Tag: lunchbox


Apr
2018

Strawberry, Blueberry, and Beet Applesauce

categories: Breakfast, Dessert, Kid Food, Lunchbox, Snacks

I love making applesauce! I feel like such a queen when I do. It always comes out so beautifully and I can’t seem to mess it up. I usually make it during the Fall-time, and it perfumes the house with a warmth of cinnamon, and apples; tart and sweet. But, because it’s now Spring and I want to get more veg down my kids’ gullets, I came up with this recipe.

I happen to love beets. I always have. I was the weird kid (#weirdkidsrock) that would eat beets straight out of the can. And alfalfa sprouts with ranch as my after school snack. I meannnnn…  But beets are really quite good for you, earthy  and dirt-tasting as they are! They are great for heart and liver health and full of fiber.

Bonus: you let the crock pot do the dirty work (unless you consider coring and cutting apples dirty work. and then, I can’t help you. *I leave the skins on the apples for extra fiber.).

Once everything goes into the pot, the beets lend their beautiful, jewel-toned ruby-red color to the apples. Then, the entire thing becomes that same gorgeous color when blended together!

I hope you enjoy!

-Kristin

Print Recipe
 Strawberry, Blueberry, and Beet Applesauce
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Servings
servings
Ingredients
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Servings
servings
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. After fruit is thoroughly washed, core and cut the apples, cut the beets into quarters, and hull the strawberries. Place them, along with the blueberries (you can add in the beet juice, if you'd like) in the Crock Pot. Add the water, lemon juice, honey, and salt. Turn on to high heat for 4 hours. Once the apples are tender, turn off the Crock Pot. Use a wooden spoon to mash to the desired consistency. You may also use a hand mixer. Enjoy hot or cold!
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Dec
2016

Angel Themed School Lunch

categories: Kid Food, Lunchbox

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8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
    and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” – Luke 2:8-14

Angels hold a special place, both on the Christmas tree and in the Bible. This passage in the Bible, above, tells us of the beautiful moment an angel came down to foretell of Jesus’ birth. I imagine that after the initial shock, this great news gave the people such hope.

Below, the angel Gabriel visited Mary to tell her that she would give birth to Jesus, the son of God. I can’t imagine the fear she must have had. She was so young. She had to trust in God and put all of her fears aside. As part of our nightly Bible study, this Advent season, my sons and I discuss how Mary might have felt that night when Gabriel came down. As fearful as she might have been, she knew she needed to put all of her trust in God. She knew she did not have an easy road ahead of her, literally, physically, and emotionally. But, she did it. It’s quite a lesson for us.

26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid,Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called[b] the Son of God. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. 37 For no word from God will ever fail.”

38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her. – Luke 1:26-38

In both of these special times, God sent an angel to tell of His great news. I love the sweet image we associate with angels, here on Earth, too. For today’s lunch, I went with an angel theme. I made peanut butter and jelly angels. That silly image is not lost on me. I added some details with my food safe markers. I also packed Wheat Thins, some oatmeal raisin balls, red grapes, mandarin orange (Biggie), and some Trader Joe’s marshmallows for dessert.

May you feel the warmth of God’s truth this Season,

Kristin


Dec
2016

O Christmas Tree! School Lunches

categories: Kid Food, Lunchbox

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O Christmas tree, o Christmas tree
How lovely are thy branches
O Christmas tree, o Christmas tree
How lovely are thy branches

If you celebrate, has your tree been up for a while, or do you wait? Do you have multi-colored lights, or all white? Do you have a real tree, or fake? Classic ornaments or hodgepodge? Me: been up for a while, I switch back and forth between the multi-colored and the while, all the while wishing the tree designers gave me the option for having both on at the same time, fake tree, and hodgepodge. And between you and me, I love seeing everyone’s trees through their front windows, in a non-creepy way, of course. I just LOVE that everyone has their own tree style. If you feel so inclined (and I hope you do!!), tell me about your tree in the comments! I’d love to hear about it!

For my boys’ lunches tomorrow, I made a Christmas tree shaped sandwich. I went hog wild with my colors (food safe spray and markers). I used a flower shaped sprinkle for the star. I also packed veggie crackers, a cheese stick, mandarin orange (Bigs), yogurt raisins (Smalls), red grapes, Kinder chocolate, and some red, green, and white chocolate covered sunflower seeds (Bigs) for dessert.

Happy Christmas!

Kristin


Nov
2016

Happy Friday! (And some turkey themed lunches)

categories: Kid Food, Lunchbox

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Well, you’ve almost made it to Friday! Yippee! That’s always cause for celebration in our house. For tomorrow’s lunches for my little turkeys, I went with a turkey theme. This just might be my altogether favorite themed lunch from over the years. I’ve probably done this one over a dozen times and it never gets old to me. I think that little turkey is so darn cute! I made a turkey shaped PB sandwich. Ain’t nobody (re: me) got time for jelly today. I used my food safe markers to add some details. I also packed some crackers, a mandarin orange (Smalls), fresh berries (Bigs), red grapes, half a cheese stick, and a pumpkin brownie with a candy corn for dessert.

Hope your Friday isn’t too fowl! HAHAHHAHA

Kristin


Nov
2016

Hooo Goes There?

categories: Kid Food, Lunchbox

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I’ll tell you hooo goes there – owl themed lunches! For tomorrow’s school lunches, I made owl shaped ham and cheese sandwiches. I added googly eyeballses, and used my food safe markers to add wing, beak, and claw talon details (do they have claws or talons? EDIT: they have talons, as per my non-extensive research determined). I also packed dried apricots, applesauce, mandarin oranges, Good Thins veggie blends crackers, and Trader Joe’s chocolate sunflower seed drops for dessert.

Oh (hoo)! And Happy Friday!

Kristin


Nov
2016

Happy November and Squirrel Themed Lunches

categories: Kid Food, Lunchbox

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Happy November! I love this month! It has my favorite holiday in it! And while I admit, the weather here in Sunny Central Florida doesn’t match the month, it still just feels different. There’s a different feeling in the air.

Oh yes, boy, it’s Fall alright!

Anywho. Here’s my first fun lunch of this glorious month, and it’s got tree rats in them, as my Mom call them. 😀

I made squirrel shaped sandwiches (PB for Bigs, cheese for Smalls), bread acorns for the tree rats, Good Thins veggie blends crackers, a mandarin orange, green grapes, and a Trader Joe’s pumpkin pie for dessert.

Get to it!

Kristin


Oct
2016

Happy Halloween! School Lunches

categories: Kid Food, Lunchbox

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Happy Halloween, Friends! For today’s lunches, I made Jack O’ Lantern sandwiches. On the inside is cream cheese and Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Pie Spice Cookie Butter. I used my food safe markers to add some details. And just like real Jack O’Lanterns, each one is different! HA! That bottom one looks like one that’s been sitting out for a week already, but hey, I don’t think my Smalls will mind too much! I also packed raisins, red and green grapes (sliced in half for Smalls, because he still likes to shove them into his mouth all at the same time), some Trader Joe’s Inner Peas, some veggie straws since I ran out of Inner Peas, an apple, a Kit Kat, and some black and orange chocolate covered sunflower seeds. Whew!

I hope today is a BOOtiful day for you, and that you don’t fly off the handle if you’re feeling witchy, and that you have fun trick or tweeting if you’re a bird, and that you enjoy your i-scream if you’re a ghoul.

Okay. That’s a wrap on my puns now. You know, if you’re a mummy.

Have a fun and safe Halloween!

Kristin


Oct
2016

Ghost Themed School Lunch

categories: Kid Food, Lunchbox

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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


Oct
2016

Pumpkin Themed Lunches

categories: Kid Food, Lunchbox

Happy Friday! I thought I’d live on the edge and add in a quick blog post. So, here I am againnnnnnnn.

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For my boys’ lunches today, I made a pumpkin shaped ham and cheese sandwich. I used food-safe markers to add some pumpkin-y details. I also packed some Trader Joe’s pumpkin crackers, yogurt covered raisins, green grapes, and a little TJ’s pumpkin pie.

So happy it’s Friday! Have a great weekend!

Kristin


Apr
2016

Colorful Hot Dog Kindergarten School Lunch

categories: Kid Food

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Well, I’m sorry to disappoint you…the hot dog is, in fact, not so colorful. But I thought the lunch was enough to put that in the title. This should be funny to look back upon in five years! 🙂 For tomorrow’s lunch (for my almost six year old [today is the two week countdown!]), I packed a very standard, very un-colorful hot dog, a mandarin orange, green grapes, Cheez-Its, and two Rainbow Chips Deluxe. It’s all a bit processed around here, I’m not even going to argue you on that one. I used a clown cupcake pick to add such much needed color (can you sense my level of facetiousness…it’s a level I on which I operate often) and I called it a day!

You may have noticed (or not, and that’s okay) that I haven’t touched my blog in well over a month. It’s been a busy, busy time – busy with life, busy with migraines, busy with anxiety and depression. I am hoping to put words to all of my feelings on this. I am hoping that someone, somewhere, can empathize with it all, and if not, to at least relate on a level of of simple human-ness.

I’m just thankful for all of you special readers out there, that read my silly blog about sandwiches and basic hot dogs and the occasional commentary on life. I’m grateful for you.

Kristin