Vacation Packing

We are headed to Florida at the end of the week so I have been busy packing for everyone.  Traveling with kids can be a challenge so endless activities, and snacks for the plane seems like a practical idea. They both have Leap Pads, which we will bring. ( I highly recommend these, they are great little learning tablets.) The boys got coloring kits, new crayons, and a new coloring book for Christmas. I picked up a new sticker book for both of them that will be a surprise once they open their carry on while on the plane.

I searched around online to find a fool proof method for packing kids. These gallon sized Ziplocs seem like they will work perfectly. I packed a complete outfit in each bag. Each morning I can just hand the kids their bag of clothes, and they can get dressed without having the hassle of mixing and matching away from home.  As you know I am not a fan of plastic baggies, but these will definitely be reused over and over.

We are so excited for our trip. I can't wait to have my family together in the sunny south for a week. *I will return to blogging on Monday February 3rd. Stay warm.

Thanks for visiting, Kayla

School Lunch

This lunch was from a week or so ago. Today there is no school since it is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. I have been in busy mode lately getting ready for our Florida vacation I have not made any time for homemade snacks and treats. My goal for the month of February is to experiment with soaps, creams, and lip balms. I have wanted to work on those projects for a while now.

In this lunch:
Ham, Cheese, Spinach Pita's
Annie's Bunny Snack Mix
Cucumbers
Kiwi
Animal Cookie

Thanks for visiting, Kayla

New Addition

Meet Remmy. Remmy is the newest addition to our family. I thought you would like to meet him. He looks sleepy in these pictures, but don't let him fool you, he is downright crazy. :)

 My husband and I said we would never get a cat. we are not 'cat people' so why would we have one in our home, right? Well.. after some serious thinking we decided to adopt a 10 month old kitten/cat for the boys to grow up with. I made sure to find one with short, gray hair so shedding would be less of an issue. He is litter box trained, and very energetic, just what the boys need, someone to run circles around them.

Since Remmy came we have all been happier. We laugh more, that's for sure. As for me not being a 'cat person,' it looks like Remmy is changing my perspective. It turns out cats are not gross if they live in a clean, well cared for home. I couldn't be happier with the decision to find him. He is also helping R to calm down on the tantrums a bit. Bonus! Have a great weekend.

Thanks for visiting, Kayla

Gluten Free Raspberry Oatmeal Bars

This recipe comes from the back of the Bob's Red Mill GF Oat Flour bag. I use this flour all the time, and finally  decided to give these bars a try. They are delicious, but very sweet. If you have tried my recipes you know that I try to limit the amount of sugar. These have a full 1/2 cup, plus the sugar from the jam. They are definitely a dessert rather than a snack.

You will need:

1/2 c. unsalted butter, melted
2 tsp. vanilla, divided
1 c. GF Oat flour
1 c. GF Oats
1/2 c. Sugar
1-1/2 tsp Xanthan Gum
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp grated Lemon Zest
1/2 tsp Sea Salt
2/3 cup Raspberry Jam or Preserves

Method:

Preheat oven to 375°F. Generously grease an 8x8-inch pan.

In medium bowl, combine melted butter and 1 teaspoon of the vanilla. Stir in flour, oats, sugar, xanthan gum, baking powder, lemon zest and salt until thoroughly blended.

Press 1 cup of oat mixture firmly into bottom of the prepared pan. Stir remaining teaspoon of vanilla into raspberry jam until smooth, then spread evenly on top.

 

Sprinkle remaining oat mixture over jam, then pat firmly to make top layer smooth and even.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until top is lightly browned and firm. Cool bars in pan for 30 minutes on wire rack. Cut into 16 squares and serve at room temperature.

 

Thanks for visiting, Kayla

School Lunch

Happy Monday.  It seems like January is flying by for us, which is a really good feeling since Winter is not my favorite. My family is taking a vacation to Florida toward the end of the month, so it seems like time is getting away from me as I am making all the preparations. We are going to visit my sister's family, and spend lots of time at Disney. Do you have any vacations planned this winter?

In this lunch:
Ham, cheese, spinach, mustard and pickle wrap
Fresh Organic Strawberries, swoon
Cucumbers
Annie's bunnies party mix


Thanks for visiting, Kayla

Coconut Vanilla Power Bites

It seems that we eat a lot of bars, and bites. They are such an easy go to snack that I always have on hand, and the best part is they are good for you. I have a difficult time getting my kids to eat dried fruit, and a handful of nuts, but if I disguise the two in a bar no one objects. I was experimenting in the kitchen the other day, making a new variation of power bites. They are delicious.

You will need:
2 c. pitted dates
1 c. cashew meal
1/4 c. chia seeds
1 tbs. creamed honey
1 tbs. vanilla
1/2 c. shredded coconut
1/2 c. coconut oil, melted

In your food processor pulse dates, cashew meal, and chia seeds. Add salt, honey, vanilla and coconut. Pulse until mixture is pebbly. Add coconut oil and pulse until the entire mixture comes together.  Spread in parchment lined baking dish and chill in fridge.  Once completely hardened, cut into bite sized squares. Store in fridge or freezer.

Thanks for visiting, Kayla

School Lunch

B is back to school from Christmas break. It seems like forever since I made a lunch for school. His vacation was extended by 3 days. Two of them were snow days, and the third was a sick day. He came down with a stomach bug so I kept him home on Monday for an extra day to rest.

The lack of Organic fruit during the winter months is seriously challenging.
In this lunch:
Chicken Salad Sandwich
Carrot Sticks, ranch dressing
Cheddar Crackers
Tomatoes
Banana
Dried raspberries and yogurt covered raisins for a treat

Thanks for visiting, Kayla

Technical Difficulties

***FYI***

Recently I have been having difficulty logging into snacktimemom to post. If you visit my blog, and see that I haven't posted for a while, assume I can't log in. I am working to resolve this problem. Hopefully my posts will continue as normal. Feel free to email me at snacktimemom@yahoo.com

Snacktimemom's favorite reuseable containers

 I can hardly believe it is 2014. What a great year 2013 was for my family, I cannot wait to see what the new year brings. I am not too big on setting new year's resolutions simply because I feel as though you don't have to wait for January to come around again to set a new life goal for yourself. Personal daily reminders work well for this mom. What is important for me is to live in the moment and not get ahead of myself. The kids grow way... too fast, and I don't want to miss a single minute of it. HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

 

I had a request from one of my readers, who also happens to be one of my friends. She is looking for more choices in snack/lunch containers for her little ones. I have posted in the past on some of my favorites, so I thought I would extend that a little more.

 

I still swear by the Safe Sippe, and Safe Sporter Cups made by Kid Basix. They are made from stainless steel with a bpa free plastic top. I do most of my shopping on amazon, but you could order directly from kidbasix, or another site. Here is a direct link.

For baggies, and other food storage I use ItzyRitzy, and To go Ware.
Visit ItzyRitzy here.
Visit To Go Ware here.


And Of Course for lunches I LOVE the Planet Box. See here


A less expensive smaller choice is the Lunch Bots. See here.

Another fun snack container option that I recently purchased, and love is Slim Snack. See here.  I fill these with carrot sticks and granola all the time. It works great.



When you view my blog and read my School Lunch posts, you probably noticed these silicone muffin cups. I like to include these in B's lunches as little dividers, for fruit and veggies. Silicone is my preferred material over plastic.  I picked mine up at JoAnn Fabrics but you can find them on amazon or any local craft store.


Also in B's school lunches are these food picks.  I like to stick them in lunch meat, or anywhere in the lunch to add a fun detail. B likes to guess which animal is in his lunch before he opens it.

I hope some of this helps Lindsey. Please let me know if I missed something you were wondering about.

Thanks for visiting, Kayla