Merry (Belated) Christmas!

I'll be back making lunches next week.  In the meantime, hope that everyone had a fantastic Christmas and a wonderful New Year in store!

(If I get a chance, I'll post some of my Holiday Cookie recipes... I made a nice variety!)

Lunch: 12.22.09

Pictures later!  On the way to the retail job...

Snack is a tree shaped Apple Rosemary Jelly Sandwich, craisins & raisins, homemade graham crackers, and a juice.

Lunch is a gogurt, a juicy jelly cup, half a sugarbelle orange, flipside crackers, dumplings and gyoza sauce.

Lunch: 12.21.09

School doesn't get out for Christmas break until Christmas Eve this year.  Kind of ridiculous, if you ask me.  Anyhow, I am working retail this week, so lunches may be a bit less interesting.  I did well today, but it's the first day.

Snack is a snowman Apple Rosemary Tea Jelly sandwich, raisins & craisins, homemade graham crackers, and juice.

Lunch is a sugar bell orange (they are a new kind of citrus - a cross between a clementine and a mineola?), Flipside crackers, a gogurt, an applesauce cookie (recipe coming), and three dumplings with sauce.   I put a Lunchbox Love note in as well.

Lunch: 12.18.09

I'll post pictures later, but I was running late this morning.

Snack is a gingerbread girl shaped apple rosemary jelly sandwich (on a bread end, so she looks gingerbready), craisins & raisins, bug shaped graham crackers, and a juice.

Lunch is a gogurt, a pear, flipside crackers, and some leftover casserole in her thermos.  And, my Lunchbox notes from SayPlease arrived yesterday, so I put one in.  They are so cute!
(here's the other side)

I'm happy it's Friday.  I have so much to do tomorrow - we are (finally) getting our Christmas tree, and decorating some, and then I have a ton of baking to do!  I have 13 kinds of cookies on my list.... I made two kinds last night.  Fun fun fun!

Giveaway: SayPlease Lunch Box Love Notes Winner!

I went all official this time, and used Random.org to pick a winner.

True Random Number Generator Min: Max: Result: 6 Powered by RANDOM.ORG

 

So I couldn't figure out how to post it nicely, but there it is.

The winner is

Katie and Bob

Congratulations!  Please contact judiwillard@gmail.com at SayPlease and tell her that you are the winner of the giveaway!

I received my order today, and the notes are super duper cute.

I'll contact Judi and let her know that you won, too, but she'll need your information to ship your prize.

 

Lunch: 12.17.09

Last day to enter my Giveaway!  I'll be drawing the winner around 6 PM tonight EST.

Back to school today.

Snack is a reindeer shaped Mango Ceylon Tea Jelly Sandwich, craisins & raisins, bug shaped graham crackers, and a juice.

Lunch is a pear, flipside crackers, a gogurt, three pork & leek dumplings, and Trader Ming's Gyoza Dipping Sauce from Trader Joe's.

No Lunch Today...

The girl is home sick, so no lunch today, but there's still time to enter my Giveaway!  The drawing is tomorrow around 6 PM EST, so get those entries in.

I think that she'll be better tomorrow.  Until then, happy packing!

Recipe: Alphabet Pancakes

More of a method than a recipe, why not spend a little extra time and make your pancakes extra fun?

I made my favorite pumpkin pancakes last night, and put the batter in a squirt bottle.  Then, I made them into letters!

You could do this with any shape, and it sure went over well with the kids.  They would be great in a lunch, too.

(Don't miss my Giveaway!)

Lunch 12.15.09

Back to just the girl today.  Don't miss my Giveaway!

Snack today is a Christmas Tree shaped mango ceylon tea jelly sandwich, craisins & raisins, and a juice.

Lunch is a gogurt, some cheddar flipside crackers, a babybell, half a pear, and three pork & leek dumplings with sauce (It's the Trader Ming's Gyoza sauce from Trader Joe's, by the way).

Lunch 12.14.09

Don't miss my new Giveaway!

I am packing for the boy as well as the girl today, because he is going to my friend's house today.

Lunch for him is an applesauce (under the crackers), crackers, a yogurt (in the other covered container), three pork & leek dumplings (cute small ones from the Asian market - I'll review them soon) with dumpling dipping sauce from Trader Joe's (so good, and I so wish that we had a Trader Joe's here!  I got this dipping sauce last time I went to visit my sister in Connecticut), Little Letters cookies, and a Swedish Saffron Lucia Roll (Yesterday was St. Lucia's Day, I made them.  Beautiful and delicious).  He also has a juice.

Snack for her is a gingerbread girl Strawberry Cherry Tea Jelly sandwich, Little Letter Cookies, Craisins & raisins, and a juice.

Lunch for her is two dumplings, sauce, a Lucia roll, flipside crackers, a gogurt, half a pear.

Lunch: 12.11.09

I realized that I didn't remember to post Friday's lunch, so here it is!  Don't miss my Giveaway!

Snack was a couple of muffins (I think cranberry?  The bag wasn't labeled), homemade graham crackers, craisins & raisins, and a juice.

Lunch was two snowman shaped Strawberry Cherry Tea Jelly sandwiches, a gogurt, a few cheddar flipside crackers, a whole pear cut up, a babybell, and a couple leftover raspberries.

Giveaway: SayPlease Lunch Box Love Notes

When I was at Michael's last week, I picked up a sample of Lunch Box Love Notes by SayPlease.

(Image above is from their website)

Generously, they are sponsoring a giveaway for me, just in time for Christmas.

All you have to do is leave a comment below.  The giveaway will run until Thursday night around 6 PM.  I will randomly pick one winner who will receive Volumes 1 & 2 of the Lunch Box Love notes. 

A portion of the proceeds from any order at SayPlease goes to the Lunchbox Fund charity.

I placed my own order of Volumes 1-4, with free shipping, and I can't wait to start including them in the girl's lunch on a regular basis!


Thank you to SayPlease for the donation of the prize for this giveaway.  I have not been compensated in any way for this giveaway.

Lunch: 12.10.09

Snack is a couple ham & cheese mini muffins, craisins & raisins, some homemade graham crackers, and a juice pouch (she has promised to drink it properly and not mess around with it.  We'll see...)

Lunch is a gingerbread man shaped Strawberry Cherry Tea Jelly sandwich, a gogurt, some more raisins and craisins, raspberries, half a pear, and some cheddar flipside crackers.

Lunch 12.9.09

As a treat this morning (and a very bad for us treat at that!), I made those evil Pillsbury Pop n' Fresh Sweet Rolls with orange icing.  Terrible for you.  But, I make them maybe twice a year, so I don't feel so badly about it.

There were some leftovers, so the girl got one in her snack.

Snack is an evil orange iced sweet roll, homemade graham crackers, craisins & raisins, and a juice.

Lunch is a Mango Ceylon Jelly sandwich shaped like a horse, more raisins & craisins, cheddar flipside crackers, gogurt, half a pear cut into slices, and some raspberries.

Lunch: 12.8.09

Snack today is a Christmas Tree Shaped Mango Ceylon tea Jelly sandwich, homemade graham crackers, craisins & raisins, and a juice.

Lunch is a cranberry sauce and ham sandwich, cheddar flipside crackers, a gogurt, half a small pear cut into pieces (she was complaining about her lack of a couple of teeth making it hard to eat whole), and raspberries.

Lunch 12.7.09

A new week!

Snack is a wreath shaped Mango Ceylon tea jelly sandwich, with craisins & raisins, homemade graham crackers, and juice.

Lunch is a gogurt, half a small pear, raspberries, ham on skewers, cheddar flipside crackers (they were on sale), and a babybell.

Lunch 12.4.09

Friday!

Snack today is a star shaped Mango Ceylon Tea Jelly Sandwich, homemade graham crackers, raisins & craisins, and a juice.

Lunch is a gogurt, half a banana, hot dog on skewers, flipside crackers, a pumpkin raisin mini muffin (not pictured), and a treat from her Halloween treat bag.

Lunch 12.3.09

Feeling a bit better today, so I made her lunch and snack.

Snack is butterfly shaped apple rosemary jelly sandwiches, craisins & raisins, homemade graham crackers, and a juice.

Lunch is turkey roll ups, flip side crackers, a gogurt, half a banana, and a babybell.

Lunch 12.2.09

I'm still sick, so the girl helped again tonight in making her lunch.

Snack is four mini muffins (I think apple crumb and pumpkin raisin, but I didn't label the bags in the freezer.  Foolish move on my part), some craisins & raisins, and a juice.

Lunch is gogurt, flipside crackers, a babybell, half a banana, a piece of turkey rolled up, and Chai Tea Jelly sandwiches shaped like chicks.

Lunch: 12.1.09

I am not feeling well, and my daughter announced that she was going to help with making her lunch "so that you don't touch the food and get me sick."  So, I helped, washed my hands first very well, and let her help.

Snack is a Apple Rosemary Jelly sandwich shaped like a gingerbread girl (her choice), craisins & raisins, some homemade graham crackers, and juice.

Lunch is a banana, two cinnamon raisin muffins, a gogurt, a piece of turkey (she rolled that up, kind of), a babybell, and some flip side pretzel crackers.

Lunch 11.30.09

Back to school today!

Snack is a Rosemary Apple Jelly Sandwich shaped like a snowman, craisins & raisins, and some homemade graham crackers.

Lunch is a banana, a cranberry sauce and turkey roll up, a gogurt, a half a kiwi, a babybell, and a couple flip crackers (pretzel on one side, cracker on the other - they were on sale)

Award: Happy Mama Blogger Award

Thanks to Angi at Bento Junkie passed on this Happy Mama Blogger Award, which I am proud to accept.
I will pass it on to some of my favorite bloggers soon.  Busy right now, being a happy mama and all...  Thank you, Angi!

Lunch: 11.24.09

It's the last day of school this week!

Snack is a frog shaped apple rosemary jelly sandwich, homemade graham crackers, craisins & raisins, and a juice.

Lunch is gogurt, half a kiwi, babybell, ham on skewers, small pieces of applesauce fruit leather (in the container), and a treat from her Halloween goody bag.

Lunch: 11.23.09

Only two days of school this week, because of Thanksgiving.

Snack is a teapot shaped Strawberry Cherry Tea Jelly sandwich, craisins & raisins, homemade graham crackers, and a juice.

Lunch is applesauce (in the covered container), ham on skewers (she loves ham), half a kiwi, a babybell, apple fruit leather in small pieces (she complained the roll was too hard to chew), and a treat from her treat bag from Halloween.

Award: Kreativ Blogger

Thanks to Angi at Bento Junkie for this award!

The rules are to state 7 things about yourself and then to pass this on to 7 other bloggers.

 

1- I work as a molecular biologist in the biochemistry department at a university, and I love it
2- I have also worked part time at a local kitchen store (Kiss the Cook) for the past 15 years
3- I spent a year living with my father's cousin in Sweden in high school, and as a result, I speak fluent Swedish
4- I am a complete television addict (see my other blog)
5- I love to sing and act
6- I really hate to clean
7- I love to read with my kids, and we are currently working our way through Roald Dahl.

 

Now time to pick 7 people!

Food For the Boys

new2bento

Bento for Kidlet

What's for Lunch at Our House

Foodie Footsteps

Bentocracy

Maisie Eats Bento

Recipe: Fruit Leather

I got these fruit leather sheets for my food dehydrator, and decided to put them to use yesterday. 

It couldn't have been simpler - I made apple fruit leather, from homemade applesauce.

All I had to do was lightly coat the sheets with cooking spray, and then spread out applesauce thinly and evenly.  You can use other fruit, too, but I had applesauce on hand.

Then, turn on the dehydrator.  I left it on for about 10 hours and it was perfect.

Peel off the sheet when still warm, then roll up and wrap in saran wrap.  Cut into pieces and enjoy.

Lunch: 11.20.09

The power went out this morning, so I packed lunch and snack to a kerosene lamp!  Thankfully, it's back on now.

Snack is a squirrel shaped Strawberry Cherry Tea Jelly Sandwich, craisins & raisins, homemade graham crackers, and juice.

Lunch  is gogurt, homemade apple fruit leather, two banana crumb muffins, a cut up hotdog on skewers, babybell, and homemade wheat herb crackers (I ran out of cheese crackers), along with a treat from her Halloween Treat Bag.

Lunch 11.19.09

Snack today is a Strawberry Cherry Tea Jelly heart shaped sandwich, craisins & raisins, homemade graham crackers, and a juice.

Lunch is a gogurt, applesauce, fish shaped hard boiled egg, a babybell, homemade cheese crackers, two banana crumb muffins and a treat from her Halloween goody bag.  (That's not pictured, because I put it in afterwards)

Recipe: Meringue Mushrooms

This is not for the girl's lunch, but I thought it would be appreciated.  These mushrooms are made of meringue and chocolate and are absolutely adorable.

I followed the instructions here, with a couple of changes.  First, I put a touch of almond extract in with the meringue.  I also used regular sugar that I put in the food processor for a couple of seconds, to make it more fine.  They were also done after about 30 minutes, at 250 F.

I also had some extra stems, and I dipped them partially in chocolate.  Yum!

Cute food is fun.