Finding Me
I’m just aGHOST that I’m blogging this close together! For today’s lunch, I went with a cutie ghost theme for my big first grader. I made a ghost shaped peanut butter and mango jam sandwich. I added some eyes and a mouth with my food safe markers. I also packed Trader Joe’s pumpkin crackers, dried coconut and orange slices, real oranges, green grapes, ghost meringues (recipe forthcoming!), and black and orange chocolate covered sesame seeds.
Boo!
Kristin
Here I am! I’m still here, I promise! I am slowly getting back on track (#famouslastwords #dontquoteme) and hope to pack normal, blog-worthy lunches for my deserving boys. For my NOW GREAT BIG FIRST GRADE SON (when did this happen, I only blinked), I went with an updated homemade Lunchables. One of his best friends loves salami so much, and we always joke about how much she loves her cured meat. Well, it influenced my Bigs and he asked for salami this time. I also added cheddar and crackers, dried fruit (coconut chips, apricot, date, and cranberries), midnight black grapes, and two homemade chocolate chip cookies.
Here’s to many more blog posts!! HA!!
Blessings!
Kristin
For today’s lunch, I made a chocolate chip pancake sandwich (with sunbutter and raspberry jam). I also packed a mandarin orange, pineapple, dried fruit (dried coconut, dried ginger, dried dates, raisins, dried cranberries), and one gold chocolate coin.
Happy Brunch!
Kristin
My kids told me that they loved their lunches today so much that they wanted the same again for tomorrow. That couldn’t make life any easier for me! I made another pumpkin cream cheese and cinnamon raisin bread sandwich. I also packed cubed colby jack cheese, a little more rolled up ham this time, dried dates, dried cranberries, dried pineapple, snap pea crisps, and a few little pieces of brownie brittle (brilliant).
Almost Friday. It’s almost Friday.
Kristin
Well, oopsie. It’s almost been a month since I blogged. What can I say? Summer really took over. Now, it’s coming to a close. My boys go back to school next week ( 🙁 ). I’ve so enjoyed my extra time with them, where the days started and ended later, we ate our weight in ice cream, and we did what we wanted. Times are a-changin’! It’s back to the grind. It’s going to be a rude awakening next week, when I’ll be forced to wake them up. I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it. That “my baby is now going to Kindergarten” bridge will also have to be dealt with. I’m not emotionally prepared to deal with that at this time.
Moving on to what makes me comfortable – food. 😀
I found a recipe for Quinoa Granola Bars and tweaked them a little.
These were so good! The oats made them chewy and the quinoa made them crunchy. The dried fruit made them subtly sweet and the chocolate coating just made them. Chocolate coating makes almost everything. Ask anybody.
You can leave the chocolate coating off, if needed. I can barely come up with a situation where a chocolate coating would not be needed. But, know that option exists.
Quinoa Granola Bars with Dried Fruit & Chocolate
Recipe adapted from: Superhealthykids.com
1 C uncooked quinoa
1 C oats
1/2 C coconut
1 1/2 C combination of nuts and dried fruit (I used a 1/2 each of cranberries, golden raisins, and sliced almonds)
1/4 t salt
1/2 C peanut butter
3/4 C honey
1 T oil (I used coconut)
3 T brown sugar
1 t vanilla extract
1/2 C chocolate chips
1 t oil (I used coconut)
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Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a 9X13 inch baking dish. Spread the oats and quinoa on a cookie sheet and toast in preheated oven for 8 minutes. Pour the quinoa and oats mixture into a large bowl and add coconut, nuts, and dried fruit. Mix together. In a medium saucepan, combine salt, peanut butter, honey, oil, and brown sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat and immediately remove from heat. Add the vanilla extract and mix. Pour over oats mixture and combine until dry ingredients are evenly coated. Pour into baking dish. Press mixture down into pan. Bake for about 15 – 18 minutes.
To make the chocolate, mix the chocolate chips and oil together in a bowl. Microwave at 30 second intervals, stirring until melted. Spread over the top of the bars and let them cool/dry.
Cut and serve.
These are a teeny bit crumbly, but are delicious for snacks (after school, maybe? mid-morning? you decide). You could also individually wrap the slices and freeze and pop into a lunchbox.
Enjoy!
Kristin
It’s a new week, and my big kid will be studying the Ocean. I love ocean life. To kick off the week, I made a seahorse themed lunch for my Bigs.
I made a seahorse shaped PB&J. I also packed goldfish crackers (fresh water, I know), red grapes, a mandarin orange, and some trail mix. For dessert, he chose lemon-lime Jell-o. It’s my big boy’s birthday week, so I didn’t mind letting him have this, this time.
I also packed a lunch for my little guy. We are going on a play date and I think he’ll find this to be more enticing than a square sandwich.
I packed the same seahorse sandwich, trail mix, goldfish crackers, red grapes, and iced animal crackers for dessert.
Did you know that seahorses have no stomachs? That’s why they are constantly eating, all day long, just to stay alive. There are also over forty known species of seahorses!
#themoreyouknow
Kristin
I used to love Lunchables. I am not sure if it was the compartmentalized container (for which I am a shoe-in), or the make-it-yourself situation. Either way, they were so fun for me. Unfortunately, they aren’t too healthy for you, which is why I like to make a homemade version for my buddy. Sure, it would be healthier if I made the crackers from scratch, but I can only do so much, ya feel? So, for today’s lunch for my Bigs, I made a Lunchable. He told me that he loved it and finished every bite.
I packed a few Ritz crackers, some honey maple ham (rolled up and cut), colby jack cheese, raisins, yogurt covered raisins, some seasoned corn, a mandarin orange, and a chocolate chip cookie.
And for my Smalls:
I packed a PB&J, assorted raisins, peanuts, an apple, and a chocolate chip cookie. I think there may be some dried fruit in there too, but I can’t remember (even though it was less than 12 hours ago that I packed it #Mommybrain).
His teacher told me he was very excited about his cookie. I can relate.
I love when lunchboxes come home [mostly] empty.
Kristin
For Bigs’ lunch today, I packed [yes, another] Mummy Hot Dog, seasoned corn, popcorn, cantaloupe and pineapple, an organic yogurt squeezy thing, and some spooky teeth for dessert. These were so easy and will (I hope) make a cute impression. I cut apples to look like lips (they will need some kind of citrus juice on them so they don’t brown), spread peanut butter, and place marshmallow “teeth” on them. Easy peasy. These would be a cute Halloween snack, too!
For my Smalls, I packed a PB&J, pretzels, dried fruit, and a banana.
The boys are ready for Halloween tomorrow and cannot wait to go trick or treating.
Have a blessed Thursday!
Kristin
Whew, another week in. I’m so glad it’s almost Friday. It’s been an extremely long week. This Mama is ready for some rest!
This is what I packed for my special Bigs:
I made a plain cream cheese and TJ’s pumpkin butter sandwich, shaped like a pumpkin. I cut out the Jack-o-lanturn details and added color with my Food Writers. I packed seasoned corn, dried cranberries, dried apples, red grapes, and a teeny TJ’s pumpkin pie.
Happy Friday, everyone! May you have a blessed weekend!
Kristin
Only the Lord gives wisdom. Knowledge and understanding come from him. – Proverbs 2:6
So. Tonight’s dinner was a total and utter disaster. It didn’t even start with the best of intentions. It was doomed. Right from the start. If you follow me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/SprinklesinmyLunchbox), then you know. I mentioned that it involved lamb and a crockpot. That’s all I am willing to say about it. I might barf just thinking about it. **SHUDDER** We ate cornbread and mashed potatoes (homemade, at least!!) instead. I threw some grapes on our plates too, just to take away from all the carbs. I was just so happy to have something edible for my kids to eat, that I didn’t care about what it was.
Don’t even ask me why I bought the lamb to begin with.
It was a baaaaaaaaaaad decision.
#regret
Anyways, because of that regretful decision, when it came time to make my Bigs’ school lunch for tomorrow, I didn’t even feel like touching meat. Of any kind. Or food. Of any kind. So I give myself a little leeway on this lunch. It was packed in a hurry. And without much thought. Sorry, Kid.
I made green grape and Colby jack cheese kebabs. I also packed two little cornbread muffins from dinner tonight, some homemade applesauce, a banana, some dried fruit (mandarin oranges, blueberries, banana chips), and two chocolate covered almonds.
Tomorrow’s a new day. Tomorrow, I’ll make good food. Tomorrow, the regretful smell of tonight’s dinner will have cleared.
Can’t wait for tomorrow.
Kristin