Lunch: 4.1.10 - April Fool's!

Snack is another Fruity Frog - that was a huge hit! - some more grapes, and juice.

Lunch is yogurt, some sunchips (she loves them!), juicy jelly, a kiwi face, a hard boiled eggs with a surprise face inside (food markers.  They don't work super well, but I've seen other brands are better), some steamed broccoli trees and ranch dressing.

Recipe: Kiwi Face

Saw this fantastic kiwi face (and some other super cute ones) on Family Fun and had to try them.  Instead of using a blackeyed pea for eyes, I used marshmallow bits and raisin bits.  I also cut the kiwi in half for easier eating.

The possibilities are endless!

Lunch: 3.31.10

Snack is a Fruity Frog, Ikea grahams, and craisins, with a juice.

Lunch is an Egg Chick, yogurt, strawberries, carrots, and ranch dressing.

Recipe: Fruity Frog & Egg Chick

I was browsing the internet today, and came across this Fruity Frog.  So adorable!  Instead of using cream cheese for the eyes, I used slices of marshmallow.  Super simple and cute!

Not sure where I saw this guy first, but I think it was in Family Fun, too. Couldn't find it online.  But, here's the Egg Chick!  (My eggs boiled a little too long and the yolk was a little green.  Oops.

Lunch: 3.30.10

For snack, she has  IKEA letter grahams in the elephant container, strawberries, and juice.

For lunch, she has yogurt, a juicy jelly, veggie sticks, ham, craisins, and goldfish pretzels.

Mom & Dad's Lunch: 3.30.10

Daddy's got a ham and cheese sandwich, strawberries, and some goldfish pretzels.

I've got a ham and cheese sandwich with cream cheese and chutney on a sandwich thin, a mango juicy jelly, and strawberries.

Lunch: 3.29.10

This lunch sponsored in part by IKEA.  I had a trip this weekend, and was joyful about it.

Snack is a ton of strawberries and some dried cranberries, along with a juice.

Lunch is yogurt, veggie sticks, some IKEA "kex" (similar to graham crackers, in IKEA letters!), hardbread cracker (from Ikea), ham skewers, cheese, and a juicy jelly.

Mom & Dad's Lunch: 3.29.10

Daddy has a ham and cheese sandwich on whole wheat, some glorious strawberries (which were buy one pack, get one free at the store!), and goldfish crackers.

I have a ham and cheese sandwich with some chutney on it, on a sandwich thin, with veggie sticks (I am not kidding myself that these are actually super good for me), and some strawberries.

Lunch: 3.26.10

Snack is (in honor of Waffle Day yesterday) a pumpkin waffle with creamed honey in the green container to put on the waffles, and a juice.

Lunch is a taco salad (with chicken instead of taco meat, we ran out), apples, and some pretzel goldfish.

Recipe: Pumpkin Waffles in honor of Swedish Waffle Day!

Arguably, my favorite Swedish holiday, possibly because it is just so hilarious in origin.

I can't find the site I pulled this from, but:

On the 25th of March on the Christian holiday of Annunciation the Swedes eat waffles, as the day is called the "Waffle Day". This is in fact due to a misunderstanding of the phrase vårfrudagen" which means "Our Lady's day", which sounds like "våffeldagen", meaning "waffle day."

So, it's time for waffles!

Pumpkin Waffles
(modified slightly from Allrecipes) 

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 c whole wheat flour

1/4 c ground flax seed

4 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup canned pumpkin

2 cups milk

4 eggs, separated

1/4 c butter, melted

	Preheat a waffle iron according to manufacturer's instructions.
	Combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, salt, and brown sugar in a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, stir together the pumpkin, milk, and egg yolks. Whip the egg whites in a clean dry bowl until soft peaks form.
	Stir the flour mixture and 1/4 cup melted butter to the pumpkin mixture, stirring just to combine. Use a whisk or rubber spatula to fold 1/3 of the egg whites into the batter, stirring gently until incorporated. Fold in the remaining egg whites. Cook waffles according to manufacturer's instructions.

Lunch 3.25.10

A redux of yesterday, because she loves it.

Snack is apples and juice.

Lunch is taco salad, kiwis, goldfish pretzels, and a small brownie.

Lunch: 3.24.10

I've got non-picture-worthy leftovers for lunch.

For snack, the girl has apples on skewers, craisins, and juice.

For lunch, she has taco salad again (she loved it yesterday), a kiwi, pretzel Goldfish in one of the animal containers, and a small piece of brownie in the other one.  We made brownies last night and I promised her a little bit in her lunch.

Lunch: 3.23.10

The girl has apples, dried pineapple, and juice for snack.

For lunch, she has taco salad.  In the little square duckie box, there's taco meat (ground turkey), cheese, and lettuce.  She's got taco sauce in the little container, and taco shells.  In the other container, she has a kiwi, and some crackers.

Mom & Dad's Lunch: 3.23.10

I've got a taco salad for lunch - lettuce in the big container, taco meat (turkey) with cheese and salsa, taco shells to crumble up... I also have half a pear.

Daddy has apples, crackers, and a turkey sandwich.

Lunch 3.22.10

Snack today was crackers and craisins, with a juice.

Lunch was dumplings, with sauce, some Hello Panda cookies in the monkey, lots of strawberries, and a juicy jelly.

Lunch 3.19.10

Sorry this is posted late!  I was in a play last week and was more than busy.

Snack was two chicks.  One was filled with crackers, and the other had carrots and ranch dressing.  She also had juice.

Lunch was strawberries, yogurt, dried pinapple in the monkey, juicy jelly, and some dumplings.

Lunch: 3.18.10

Snack today is a yogurt, that chick container filled with flip crackers (the pretzel/cracker ones), and a juice.

Lunch is three pork & chive dumplings, a hot dog on skewers (meat heavy, I know!), a juicy jelly, and a whole bunch o' strawberries.

Lunch: 3.17.10 - St. Patrick's Day!

Snack today is some honey twists (from the Asian store), carrots (in a super cute Easter chick container, which, sadly, doesn't fit in any of my boxes!), ranch dressing (in a green container), and juice.

Lunch is a hard boiled egg dyed green, green juicy jelly, shamrock chai tea jelly sandwiches, lime yogurt, and strawberries on green picks.

Daddy's Lunch: 3.17.10

I got free lunch unexpectedly yesterday, so my lunch is waiting for me today.

Daddy has a chicken breast lunch meat sandwich, strawberries, and some flip crackers. (there's a shamrock on his sandwich)

Recipe: Piped Chocolate Cupcake Toppers!

This is so much fun!  I'll be doing it more often.  For the girl's big 7th birthday, I used Bakerella for inspiration, and made some piped chocolate flowers to top her mini cupcakes for school.

First, I drew flowers onto parchment paper, flipped it over, and taped it to a flat cookie sheet.

Then, I cut down candy melts (I did pink ones later with piped centers, and it was MUCH easier.  Do that instead. Don't fiddle with cutting them.)

You can melt the candy melts right in a disposable decorating bag?  You knead it to get them all mixed up once they start melting.  Super cool.

Then, I outlined where the petals were going to be with white.  Make sure they overlap, or the thing will fall apart.

Let that solidify (you can put it in the freezer briefly), then fill in the centers.

Let solidify again, and you can store them in the fridge until ready to use.  Top on cupcakes, or use to decorate a big cake.  So cute!  The possibilities are endless...

Lunch: 3.16.10 - Happy Birthday, My Girl!

Nothing super special for lunch today, because I've made cupcakes for her class.  And they are super cute.

But, I gave her the lunch that she's been devouring.

Snack is a big heart and a couple small heart tea jelly sandwiches, with some dried pineapple and some juice.

Lunch is three chive & pork dumplings, a juicy jelly, some rainbow goldfish in the monkey, strawberries, and yogurt.