School Lunch..Silly Monster

As promised, here is a fairly simple lunch. I feel like with less options to choose from, B will have an easier time finishing his lunch before he runs out of time. He wanted a sandwich, so I decided to jazz it up s bit, by turning it into a silly monster. He LOVED it! I mean, what kid wouldn't?

In this lunch:
Monster Sandwich, Ham and Cheese, pickles, carrots, spinach
Sliced Strawberries
Veggie Straws
Cucumbers
White Chocolate Chips

Kayla

School Lunch..Salad

I had a big salad for my dinner last night, since I could not eat what I prepared for my family due to my food allergies. B was a little jealous. I promised him I would pack a nice salad for him for his school lunch. Here it is. This salad has spinach, carrots, cucumbers, sliced strawberries, fresh parm, and sunflower seeds.  I added balsamic dressing on the side. Also included: strawberry yogurt tube, brie, grapes, olives, organic cheese crackers, and star fruit.

Kayla

School Lunch..A Wedge of Brie

B loves brie. I made a similar lunch for him last year in preschool, and it was a huge hit, he made it a regular request. However, I think this year it is a different story. This lunch box did not come home empty. The reason: limited time to eat. He basically ate the brie, but left all the crackers. It looks like I will be saving this lunch for home.

I decided to join B for lunch to see just how it all works. The kids get 20 minutes to eat. By the time they sit down, open their lunch and get started the clock is quickly ticking away. Then if they chat with their peers at all, forget about it. I am now thinking up easier, quicker lunches for him to eat. Stay tuned.

In this lunch:
Brie with crackers
olives
turkey roll ups
tomato
nectarine
chocolate chips

Kayla

School Lunch..Pasta Salad

As I am sitting here on a Sunday night writing this quick little blog post, I am realizing just how tired I am. I sometimes feel like the energizer bunny, and go go go, then only feel tired when I stop. Sometimes I feel like I need to go to bed before he kids. We have been a little extra busy this week, plus I am fighting a cold so on comes to lack of energy.

This lunch was actually a last minute, left overs kind of lunch. We had leftover pasta salad in the fridge. How easy is that? Just throw it in the lunchbox. :) A cheese stick and yogurt tube were easy to grab, however they do add some trash to my trash free motto. Also in this lunch we have grapes, mango, tomato, and trail mix. All organic. I should mention that regardless if I list foods as organic, they most always are. 
Have a nice day!

Kayla

School Lunch...Triangles

We are on day 15 of the school year already. Can you believe it? Time fly's. It looks like we are off to a fantastic start already. B has adjusted quite nicely, and so have the rest of us. I miss him during the day, but he is so ready for school, I have to let him go. :)  Here is a school lunch I made last week.
How is your child adjusting to school this year?

In this Lunch:
Ham and cheese quesadillas
Watermelon triangles
Organic nectarine, cut into small pieces
Organic cheese it type crackers
honey sesame cashews
oatmeal raisin cookie

School Lunch..Pita Pocket

As a child, my favorite sandwich was a Dagwood. In Maine a Dagwood is basically a pita pocket filled with meat, lettuce, and your favorite veggies.  I found these little organic whole wheat pitas at Trader Joes. B loves them for lunch.  Since they are rather small, I filled two with turkey, cheese, mustard and spinach. He loves to make his own lunch, so I thought he could finish assembling the pitas. On the side, in the upper left hand corner of his lunch, I included tomatoes and pickles. I decided to put these on the side rather than in the pita as to prevent sogginess.

Also in this lunch:
Watermelon triangles
Organic mango
Annie's Cheddar bunnies
White chocolate chips


Thanks for stopping by, Kayla

DIY Chalkboard

I should have taken before and after pictures of this project, but it slipped my mind. This chalkboard used to be a mirror hanging above my fireplace. We moved a few years ago and this has been stored in the basement with no fireplace to hang it above. I decided after seeing many pins on pinterest about repurposing old items with chalkboard paint, to give it a try. I was quite pleased with the outcome. It came out perfectly. It is now hanging in my bedroom for my husband and I to write little notes to each other.

The process is pretty straightforward. Choose a piece you would like to repurpose. Buy some Chalkboard paint and a brush. Go to work. Allow at least 24 hours or so to dry, and you should be all set. Have you tried this project before? I would love to hear what you are working on.

Thanks for visiting, Kayla

Raspberry Jam Gluten Free and Egg Free Muffins

These little babies didn't last long in my kitchen at all. The boys each had two right when they came out of the oven. The raspberry flavor gave and nice change to my regular muffins that I usually make. If you have been following snacktimemom for awhile, you know how I love to make muffins. They are so easy to make, and they are a great breakfast, snack or dessert. These came out pretty sweet. I might try 1/4 cup of brown sugar next time. Enjoy!

You will need:
1 c. gluten free oat flour
3/4 c. honey buckwheat flour, yes this is GF
1/2 tsp. xantham gum
1 Tbs. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. milk
1/3 brown sugar
1/3 c. butter, softened
1 Tbs. ground flax, mixed with 3 Tbs. warm water
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. raspberry jam


Method:
Combine flours, xantham gum, baking powder, and salt in mixing bowl. Set aside. Cream butter and brown sugar together with electric mixer. Add flax and water mixture. Add dry mixture, alternating with milk until well mixed. Stir in raspberry jam.

Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.

School Lunch...Fall Shapes

It seems as though when the kids go back to school fall is right around the corner. Fall is definitely in the air here in Maine. It has been unseasonably cold lately. Usually September is my absolute favorite month with temperatures hanging around in the 70s. This week, it has been more like the 60s. My boys are so excited for fall, and all the traditions that come with it. Halloween is pretty big in our house, so out come the spooky decorations, the Halloween books, and the excitement that our annual apple picking day trip is in just a couple weeks.

So, I thought it would be fun to add some fun fall shapes to B's lunch. This is one way to jazz up a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, which was the request of the day :). If you can make out the shapes, I have a pumpkin, a witches hat, a black cat, a haunted house, and a leaf. I feel like the shapes come out much better when you are cutting cheese rather than bread. Also included in this lunch, cucumbers, tomato, mango, grapes, and trail mix. See recipe here. I also added some chocolate colored sunflower seeds as a treat.

Kayla

Trail Mix

Do you ever come to the end of the week, and realize that there is literally nothing left to snack on? Well, that is how I felt last week, although I am pretty sure it was more like a Wednesday rather than a Friday. My husband has been home a lot lately since he has to use up his remaining vacation days before they run out. He eats a lot. Especially after he goes to the gym. It seems as though his appetite just keeps on growing. I am thinking this might be my preview with two growing boys. The teenage years will undoubtedly bring lots of hungry boys.

I threw together this "trail mix" or sorts with ingredients I just happened to have  in my pantry. Next time I would probably skip the Chex, but it turned out rather tasty, and made a great snack option too. So next time you are running low on your regular munchies, try making a trail mix with ingredients you have on hand.

My Trail Mix Includes:

Corn Chex Cereal
Organic Raisins
Golden Raisins
Shredded Coconut
Dried Organic Apples
Organic Banana Chips
Slivered Almonds

Kayla

School Lunch

After I put this lunch together I realized it has a lot of cheese in it. :) Oh well, B loved it anyway. I like to add a little note in B's lunch box. He has not learned to read yet, and the lunch monitors at school probably don't have time to read notes from every mom, so I always write xo. He knows it means hugs and kisses. I'm sure this note is more for me than him, but I feel better when I send him a little love note from mommy. I'm sure I will only get away with this for a couple more years before it embarrasses him. Do you ever include a note in your child's lunchbox?


Inside this lunch:
Turkey, cheese, mustard, spinach on a spinach wrap
Cottage Cheese, in closed container
Strawberries
Pineapple
Dill Havarti Cheese cut into leaves
Tomato
White Macaroon, view recipe here.

Kayla

White Macaroons

I made chocolate macaroons the other day. See post here.  I thought I would try a regular white version, so here we go.  They came out really good, although I prefer the chocolate myself. I am a chocolate lover though. Give both recipes a try and let me know which you prefer. Enjoy!

You will need:

1. c. shredded coconut, unsweetened
1/4 c. coconut oil
1/4 c. pulsed cashews
2 Tbs. pure maple syrup
1/2 Tsp. vanilla
1 Tbs. raw agave nectar

Pulse the shredded coconut and cashews in your food processor to break them up. Once the pieces are quite small, add the remaining ingredients and pulse together until thoroughly blended. Use a small cookie scoop, or just roll into small balls, and place in a parchment lined container. Place in the fridge to set. Store in fridge of freezer for easy snacking.

School Lunch

I have to say our back to school transition has been fabulous. The first day was filled with joy, excitement, tears,(only from mommy)and exhaustion. B rode the bus to school for a full first day. I picked him up at 3:15, home for a little play time, dinner and then soccer practice. Yes, I am officially a soccer mom now. :) I love it!!  B was a very happy boy. He loves school, and soccer.


It's the second day of school and I am fulfilling another lunch request from B. He wanted cream cheese spread that he could spread onto crackers. I simply mixed cut up carrots, green olives and baby spinach with some cream cheese. B loves this kind of snack. I included a fresh tomato from our garden, which B eats like a little apple. The boy is a serious tomato lover. He wanted a tomato basil wrap with turkey, cheese, spinach and mustard. I usually try to add a couple fruit servings, today we have nectarine chunks and clementine wedges. I could never forget B's pickle. I put in a fruit leather for a special treat.

Kindergarten Lunch

School is officially in session.  This week has been bittersweet for me. My oldest son has started kindergarten. He will be in school 5 full days a week. I think this is a lot for a 5 year old. What happened to half day kindergarten? That would be ideal. Anyhow, here we are. He has been so excited, and more than ready.  On the other side of things, I will be able to spend more one on one time with my little guy. He will turn 3 this fall. 

This is the lunch I packed for the first day of Kindergarten. He requested a "silly face lunch." I think this looks a little silly, he approved. The face is a raisin English muffin with cream cheese spread on top. I used cheese and carrots for the eyes, cheese and a raisin for the nose, and a carrot sliver for the mouth. The two cucumber snacks you see of the left are hollowed with a dollop of hummus inside. I topped them with a few raisins and shredded carrots. I thought they looked pretty fun. His fruit is cut up nectarines, and oranges. Across the top I included four chocolate chip cookie dough balls. You can view the recipe here. I also cut some Colby jack cheese into little animals for a fun addition. My son loved his lunch. He sees me making it in the morning, and can't wait until lunch time.

Have you sent any of your kids back to school yet? I would love to hear about it.