raisins – Sprinkles in my Lunchbox

31
Oct
2016

Happy Halloween! School Lunches

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

29
Feb
2016

Spring Bunny Themed Kindergarten School Lunch

categories: Kid Food, Lunchbox

This season of life is so wild! I’m constantly busy. Time is a luxury. A rare gem. And this holiday season has been…what’s that? The holiday season is over? It’s been nonstop busy since the holidays started, that I was unawares they ended. Huh. Well. Spring is almost here. And with Spring, comes renewal and freshness. And time, I hope. Along with clearing of the mind [mine, in particular].

And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow in fast movies, I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer.

F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

In the spirit of impending, renewing, fresh, time-filled Springtime, I put together a fun bunny lunch for my oldest son!

I made a bunny shaped sunbutter and creamed honey (Trader Joe’s – necessary) sandwich. I also packed pita chips, red grapes, their shriveled cousins, cantaloupe, and a Hostess cupcake.

Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

Psalms 51:10

Blessings!

Kristin

14
Jan
2016

Pancake Brunch Kindergarten School Lunch

categories: Kid Food, Lunchbox

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

17
Nov
2015

Perfect Sweet Potato Casserole (and another squirrel themed lunch)

categories: Dinner, Kid Food

It is THAT time of year again! I adore Thanksgiving. It’s my favorite holiday. Not just for the food, although that’s a huge part of it. I love the tradition, the memories I have of Thanksgivings past, the new memories made with family, the way people become so introspective about thankfulness. I love the traditional food that I make each year, and the new recipes I come up with. I love the crafts. I love every part of it. It makes me happy.

I always seem to make mini Thanksgiving meals in the weeks prior to the Big Day, in hungry anticipation. Last week, I made a turkey and cranberry meatloaf which I paired with my traditional macaroni and cheese casserole, green bean casserole, and sweet potato casserole (#casseroleallthethings). This week, I paired a new sweet potato casserole with a honey and dijon mustard glazed ham. And this SPC was SO dang good, that I just had to share the recipe with you. It also happens to be dairy and gluten free, which for my family, is a bonus!

It’s creamy on the inside, studded with little jewels of dried fruit, and topped with two kinds of marshmallow, which have been toasted just the perfect amount.

**Caveat** This recipe has raisins in it. I know for a fact that many people do not like raisins. I don’t care for them in cookies. They ruin cookies for me. But in this? They added a chewy, lovely texture.

Perfect Sweet Potato Casserole

Recipe serves 2 adults and 2 kids, with leftovers

3 medium to large sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped

2 T melted coconut oil

splash of coconut milk

1 egg, lightly beaten

3/4 C dried cranberries

2/3 C golden raisins

1/2 small jar marshmallow fluff

1/2 bag of mini marshmallows

Boil the peeled and chopped sweet potatoes until they are tender. Using a hand mixer, blend together the next three ingredients, until creamy and smooth. Fold in the dried fruit. Pour into a greased pan (I used a 9×9) and bake in a 350F oven for about 25 minutes. Melt the marshmallow fluff in the microwave. Pull the casserole out and spread the fluff over the top. Sprinkle the mini marshmallows over that and place back in the oven, with the broiler on high. Make sure not to burn the marshmallows, but see that they get nice and brown!

It is dang good. ENJOY!

Also. I made yet another squirrel themed lunch. This is my last week of fall and Thanksgiving themed lunches, so I am doing repeats allll day.

I made squirrel shaped sunbutter and grape jelly sandwiches. I cut acorn shapes out of fruit leather for the little tree rats to snack on. I also packed goldfish crackers, dried cranberries, more dried fruit, colby jack cheese (Bigs), a mandarin orange (Bigs), green grapes (Smalls), and a Linzer cookie for each.

Peace ‘n’ Blessins’,

Kristin

29
Oct
2015

Happy Halloween Kindergarten & 3’s School Lunches

categories: Kid Food, Lunchbox

Welp. This about wraps up October, can you believe it?! For their final Halloweeny lunches, I packed spider web shaped sunbutter and apple butter sandwiches. I stuck plastic spider rings in them and used Food Writers to add webby details. I also packed raisins (for Bigs), seasoned corn, dried cranberries, green grapes, snap pea crisps, Trader Joe’s mini pumpkin pies, and a few black and orange chocolate covered sunflower seeds. I used Halloween cupcake picks and rings to decorate.

And since I am blessed to be the Co-op Parent Helper in my Smalls’ classroom tomorrow, I packed myself a lunch.

For me, I packed smoked gouda chunks, Trader Joe’s pumpkin and cranberry crackers, Boar’s Head salami, green grapes, cucumbers, and a mini pumpkin pie.

SAFE AND HAPPY HALLOWEEN to you all!

Kristin

27
Oct
2015

Lunch Catch Up

categories: Kid Food, Lunchbox

These weeks, you guys. Oh bless me. They’ve been challenging. I haven’t been on top of my daily lunch game, but I’ve been able to do a few. So here they are. In all their “glory”.

Sunbutter and jam (or ham and cheese, I just can’t remember!!) on hamburger buns, popcorn, green grapes, raisins, and a Twix bar.

Another Lunchable – ham, colby jack cheese, Ritz crackers, green grapes, pears, and a cut up Star Crunch.

Another hamburger bun with some kind of filling ( 🙂 ), green grapes, popcorn, and a “New York Peppermint Patty”, as my boys call them.

And for tomorrow’s lunches – mini pancakes and apple butter sandwiches, cubed cheese, rolled up ham, green grapes, and a few little chunks of Trader Joe’s pumpkin Pop Tarts.

Whew.

Have a great week!

Kristin

17
Sep
2015

Ham & Cheese Friday Kindergarten & 3’s School Lunches

categories: Dessert, Kid Food, Lunchbox

Tomorrow is Friday. Yay. I’m so glad we made it another week. I packed ham, cheese, and mayo sandwiches for my boys. With this Arnold’s Country Bread, I only have to make one sandwich and split it between them. I also packed cotton candy grapes, an Apple Pie Oatmeal Cookie, cheddar sandwich crackers, raisins, a natural fruit leather, broccoli for Smalls, and yogurt pretzels for Bigs.

Long live the weekend!

Kristin

14
Sep
2015

Pumpkin Bagel Kindergarten School Lunch

categories: Kid Food, Lunchbox

For tomorrow’s lunch, I packed a bagel with pumpkin cream cheese, a few pretzels, raisins, dried pineapple, cotton candy grapes, strawberries, and colby jack cheese.

Fun fact about today: my sons will only answer to “Leonardo” and “Raphael”.

Heroes in a half shell!

Kristin

10
Sep
2015

Happy Friday! Kindergarten & 3’s Pizza School Lunches

categories: Kid Food, Lunchbox

Tomorrow is Friday. I think Fridays are meant to celebrate…you know, after school (work for most), is done. It’s a celebration of making it through the week, of having a blissful few days ahead. To celebrate Friday, I packed pizza rolls for my kiddos. I made them for dinner last night and my boys love them. They are so easy to make! I also packed raisins, strawberries (my Smalls doesn’t care for them because of the “bumps” [he’s a sensory kid!], but I am going to press my luck with just a few pieces), red grapes, freeze dried jack fruit, and a gluten and mostly dairy free cupcake (with orange tinted icing sugar glaze, Smalls got half of one).

HAPPY FRIDAAAAYYYY

Kristin

09
Sep
2015

Kebab Kindergarten School Lunch

categories: Dessert, Kid Food, Lunchbox

For tomorrow’s lunch (for my Bigs), I packed two ham & cheese kebabs. I used colby jack cheese. I also packed apples, peaches, raisins, pretzels, and an Apple Pie Oatmeal Cookie.

Happy Friday Eve!

Kristin

Tag: raisins