Leftovers bento! - hotdog

We host a cookout here every weekend. There are always leftovers for me to make lunches with. Although normally we eat them on Sunday and I eat whatever is left during the week. This week we had quite a few hotdogs left. Good thing the boys do not mind cold hotdogs.

I was trying to make the hotdog look like some sort of long bug. So I cut thin strips of carrot and gave it antenna and then used mustard for decoration. I added in a small wedge of watermelon (also a leftover), some peach slices (leftover from peach pancakes that morning), carrots, pretzels, and that odd bunny giant marshmallow. I used slices of peaches for the ears, blueberries for the eyes, and carrots for the whiskers and mouth.

This is all in one of the cheap 4 for $3 Rubbermaid food storage containers.

Lunch Crepes and a K

My mother use to make crepes in the summer for breakfast. They were very simple and filled with yogurt. She cooked them in our well seasoned cast iron pan. I always marveled on how she could tilt the heavy pan and they never stuck. Every time I attempted to make them, they stuck to the pan. Eventually I gave up and started to use a non stick pan. Sadly, the nonstick pan has never been able to reproduce her slightly crispy yet very pliable crepes.

Today I have made lunch crepes for the minions. They are filled with ham, cheese and spinach. To accompany them I have added a plumb, some carrots, and grapes resting in a bed of spinach. I also have the letter K made out of processed cheese. Why K? Because that was the only letter I could find.

Will the minions eat the spinach? Probably not. Still, it does not hurt to serve it to them. Last time I served them spinach I convinced them that dinosaurs ate it and if they were good dinosaurs they would too. All 3 put it in their mouths and spat the "leaves" out. Oh well, I tried. One day...

Leftover BBQ pork

I cooked way to much BBQ pork the other night. I knew I was going to be eating it for lunches because The Elder is not the type to eat leftovers. Today I thinly sliced the pork so that it is easier for little ones to eat. I alternated pork and cheddar cheese slices. To the left of that I have some baby carrots slices. On the right I have zucchini wedges.

The bottom section has canned cherry pie filling for desert.  Also I have some peach slices, grapes, a few pretzels and 3 strawberry frosted mini wheats.

I have not used this lunch box in a bit. This is my Sassy lunch box. You can find it at Meijer and Walmart in the baby section. Don't let it's location fool you. It is large enough to work for an adult.

Race night!

I know, at first glance this does not look like much. I was trying to make Winston Speedway in Rothbury, Mi.

On the back side of the track is a treeline and the highway. I used blueberries for my highway and kiwi slices for my treeline and field. On either side of the track there is a field/grass. So I used zucchini slices for that. The stands are made form sliced carrots. I even added in our 2 favorite race fans in turn 4 (the cheerios).

The dirt track is rolled ham with cheese on the inside. The center is a peanut butter sandwich. I also used a peach and blueberry to make a single racecar.  I saw this on Bent On Better Lunches. Cristi used an apple and grapes with toothpicks to make some pretty cute cars. I wanted something less functional. I have made the ones she has before and they boys were rolling those all over the table. So I used a dab of peanut butter to keep the wheels on the body.

Rice Burger #2

I wanted to try and get the minions to eat something different today. PB&J gets old after awhile. Ok, to them it will never get old, it's just me.

I made a rice bun with a mushroom for the burger. I put some spinach on either side of the mushroom to not only add some color, but keep the moisture of the mushroom from softening the rice bun.

I also made a hotdog bun into peanut butter sandwich "fries". On the back side of the rice burger there are some grapes. All of this rests on a bed of spinach.

The Zombie Truck - PG rated

PB&J sandwiches, string cheese, grapes, blueberries, carrots and
zucchini. The truck is decorated with cheese, turkey, and nori.

Beware the truck that goes up and down your road. It plays happy music and has pictures of yummy ice cream on it. I know it sounds inviting and makes you want to investigate what they have to offer. DON'T!!! It's a trap! Beware, it's the Zombie Truck! Or that's what I tell the minions.

We live about 5 blocks from a lake with a beach and park. So during the summer we have 2 ice cream trucks who pass by. After awhile, 3 little voices chiming for ice cream 2 times a day gets old. Especially when one child will scream and cry for 20 minutes (you would think I never punish him). One day I got the bright idea to tell them that it was the Zombie Truck. Why not! Wheels on the Bus also has a zombie verse. So why can't we have a Zombie Truck.

I taught them it was a bad truck by saying "Oh no! It's the Zombie Truck! You can't have my brains!" every time I heard the music. After a week the boys started to run up to the door, open the inner door and yell "Zombie Truck!!!" every time they heard the music. And that was the end of the crying.

The white van has gotten smart and turns his music off at the corner and leaves it off until he is 3 houses past us. To bad the minons can hear him a block away and wait for him. I think the poor man will be scared for life. The brown truck plays his music but drives by very fast. As of 2 weeks ago, not only is there a chorus of "Zombie Truck", but Tyke now also yells "You can't have my brains!". Yes, I realize this is how they make money, but I assure you, on my section of road they make no money anyway. There are no kids except mine and no adults buy from them.

The Ugly Dinosaur

Wow. That's one ugly dinosaur. I am really not sure what to say about it. It was a sandwich cutter from Target. I may have to try this again to make it better. I am very glad the boys could care less. *sighs*

Anyway, today's lunch is a peanut butter and jelly dinosaur sandwich (well, 2 of them) with a dinosaur on top made of processed cheese. It is surrounded by alphabet pretzels, carrot sticks, raspberries, a piece of string cheese, and 3 little cookies out of a Snackwells 100 calorie pack.

Another Egg Carton Lunch

 Today I  was watching 2 other children. I needed a craft to do and also needed to have 5 mostly matching lunch containers. Needless to say, I do not have 5 that match. So I decided to do another egg carton lunch. Designing the outside makes a perfect craft and filling the inside is very efficient and fast. Perfect when you are feeding 5 little boys between the ages of 2 years and 5 years old. This is in addition to feeding little miss Colonel Sanders. Poor Colonel Sanders has now cut 6 teeth and I think is getting ready to cut some more. She seems to cut them in 2's.

 Anyway, today's lunch consists of salad dressing, grapes, peanut butter and jelly finger sandwiches, cheese cubes, baby carrots, cucumbers, raisins, and blackberries.

Yes, I know it is a bit of a variety, but I had a picky eater and wanted to expose him to a few new things. Also the sandwich is made from a hotdog bun. One of the my minions has suddenly started to refuse to eat crusts. Being the mean mama I am, I thought a hotdog bun would be perfect! The top is pretty much nothing but crust! After a bit of crying, the sandwiches were gobbled up and no one died from the "dangerous" crust.

 I forgot to ask the mother if I could post pictures of her 2 boys, so instead of waiting (and then forgetting) I just decided not to post them. Instead you can enjoy looking at my 3 handsome little men.

They all loved their lunches. They also enjoyed decorating the outside of the containers.

Zoo Lunch PT 2

 This is the lunch I made for my 2 teen helpers the day of the zoo picnic. Hiding under all this is a layer of peanut lovers Chex Mix. Then I made them 2 peanut butter and jelly elephants, carrot sticks, blueberries, some yogurt, and a few candy cane kisses for desert. I love candy cane kisses.

Feeding Colonel Sanders some yogurt.

Mama bento #6

Another mama bento. This one is a vegetarian one. The rice I used is cilantro lime rice. I am sorry I did not get a picture of the sushi's filling. I forgot. It was a long night with the minions.

The sushi is filled with steamed carrot, avocado, and cucumber. On the sides are slices of cucumber, baby carrots, grape tomatoes, and mini portabella mushrooms. The onigiri is filled with avocado. I have fiesta lime seasoning sprinkled on top.

I was surprised with how creamy and delicious the avocado makes the onigiri. It worked perfectly with the cilantro lime rice.

Zoo lunch Pt 1

I made this lunch for Clark's end of year picnic at the zoo. I had to pack 6 lunches with me that day plus anything I would need for a day out and about for 4 little ones and myself.

I decided to make it zoo themed. I also wanted to put it in a disposable container. The containers I used for this lunch were from grape. There was a little more room in the bottom of these to hide some pretzels and other food the minions could eat as a treat.

I decorated the outside of these with some foam

animals from the jungle theme foam animal packet that I found at Walmart. It runs about $5.

Under all you see on top is some carrots and pretzels. The top layer consists of a peanut butter and jelly lion, giraffe, and letter Z. Under the leg of the giraffe is a marshmallow. To the right I have a cup of blueberries and a strawberry. Also I included a small paper cup full of cheddar cheese cubes.

Clark 

Pork and Tyke with their lunches (and my soda).