2014 -- 012

Something Old, Something New

So my husband brought home this really fantastic fresh baked hoagie rolls for our pulled chicken sandwiches. They were so fantastic that I was willing to break with my normal wait two days to pack leftovers rule. We did chicken with BBQ sauce, cooked onions, and bacon all mixed up together. Healthy, no...magic on a hoagie roll? Yes. Tonight was a bit of a indulgence night, which in my opinion is just a good thing for life.

So I took the other half of Monkey's roll and filled it with some leftovers and got that baby in the box! She was enjoying dinner so much I couldn't imagine that she wouldn't like having it again for lunch. In addition to this I snagged her a couple of the crispier leftover fries (she specifically asked if she could have some in her lunch) and tossed them in as well. She wanted Brussels sprouts, but we polished them off at dinner (they never last around here). 

The third aspect of our lunch today was inspired by something I have been really crushing on that I've seen online, the Grape Parfait Crunch by MOMables. The recipe I saw took vanilla yogurt, two types of grapes, and granola. Looked delicious and I wanted to make it. Come to find out, I had no yogurt and one kind of grape...and no granola. I could have made some myself but after a long day dealing with my broke down car I just wasn't feeling that. So I went with what I had! 

This grape parfait has red grapes, a dollop of whipped cream (I put a little too much, but she won't mind :P), dried cranberries for a little tartness, and slivered almonds on top for the ''crunch'' aspect. This will be her dessert and calorie wise whipped cream is one of those lesser evils in my book. So, just to recap...

IN THIS LUNCH: 

• Leftover Pulled Chicken Sandwich
• A few leftover crispy curly fries
• My version of a grape parfait crunch
• Organic Milk (not pictured)

Happy Packing!! 

2014 -- 011

No School

So, Monkey has the day off from school and I debated about whether or not to pack a lunch but since I will have to make one anyway, might as well just stay in the lunch making groove! 

IN THIS LUNCH: 

• Slices of Pineapple (Dinner had pineapple so I snagged a couple slices before they got cut up and tossed into the meal). 
• Leftover Peas and Carrots (I still maintain that leftovers are some of the best packing materials!)
• Pinwheels - Wrap, Laughing Cow, Pepperoni, and Turkey lunch meat. These were quick and easy! 

She'll probably end up with a glass of almond milk with her lunch or maybe some orange juice. We'll see when we get there! 

Happy Packing! 

2014 -- 010

New Containers!

So I have been crushing on those lunchboxes that have the built in ice packs in the lids for some time. Well, my husband apparently spotted them on clearance and nabbed them for me! I love that he sees lunch containers and thinks of me (and enables my lunch making craziness hobby). When looking at my monthly lunch menu I was not seeing anything that really would showcase the new box! What's a girl to do? Plan a new lunch obviously! I had some pita that needed using up anyway...

IN THIS LUNCH: "Homemade Pizza Lunchable"

• Whole Wheat Pita, cut into slices
• Tomato Sauce
• Cut up pepperoni slices (it's only about 4 whole slices, but they were too large for the pita so I cut them down smaller). 
• Mozzarella Cheese
• For the treat (monkey likes to point out the store bought lunchables always have a treat) is a lindor truffle. 
• On the side is no-sugar added applesauce with cinnamon on top
• Served with Organic Milk (not pictured)

Fantastic marketing has gotten kids to really love the lunchable and the convenience is something that parents can enjoy for sure. But for the cost to me it's just not worth the buy. They are usually pretty expensive for the little bit of food they're getting and I don't always feel great about what is in them. This lunch only required about 1/2 a pita, 4 slices of pepperoni, a few TBSP of tomato sauce, and a small amount of shredded cheese. They're definitely cost effective and only take a few minutes! I am so glad I started making my own. 

I'd love to see all your homemade 'lunchables'! Please feel free to share. :) 

Happy Packing!

2014 -- 009

Bagel Sandwich

I don't know about you, but sometimes I am just NOT in the lunch packing mood. That's when my month of planned out lunches goes out the window and I stare blankly into the fridge debating what I can pack besides a sunflower butter & jelly sandwich. I don't know if this is MUCH of an improvement, but I'd like to think it's a small step up!

IN THIS LUNCH: 

• Mini Bagel Sandwich: Cream Cheese, Pepperoni, and Cucumber Slices
• Tillamook Strawberry Yogurt w/ sprinkles
• Frozen Blueberries
• 100% Juice Box (not pictured)

This lunch took maybe 10 minutes to throw together which was mostly the sandwich! I was informed later that cucumber/pepperoni is Monkey's favorite sandwich (I don't recall ever making her one before) she's so silly! 

Happy Packing!

2014 -- 008

Breakfast Lunch

If there is one thing Monkey loves it is breakfast lunch! I realized I hadn't made one in a while so thought it was a good time to bust out the muffin pan and make some pancake muffins. 

Monkey was excited to pick out her mix-ins. I sat out various items on the counter including frozen berries we got this last summer while they were cheap, white chocolate chips, dried cranberries, slivered almonds, and a few other items. She was really worried that I would do it while she was in the shower, so I waited, so don't let her disheveled damp look throw ya! Haha. 

IN THIS LUNCH: 

• Pancake Muffins (Monkey chose blueberry almond and raspberry/blueberry with a couple white chocolate chips). 
• Hard boiled egg
• String Cheese
• Grapes
• A little whipped cream
• Juice box

She was very excited to take this with her to school today. I realized when taking the picture that we ended up with a lot of white in this box! Lol. I typically hope for a bit more color but she enjoyed the food. 

If you want to make your own Pancake Muffins they are super easy!

Take your own pancake batter and fill your muffin tin about 1/2 to 3/4 of the way full. Add your mix-ins and bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes. If you make any, would love to see them and hear what kind of mix-ins you and your family enjoyed! 

Happy Packing! 

2014 -- 007

Leftovers!

Today felt like a day to work with whatever I could find in the fridge. Last night for dinner we had ''Taco Pizza'' which was a crescent roll base with refried beans, meat, rotel, onions, cheese, and olives. It was good, but was definitely a fork sort of food! Luckily, Monkey will have one in her box and once it chilled in the fridge it seemed like it was easier to pick up the next day.

IN THIS LUNCH: 

• Leftover ''Taco Pizza''
• Side Salad w/ Ranch
• Apple Slices
• Cucumber Slices
• Cheese
• Organic Chocolate Milk

For me leftovers are one of those fantastic ways to save a little bit of that money that everyone SWORE I would be losing by packing lunches. If you want to pack lunches do not let people talk you out of it by telling you it will ''be more expensive''. It will only be so if you pack all pre-packaged and individual portioned items. If you aren't afraid to pack your kids real food, aren't afraid to portion out things yourself, and seriously take just a few minutes each day to pack. You CAN pack lunches for your kids everyday that are delicious and healthier than what they're getting in the cafeteria (and better tasting haha). 

Happy Packing!

2014 -- 006

Another Meatless Monday

Well, now that I have officially kicked H1N1 to the curb and am feeling good it's time to get back to work! While I am not looking forward to getting up at 2:30 a.m. for work I know it'll be nice to start getting paid again! Haha! I was glad to see that people enjoyed my post about salad. It was a lot more work than I ever imagined it would be putting together a post like that, but with my New Year's goal of throwing myself back into my blog I just got so excited and went for it! If you haven't checked it out, please do!

Salads for Kids Post is Available Here

On to today's lunch!!

IN THIS LUNCH: 

• 2 Tbsp Hummas
• Pita Bread Pieces
• Carrots
• Grape Tomatoes
• Green Bell Pepper Slices
• Olive Slices
• String Cheese
• 100% Juice Box

This is definitely a veggie tray lunch. Veggies are filling and full of nutrients and I think I'm just in a veggie zone after talking so much about salad! Monkey loves hummas and dipping her veggies and it's been a while since she got to have olives so I know she'll be super excited for those too! If you've got a kiddo that loves to eat veggies or dip veggies try making a veggie platter for a lunch! 

This post is celebrating another Meatless Monday! 

Happy Packing!