Lunch: 5.31.12

Don't miss my GreenPaxx giveaway!

The Girl made her own lunch again.  She likes doing that occasionally.  :)

Her snack is some cinnamon graham cookies (not pictured).

Her lunch is a pita with some turkey and cheese, apple slices, a tiny container of marshmallow fluff (seriously, it's about 1/2 tsp if that), strawberries, and a babybell cheese.

Lunch for The Boy: 5.31.12

Don't miss my GreenPaxx giveaway!

The Boy made his own lunch today, and was very proud of it.  His snack is some applesauce (not pictured, 15g).

Fruit: 7g, Letter cookies: 18g, pita sandwich: 20g, cheese: 1g, salami: 1g

His lunch is some cinnamon & graham letter cookies, strawberries and blueberries, Colby jack cheese, pita bread with turkey and salami, and some more salami, just for good measure.

Lunch: 5.30.12

Don't miss your chance to enter my GreenPaxx giveaway!

The Girl's snack (not pictured) is some applesauce.

Her lunch is apple slices, strawberries, raspberries with blueberries, Annie's cheddar bunnies, cheese and turkey on a mini whole wheat bagel, and some cinnamon & graham letter cookies.

Lunch for The Boy: 5.30.12

Don't miss your chance to enter my GreenPaxx giveaway!

The Boy has some applesauce for snack (not pictured, 15g).

Annie's bunnies: 10g, strawberries: 6g, apple slices: 8g, bagel sandwich: 30g, cookies: 21g

His lunch is some strawberries, Annie's cheddar bunnies, apple slices, a mini whole wheat bagel with salami, turkey, and cheddar, and some cinnamon graham alphabet cookies.

Lunch: 5.29.12

Don't miss my GreenPaxx giveaway!

The Girl's snack is some alphabet cinnamon graham cookies (not pictured).

Her lunch is some blueberries in raspberries, strawberries, masa chips from my May Naturebox, some blueberry applesauce, and a turkey and cheese sandwich on a whole wheat sandwich thin.

Lunch for The Boy: 5.29.12

Don't miss my GreenPaxx giveaway!

Alphabet cookies: 21g

The Boy's snack is some alphabet cinnamon graham cookies.

Watermelon: 5g, blueberries & strawberries: 6g, masa chips: 14g, applesauce: 15g, cheese sandwich: 24g

His lunch is some watermelon, strawberries, blueberries, cheese sandwich on a whole wheat sandwich thin, masa crisps from my May Naturebox, and some blueberry applesauce.

Review & Giveaway: Eco-Friendly Reusable straws and caps - Cool Caps and Cool Straws!

A while back, I got a chance to try out a great new product from GreenPaxx.  Since the kids love smoothies, and we're always looking for reusable and easy products, I thought that the reusable silicone straws and lids would be a fun thing to try!

The caps fit on larger cups and glasses, and might even fit on a wide mouth mason jar (I haven't tried yet).  The SEALED caps are leak resistant, too!

The straws are two part silicone straws (they come apart and are easy to clean). 

While I haven't tried them on smoothies yet, I plan to!  These are going to be great this summer. 

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Now for the fun part!  GreenPaxx is offering a great prize to one of my lucky readers - you can win One box of 2 Cool Caps and one box of 4 Cool Straws.  (Retail value is $19.90)   All you have to do is head on over to GreenPaxx and check out the products, then come on back here and tell me something that you like about them, or something you are interested in knowing more about them.  While I would like for you to check out their facebook page, their pinterest page, and their twitter page - because they are cool - I won't make it mandatory to enter.   One entry per person, please.

I will draw a winner using Random.org on Friday, June 1, at about 6 PM EST.  The winner will need to contact me within 48 hours, or I reserve the right to draw another winner.  As always, I need a way to contact you.  Anonymous commenters, with no contact information, cannot win.  If I can't contact you, I can't get your information to GreenPaxx, and you can't get your prize.  Simple as that. 

This giveaway is offered to US residents only.  Please do not enter this giveaway if you have received free products from GreenPaxx within the past 3 months.  I received no compensation other than the free samples for my review.

Lunch: 5.25.12

The Girl's snack is some strawberry applesauce (not pictured).

Her lunch is strawberries, blueberries, a cheese and turkey sandwich on a sandwich thin, Annie's cheddar bunnies, and some golden raisins.

Lunch for The Boy: 5.25.12

Happy Friday!

Applesauce: 15g

The Boy's snack is a strawberry applesauce.

Watermelon: 6g, blueberries: 5g, strawberries: 5g, cookies: 21g, mini bagel sandwich: 25g

His lunch (which he helped to make) is watermelon, blueberries, strawberries, a mini bagel with colby-jack cheese, and some cinnamon graham alphabet cookies.

Lunch: 5.24.12

The Girl's snack is an apple (not pictured).

Her lunch is some cinnamon graham letter cookies, raspberries with blueberries stuffed in them, a mini whole wheat pita with turkey and Swiss cheese, and some strawberries.

Lunch for The Boy: 5.24.12

The Boy has some Tropical trail mix from my NatureBox (not pictured, 14g).

Strawberries: 6g, pita sandwich: 15g, raspberries & blueberries: 5g, letter cookies: 21g

His lunch is some cinnamon graham letter cookies, raspberries with blueberries stuffed in them, a mini whole wheat pita with turkey and Swiss cheese, and some strawberries.

Lunch: 5.23.12

The Girl has some NatureBox Cranberry trail mix for snack (not pictured).

Her lunch is some Masa chips from my May Naturebox, a nectarine, apple slices, and a mini whole wheat bagel with cheddar cheese.

Lunch for The Boy: 5.23.12

Tropical Trail Mix: 14g

The Boy's snack is Tropical trail mix from my May NatureBox.

Masa chips: 15g, strawberries: 5g, apple: 8g, bagel:24g

His lunch is apple slices, a mini bagel with Swiss cheese, strawberries, and Masa chips from my May NatureBox.

Lunch: 5.22.12

The Girl's snack is a mixture of Naturebox tropical granola (in the May box), and some of the April box's cranberry trail mix. 

Her lunch is some black bean and chickpea salad we had for dinner on Monday (black beans, chickpeas, salsa, and some spices), a mini whole wheat bagel with cheese, a stretch island fruit leather, strawberries, and some pineapple and kiwi.

Lunch for the Boy: 5.22.12

The Boy made his own lunch today... and it shows.

Cheese and ham: 1g, trail mix: 18g

His snack is some turkey and swiss cheese, with some Naturebox Cranberry trail mix.

Strawberries: 5g, melon: 5g, Annie's cheddar bunnies: 12g, masa chips: 12g, bagel: 30g, cheese: 1g

His lunch is strawberries (with all the letter picks that he could find...), melon, a mini bagel with cream cheese and lingonberry jam, some Colby jack cheese in the little container, which he cut into tiny flowers, some Annie's cheddar bunnies, and some NatureBox Masa chips (holy cow, these things are amazing...)  He also made sure to put in a Lunchbox Love note.

Seriously, every letter pick he could find!

Lunch: 5.21.12

The Girl's snack is an apple (not pictured).

Her lunch is kiwi, pineapple, cheese dog on skewers, and a cheese mini bagel.

Lunch for The Boy: 5.21.12

The Boy's snack for Monday is a banana (not pictured, 28g).

Strawberries: 5g, melon: 6g, bagel sandwich: 24g, cheese dog: 1g

His lunch is strawberries, melon, cheese dogs on skewers, and a mini bagel with cheese.

Lunch: 5.18.12

The Girl's snack is a banana (not pictured).

Her lunch is Annie's cheddar bunnies, peaches, apple slices, and a ham and cheese sandwich.

Lunch for The Boy: 5.18.12

The Boy has a banana in his snack (not pictured - 28g).

His lunch is some peaches (19g), Annie's cheddar bunnies (12g), apple slices (8g), and a ham and cheese sandwich (26g).

Lunch: 5.17.12

The Girl made her own lunch today, just like The Boy.  Her snack is a banana (not pictured).

Her lunch is a chicken and cheddar sandwich, "meat and meat roll ups" with ham and chicken, strawberries, a couple girl scout cookies, and a fruit leather.

Lunch for the Boy: 5.17.12

The Boy decided to make his own lunch again today!  His snack is a banana (not pictured, 28g).

Peaches: 19g, cookies: 19g, cheese: 1g, strawberries: 4g, pasta: 20g

His lunch is some leftover homemade pumpkin pasta with goat cheese alfredo with spinach, cheddar-mozzarella hearts, strawberries, canned peaches (rinsed), and a couple Thank-U-Berry Munch Girlscout cookies.

Lunch: 5.16.12

The Girl's snack is a fruit leather and some cheddar bunnies.

Her lunch is a small banana, ham and cheddar roll ups, strawberries, and some veggie straws.

Lunch for The Boy: 5.16.12

The Boy made his own lunch and snack today!!  He was very excited to do it, and I think he did a good job!

Fruit leather: 12g, Bunnies: 7.5g

His snack is some Annie's Cheddar Bunnies and a fruit leather.

Banana: 28g, Veggie straws: 5g, cheese: 1g, strawberries: 6g, biscuit: 18g

His lunch is a small banana, strawberries, a whole wheat biscuit, cheddar & jack cheese (which he cut into mini pumpkins and declared "You can use this cutter for Halloween, too!"), and some veggie straws.

Lunch: 4.15.12

The Girl's snack for Tuesday is some Annie's cheddar bunnies (not pictured)

Her lunch is some blueberries in raspberries, ham and cheddar roll-ups, apple slices, strawberries, and some Veggie Chips.

Lunch for The Boy: 5.15.12

The Boy has some Annie's Cheddar Bunnies for snack (no picture, 19g). 

Apple: 8g, Blueberries & raspeberries: 4g, strawberries: 6g, Veggie chips: 7.5g, cheese & ham: 1g

His lunch is some blueberries in raspberries, ham and cheddar roll-ups, apple slices, strawberries, and some Veggie Chips.

Lunch for The Boy, Lunch for The Girl, and Lunch for Mommy: Mom's Day Off Blog Hop

I'm doing this a little differently today, because in honor of Mother's Day, I've taken the day off from lunch making.  The Girl made a lunch for me, and a lunch for herself, and The Boy made his own lunch.

Veggie straws: 15g, fruit leather: 12g

The Boy's snack is some Veggie Straws and a Stretch Island Fruit Leather.

Sandwich: 30g, fruit: 7g, bunnies: 19g

His lunch kind of cracks me up... he made himself a cream cheese and strawberry jam sandwich, and also included a tiny piece of ham "because I didn't want to overdo it," along with some mixed fruit and some Annie's Cheddar Bunnies.

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The Girl's snack is a "Mooshed berry" mix ... yeah, she chose this...

Her lunch is some Annie's Cheddar Bunnies, Veggie Straws (I told her that this once, I would let her have both, but usually she would have to choose one or the other...), strawberries and raspberries, and some ham & cheddar roll-ups.

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The Girl made my lunch and was very excited about it... she wouldn't let me see what she was making until it was done.  She gave me a little fruit salad, a ham and swiss sandwich full of food picks, and some cocoa almonds, along with a Lunchbox Love note that she wrote on for me.

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Want to see what other Bento Bloggers & Friends have their kids make for them?  Some are doing kids or Dad making for mom, or Dad making for kids, or kids making for kids... basically, it's just Mom's Day Off!  Head on over to Veggie Bento to see what her family has to offer for Mom's Day Off, and then hop along the blog hop from there!  (All links should be live by tomorrow afternoon/evening..)

Hope that all the moms out there had a wonderful Mother's Day!!

Lunch: 5.11.12

The Girl's snack for Friday is a few mini maple muffins (not pictured).

Her lunch is a ham sandwich on pumpernickel, carrots, half a kiwi, and some mandarin oranges.

Lunch For the Boy: 5.11.12

The Boy's Friday snack is some mini maple muffins (not pictured, 24g).

Carrots: 4g, sandwich: 30g, mandarin oranges: 15g, strawberries: 6g

His lunch is a ham & salami sandwich on pumpernickel, carrots, mandarin oranges, and strawberries.

Lunch: 5.10.12

The Girl's snack is some mini maple muffins (not pictured).

Her lunch is strawberries, mandarin oranges, carrots, and ham & cheese on pumpernickel.

Lunch for The Boy: 5.10.12

The Boy has a few maple mini muffins for snack (no picture, 28g).

Strawberries: 6g, mandarin oranges: 15g, sandwich: 35g, carrots: 4g

His lunch is mandarin oranges, strawberries, some carrots, and a ham & cheese sandwich on pumpernickel.

Lunch: 5.9.12

The Girl's snack is some mini maple muffins (which I made for Teacher Appreciation).

Her lunch is some leftover creamy crockpot shrimp risotto, strawberries, a small banana, and a ham & cheese on pumpernickel bread (store bought).

Lunch for The Boy: 5.9.12

Maple Muffins: 28g

The Boy's lunch is some maple mini muffins (I made them for Teacher Appreciation from an Allrecipes recipe).

Risotto: 18g, strawberries: 6g, banana: 28g, cheese & meat: 2g

His lunch is some Creamy Crockpot Risotto, strawberries, a small banana, ham & salami, and some Colby Jack cheese.

Recipe: Creamy Crockpot Shrimp Risotto

I found the idea for this recipe on Crockpot 365, and I changed it up a little and it is totally amazing!  I will be making it again, with different variations... the kids adored it!  It tasted kind of like mac and cheese, and the shrimp was subtle.  If you were the type that likes shrimp a lot, you could stir in some shrimp at the end, too.  That would be delicious.

Creamy Crockpot Shrimp Risotto

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 c arborio rice
1 can cream of shrimp soup (I found Campell's)
water up to 4 c
1/2 c shredded parmesan cheese
1/2 c frozen peas, thawed

Place the oil in the bottom of the crockpot (I used a 3 1/2 quart).  Pour in the arborio rice, and stir to coat with the oil.  Combine the soup with the water and stir into the rice.  Cook on high for about 2 1/2 hours, or until the rice is tender.  Stir in the cheese and the peas and serve!