes to one of my lucky readers.  There are even different volumes for holidays.

They have enough volumes that you can go through the whole school year without repeats - more than once!

If you don't want to wait to see if you've won, you can order using the code FB20BTS to get 20% off and Free Shipping on an order placed before 8/19.

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Good luck, and stay tuned - I have more Back-to-School fun to come!

Back to School 2013: AllThingsForSale (with bonus reviews and recipes)

I get a lot of people asking where I get my supplies for making lunches.  For the most part, the answer is AllThingsForSale.

They have a huge variety of fun items to make food fun.  I always have a wishlist going.

Recently, they asked me to review a couple new items - the Sakura Silicone Small Donut Mold (which you could also use for gelatin or chocolate - use your imagination!), and the Japanese Loaf Pan Bread Mold - Cute Bear Shape.

No recipe for the bread pan right now (I just used store bought pizza dough!), but good news - the bread fits into an Easylunchbox!  I can't wait to make sandwiches with it.

I decided to make Cherry Blossom Tea Donuts in the mold, using my trusty mini donut pans to bake the rest of the batter.

Mini Cherry Blossom Tea Donuts

1/2 c milk
3 cherry blossom tea bags
1 egg
1/2 tsp white vinegar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 c flour
3/4 c sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Glaze
1/2 c confectioner's sugar
1/4 c water
2 cherry blossom tea bags
pink food coloring

For donuts:

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Spray donut baking pans with cooking spray.  Whisk together dry ingredients in a bowl.  Heat the milk in a microwave safe bowl or measuring cup, and steep tea in the milk for 3 minutes.

Remove tea bags and stir in the remaining liquid ingredients.  Add to the dry ingredients and mix well.  Transfer the batter to a piping bag and fill the donut pans about half full.  Bake for 12-15 minutes, until lightly browned and cooked through.  Remove from oven and transfer to a cooling rack.

For the optional glaze, heat the water and steep tea for 3 minutes.  Add a little pink food coloring. *You will likely not need all this liquid* Pour just enough tea into the confectioner's sugar to make a glaze.  (It should not be too thin)  Dip the top of the donuts into the glaze and allow to harden before enjoying.

Now for the fun part - AllThingsForSale is offering a $25 gift card to one lucky reader!  They ship worldwide, so anyone can enter.  What would you get with your gift card?  A Cute-Z-Cute cutter? Food picks? Sauce containers?  Good luck!

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Back to School 2013: EasyLunchboxes Giveaway!

It should come as absolutely no surprise to anyone who has visited my blog that my number one favorite lunch boxes are Easylunchboxes.  I have a whole stack of them, both the original colors and the brights, and I use them pretty much every day.  They go through the dishwasher after every use, and are no worse for the wear.  I cannot say enough about them.  There's a reason they are the #1 Best Selling Lunch Boxes on Amazon!

I even contributed to the book.  Yes, I am one of the contributors to the Cooking with Trader Joe's: Easylunchboxes cookbook!

I want you to get the chance to love them as much as I do!

The lovely Kelly Lester from Easylunchboxes has offered to give one lucky reader a set of 4 Easylunchboxes, in the color style of their choice (Classic or Brights), along with a cooler bag in the winner's choice of color.  The cooler bags can carry up to three Easylunchbox containers, which is really handy for family outings.

If you don't want to wait and see if you are the winner, you can always buy your own set on Amazon (and get free shipping!)

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Good luck, and hope that you all enjoy the end of the summer!

Happy New Year with a Lunchbox Love Giveaway

I hope that all of you had a wonderful Christmas and a happy New Year's Eve.  To celebrate the New Year, SayPlease is offering a wonderful prize pack of LunchBox Love Notes for one lucky reader.

I have been using LunchBox Love notes for years.  They add some fun to lunches.  In addition to a sweet note, they also have fun trivia.

Image courtesy SayPlease

And they aren't just for kids!  The Hubby loves when I find a particularly good note for his lunch, and Lunchbox Love has packs just for grown ups!

Image courtesy SayPlease

One lucky winner will receive a super prize pack of LunchBox Love for Kids Volumes 37-40 (includes one volume of jokes), a pack of LunchBox Love for Loved Ones, and one pack of LunchBox Love for Valentine's Day.

Image courtesy SayPlease

Enter using the Rafflecopter below - the mandatory entry is to leave a comment telling me if you normally send notes with your lunches, or if you have any super cool trivia to share, I'd love to hear it.

Good luck, and Happy New Year!

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Review & Giveaway (and Bonus Recipe!): PB Crave!

November is National Peanut Butter Month, so what better time to tell you about some yummy peanut butter I have recently had the chance to try?

Image courtesy PB Crave

The good people at PB Crave sent me a variety pack to try out, and the kids and I can't get enough.  We love that PB Crave peanut butter is all natural, and the flavors are bold, but the first thing you taste is always the peanuts.

Image courtesy PB Crave

The kids liked PB Crave best just on toast for breakfast.  No honey or jelly needed!  They liked all the flavors, but I think The Girl's favorite was Razzle Dazzle (I think it was my favorite, too!), and The Boy liked Cookie Nookie the best. Surprisingly, I liked the CoCo Bananas, and I normally don't like banana flavored things.  The Cookie Nookie reminds me a bit of Biscoff blended with peanut butter.  And the Razzle Dazzle ... I really love white chocolate and raspberry, and once you add in peanut butter and a little chocolate to that, it's near perfection.

It is all natural peanut butter, so it does require a quick stir, but it doesn't separate like some other natural peanut butters.  Simply give it a twist with your knife and spread!

It's also great in recipes - I made quick and easy peanut butter popcorn, and I could happily eat it every day.  In different varieties, of course.   I used a mini bag of light butter popcorn, and melted together 1/4 c light corn syrup (you could use honey), 1/4 c brown sugar, and 1/4 c PB Crave peanut butter together, and then poured it on the popped popcorn and stirred to coat well.  This is dangerously easy.  I used the ChocoChoco in my first batch.  Yum and Yum.  It's like caramel corn but even better.  I would love to add chunks of things to it - maybe leftover candy corn from Halloween!  Oh my...

Something else that is special about PB Crave is that they donate a minimum of 2% of the profits from every jar of peanut butter to Project Peanut Butter, helping to feed malnourished children.  That makes it peanut butter you can feel good about supporting.

PB Crave is available on Amazon, or at The Fresh Market, Earth Fare and at some Whole Foods grocery stores.

Image courtesy PB Crave

And I'm not the only one who likes PB Crave - Check out the review by Chef Andrew Zimmerman! 

Want to win a variety pack of PB Crave for yourself (a $20.97 value)?  Simply enter the Rafflecopter below - the mandatory entry is to leave a blog comment about which flavor of PB Crave you would most like to try, but for the first time, I am offering extra entries for Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.  If you don't have any of those, you can still win, though.  The winner will be chosen at random.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer:  I received a variety pack of PB Crave for review, but all opinions are my own.  I was in no other way compensated for this review. 

Cabot Greek Yogurt & Cheese: Review & Giveaway!

It should come as no surprise to long-time readers that I have a bit of a love affair with Cabot.  Living in Vermont, we are admittedly spoiled.  One of the outings that the kids and I took this summer was to the Cabot Factory.

We buy Cabot cheese almost exclusively.  The Girl proclaims her love for Cabot cheddar at any given opportunity.  One wonderful thing about cheese and my Type 1 Diabetic Boy - he can have plenty of it without needing a shot of insulin!

This outing is much more popular with him than going to the (also local) Ben & Jerry's factory.


When I got the chance to do a review of some Cabot products, including their awesome Greek Yogurt, I jumped at the chance! 

The kids adored the Cabot Vanilla Bean Greek yogurt.  You can see the flecks of real vanilla in it!  Totally a win.

I used Cabot Greek yogurt in my Buffalo Hot Dogs!

I like using their plain Greek yogurt in all sorts of recipes.

And their single serve cheese?  A totally lunch-worthy treat.

That's Cabot Greek yogurt in there, too!  With sprinkles!

Not to mention how delicious their cheeses are sliced in sandwiches....

And in recipes!

Image courtesy Cabot

On top of all that, they have some great award winning Light Cheddar products.  They don't taste "low fat" at all - Cabot has managed to keep the cheesy taste and texture, while making them a bit healthier for you.  I like it.

Want to know the exciting part?

Cabot wants to share a gift box giveaway of Cabot Cheddar + VIP coupons to try their Greek Yogurt with one lucky reader!

Want to enter?  Simply leave a comment below, and make sure to mark your entry in Rafflecopter!  One entry per person.  US entries only, please.

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Good luck!

Disclaimer:  I was sent some free Cabot products & coupons, but was in no other way compensated for this review & giveaway.  All opinions are my own (or the opinions of my kids)

Talk Like a Pirate Day Blog Hop - Lunches for The Boy and The Girl 9.19.12

A note - For this post, in honor of International Talk Like a Pirate Day, I will talk like a pirate, with  non-Pirate-talk translations underneath in italics.  Happy Talk Like a Pirate Day!!!

This  be 'nother day in which I will post both o' th' kid's lunches in one salt-blastedly big post, cause I be celebrat'n International Talk Like a Pirate Day wi' me Bento Blogger & Mateys.

This is another day in which I will post both of the kid's lunches in one big post, because I am celebrating International Talk Like a Pirate Day with my Bento Blogger & Friends.

Th' blitheringly super blistering cool news - this be more than a Blog Hop, it's a Treasure Hunt fer Bento Booty (sponsored by AllThingsForSale) Ere blog in th' hop has a piece o' th' map t' th' bento booty treasure - a giveaway! As ye go through th' hop, collect th' pieces an' put them in th' blunderbustingly right order t' find out where t' enter! You'll probably need someth'n t' write wi', cause thar be 39 blogs t' visit, so 39 pieces t' collect! 37 pieces will spell th' URL, an' 2 bonus pieces wi' words on them will g't ye 2 entries t' win!

Make sure t' complete th' treasure hunt in a timely fashion - th' deadline be Sunday, September 23rd! An' though th' booty in th' treasure hunt be a surprise, I promise ye, ye want t' win. A "Thar She Blows!" lot. It's a blunderbustingly good one. Really, really salt-blastedly good.

The super cool news - this is more than a Blog Hop, it's a Treasure Hunt for Bento Booty (sponsored by AllThingsForSale) Every blog in the hop has a piece of the map to the bento booty treasure - a giveaway! As you go through the hop, collect the pieces and put them in the right order to find out where to enter! You'll probably need something to write with, because there are 39 blogs to visit, so 39 pieces to collect! 37 pieces will spell the URL, and 2 bonus pieces with words on them will get you 2 entries to win.Make sure to complete the treasure hunt in a timely fashion - the deadline is Sunday, September 23rd!  And though the booty in the treasure hunt is a surprise, I promise you, you want to win.  A lot.  It's a good one.  Really, really good.

Banana for The Boy: 28g

So, what have I made fer International Talk Like a Pirate Day lunches fer th' kids? First o' all, I have pirate tattooed bananas fer snack. This be someth'n I saw on Pinterest, an' I immediately ordered some Pirate temporary tattoos! They turned out so neat. I be a little in love.

So, what have I made for International Talk Like a Pirate Day lunches for the kids?  First of all, I have pirate tattooed bananas for snack.  This is something I saw on Pinterest, and I immediately ordered some Pirate temporary tattoos!  They turned out so neat.  I am a little in love.

Fer lunch, an' this be fun... I made treasure map fruit leather. Th' inspiration came t' me while I be rid'n me bike t' work yesterday, an' I be thrilled at how it turned out. It be applesauce wi' some colored applesauce piped into a map. I could have used darker fruit puree, but I didn't have any on hand.

For lunch, and this is fun... I made treasure map fruit leather.  The inspiration came to me while I was riding my bike to work yesterday, and I am thrilled at how it turned out.  It is applesauce with some colored applesauce piped into a map.  I could have used darker fruit puree, but I didn't have any on hand.

I couldn't resist includ'n some Pirate Booty in lunches. Just too salt-blastedly perfect.

I couldn't resist including some Pirate Booty in lunches.  Just too perfect.

Pirate Booty: 5g, melon: 5g, fruit leather: 5g, sandwich: 22g, cheese: 1g, nilla wafers: 4g, chocolate coin: 4g

Th'  Boy's Lunch, in full, be a rolled aloft treasure map fruit leather wi' a pirate r'n on it, a Pirate Jolly roger blueberry jelly sandwich (with chocolate sprinkles in th' shape o' a skull & crossbones on top, like this heart sandwich I saw on Pinterest), a str'n cheese wi' a pirate r'n on it, some melon wi' sword picks, Pirate Booty, an' a treasure chest wi' some mini Nilla wafers an' one doubloon,treasure chocolate piece of eight treasure.

The Boy's Lunch, in full, is a rolled up treasure map fruit leather with a pirate ring on it, a Pirate Flag blueberry jelly sandwich (with chocolate sprinkles in the shape of a skull & crossbones on top, like this heart sandwich I saw on Pinterest), a string cheese with a pirate ring on it, some melon with sword picks, Pirate Booty, and a treasure chest with some mini Nilla wafers and one gold chocolate coin treasure.

Th' Lassey has th' same lunch, but wi' strawberries instead o' melon, an' a Cabot Cheddar single instead o' a str'n cheese.

The Girl has the same lunch, but with strawberries instead of melon, and a Cabot Cheddar single instead of a string cheese.

So, ye may be think'n... what be this treasure hunt?

So, you may be thinking... what is this treasure hunt?

Here's me piece o' th' treasure. Write down me letter an' number, an' follow along th' hop (by click'n on th' button below) t' collect th' other pieces. Put them together in order, an' it will br'n ye t' th' Rafflecopter where ye can enter t' win. Reakon,  this prize be ABSOLUTELY worth th' effort. Please, no shar'n or tweet'n th' answer, cause that would be cheat'n, an' cheat'n be ne'er ok.

Here's my piece of the treasure.  Write down my letter and number, and follow along the hop (by clicking on the button below) to collect the other pieces.  Put them together in order, and it will bring you to the Rafflecopter where you can enter to win.  Remember, this prize is ABSOLUTELY worth the effort.  Please, no sharing or tweeting the answer, because that would be cheating, and cheating is never ok.

Now that you've s'n me pirate offer'n, an' you've collected by piece o' th' treasure, head on o'er t' Keeley's blog t' pick aloft your next piece, an' t' continue along th' hop.

Now that you've seen my pirate offering, and you've collected by piece of the treasure, head on over to Keeley's blog to pick up your next piece, and to continue along the hop.

This might be helping you with your hunt, so print it if ye' desire.