It's a Zoo in There!

It's been a while since I've posted any playful lunches for the boys.  I think I'm overdue.  Pierce loves when I send notes to school in his lunchbox, so I started off his bento with a little note.

This may seem like a large lunch, but it's actually lunch and a snack for him, as they have snack time each day.  I liked the theme of the zoo, since we just visited the Greenville Zoo over Spring Break. So in the bento I packed an open faced cheese sandwich bear in a pretzel rod cage with a yellow tomato ball for playing.  There is also a lion tortilla sandwich filled with refried beans and accented with a carrot mane.  The lion is standing in the tall grass of roasted seaweed and carrots.    On the side, there is a surprised monkey egg and a bento elephant filled with dark chocolate raisins for dessert.  You may notice another nosy animal in the bottom right corner checking out the lunch.  I didn't pack him, but I do think the lunch met with his approval. 

Also included was a banana and a Kidz Zone bar.  You know ZonePerfect bars?  Well they've started making kid bars now!  Pierce was so eager to try the yellow cupcake flavor.  He reported it was delicious!  Even better - the bars feature 23 vitamins and minerals, 5 grams of protein, and 3 grams of fiber.  Perfect for my active little boy.  They also offer flavors in caramel crunch and peanut butter chocolate chip.

 I didn't tell Pierce what was in his lunch ahead of time, so that he could be surprised.  He can't wait for me to pack him another in the near future.  Nutrition can be so fun!

Disclaimer:  I received some products from Zone Perfect, along with an invitation to blog about them to be entered to win Kidz ZonePerfect bars and goodies for Pierce's classroom at school (wish us luck!).  The opinions above are my own. 

A Monster in the Lunchbox on Muffin Tin Monday

Oh dear.  It's been a monstrous event here.  I sent Pierce to school with a monster in his lunch box.  I told him to be very careful in opening it, and to eat it quickly, before it had time to bite him.

As if the monster weren't insult enough (just look at that disgruntled face) you may also notice that there is an eight eyed, eight legged spider with huge fangs (made from an orange - which you can't really tell in the picture).  I tried to make up for all these evil lunchbox invaders by a heart shaped homemade cheese danish (those are pecans on top) and some docile barbecued corn nuts.

Anything scary in your lunch lately?

For more cute kids' lunch ideas, check out Muffin Tin Mom. 

Another Valentines Muffin Tin Monday

I know Valentines is over.  I may be spacey at times but I do realize this.  However, I made a super cute bento lunch for Pierce on Valentines and I wanted to share it. 

Pierce had some pink punch, a strawberry, celery filled w/ peanut butter, a cinnamon heart, homemade bread cut into I and U with a heart Babybel cheese sandwiched between.  Rolled up bologna and all on a bed of roasted seaweed.

Sadly, this was at the height of Pierce's reflux flare up, so all he ate that day was the strawberry and a bite of bologna.  He didn't even eat the cinnamon heart!  Thankfully, he's now feeling much better and I even tricked him into eating spinach last week that I snuck into a casserole, just like a good mother should.

For more fun kids' lunch ideas, check out Muffin Tin Mom.

There's a Caterpillar in my Lunchbox - Muffin Tin Monday

Spring hasn't exactly hit yet, but I thought I'd get in the theme of things anyhow with a fun spring-themed lunch for Pierce. 

He had a spider muffin cup filled with Ritz pretzel crackers, some bologna rolled up with a bunny pick, a chocolate covered strawberry, carrots, a little caterpillar (made from Power Bar oatmeal raisin energy bites) on a bed of roasted seaweed. 

I realize this seems like a light lunch, and it is.  Pierce has been having a slight flare-up of reflux and it's making his tummy feel bad.  He's not eating much as a result.  I've been trying different things in his lunches to try to get his appetite going.  I mean, how can you resist a chocolate covered strawberry?!?

For those of you who guessed Dr. Seuss on Friday's post, you were correct!  And for the two of you who guessed I Wish that I Had Duck Feet - great job, you got it!!

For more fun lunch ideas, check out Muffin Tin Mom.

Toy Story 3 Bento Muffin Tin Monday

Toy Story 3 has been Pierce's favorite movie for ages now.  There are so many great character choices to use for a cute lunch.

I did star muffin cups (since Woody wears a star as sheriff) filled with grapes (wait, is that an alien in there?!?) and carrots.  The dog, Buster, filled with Ham (the pig) sprinkles (I found Toy Story 3 sprinkles at AC Moore a while back).  Then the sandwich Woody is a cheese sandwich I cut and shaped with food scissors.  The cowboy hat is the sandwich crusts, the smile and eyebrows are pepperoni, the eyes are sliced string cheese.  Pierce also had a side of strawberry yogurt.

Let me tell you - he was so excited for this lunch.  I showed it to him ahead of time at his request, and he couldn't wait to take it to school to show his teachers.  Maybe next time I'll try to do Buzz and Big Baby ;-)

For more fun lunch ideas, check out Muffin Tin Mom.

Happy Holidays Muffin Tin Monday Bento Lunch

December is a fun month, because I get to break out my Christmas muffin tin supplies, which don't get much use the rest of the year.  Pierce had a hard time going back to school after the 5 day Thanksgiving holiday break, so I decided to make his day easier by doing a special bento lunch.  And since it included one of our star muffin cups, I decided it could double as a Muffin Tin Monday post.

He had a star full of kiwi slices, a snowman skewer of olives, a couple of yuletide logs (one being a celery stick filled w/ peanut butter and green/red m+ms, one being a Slim Jim), a cheese Christmas tree sandwich (I used a straw to poke holes in pepperoni to make the balls for the tree, and the star is also cheese), and packages under the tree - Cheeze-its with ribbons drawn on them using my Food Writers, Rice Cracker treats, and a couple of Teddy Grahams.

For more fun lunch for kids ideas, go visit Muffin Tin Mom.

My giveaway for Eco Natural Soaps is running through noon today.  You can enter here! 

My Obvious Inadequacies as a Mother

Last night I was busy packing lunch for Pierce.  Even though every day he begs and pleads to buy lunch at school.  Despite the fact that I put forth a great deal of effort to pack him cute and interesting lunches each day.

Exhibit A:  Cute bear bento lunch box.
Inside is a cheese and roast beef sandwich on goldfish shaped bread with mustard.  A Halloween pick with olives (one of Pierce's favorite things).  Slices of kiwi, a muffin cup liner of Inca roasted corn, and a small dog bento cup with 2 Junior Mints.  I mean, this is a decent kid's lunch, is it not?  I try!

So I'm busy putting together Pierce's lunch and he comes over and says, "Mom!  Can you make some pumpkin fudge?"

"Pumpkin fudge?  Where have you had pumpkin fudge?"

"At school.  Sean's mom sent pumpkin fudge for our snack.  Can you send pumpkin fudge for our snack?"

Me, trying to buy time, because not only do I not know how to make pumpkin fudge, but I also deplore anything that involves the use of a candy thermometer, "Well, our snack turn isn't until November."

"Yeah, but when it's our snack turn can you send pumpkin fudge?"

"I was kind of thinking about sending yogurt.  And...uh... homemade granola bars."

"How about just pumpkin fudge?"

"What if it's Dora yogurt?"

"Dora yogurt might be okay.  With pumpkin fudge"

I am in so much trouble.  Also, please let there be no mothers that make homemade baklava or chocolate souffles for class snacks between now and November 14th.

New Bento Find and Lunch for Preschool

I still pack bento-style lunches for Pierce each week when he goes to preschool, I just haven't had a chance to blog about them.  So I figured I'd take the day off from Muffin Tin Monday to share a bento lunch instead.

I recently found some cute lunch boxes on sale at J.C. Penney's for $3.99.  In addition to the shark box, they also had a pink mermaid.  The box is deep which is nice for larger items, and it has a tray that lifts off the top that is just the right size for a sandwich.

Pierce had a green egg (with I Am Sam drawn on by my food writers), two cheese skewers, a veggie calzone (stuffed with sneaky spinach, broccoli, mushrooms, garlic, tomato sauce and cheddar cheese - I'll post the recipe at some point because they are easy to make), 2 condiment containers - one with raisins and one with cranberries, and a kiwi. 

These lunches continue to be a hit, and Pierce often says that lunch was his favorite part of the day!

3 Little Bears Bento

Here's a recent bento I sent for Pierce's lunch at preschool.

A wild rice froggy, peas, cheese cubes and green grapes.

3 wild berry pancake bears dancing on watermelon.

Pierce often says his favorite thing about school (second only to the 'motorcycle room') is his lunch.  Makes me feel like maybe I'm doing a good job ;-)

Yes, We're Still Doing Bento!

I've been making bentos for Pierce twice a week now, for well over a month, but tend to forget to post pictures and/or blog about them.

The above bento is one of the ones we ordered special from Japan.  As Two Bears Farm, we had to have a bear bento.

Inside, I stuffed it with a smiley heart of rice with a panda full of soy for flavoring, 2 kiwi bears, baby corn and sugar snap peas.

The bottom tier had a bear egg, Annie's gummy bunnies, and skewers of olives and cheese.

This is another cute one we did in our pig bento box.  The top tier had grapes and raisins (forgot to take a pic) and the bottom tier had baby birds in a stir fry nest.  I got this idea from JDaniel4sMom, who had a link to http://www.parenting.com/ (which then had a whole list of fun bento ideas). 

Whenever I draw faces on food, it's with my food writers.  They make making food fun so much easier :-)

First Ever Attempt at Bento!

Pierce started preschool this week.  One of the things I was excited about was packing his lunches.  Pierce's lunches have to be kosher, so he can have dairy products but no meats.  I wanted to make them extra fun, so I've been ordering tons of bento supplies from Japan through Ebay.  I'm still waiting on a few things to arrive.

Then, something really cool happened; I got lucky.  Because I won this awesome bento goodie giveaway over at A Pocket Full of Buttons.  Go check her out HERE.

Can't wait to put these things to good use.

So for Pierce's first bento lunch, I picked the piggy bento box that we ordered from Japan.  It's a double tiered bento.

In the top tier, he had a ghosty egg on a bed of lettuce, and grapes with a cheese heart.

The bottom tier had fluffernutter roll ups with an elephant pick, yellow cherry tomatoes with another cheese heart, cucumbers, and a dog full of ranch dressing for dipping his veggies.

On the side Pierce had some go-gurt (which grosses me out but he loves it) and a Roarin' Waters Capri Sun.

The teachers told me first thing when I walked in to pick him up that they were very impressed with his lunch.  Meanwhile, Pierce himself was ignoring his lunch but trying to steal the Ritz crackers off the kid beside him.  Oh well, I tried, right?  ;-)

It's a Bunny! It's a bear! It's an....egg?

Pierce will be starting preschool in 2 weeks.  He's just going to go for two half days a week.  He's very excited and asks every day if he can go to preschool.

In preparation, I ordered some bento supplies to make his lunches.

We have no bento supplies retailers where I live.

So I've been ordering supplies off Ebay.

They are coming from Japan, so needless to say it may take a couple of weeks to receive them all.

We did receive this egg shaper though.

After all, when you have as many eggs as we have from our chickens, you want some fun eggy options (and hey, if you have a great recipe that uses tons of eggs, please share!)

So we can now make bunny and bear shaped eggs.

The directions were in Japanese, so I had to go online to figure out how to use this.

You put the peeled, boiled egg in the shaper.

This egg was too small, so I actually added a little paper towel to make it fit right.

Then close and latch the box.  Place in warm water for a few minutes.

End result:

A bunny egg!

You can also dye them so they are different colors, but we try to avoid a lot of dyes in our house.  In particular, I have noticed negative effects from red and orange dyes.  They are kind of like an elixir of meanness for the 3 year old.

Anyhoo.

Pierce loved the bunny egg.

I'm always surprised by how much he adores boiled eggs as snacks.  He frequently requests them.  Gotta love that!