Is that an Edible Arangement pineapple cupcake pop?

I tossed this cheap container after this use. I love my Easy Lunchboxes so much better!

Notice I have been packing a little more to eat? Well, I noticed that there was next to nothing left over in the lunch boxes. So I figured it was time to pack more. I trained the boys to never toss anything away at school. Yes, it can make the lunch box a mess, but I rarely have lost picks.

Today I have a crust-less PB&J sandwich. After I made it, the boys asked for meat and cheese "sticks". *sighs* I told them no and then changed my mind. It only takes another minute to make them. So sure! Also I have an Edible Arrangement pineapple "cupcake pop". For fruit we have blackberries and blueberries. I added a carrot for crunch. Clark was pleased, Tyke not so much.

The Crab and the Chicks.

Have I ever mentioned how much I love Easy Lunchboxes? I know I do not use them a lot for the minions, but I use them 5-6 days a week for The Elder. Easy Lunchboxes came out with some new colors! Can you feel my excitement? I have 12 of the normal ones right now. So in theory I should be fine. "Just to be safe" I ordered 2 packages (8 boxes) of their "Brights". :-D :-D :-D I told myself that I would never use faces on here, but I am to excited not to.

Tyke informed me today that he did not want a "cut" sandwich. So I left his whole and made him a cheese crab on top of his peanut butter and jelly sandwich. The eyes are candy eyes. The crab shaped cutter I used was actually in the "dollar" section of Target. It was part of a play-dough tool set. I took out any piece that could be used for a sandwich cutter and gave the minions the rest for their clay. The minions also have cheese, blackberries, and strawberries for lunch.

Pork wanted me to make him cute sandwiches, so I used a cookie cutter to cut him out 3 chicks. I used cheese to give them beaks and candy eyes. Above them I used another play-dough cutter to make him a duck.

Colonel Sanders had her own cute lunch. Here she has 3 Hello Kitty sandwiches. I used a Hello Kitty cookie cutter that had one of the press on faces. This makes the bread nice and flat. I also used left over cheese scraps (from the crab and duck) for her cheese. I cut the strawberries into smaller pieces for her.

Oh look! Aunt Julie is overseeing lunch today! I have class today. So while the minions eat lunch, I make sure everything is in my school bag, take a shower, and then drive Tyke to school. From there I go right to school myself.

Train lunch

Tyke wanted me to use his craft (from 2 months ago!) for my background. I can never say no to a child that proud of his work.

Today we have a biscoff and jelly sandwich in the shape of a train. Above that I have nitrate free salami and provolone cheese roll.



The bottom consists of zucchini slices, apple slices, a few blackberries, and some kiwi.

Recently someone asked about toddler bentos. The Colonel normally does get a lunch in a bento. It is not always to pretty and sometimes it just consists of scraps. Yes, I said I feed her scraps. That nice tractor sandwich above leaves a decent size piece of sandwich left. I cannot cut out another train and I may not have a cookie cutter that goes with a train to add to the lunch. So I will take that piece and give it to Colonel Sanders. Same with cheese and meat pieces. At her age, it makes no difference to her.

The Colonel turns 14 months old today! Let me tell you, she has a full mouth of teeth. I do cut some things up, but others I leave whole. She does very well eating this way. I do watch her and make sure there is no issues. If there is, I am always right there to cut items up or help in any way she may need (but has not needed).  Today Colonel Sanders has blackberries, thinly sliced apple, thin slices zucchini, Sandwich pieces, string cheese broken up, and some nitrate free salami.

Pork and Tyke opening up their bento boxes. The boxes are the same, just different colors. So I switched the 2nd tier in the lunches to change up the color a bit.

Do you like the rocket cup? I found that at Target.

There is Colonel Sanders! Today she likes her meat.

I need to clear off her high chair or move it to the garage. Since it is not in use (She prefers to stand at the table) it has become the nesting ground for various items.

Time to take Tyke to school! I decided we would walk today. So I bundled up Colonel Sanders extra warm.

Normally in the cooler months I take the lazy way out and drive to school to drop off Tyke and then at the end of the day pick up both the older minions. In the summer I walk and put minions in the wagon. We live 1/16 of a mile from the school. So that is what... 5 houses? It is around the corner from us. Clark will only ride the bus this year because he is in a special needs program.

Can you tell from my yard that I have kids? That orange thing is another part to my wagon. Tyke decided he wanted to pull his sister to school. Pork was holding my hand at this point, so you cannot see him.

P is for Percy and Pasta

Can you tell what that is? I made homemade pasta! I used my Percy cookie cutter and made a train ravioli. Then I cut out some of the remaining pasta and make P's. I put some grated mozerella cheese for the sky and a slice of orange sweet pepper for the sun.  To the right I have blackberries, snap peas, carrots, grape tomatoes, and some small slices of cheddar cheese. On top of that we have some Mounds M&M's.

The Elder had a similar lunch. We have some steamed zucchini for him. Looking back, I wish I would have added some carrots or maybe sweet peppers. Oh well, maybe next time. I also gave him some Mounds M&M's.

The Elder has a bed of hand shaped ravioli, then I poured some lemon pepper butter on it, a light layer of mozzarella cheese, then some zucchini so that he could make out the train ravioli and the letter P. He had no clue what was going on. *sighs* You can

tell he does not watch much Thomas the Train.

Colonel Sanders also had her own bento. The bottom layer consists of steamed carrots and sweet potato. I also have small pieces of mozzarella cheese and blackberries.

Homemade pasta is not hard to make. All you need is some flour, salt or herbs, eggs, and a little oil. Mix that together, then roll it into a ball and let it rest in the fridge for a little bit.

Up until this year, I hand rolled and cut my pasta. Last Christmas my father-in-law gave me a pasta machine. Now it is much easier to roll out. Sometimes I even use it to cut pasta too.

Look at my fridge! Isn't that a beautiful sight! Everyone's lunches are all set and ready to go for the next day. The Elder loves his lunch bag. They are sold at www.easylunchboxes.com. They are made to fit the Easy Lunchboxes and there is plenty of room for other items. The Elder has a bottled water, milk, and a juice in that bag in addition to his ELB.

I promise there is more in my fridge that just that. There are still 2 shelves and 2 drawers of food. I just had to share the beauty of the Easy Lunchboxes sitting there in a rainbow and waiting for lunch the next day.





Oh look! It's Clark! Yes, Clark did not have school today. I really miss his lunch dialog. Clark knew who the train was right away. Clark is obsessed with trains. Colonel Sanders was giving me one of those "I'm
trying to eat" looks.

Tyke and Pork are so use to a camera in their faces that they just ignore me.

Smile! sandwich

Today we have a very easy lunch. I found the sandwich impression at the Dollar Tree. The package said to toast it first and then press the toast with the design. It actually works the other way around. First press and then toast. It works much better.

We have a homemade BBQ pork sandwich in our lunch today. I made it with left over pork roast and some BBQ sauce. Also there are carrots, snap peas,  pomegranate seeds, blackberries, and the last of the energy balls.

Used in this lunch: Easy Lunchboxes
Elephant and Tree food picks
Face Food Pick

cheater ravioli and kabob minion lunch.

Once again I had problems deciding what to make for lunch. The Elder is not a fan of leftovers. He says I can pack them, but I know him better than that. As I looked through my fridge, I remembered I had wonton wrappers. I swear those things are handy. They are pretty cheap too! I thought about making lasagna cupcakes again, but I was thinking of having those for dinner later this week. So I decided to make mushroom and cheese ravioli.

I know it sounds odd, but it is pretty good. If you are use to the thicker pasta ravioli, it takes a time or two to get use to. I cut up baby portabella mushrooms, added mozzarella cheese, and some Italian seasoning. Then I placed it in the wonton wrapper, used a little egg wash on the edges, and sealed it up. Then I placed them in boiling water for about a minute. I poured some tomato sauce into the bottom of my Easy Lunch Box and placed them on top. I made up some meatballs and turned them into octopus  Then I created a little sea floor using peas, mushroom, pearl mozzarella balls, carrots, and tomato pieces.

To the right of that I have the last of the apple and cranberry mini pies. I used a blackberry and a food pick to make a flower so it was not so boring. Below that is some steamed broccoli with some seasoning salt. 

The minions are not a fan of ravioli. So I made them 2 kabobs with nitrate free salami and mozzarella cheese. I also gave them some snap peas, baby carrots, mozzarella cheese pearls, a piece of broccoli, and blackberries.

Today is the last day to enter the giveaway! Click HERE to enter. The drawing ends at 11:59pm Eastern Time.

Last onigiri for now

Today I was thinking of doing a puppy but did not wish to put the work into it. So I folded some ham to become the ears. The onigiri face is stuffed with red bean paste today. It was a HUGE hit. The eyes are peas and mouth is processed cheese triangle colored with food markers. Carrots and blackberries finish the lunch.