Last September Lunch

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So, it's the end of the month and we are getting to the ''cabinet creative'' time of month I like to call it. We all go through it I think. When you're at the bottom of the month's groceries and you're suddenly a culinary MacGyver. Tonight we had noodles, leftover frozen turkey meatballs, and cream of mushroom soup. It looked a lot like stroganoff but tasted nothing like it haha. Monday lunch is just as MacGyvered as dinner was, but a little food time creativity will be continuing on till we go grocery shopping again on the 6th. :-P

IN THIS LUNCH: 

• Sunflower Butter/Apple Butter Bagel Sandwich
• Organic Apple Slices
• Babybel Cheese
• Raisin/Almond 'trail' mix. 
• Organic Vanilla Milk (not pictured). 

She was still up when I made this one and she was pretty excited about it! There was a few apple slices leftover and some more raisin/almond mix so I decided since tomorrow I would be heading to class I'd salvage these leftovers from her lunch and make my own little snack for class (no one likes a grumpy hungry preggo!)

IN THIS MOMMY MUNCHABLE:

• Leftover Apple Slices from Monkey's Lunch
• Raisin/Almond 'trail' mix. 
• Medium Cheddar pieces
• Popcorn and;
• A tiny bag of mini gummy bears

I was actually looking forward to my snack tomorrow! I even washed my metal reusable water bottle, got it filled, and chilling in the fridge. I have been very bad about eating so far this pregnancy. I mostly snack and even that isn't very often...I blame my sensitive nose and the nausea but this snack looks appetizing even to me! I'm looking forward to eating it. 

This lunch will also be part of the Meatless Monday link-up party. Make sure to check out all the fantastic lunches. :) 

Happy Packing!

SPECIAL POST: Gluten-Free/Dairy Free Lunches.

Gluten Free & Dairy Free Lunches

Graphic by: Feeling a Little Lunchy

I consider myself pretty lucky to have a child that has no known allergies. I see many bloggers have children with very serious food allergies and have to be very aware what they are packing and hope that their allergies are taken seriously when they go to school and other places. I'll admit I was pretty ignorant overall to what these types of diets would look like and what planning lunches for food allergies would be like. When a friend of mine on Facebook commented, “You wanna make my lunches???” While I won't be making her lunch after a brief chat with her I learned something new about her, she has allergies to gluten and dairy! While I can't be certain if these lunches would be anything she'd love to pack, I wanted to learn a little more about these allergies and do an exercise of planning out lunches for Monkey as if she had these allergies.

First I decided to learn about Gluten. What IS Gluten? According to WebMD, “Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye. Gluten also shows up in many whole grain foods related to wheat, including bulgur, farro, kamut, spelt, and triticale (a hybrid of wheat and rye). Some celiac disease experts warn patients to steer clear of oats, as well.” Phew! That was a lot and at first seemed a bit daunting. I make a real effort to pack my daughter whole wheat breads and other whole wheat options as much as possible! So it took me a little poking around to figure out what I COULD pack. According to the Mayo Clinic Amaranth, Arrowroot, Buckwheat, Corn/Cornmeal, Flax, Gluten Free Flours (rice, soy, corn, potato, bean), Hominy (corn), Millet, Quinoa, Rice, Sorghum, Soy, Tapioca, and Teff are all A-Ok for consumption! This helps!

Then I had to consider the Dairy-Free option. This was also really hard for me. I pack a lot of cheeses, yogurt, milk based smoothies, Kefir, and even pudding on occasion! Since we already drink Almond Milk at home, packing a drink alternative for her individual organic milks wouldn't be any trouble at all . While my grocery store seems to not always have the individual almond milks in stock, I can easily pour some into her Funtainer or another container and pack it. So here is what a week of Gluten Free Dairy Free lunches would look like from Monkey Munchables!

Monday: GF Pumpkin Pancakes¹ w/ syrup, Orange Segments, and coconut milk yogurt w/ 100% Juice Pouch

Tuesday: Corn Tortilla Chips, Black Bean Salad², Leftover chicken or turkey, Mango w/ Almond Milk

Wednesday: Rice Pasta w/ Garlic & Oil sauce³ w/ wilted spinach and salad shrimp. Small Side Salad w/ dressing. 100% Juice Pouch

Thursday: Hummas w/ baby carrots, celery, broccoli. Hard Boiled Egg, Apple Slices, & Popcorn w/ Almond Milk

Friday: ''Treat Day'' Bacon/Lettuce/Turkey Meat Roll Ups, Peas/Carrots Applesauce w/ cinnamon Peach Raspberry Smoothie

1. Pumpkin Pancake Recipe available at: http://childhood101.com/2013/07/pumpkin-pikelets-recipe-gluten-dairy-free/ [Uses

2. Black Bean Salad: Corn, Black Beans, Cut Tomatoes, Avocado, Parsley, Lime Juice.

3. Garlic & Oil Sauce: http://www.rachaelraymag.com/recipes/rachael-ray-magazine-recipe-search/dinner-recipes/garlic-and-oil-sauce [Cook your favorite pasta, make the sauce, wilt some spinach down, can toss in rinsed salad shrimp (very small and fairly inexpensive). Mix altogether and put into a thermos to keep warm].

4. Peach Raspberry Smoothie: http://www.bluediamond.com/applications/recipes/?theView=recipeDetail&recipeid=99

OTHER GREAT IDEAS:

Paleo Taco Salad: http://www.ourpaleolife.com/2013/09/paleo-taco-salad/

MOMables Cinnamon Raisin Bread: http://www.momables.com/allergy-friendly-cinnamon-raisin-bread/

BBQ Chicken Pizza (sounds like great leftover idea to me): http://udisglutenfree.com/recipes/gluten-free-smoked-bbq-chicken-pizza/

Granola Bars: http://thecrohnsjourneyfoundation.org/recipes/chocolate-chip-chewy-bars-gluten-free-dairy-free/

Strawberry Banana Bite Cookies: http://www.asweetsimplelife.com/home/2012/1/12/strawberry-banana-bites.html

Use mushroom tops to make pizza! Can use soy cheese or even go cheeseless!

More Recipe Ideas:

I found that a lot of Paleo Recipes are very friendly for gluten free dairy free diets! Since the Paleo diet eliminates those foods anyway. Try google or pinterest ''Paleo Recipes'' and you'll be amazed how many delicious fantastic ideas you can find.

Paleo Blog: http://nomnompaleo.com/

ALLERGY FRIENDLY BLOGS:

Below there are some common food allergies so you can easily find and locate blogs that might write about your specific allergy.

Dye-Free:

Pink 'N Punchy Lunches - http://pinknpunchy.blogspot.com/

Veggie-Bento - http://www.veggie-bento.com/

Mamabelly's Lunches With Love -http://mamabelly-luncheswithlove.blogspot.com/

Biting the Hand That Feeds You - http://bitingmyhand.blogspot.com/search/label/dye-free

Organized Bites - http://OrganizedBites.com

Peanut-Free:

Keeley McGuire Blog - http://www.keeleymcguire.com

Creative Food - http://www.creativefunfood.com

Bentos on the Bayou - http://bentosonthebayou.blogspot.com/

Chaos and Confections - http://chaosandconfections.blogspot.com/

Tree Nut Free:

Keeley McGuire Blog - http://www.keeleymcguire.com

Bentos on the Bayou - http://bentosonthebayou.blogspot.com/

Chaos and Confections - http://chaosandconfections.blogspot.com/

Creative Food - http://www.creativefunfood.com

Gluten Free:

Keeley McGuire Blog - http://www.keeleymcguire.com

Momma Says http://mommasays.net/tag/gluten-free/

Biting the Hand That Feeds You - http://bitingmyhand.blogspot.com/search/label/gluten-free

Beneficial Bento - http://beneficial-bento.blogspot.com/

Bentos on the Bayou - http://www.bentosonthebayou.com/search/label/Gluten%20Free

Chaos and Confections - http://chaosandconfections.blogspot.com/search/label/gluten%20free

Dairy Free:

Wendolonia - http://wendolonia.com/bentoboxgallery/tag/160/dairy-free

Keeley McGuire Blog - http://keeleymcguire.blogspot.com/search/label/dairy%20free

Bentos on the Bayou - http://www.bentosonthebayou.com/search/label/Dairy-free

Soy-Free:

Chaos and Confections - http://chaosandconfections.blogspot.com/search/label/soy%20free

Egg-Free:

Keeley McGuire Blog http://keeleymcguire.blogspot.com/search/label/egg%20free

Pinwheels

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Today's lunch was made the morning of. I didn't know if the pinwheels would really be all that good if they were made the night before and chilled. This wasn't a hot lunch but it still think it was better that it got made the morning of. I find that pinwheels are a pretty versatile and you can put just about anything you want in them. 

IN THIS LUNCH: 

• Turkey, Cheese, Sliced Olives, and Salsa pinwheel. 
• Baby Carrots
• Orange Segments
• Pickle

This was a super easy lunch to put together. Also, helpful hint about pinwheels: When I roll the wrap up, I cut off the ends and then cut the rest of the wrap at a slight angle. Cutting straight across I find they don't stay together as well. 

Also, I am thinking about starting a new section on the blog. It wouldn't be updated daily like the lunches are but 1-3 times a week. Surrounding other aspects of my life which could include: Dinner planning, Money-Saving Ideas, Cleaning Ideas, Kids Activities, Baking, Crafting, Packing my own lunches/Snacks, etc... A sort of anything and everything place!

What's your favorite pinwheel stuffers? What do you think about the new blog section? What would you like to see there?

Happy Packing

Hot Lunch for a Chilly Day

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So we are up for another warm lunch. I think that I am a big fan of packing warm lunches but there is one thing that I didn't take into consideration when I started planning hot lunches. The sides that I serve with them have to be things that don't need to be kept cold. While I've seen a tutorial on how to pack both in one box, I don't have the same kind of box they have so if I pack a hot lunch, I have to have sides that can be warm too. So far not a problem but I think this could lead to repetitive sides down the road. 

IN THIS LUNCH: 

• Annie's Organic Macaroni & Cheese w/ leftover ham (cut into chunks), and some peas. 
• Apple Sauce with Cinnamon 
• Juice Pouch

I L-O-V-E cinnamon. It smells fantastic, it brings memories of holiday foods, and it's a natural way to help prevent spiked in blood sugar. I love that about it. It's a fantastic spice and I have always been a fan of warm applesauce with cinnamon. Our Mac N Cheese is packed in our Funtainer and the applesauce is in our Nude Food Mover. The sad thing, Monkey said that this lunch wasn't very warm when she got it at lunch in spite of  the fact that I had preheated the container with boiling water and that I had just made the food in the morning and heated it till it was steaming piping hot before putting it in the container. Blegh. Oh well. Maybe I didn't preheat with water long enough. 

Look, Grab, Pack

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So I'm calling today's lunch, ''Look, grab, pack'' because I didn't pack it last night! I got tired, went to bed, and this morning remembered that I didn't pack a lunch for Monkey! Instead of throwing in the towel and letting her have school lunch today (who know's what they're having and what kind of gunk it's made with) I did a ''look, grab, pack''. So simply, you look at what you got in the fridge, try to cover all your food groups, and run with it. No pre-plan (the pre-planned lunch I didn't feel like making). So here is what Monkey got today!

IN THIS LUNCH:

• Fruit: Cut Apples, Sunburst Tomatoes
• Dairy: Vanilla Yogurt (also protein) w/ fall sprinkles, String Cheese (also has protein), Milk (not pictured)
• Veggies: Baby Corn
• Grain: Butterfly Crackers
• Protein: Sunflower Butter (not pictured for dipping apples and crackers). 

As I started I was thinking about fall and how I am a bit sad to see summer go. So accidentally, we've got a goodbye summer (the single purple butterfly silicon cup) and hello fall (all the colors and the sprinkles). The sprinkles by the way are green, orange, and have little brown pumpkins which I picked up in my Target's dollar area! I think in general we covered all our bases and it's a lunch that should come home empty.

Don't forget to check out ''What's for Lunch Wednesday" to see a bunch of fantastic lunches!

Have you ever made a look, grab, pack lunch? What was it? :) 

Happy Packing!

Leftovers!

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So for today's lunch I decided to use a new container! This little beauty I picked up at the Dollar Tree and is intended to be used for things with dip. Well, me...I think I could put anything I want in the ''dip'' container. So I did! I put her dessert in there! I'm also thinking it would fit a mini muffin, yogurt, cottage cheese, applesauce, dips of any type, maybe a hard boiled egg, etc... I think it's a great little container!

IN THIS LUNCH: 

• Rice cooked in chicken broth w/ carrots and peas
• Garlic and herb roasted pork loin 
• Mixed berries [defrosted] including: raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries
• Dessert: 6 Hello Panda Biscuit Cookies.
• Strawberry Honey Kefir [not pictured]

Shockingly this was actually last night's dinner but Monkey said she wouldn't mind having it again for lunch today. Usually she's not a fan of leftovers so soon (neither am I) but she was totally on board with this (so it must have been good!). 

Just wanted to include this so you could see that the dip section has it's own little lid to keep it separated from the other foods. After I put the top lid on I used a hair tie to wrap around it. I wasn't sure if it would open in her box or not, so I just wanted to be safe! 

Polka Dot Sandwich

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Is it just me or does the weekend never feel long enough? This lunch came due long before I was ready for it to be time for school again! I'll admit this lunch was not on the schedule so this is a ''quick and easy'' lunch that was thrown together really quickly (I'm sure you can tell). 

IN THIS LUNCH:

• Mini Bagel Sandwich w/ cream cheese and mini pepperoni
• Baby Carrots w/ side of ranch
• Sunburst Tomatoes
• 100% Juice Pouch [not pictured]

What is it that you all do when you're just not in the lunch packing mood? Leftovers? The standby sandwich? I'm all for quick, easy, and covering my food groups! Thanks for sharing!

Happy Packing!

Wrapped Up To Go -- Love, Mom

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So Monkey LOVED the pirate themed lunch. When I picked her up from school she actually thanked me for packing her lunch and asked if she could have one of the chocolate gold coins that she had saved for after school. Well, after a compliment like that...and the self control to save a chocolate for later, who could say no? I'm just glad she liked it. Today's lunch was a bit thrown together. I've been feeling a bit green around the gills. I suspect the little sea monkey is to blame! Lol. Smells of the food in the kitchen is killing me so yeah...luckily my fiance really helped me out by making most of it while I directed. :) 

IN THIS LUNCH: 

• Pizza Wrap (in foil w/ [eye][heart][u] pictogram and some stickers)
• Sliced Plum
• Baby Corn (w/ pepper) and;
• Organic Chocolate Milk

Some of the originally planned items got scratched due to queasy tummy! The Pizza Wrap was made with tortilla, tomato paste, mini pepperoni, cheese, and sliced olives. They were put on a baking sheet at 400 until the cheese melted. Then rolled it up and wrapped it in tin foil. Decided to write a little pictogram on her wrapper since she's recently figured out how to read simple ones.

This lunch is part of the 15 minute Friday link-up. Make sure to check out some of the other great lunches by clicking the button below.

What do you all pack when you're just not feeling up to making a lunch? 

Happy Packing!

Arrgh! Talk Like a Pirate Day!

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Yarr! It be ''Talk Like a Pirate Day'' for all ye land lubbers who didn't know! Welcome aboard the blog hop ship, The Flying Lunchman!!  Alright, that's the extent of my pirate but it was a good effort yeah? Today is my very first blog hop with the Bento Bloggers & Friends and I am super excited to participate! I grappled with whether or not to ''pirate-ify'' (yeah, my new word!) my already planned lunch...or come up with a totally new idea! Well, even though I couldn't find all the materials I wanted, I decided to stick with the plan and just pirate it up a little!

IN THIS LUNCH: 

• Mini Pitas w/ Krab Salad & Lettuce ''boats''. 
• Orange Segments (to prevent scurvy)
• Gold Dubloons!
• Cheese water and a goldfish :P

This was my first attempt at using my food markers and while I am not happy with the cheese I think in general the effect of the two blog hop ships came out alright. Monkey saw the lunch and immediately knew what they were and was super excited about it. So it made me feel a little better. 

Be sure to check out the next lunch on me ship the Flying Lunchman by clicking the pirate flag below! It's my shipmate Amanda from Food Family Fun! Yo ho! Next lunch ahoy! Once ye return from your trip at sea, click here for the second flag, tharr the 16 lunches of Black Bread's Revenge be!

What's your little Pirate eating today? 

Happy Packing! YAR!

Shaken Salad

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So, initially I had a whole other salad in mind. But since I was mysteriously missing a couple items and forgot to cook the chicken for it, I decided to run with something else! While my Monkey will eat salad I don't like to push it, I know she can get sick of them quickly if I make too many. However I like their versatility. 

IN THIS LUNCH: 

• Salad: Mixed Baby Greens, Peas, Cucumbers, Turkey ribbons.
• Sunburst Tomatoes
• Pineapple Skewers
• Babybel Cheese
• Not Pictured: Side of Ranch and Capri Sun 100% Juice Pouch

With this salad I simply took a container and put in a handful of mixed baby greens, cut up cucumbers, cut some turkey lunch meat ribbons (by rolling up the lunch meat and cutting across) and tossed in the leftover peas from dinner. Put on the lid and gave it a shake! I personally hate when all my salad mix-ins are on the top and by the time you get to the middle there's nothing left but lettuce. 

I know that Monkey will be a bit bummed that we were all out of her favorite dressing, Catalina. However, I know that she'll eat ranch and we threw a cute little sticker of a bunny on top of her dressing cup. She won't get it, but it was a joke at the fact most people call this sort of lunch ''rabbit food''. On the side is her napkin with her fork wrapped inside. 

This post is also park of the ''What's for Lunch Wednesday'' link up. Feel free to check out the other awesome lunches by clicking the button! 

What kind of salads do your kids like to eat? :)

Happy Packing!

Breakfast Lunch

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If there is one thing my Monkey loves, it's breakfast. Whether it's at actual breakfast time, lunch, dinner, or snack, she doesn't care. Today will feature the first breakfast lunch of the 2013-2014 school year! I don't know about your kids, but pancakes are ALWAYS a good thing in my house. Now that we're getting so close to fall I have been chomping at the bit to start working with pumpkin again, a family favorite around here. Usually the standby pumpkin recipe in this house is Honey Oatmeal Pumpkin Muffins. If you click the name of them it'll take you right to our recipe! They're delicious, made from scratch, aren't made with granulated sugar, and typically don't last long in this house! If you haven't tried them I would STRONGLY recommend them. Today however we tried something different! 

These might look like the Honey Oatmeal Pumpkin Muffins you see on the recipe page but they aren't!

IN THIS LUNCH: 

• MOMables Mini Pumpkin Pancakes Recipe (I made them into mini muffins!) w/ syrup
• Orange Segments (1 small orange)
• Cottage Cheese w/ pepper (approximately 1/4 cup)
• Organic White Milk

So while making this lunch it made my house smell AMAZING. I didn't follow the recipe EXACTLY. It just says ''milk''. I assume that means conventional cows milk which we don't drink anymore. I used my unsweetened vanilla almond milk and they still turned out great. Also, instead of making cute little pancakes out of them, I sprayed my mini muffin pan, added approximately 1/8 cup of batter to each spot, and baked at 350 for about 12-15 minutes. I simply used the toothpick method to assess them. They're delicious and if you are looking for a new pancake recipe I think this one is a winner! 

What's your favorite ''breakfast lunch''? 

Happy Packing!

Goodbyn Strikes Again!

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So, with some help from the fiance the Goodbyn managed to make it into another lunch! The weekend totally flew by and it was surprising to me! I want this time to slow down, I'm already feeling wicked tired (probably from being 15 weeks pregnant) and I am not wanting school, for me, to start back up just yet...but it is rushing this way. I'm toying with starting a section for my lunches/snacks again since on some days I will need to be taking them. Well, I hope everyone had a good weekend and that they are getting their lunches packed for tomorrow morning! I can't believe week 2 of school is starting for my little Kindergartner. Additionally, I've started the rough draft for my post about gluten-free/dairy-free lunches (don't think I have flaked or forgotten people!). 

IN THIS LUNCH: 

• Apple Sandwich w/ Sunflower butter and Organic Shredded Coconut. 
• Butterfly Crackers
• Medium Cheddar Stars
• Green Beans
• Organic Strawberry Milk

Monkey actually really loves these apple sandwiches and I wish I could take credit for them. I actually got the ideas from one of my favorite food-making mamas to follow, Lisa over at 100 Days of Real Food. They also have a 100 Days of Real Food Facebook that I subscribe to both on my personal page and on my Monkey Munchables page. I love seeing all the great food, recipes, and finds she has. I'd suggest checking out what it's all about. 

Otherwise I am very excited about this lunch but worry slightly that it might be a little light for Monkey. Oh well, if we have to have an after school snack I saved some of the extra apple bits for her to eat! :-)

I'm also looking forward to my first blog hop as a Bento Blogger Friend which will be coming up on THIS Thursday, so keep a watch out!

Also, this lunch is part of the Meatless Monday Link-Up. Feel free to check out other great Meatless meal options by clicking the button below. :)

What is everyone else packing for tomorrow? 

Happy Packing!

Edible skewers!

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So, it's finally Friday! Hooray. Week one of Kindergarten will be over today! We usually like to do a treat day once a week and well, today seemed like a good day for it. She has been super positive all week and has really taken to the new routine in general! She even thanked me for packing her good lunches which felt like such an epic win! This week we also participated in a Link-up party with Bentos on the Bayou. There's a link-up button at the bottom that you can go check out all the great 15 minutes or less lunches! 

Haha, okay here's the lunch with all the closed up containers. Teased all my Facebook readers with this one as a ''sneak peek'' for today's lunch. I'm glad you all had a good sense of humor about it! Also it was a good excuse to show the cutie ladybug container. :P 

IN THIS LUNCH: 

• Turkey/Swiss Roll-Ups (with pretzel skewers),
• Ants on a log (made with sunflower butter and raisins), 
• A sweet pepper w/ a little cream cheese (this is a new food for Monkey), 
• Orange segments and;
• Tapioca Pudding (for treat day). 

So, I'm still getting used to new containers. We tried several containers to figure out the best way to configure all the items. This seemed to be the best way, we're still going to be doing some trial and error for a bit here while we get used to using new containers. I also love the idea of using the pretzel rods as edible skewers. I would have liked to use less containers overall, but it worked out in general I think. 

Here's her lunch in the box with OPEN lids. Haha. Here you can see her mini juice box w/ 100% juice box. We pick up 4 packs of these little guys at the Dollar Tree. I'm really impressed sometimes by the products that they pick up there and have available. Sure we could get he juice boxes full of high fructose corn syrup, but on the same aisle they have these gems! Woot. 

Here's the link for the link-up party! 

Happy Packing!

Chili On A Hot Day

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So we were excited to bust out our Thermos Funtainer today. Monkey said her lunch was still warm when she opened it at lunch and that it was DELICIOUS. This lunch was actually kept from leftovers. I like to use leftovers whenever I can! 

We had chili Tuesday night for dinner and set aside a portion for Monkey for lunch Thursday. Some might pack it right away on Wednesday, but me personally, I don't like eating the same thing all the time. If I am going to eat leftovers I like to wait a couple days before I revisit them! 

IN THIS LUNCH:

• Homemade Leftover Chili w/ Cheese on top
• Grape Skewers
• Cornbread muffin
• Vanilla Milk

I had monkey help me skewer the grapes, something that she was super excited to do! She loves helping make her lunches whenever possible and so this was an opportunity for her to do that. The skewers I actually got a huge pack of from the Dollar Tree and they work fantastically! Love em. 

Here is the lunch inside the box. I like to incorporate these pictures because sometimes I see people's fantastic pictures and just wonder to myself how it all fits in the box, or what it looks like in the box, etc.. So I like including pictures of her lunches in the box. I don't know if anyone else wonders these things, but my brain works in mysterious ways sometimes! 

I'm still working on the entry for a Dairy Free/Gluten Free week of lunches! I am very excited about that! I also have made my first shot at Jungle Juice. I wasn't a fan but Monkey said it was good. I think I will keep trying until it's something we can all handle! 

What are some of your favorite ''leftover'' lunches?

As luck would have it...because this week has a Friday the 13th one of my favorite blogs ''Becoming a Bentoholic'' is doing their usual Friday link-up party on Thursday instead! So while I was bummed I wasn't going to get to participate before, I get to now!

Happy Packing! 

Tuna Fishwich

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So, the asparagus wrap lunch was a big hit. The only thing that came back was a little bit of the 4th wrap that she had asked me to pack (I knew she only would REALLY eat 3 comfortably, but live and learn). I've started bouncing flavor combo ideas for "Jungle Juice" off my fiance and he's really responsive to it and helping me come up with ideas. I am hoping to have a ''rough draft'' to give monkey on Thursday with the Chili. If you aren't on Monkey Munchables Facebook, we posted a pic of tonight's dinner which is a sneak peak of Thursday's lunch! 

Here's what we are going to have for Wednesday's lunch! 

IN THIS LUNCH: 

• A fish shaped Tuna sandwich
• Baby Carrots w/ side of Ranch
• Medium Plum
• Goldfish

I don't know how you make your Tuna salad for sandwiches but when I make this for Monkey (I hate tuna personally) I do drained tuna (that was packed in water only), I use a micro-grater to grate in celery, and a little squirt of mayo (salt/pepper if desired). It sneaks in another little bit of vegetables and Monkey is none the wiser! 

Here is her lunch in the box with her Hello Kitty birthday napkin and her Organic Strawberry Milk. This girl LOVES strawberry milk. I personally don't think I would like drinking milk with a tuna sandwich, but hey, to each their own! I fully expect some of those carrots to come back tomorrow. She never eats all her carrots when I send them, but the fact she eats them at all makes me happy.

This lunch is also part of a Wednesday link up! Feel free to check out all the lunches!

What are you all having? 

Happy Packing!

Under Wraps

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So, I learned a valuable lesson with lunch yesterday. Do NOT put cut up bananas in the container the night before. Even if you put juice on it to help keep it from browning, it will brown and get mushy. Thereby having to trash it and put in a new banana. I hate wasting food like that so I was a bit irked by that. 

Today's lunch isn't as pretty as some other lunches, which is regrettable, but Monkey should enjoy it! 

IN THIS LUNCH: 

• Asparagus wraps w/ light cream cheese and thin sliced ham. 
• Pineapple chunks 
• Babybel cheese
• 1 Cup of Popcorn
• Fruit Smoothie feat. Banana, orange, apple, and pear (NOT PICTURED). 

This was our clearance find at Target today. A hot pink Goodbyn for $5 I was really stoked! I was only going to make 3 asparagus wraps for Monkey but she asked for a 4th (she really loves these things). Admittedly, I took this idea from a good friend Trish. She came over to hangout and craft and she brought a snack tray that had these asparagus wraps and they've been a favorite ever since! I never would have thought to make them. Thanks Trish! 

Today we also spent time talking about ''My Plate'' and how we need to represent each of the food groups in our meals. Monkey actually thanked me for giving her good meals! It was nice and she had fun talking about what she had for lunch today and where it went on the plate and what her lunch was for tomorrow (this lunch) and where it went on the plate. I think it's fun to get her involved in covering all her food groups. 

What are your kids having? 

Happy Packing! 

First Day of School!

001 - Designer Monkey

For the first day of school I have a small tradition. I like to let Monkey decide what she will be having for lunch. It sounds small but I like to give her the chance to make her own choices (once in a while :-P). I feel like on the first day it gives her a sense of comfort to know what is coming at lunch, when everything else is so new and different. So, the lunch for the first day was completed selected by Monkey. Here it is, our first  Monkey Munchables lunch (so long to our old blogging name and home). 

IN THIS LUNCH: 

• Turkey/Swiss Puzzle Sandwich on Dave's Killer 21 Grain Bread
• a mix of sunburst and grape tomatoes
• peas (albeit some overcooked!) and; 
• a mix of bananas with orange segments. 

Please forgive the terrible lighting, my kitchen light hates me! Anyway here is her designer Monkey masterpiece. I was actually rather pleased with her food choices! For those that follow my blog and my facebook you all know that Monkey's birthday was last Friday, her birthday party (a gigantic hello kitty bash) was today. She was rather disappointed that she wouldn't be having school on her birthday, so I said, "what the heck," and tossed her a Happy Birthday Pick that I found at the Dollar Tree. I think the thing that surprised me most in this lunch was when she specifically asked for the orange/banana mix. Seemed very random but I had no problem running with it. I just hope the juice from the oranges helps keep the bananas from getting too yucky by lunch (I'll check on them in the morning). These are of course our new Lunch Blox containers that I have been so ecstatic to try! 

For those that are wondering here is how her lunch fit in her box. She is having a Horizon Organic Chocolate milk (also her choosing) and up at the top there is a fork wrapped inside a leftover napkin from her Hello Kitty party today! It's also hard to see because of glare but the lid on the peas actually has a Lisa Frank sticker (I found a pack of them at the Dollar Tree as well!). 

Here is the front of her new lunchbox that she got so excited about when she opened it at her birthday party. I was worried. It wasn't the one she had shown interest in and it wasn't Hello Kitty...so I got concerned that poor Barbie wasn't gonna fly. But, she squealed with delight and hugged it to her chest, so I guess it worked out okay! 

Hope you all enjoyed our first Monkey Munchable! 

Happy Packing! 

New Tools & Goodies

So, yesterday my Monkey had her 6th birthday! I can't believe it. While we're gearing up for tomorrow's birthday party I have also be ''gearing up'' for lunch packing which starts Monday! I have been very blessed to have a wonder fiance that indulges my lunch habits so some of these were gifts from him! I'm excited to share with all of you the new 'swag' (that's the word the kids are using these days right? Lol).

Of this picture I won't lie I am most excited about the Gourmet Writer markers! I have been wanting them for about a year now and I am stoked to be able to make little faces and doodles on her food safely! Before I was limited to oranges and bananas (anything she'd be peeling the skin off). The large carrot is also neat. It has an opening for carrots as well as a top that will store dip! The top three items were Dollar Tree finds! I love my Dollar Tree. While Monkey's birthday was Friday she wanted to get to experience a birthday school lunch so I picked up the cupcake liners/pick combo pack for just a buck. I find LOADS of great themed items there. Next to it is a lunch punch that removes the crust and will seal the sandwich into a little pocket like those ''Uncrustables'' sandwiches the school's serve. Only we can feel good about using better for our children ingredients! Nothing questionable here.

We also got our long awaited Funtainers. I'll be honest the cost is what held me back last year. At $15 a pop I wasn't ready to make that kind of commitment. I bought cheaper alternatives. The food one broke and the cup leaked. I wasn't pleased. It would probably have just been easier to just shell out the money for the more durable containers. I've heard nothing but great things from other bloggers that use them so we bit the bullet. The awesome part, the drink container we were able to get for about $9 since it was on clearance at Target when we went now that their major back to school sales are over! If you can't tell my Monkey is a HUGE Hello Kitty fan (that party I mentioned tomorrow, Hello Kitty themed).

Okay, Hello Kitty popped her head in for another picture! I couldn't decide how I wanted to format them. Anyway, here you can see the large stack of our Lunch Blox containers that I am super stoked to try out for the school year! They come with a variety of sizes and the salad container came with a divider that fits into the other containers which is awesome! I enjoy the colors and the fact the containers have fitted ice packs that came with them (not pictured because they're in my freezer)! On top of Hello Kitty Funtainer is hard to see but there is a clear little cup w/ lid. While I was at the party store I stumbled across the ''jello shooter'' containers. I thought they were the perfect size (about 2 oz) to put in with the lunches to section off crackers, dip, or anything else I really want! They also fit (with lid) inside the Lunch Blox containers, which is a win/win for me!

Last but not least are the monkey themed napkins from the Dollar Tree (told you I love them). Again I haven't invested in cloth napkins. I'm sure people have noticed that I am not totally waste free in my lunch packing everyday, but I aim to be eventually. I just have to slowly make my investments over time because of a tiny budget! Something I am sure many mom's can relate to.

What are your new lunch packing items that you're excited to get to use? If nothing new, do you have a favorite lunch packing item already? What do you like about it?

Happy Packing!