New Year's Eve Wrap Up: Top 14 of 2014

Another year is coming to a close, and I thought that I would follow in the footsteps of some of my Bento Bloggers & Friends, like Eclectic Lamb and Eats Amazing, and wrap it up with a Best Of post.

In January, I made a Pistachio Baklava with Orange Blossom Syrup for my mother's birthday.  It was so delicious!  I actually hope that she asks for it again this year... though we are rarely repetitive in my family.

In February, I made these fantastic little S'mores Bites.  I seriously need to make them again - they were great in lunches, too!

In March, I found inspiration for lunch from Wendy Copley's book, Everyday Bento. 

I also threw one heck of a Harry Potter Birthday party for The Girl, who turned 11, including Chocolate Frogs.

April brought Easter celebration lunches, packed in plastic eggs.  That was fun, and I'll probably do it again this year in some way.

The Boy's birthday is in May, and he requested a Calvin & Hobbes Birthday party.  I made him a really cool Calvin & Hobbes Birthday cake, using frozen buttercream transfer to decorate it.

In June, we had a couple great hikes to pack lunches for, including this one to Spruce Mountain.

It was a summer of many adventures, and one in July was a trip to Montreal to see the Caves of Lascaux exhibit.

I also made this really cool honeybee wedding cake in July, complete with royal icing bees with gelatin wings.

In August, we had a grand adventure when my mother and I took the kids to NYC, and there was much food involved.

Talk Like a Pirate Day is in September, and I was pretty proud of my offering for the Bento Bloggers & Friends Blog hop to commemorate the day.

October is, of course, Halloween, and I participated in a Spooky Blog Hop.

In November, we re-visited Happy Potter with an Edible Geekery Blog hop.. and I drew Maggie Smith on a tortilla. 

Finally, in December, we had some snow, and I was particularly proud of the mozzarella ball snowmen in this lunch.

Bringing 2014 to a close, I hope that 2015 brings nothing by fantastic things, in lunches, adventures, food, and beyond.

Lunches: 12.23.14

Last day of school before Christmas and the New Year!

Bagel: 60g, fruit bar: 14g, egg: 0g, apple slices: 6g

The Boy has a cinnamon raisin bagel with cream cheese, a fruit bar, apple slices, and a hard boiled egg.  His snack is a granola bar (22g).

The Girl has a cinnamon raisin bagel with cream cheese, a fruit bar, orange slices, and a hard boiled egg.

Tonight and tomorrow morning, I bake.. and wrap presents ... and clean a bit, so that Santa doesn't trip when he comes down our chimney!

Happy Holidays from me, to you!

Lunches: 12.22.14

The kids still have school today and tomorrow, so I'm still packing lunches.

Bagel: 30g, star cookies: 6g, egg: 0g, apple slices: 8g, Mozzarella snowman: 1g

The Boy has half a cinnamon raisin bagel with strawberry cream cheese, a hard boiled egg, dark chocolate star cookies, apple slices, and a mini Mozzarella ball snowman.  His snack is a fruit bar (not pictured, 19g).

The Girl has half a cinnamon raisin bagel with strawberry cream cheese, a hard boiled egg, dark chocolate star cookies, orange slices, and a mini Mozzarella ball snowman.

Lunches: 12.18.14

Did you see my offering for the Bento Blogger & Friends Holiday Hop?

Today, I've gone with a grilled cheese sandwich, using MOMables method to keep the sandwich crispy.

Grilled cheese sandwich: 30g, pretzels & star cookies: 19g, applesauce: 15g, apple slices: 4g

The Boy has a grilled cheese sandwich on seeded sourdough bread, Holiday pretzels and a couple of dark chocolate mint star cookies, applesauce, and apple slices.  His snack is a cereal bar (not pictured, 28g).

The Girl has a grilled cheese sandwich on sourdough bread, Holiday pretzels and a couple of dark chocolate mint stars, applesauce, and some orange slices.

Lunches: 12.16.14 - Ho Ho Holiday Hop!

It's just a week until Christmas Eve, and the Bento Bloggers & Friends decided it was time for a festive Ho Ho Hop!

The Girl's lunch

Joyful ornament sandwiches

The Boy's Lunch: Sandwiches: 20g, pretzels: 14g, Bean crisps: 2g, raisins: 31g, applesauce: 15g

I used my Christmas ornament cookie cutters to cut the sandwiches, which are chicken and Havarti cheese.  Along side the sandwiches, I packed some Christmas-y yogurt covered pretzels, bean crisps, and a present of applesauce in a mini dipper (I told the kids to unwrap before eating).  The Boy has some jumbo raisins, and The Girl has some orange slices.  For snack, The Boy has a cereal bar (not pictured, 28g).

Want to see what else we have to show you in the form of festive lunches?  Check out how Kathy over at Eclectic Lamb is celebrating, and then hop on through to the other Bento Blogger & Friends by clicking on the buttons on each lunch.  Happy Holidays!

Lunches: 12.16.14

On this Tuesday, it's leftovers for the kids.

Raisins: 31g, black bean crisps: 3g, tamale: 14g, apple slices: 4g, carrots: 1g

The Boy has a vegetable and cheese tamale (store bought), apple slices, roasted Parisian carrots, mixed jumbo raisins, and black bean crisps.  His snack is a cereal bar (not pictured, 28g)

The Girl has a vegetable and cheese tamale, apple slices, roasted Parisian carrots, mixed jumbo raisins, and black bean crisps.

Lunches: 12.15.14

Happy Monday!  After our cookie decorating party, I decided to go simple for lunches.

Tacos: 20g, broccoli and ranch: 2g, grapes: 6g, apple slices: 4g

The Boy has some mini tacos, broccoli with ranch dressing, grapes, and apple slices.  His snack is a cereal bar (not pictured, 28g).

The Girl has mini tacos, broccoli with ranch dressing, grapes, and apple slices.

Cookie Decorating Party 2014

It's become part of our annual tradition to host a sugar cookie decorating party.  If you want to see previous cookie decorating parties, you can check them out here:

2010
2011
2012 - Pictures on my facebook page
2013

This year, I made three kinds of sugar cookies: Spiced Eggnog, Cinnamon Sugar, and Red Velvet.  My mother donated some traditional sugar cookies to the cause.

To decorate, I made Joy of Baking's Royal Icing with Egg whites, and then made flood icing according to Bake at 350's method for decorating.  For the outline icing, I filled pastry bags, and for the flood icing, I filled Wilton squeeze bottles.  The trick for the icing is to make some thicker for outlining (just add a bit more confectioner's sugar), and then make the flood icing thinner.

Then, it was just up to everyone's imaginations!