(clockwise from upperleft) navel orange segments, pink lady apple slices that I forgot to prevent from browning, orange and black M&Ms*, spiderman napkin, baby carrots**, more cucumber chain link rings since they were such a hit last week (and this time I used an Oxo serrated peeler, which I highly recommend because it peeled the cucumber like a hot knife through cold butter), ham that I stacked then used a cookie cutter to shape into the number 4 (since Nugget is 4 years old). A grilled cheese bunny made from Trader Joe's 100% whole wheat bread and Trader Joe's Lite Cheddar. I used a bunny cookie cutter, then did the face with Wilton's decorating icing. The scraps of cucumber, ham and cheese I saved to use in a salad later. Drink: water.Well, today is the last day of Nugget's afterschool program. I forgot it was his last day for a packed lunch, or I would have packed with a bang! I'm not sure what that means, since sparklers that ignite upon opening the box would be imprudent on so many levels. I guess I would have put more thought into the planning of it to make it extra special. Like a fun theme, or something more elaborate. Or an origami that unfolded and opened upon lifting the lid. (Just kidding.)
I'm not complaining about the outcome of this lunch; it's still cute. Yet this lunch (as is the case with 80% of my lunches) is purely a product of what was in the fridge and cupboard that was usable at the time. In fact, a more accurate statement would go so far as to say that all the food used in this lunch required use because it was quickly losing it's shelf life span! I guess that is how life (and lunch) is as a parent, much of our decisions dictated by necessity.
Summertime break: My posts will taper off for the summer, being mostly a quiet site with only the occassional punctuation of creative impulse or picnic impetus. I prefer the Blogging Without Obligation philosophy. So check-in at your leisure, or simply stay subscribed to the feed, and any new posts will find their merry way to you. Cheers to all and Happy Summer!
13 comments:
I just discoverd your blog this week, and have been enjoying it, reading it from the begining. I'm sorry the school year is over...
In any case, next year I will start packing lunch for my 2 boys and found a lot of inspiration and ideas from you. Thank you very much! I will be checking in in the future. Keep up the good work!
Wow!! LOVE your blog, these are fabulous ideas!!
Do you and your youngest eat the same things as nugget? While I love the ideas of these lunches, they sound uber expensive!
Thanks, Chana. Fall will be here before we know it - time always seems to speed up as we get older, I've noticed. Even a weekend was forever when I was little, and a summer was an eternity. I hope my children enjoy the long summers as much as I did when I was little! Thanks for checking in, and let me know how your lunch packing goes. I hope you have a lot of fun with it, and the boys do as well!
CandiceM - thank you - I checked out your food blog, too, and now I'm wanting to make bread! And I wish Nugget could have Nutella. Sometimes it makes me sad to think about some of the wonderful tastes he'll never get to experience, like my mom's most amazing baklava (which I promise I will post here eventually, since I must ensure the recipe lives on and is enjoyed by others).
About your question, yes Rooni and I often eat similar things, though she does not have quite the diverse palate that her brother has. I just keep presenting her with food, and eventually she tries it. Sometimes it feels like she will never like something and then suddenly it just clicks. Like bell peppers. Now she loves them.
Something about the blog that can be deceiving is that up to this point, Nugget only had school three days a week, and did not have the afterschool program each time. But I don't usually blog about the non-packed lunch days, so it looks like each day is new and exciting. In reality, lots of things carry over into the next day and many items that are used in lunches will appear in one form or another with dinner.
Regarding looking expensive, most of the food usually comes from Trader Joe's. Trader Joe's has really amazing food at great prices. They contract directly with the manufacturer, so the food items are sold under their name and there is no middle man like in most grocery stores. (And I'll remind folks that I do not work for TJ's nor am I affiliated with them in any way or compensated by them for any of my endorsements. I'm just a big fan!)
But Trader Joe's not withstanding, I cannot claim to always be a frugal food mom. I think I acquired the mindset over a decade ago that I would scrimp and save in other areas of life, but I wouldn't cut corners on food unless it became a necessity. And I am always immensely grateful for the blessings that allow me to continue to do that.
Thank you for your comments! :-)
I can not even begin to imagine the time you must have on your hands to be able to do all of these fun activities for your children's food. That must be nice.
Welcome, "t". Thank you for visiting. Your comment reminded me of a quote:
"If you can imagine it, you can achieve it..." - William Arthur Ward.
Leo over at ZenHabits.net has a wonderful and very useful blog. He has six children, in addition to being a writer and an athlete. He has managed to simplify his life in a way that is conducive to doing what really matters most to himself and his family. At one point, he inspired me to make a list of the top 10 things that matter the most to me.
When I made my own list, it occurred to me that in order for the list to be a living reality, “living reality” meaning in a way that made my list a real priority and not just a wish list (or God help us mothers, a worthless guilt-list), I needed to simplify our lives and home. The familiar buzzwords applied: declutter, deschedule, learn to say no. It has been an evolving process. Needless to say, cooking and feeding my family well has been one of those priorities. It could be interpreted –incorrectly– that I have such an overabundance of time that I couldn’t possibly think of anything else to do and was forced to then settle on making lunch [smile]. The reality is that my children and I enjoy preparing meals, finding it nourishing on many levels, so we create the time to do that.
I am so excited to have found your blog. My 6yr old son was recently diagnosed w. several food allergies. I have ordered bento boxes and now you have inspired me! He will be so happy. Too bad school is almost out. I love the skewer idea w. the sausage and cheese, using cookie cutters to make interesting and fun shapes etc. Thank you thank you thank you.
WOW - great blog! Just found you and look forward to being a reader. :) I am just outside Balt. (in Ellicott City)....have been grumbling about what to send in school lunches EVERY day. It gets so repetitive! Look forward to your suggestions, etc and have a GREAT summer!
~Janice
Hello again! I just got my lunch kits earlier this week. Can you tell me how you keep things from getting jumbled around when there is only one lid? Is there a packing strategy? Thanks a lot.
Hi Janice, you're practically a neighbor! Thanks, and you have a great summer as well!
Hi recycletruck, you will get the swing of it in no time. I never really made an effort to point it out, but you're right, it is worth mentioning that there is a technique of sorts to packing them. Nothing outrageous, though.
If you take a closer look at the lunches I have posted so far, you'll see that the food was filled to the top of the rim of the little containers. This way, the big blue lid of the outer container acts as giant lid for the three little containers that do not have their own lid. When an item is not filled to the brim of the little container, it is because the item is sturdy enough to not break apart if it gets tossed about. For example, in one of the photos, the bell peppers are only filled to 3/4 of the container. But other things, such as the mini-toast sandwiches which are more fragile, are packed right up to the top of the container. And on the occassion that there is something that even when packed to the top could potentially spill over into other items (like the grated cheese on April 25), I cover the individual little container with Glad Press-n-Seal. I wouldn't attempt the Glad Press-n-Seal as a lid for liquids, though. Almost all the lunches are liquid-free, and if there is a bit of liquid (salad dressing, for example) it goes in the one lidded container. I think Nugget is still too young right now to deal with a thermos, but I might try it this fall with soups or chili at some point.
More on filling the smaller containers to the brim: on May 16, for example, the corn reaches the top of the container, and the cucumber links reach the top of the container as well - and then act as a barrier to prevent the other items around it from getting jostled.
On May 2nd, I placed one folded section of a paper towel underneath the celery sticks, so the tops of the celery sticks were then essentially at the top of the container, and wouldn't get tumbled around and lose their toppings. If you are trying to go entirely waste-free, you could have a designated cloth napkin or two just for that purpose.
Another idea for waste-free space keepers is the pinch bowls. On May 5, I used pinch bowls to take up the extra space that would otherwise be left around the mozzarella rounds and the sesame sticks. The pinch bowls are a great way to take up space, add color, and look cute nestled in there.
Part of it depends on your little one's appetite as well. If you have something that is heavy and calorie dense (cheese, sausage, etc.), you would pack a smaller amount and probably need to use a space filler. That is where something like the mini-skewers come in - they take up space and prevent jostling while adding visual variety and the fun factor. If it is light and airy (meringues), or something like fruit, you could fill up the container and still not fill up your little one's belly.
Hope this helps - I can add more later if you are interested or have other questions, but this should be enough of a starting point and I'm sure your packing curve (learning curve) will be swift and enjoyable. And I probably made it sound much more complicated than it is in reality. :-)
Oh I LOVE your cucumber chain!!!
Sheri
Thank you, Sheri - the cucumber chain was one of the many ideas Laptop Lunches includes in their User's Guide!
Where do you order the bento boxes from? I just found your website and love the ideas!!
Thanks pinkbeaches3 - I purchased the american style bento boxes from Laptop Lunches. (see sidebar for link!)
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