Lunches: 10.30.15

Happy Friday before Halloween!!!  We're having a Halloween party tomorrow, so party food is to come!  For now, lunches!

Wrap: 18g, trek mix: 27g, apple slices: 10g, crackers: 12g

The Boy has a wrap with refried beans, cheese, spinach, and ham.  He also has trek mix, crackers, and apple slices.  His snack is a cereal bar (not pictured, 28g).

The Girl also has a wrap with refried beans, spinach, cheese, and ham, along with a kiwi, apple slices, and crackers.

Lunches: 10.29.15

Noodles: 30g, freeze-dried mango: 8g, apple slices: 8g

For this Thursday lunch, The Boy has leftover Lo Mein noodles, with freeze-dried mango, and apple slices.  His snack is a trail mix (not pictured, 27g)

The Girl has a couple of wraps with refried beans, cheese, and spinach, along with freeze-dried mango and apple slices.

Lunches: 10.28.15

Happy Wednesday!

Wrap: 15g, freeze-dried strawberries: 3g, crackers: 20g, apple slices: 15g

The Boy has a wrap with ham, spinach, and cheese, along with freeze-dried strawberries, crackers, trail mix, and apple slices.  His snack is a cereal bar (not pictured, 27g).

The Girl has a wrap with ham, spinach, and cheese, with freeze-dried strawberries, crackers, mandarin oranges, and trail mix.

Lunches: 10.27.15

Time for Tuesday lunches!

Wrap: 15g , pretzels: 15g, freeze-dried bananas: 5g, apple slices: 6g

The Boy has a wrap with ham, spinach, and cucumber slices, along with pretzel nuggets, apple slices, and freeze-dried bananas.  His snack is a cereal bar (not pictured, 27g).  I also finally picked up some new Lunchbox Love notes.  The kids will be so happy.

The Girl has tuna salad with spinach, pretzel nuggets, almonds. and a couple clementines.

Lunches: 10.26.15

Happy Friday, and Happy Halloween week!!

Sandwich: 30g, freeze-dried mango: 10g, cucumber: 1g

The Boy has a sandwich with cheese and turkey, along with freeze-dried mango and some cucumber slices dusted with Penzey's Sandwich Sprinkle.  His snack is a cereal bar (not pictured, 27g)

The Girl has a tunafish salad sandwich, clementines, and freeze-dried mango

Lunches: 10.23.15

Happy Friday!

Sandwich: 40g, apple slices: 12g, cucumber: 1g

The Boy has a sandwich with green tomato mincemeat and ham, along with apple slices, and cucumber slices.  His snack is a cereal bar (not pictured, 28g).

The Girl has a sandwich with green tomato mincemeat and ham, along with clementines and blackberries.

Lunches: 10.22.15

Sandwich: 30g, apple slices: 12g, banana: 10g

Lunch for The Boy is a sandwich with green tomato mincemeat, turkey, and cheese, along with apple slices and freeze dried bananas.  His snack is a cereal bar (not pictured, 27g).

The Girl has a sandwich with green tomato mincemeat, turkey, and cheese, with blackberries and a couple clementines.

Lunches: 10.21.15

Happy Wednesday!

Sandwich: 30g, pumpkin seeds: 8g, apple: 10g, banana slices: 15g, pretzel bites: 12g

The Boy has a sandwich with green tomato mincemeat, cheese, and turkey, along with a little jar of Pumpkin spiced pumpkin seeds (I saved the little jam jars from our hotel in Philadelphia!), a tiny apple, freeze-dried banana slices, and some pretzel bites.  His snack is a cereal bar (not pictured, 27g).

The Girl also has a sandwich with green tomato mincemeat, cheese, and turkey, pumpkin spiced pumpkin seeds, a couple of clementines, blackberries, and pretzel bites.

Lunches: 10.19.15

Happy Monday!  We were in Boston for the weekend, so I don't have a lot of groceries in the house.  Therefore, I have leftover pizza in lunches today.

Pizza: 28g, pumpkin spiced pumpkin seeds: 16g, apple slices: 15g, raisins: 15g

The Boy has leftover pizza on skewers, along with some Pumpkin Spiced Pumpkin seeds, raisins, and apple slices.  His snack is a granola bar (not pictured, 27g)

The Girl has leftover pizza on skewers, pumpkin spiced pumpkin seeds, raisins, and clementines.

Lunches: 10.16.15

Happy Friday!!

Crackers: 20g, cheese and turkey: 1g, apple slices: 10g, strawberries and bananas: 8g

The Boy has some crackers with turkey and cheese, apple slices, and some freeze-dried bananas and strawberries.  His snack is a granola bar (not pictured, 27g).

The Girl has some crackers with turkey and cheese, clementines, and some freeze-dried bananas and strawberries.

Lunches: 10.15.15

Lunches for this Thursday are pretty simple!

Sandwich: 50g. apple slices: 12g, freeze dried bananas and strawberries: 10g

The Boy has a sandwich with green tomato mincemeat, cheddar, and turkey, along with apple slices, and freeze-dried strawberries and bananas.  His snack is a granola bar (not pictured, 23g)

The Girl also has a sandwich with green tomato mincemeat, cheddar, and turkey, with a clementine, and freeze-dried strawberries and bananas.

Lunches: 10.13.15

Back to school after a long weekend!

Sandwich: 30g, broccoli: 1g, applesauce: 10g, tiny apple: 8g, freeze dried banana: 6g

The Boy has some homemade applesauce, a sandwich on homemade bread with green tomato mincemeat and turkey, some crispy crunchy broccoli (from Trader Joe's), freeze dried banana, and a tiny apple from one of our trees.  His snack is a cereal bar (not pictured, 27g).

The Girl has homemade applesauce, a sandwich on homemade bread with green tomato mincemeat and turkey, crispy crunchy broccoli, freeze dried bananas, and a tiny apple.

Recipe: Green Tomato Mincemeat

This weekend, the kids and I went to my mom's house with a trunk full of apples from our trees.  fresh apple cider.  We made some fresh applesauce from the peels and cores of the apples.  And ... we made Green Tomato Mincemeat.

When the cold rains of October spell the end of tender garden plants, it’s time to harvest that bounty of tomatoes that never got the opportunity to ripen. There are probably as many different ways of handling green tomatoes as there are gardeners in Vermont.

We always have a green tomato mincemeat pie at Thanksgiving, but personally, I prefer it as a condiment for meat, or even as a spread for sandwiches!

This recipe is my mother's, modified from a 1943 edition of Joy of Cooking.  It was developed, no doubt, during meat rationing in World War II, and harkens back to traditional British mincemeat, made with real meat and suet.  This is much more tempting, if you ask me!

I wish you could smell this!  Make it yourself, so that you can!

My Mom's Green Tomato Mincemeat
(Modified from Joy of Cooking, 1943 edition)

1/2 peck green tomatoes (about 6 pounds.)
1/2 peck tart apples (about 6 1/2 pounds.)
2 1/2 lb brown sugar
1 lb raisins
1 1/2 Tbsp salt
1 Tbsp ground cloves
2 Tbsp cinnamon
1 1/2 Tbsp nutmeg
1 c apple cider vinegar
1/4 c butter

Chop green tomatoes and scald them with two rinsings of boiling water. Pare and chop the apples and place in very large pot and add other ingredients, except for butter. Very gently bring to a boil and simmer for about 45 minutes or until thoroughly cooked.

Spoon into jars, adding about a Tablespoon of butter per pint (the butter makes them perfect!), cover with sterilized lids, and process in a boiling water bath.

Makes about 6 quarts.

The best apples for this are probably Northern Spy - tart and flavorful. And naturally you shouldn’t throw out the peels. Add a few extra apples, if you want, and make applesauce.

Lunches: 10.8.15

Lunch for this Thursday is pretty simple.

Crackers: 20g, turkey: 1g, muhammara: 2g, strawberries: 6g, yogurt star cookies: 12g

The Boy has crackers, turkey, some Muhammara spread, strawberries, and yogurt star cookies.  His snack is a cereal bar (not pictured, 27g).

The Girl has crackers, turkey, some Muhammara, strawberries, a plum, and some yogurt star cookies.

Lunches: 10.7.15

Happy Wednesday!!

Sandwich: 30g, strawberries: 6g, apple slices: 6g.

The Boy has a turkey and cheese sandwich with hummus, and some strawberries and apple slices.  His snack is a cereal bar (not pictured, 27g.)

The Girl has leftover chicken & broccoli alfredo, along with a plum and some apple slices.

Lunches: 10.6.15

Crackers: 20g, cheese & turkey: 1g, apple slices: 10g, trail mix: 14g

For this Tuesday, The Boy has crackers, cheese, turkey, trail mix, and apples from one of our trees.  His snack is a cereal bar (not pictured, 28g).

The Girl also has crackers, cheese, turkey, trail mix, and apples from one of our trees.

Lunches: 10.5.15

Happy Monday!

We had Chinese take-out for dinner last night, and the kids love the leftovers.

Noodles: 20g, teriyaki: 1g, apple slices: 10g, yogurt star cookies: 12g

The Boy has Lomein noodles with a beef teriyaki, along with apple slices, and some yogurt star cookies.  His snack is granola (not pictured, 17g)

The Girl has lomein noodles, along with beef teriyaki, apple slices, and some yogurt star cookies.

Have a great Monday, everyone!

Lunches: 10.2.15

Happy Friday!!

Sandwich: 30g, trail mix: 26g, seaweed snacks: 1g, strawberries:4g

The Boy has a sandwich with hummus, cheese, and turkey, some trail mix, seaweed snacks, and some strawberries.  His snack is a cereal bar (not pictured, 28g).

The Girl has a sandwich with hummus, cheese, and turkey, a beef & pork snack stick, strawberries, and some dried bananas.

Lunches: 10.01.15

Welcome to October!!!

Sandwich: 30g, seaweed snacks: 1g, strawberries; 5g, yogurt star cookies: 12g

The Boy has a sandwich with hummus, ham, and cheese, along with some seaweed snacks, strawberries, and yogurt star cookies.  His snack is a cereal bar (not pictured, 28g).

The Girl has a sandwich with hummus, turkey, and cheese, with half a kiwi, and some yogurt star cookies.