sprinkles – Sprinkles in my Lunchbox

14
Dec
2016

Christmas Wreath Themed School Lunches

For tomorrow’s lunches for my boys, I went with a Christmas wreath theme. In many churches, the Christmas wreath, circling five candles, is used as a way to celebrate the Advent season, which counts down the four Sundays in December leading up to Christmas (which is the symbolized by the fifth candle). This season is so important to many families as we gather together to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ and to rejoice in His glory! I know my boys might just see a wreath (with red hots!)…at least I HOPE they can see that it’s a wreath HA!…but, it was fun for me to connect it to the precious and everlasting love of Jesus.

Back to those red hots…

I used food safe spray and markers to add color, and red hots as holly berries on the wreath. There’s PB&J inside. HA! I also packed Triscuits, yogurt raisins, mandarin orange (Bigs), red grapes, and a slice of spice cake with some fun sprinkles for dessert.

In His love,

Kristin

18
Feb
2016

HAPPY Friday Lunches

categories: Kid Food, Lunchbox

As I sit here, eating store-bought pudding out of the tub and pondering my week, I feel eternally grateful that tomorrow is Friday. It is a day to celebrate. The end of a long, long week.

I am celebrating with pudding (Could I BE any more fun?!). My kids will celebrate with fun lunches.

I made present and ice cream cone shaped sandwiches (sunbutter and jam for Bigs and PB&J for Smalls) and threw a bunch of sprinkles on there, because…sprinkles. In my lunchbox. I used Food Writers to add details. I also packed Cheese-Its, red grapes (a few plums for Smalls), one cinnamon roll Oreo, and a Swedish fish each for dessert.

Party Time! Excellent!

Have a great weekend,

Kristin

15
Jan
2016

Fairy Bread Kindergarten & 3’s School Lunches

categories: Kid Food, Lunchbox

Have you ever heard of Fairy Bread? It’s this magical dish served at parties in Australia and NZ, where slices of white bread are slathered with butter and liberally covered with nonpareils (or hundreds and thousands, as they’re known as there), and cut into triangles. This is my take on it. I made sunbutter and strawberry jam kebabs and turned them into Fairy Bread kebabs. It’s Friday. It’s time to celebrate. It’s the end of the week. We made it!! I also packed orange flavored dried cranberries, oyster crackers, red grapes, gingerbread muffins, and peas and carrot mallow candies…because PEAS AND CARROTS CANDY!!! They were one of my favorite candies growing up. I’d spend my allowance on those things at the mall candy store. Along with sour peach gummy rings, sour gummy belts, Jelly Bellies, licorice, Warheads, gummy sharks, gummy colas, and pretty much anything else I could get my hands on. I digress.

Fairy Bread.

Happy Friday!

Kristin

20
May
2015

The Last Day of VPK for 2015

categories: Kid Food, Lunchbox

Tomorrow is my Bigs’ last day of VPK. I am in denial. He’ll be in Kindergarten next year. That’s like “big boy” status.

Cue ugly crying.

Bigs’ class pet this year was a flamingo, appropriately named “Mingo”. He spent many nights with us, as he did with all the classmates. He was very loved. It was absolutely fitting that the class pet was a flamingo. It’s always been, um, my spirit animal. If there is such a thing. So I really enjoyed the flamingo theme this year. I made a few flamingo lunches this year, as well (here and here). So for his very last VPK school lunch, I felt that Mingo needed his due course.

I made a “Mingo” shaped PB&J. I also packed a pluot, TJ’s organic PB crackers, red grapes, and yellow watermelon. I didn’t pack a dessert, since we’ll be having an ice cream party tomorrow. I used flamingo cupcake picks and added a palm tree (that I acquired through a bakery cake at some point).

Long live Mingo.

And for my Smalls, who is also having his last day of Mom’s Morning Out…

…he’ll be in the “3’s” next year. Sniff. I made two little ice cream cone shaped PB&J sandwiches. I added details with my Food Writers. I also packed PB crackers, yellow watermelon, and one homemade chocolate chip/sprinkle/M&M cookie, cut into fourths.

I made those cookies yesterday to deliver to the boys’ school staff, as a thank you. They were really easy to make and used whole wheat flour.

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Sprinkle M&M Cookies

Adapted from: Weelicious

1 C AP flour

1¼ C whole wheat flour

1 t baking soda

½ t salt

1 C butter, room temperature

1 C brown sugar, packed

½ C granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 T vanilla

1 C semisweet chocolate chips

1 C M&Ms

1/2 C colored jimmies

Preheat oven to 375F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat and set aside.

Whisk together both flours, baking soda and salt. In another bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer), cream butter and both sugars together for 3 minutes. Add in eggs and vanilla and beat until smooth. Gradually add in dry ingredients. Do not overmix. Stir in chocolate chips, M&Ms, and sprinkles.

Drop dough onto your prepared baking sheet and bake for 7-10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Enjoy! Summer is here!!

Kristin

19
May
2015

Favorite Things Week – VPK School Lunch #2

categories: Kid Food, Lunchbox

For tomorrow’s lunch, I had my big boy choose what he wanted, make it, and pack it himself.

For his second-to-last school lunch, he chose a ham, cheese, and mayo sandwich. I told him he could do it however he wanted. He wanted the top piece of bread to be upside down, and he wanted to cut it into thirds. He’s neat. He also packed pretzel sticks, red grapes, and a teeny piece of that outrageously yummy (and easy) chocolate cake with fun sprinkles, that I made earlier in the week.

Happy Wednesday!

Kristin

18
May
2015

Favorite Things Week – VPK School Lunch (and Chocolate Cake!)

categories: Dessert, Kid Food, Lunchbox

This is my big boy’s last week of VPK. Sniff. I don’t know where the time has gone. I literally only blinked, and his entirely VPK year has come and gone. To help him celebrate his last three days of school, I decided to pack some of his favorite things.

For tomorrow:

I packed a PB&J. This kid loves his PB&J’s. I also packed corn (his favorite vegetable), a yogurt squeeze (he always wants one), and a teeny slice of super sprinkled homemade chocolate cake for dessert.

Speaking of chocolate cake…

…oh, yes boy.

Today was my last Mommy church group meeting for this school year, and I made a one-bowl frosted chocolate cake to take with me. I made sure to save some for my boys. They always ask me to save them special treats when I make them for get-togethers.

I’ve used this recipe a dozen times before. It’s very quick to throw together. I almost always have the ingredients, as well.

Who could resist such an easy recipe?

It’s fudgy, not-too-rich, chocolatey, and super moist.

I covered it with a ton of fun sprinkles.

Do it.

One Bowl Chocolate Cake

recipe adapted from: Six Sister’s Stuff

2 C AP flour
2 C sugar
1/2 C baking cocoa (I used 1/4 C of dark chocolate cocoa, 1/4 C regular)
2 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1 C vegetable or canola oil
1 C buttermilk (you can easily make your own with milk and vinegar)
2 eggs
1 C hot water

Frosting:

1/2 C butter, softened
1/4 C milk
1 1/2 t vanilla extract
3 T cocoa powder (I used a mix of dark and regular, again)
3 C powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9×13″ pan.

In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients. Mix in the oil, buttermilk, and eggs. Pour in the water and mix well. It will be runny and that is okay.

Pour batter into pan. Bake for 33-38 minutes or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean. Mine was done at 35 minutes.

Once completely cooled, frost.

To make frosting, mix all the ingredients together. Add more powdered sugar or milk, as needed.

I hope you enjoy it!

Kristin

30
Apr
2015

Happy Birthday! VPK School Lunch

categories: Kid Food, Lunchbox

Saturday is my Big Buddy’s 5th birthday. I honestly don’t know where the time went. I blinked. I literally only blinked.

He was screaming and crying, in his new baby way, his little newborn faced all scrunched up. He then turned his gorgeous violet eyes on to me and stopped crying. We gazed into each others’ eyes, and time stood still. That was the first moment of my life, as well as his.

I knew there was a Bigs-shaped hole in my heart, before he was born, but what I didn’t know was just how perfectly he’d fill it. He’s completely changed my life. He’s made me less selfish. He’s taught me patience (but oh, I am still working on this one). He’s taught me unconditional love, from a depth in my heart I didn’t know existed. This boy is so incredibly special. I hope he feels as loved as he is, always, for I’d surely be lost without him. <3

To kick off his 5th birthday celebrations, I packed a special birthday lunch for him for tomorrow:

I made a cupcake shaped PB&J and added detailing to show the cupcake liner, the icing, and a cherry, and added confetti sprinkles. I also packed goldfish crackers, blueberries, trail mix, a mandarin orange, and seasoned corn. I used my cake slice silicone molds and cupcake picks as decoration. I didn’t pack a dessert because I’ll be bringing donuts into school after lunch.

It’s going to be awesome having a 5 year old. He’s simply the best.

Kristin

29
Apr
2015

Thursday Lunches – Ocean Themed

categories: Kid Food, Lunchbox

Continuing on with Ocean Week for my big boy, here is his lunch from today and for tomorrow:

The octopus lunch is, by far, my favorite animal themed lunch. I love under-the-sea and in particular, squids and octopi. They are so rad to me. Anyways, I made an octopus shaped PB&J. I spread a little bit of PB on his arms and stuck confetti sprinkles on. I added two all-knowing candy eye balls. I also packed blueberries, raspberries, goldfish crackers, a mandarin orange, and a homemade chocolate chip sprinkle cookie.

I made a crab shaped PB&J for tomorrow. I used a teeny bit of red food-safe spray and added eyes. I also packed red grapes, blueberries, goldfish crackers, frozen corn (I added salt & pepper, he does not mind eating cold corn at lunch), and a homemade rice krispie treat.

And for my itty bitty:

I packed half a PB&J (it’s hiding under one of those chocolate chip sprinkle cookies), red grapes, broccoli with ranch, and dat cookie.

Hope you are having a rad week!

Kristin

04
Mar
2015

Bug Week – Bumblebee VPK School Lunch

categories: Kid Food, Lunchbox

Bugs freak me out. They are creepy, crawly, sting-y, scritchy, slimy, and buzzy. And they can buzz off for all I care. I’m happy that I’ve been able to get through Bug Week with relative cutesy bug lunches. Mama can’t handle icky bugs. Not gonna do it. It just would be prudent.

I made an adorable bee lunch for my Bigs for tomorrow. While the real thing sort of freaks me out (although HUGELY important to crops and honey supplies), this little guy is harmless. He’s full of PB&J, not stingers. I also packed honey wheat pretzel sticks, one date, a few assorted raisins, grapes, blueberries, a mandarin orange, three little fairy cookies, and a squeezy yogurt. I used a “bee mine” cupcake ring for decoration.

Buzz.

And for my Smalls:

He’s got half a PB&J, some pretzels, raisins, a date, some grapes, Greek yogurt, and a few fairy cookies. I packed him peanuts and applesauce for snack. I’ll start him on “themed” lunches next year, lest you think he doesn’t get the same special treatment as my Bigs (to be fair, he doesn’t, but he also doesn’t care too much).

Kristin

09
Feb
2015

Candy Crush VPK School Lunch

categories: Kid Food, Lunchbox

It’s almost Valentine’s Day! Also known to many as Consumerist-Oriented-Shallow-Mass-Produced-Day. Either one will do. But I DO admit, it’s a fun week for kids. And I also do love chocolates. And other Valentine’s desserts. And pink and red together.

There’s a fine line, you know.

Here’s my Bigs’ first Valentine’s Week lunch (or “wunch”, as my Smalls says):

I made a PB&J square, on which I made a scalloped heart shape, and filled it with a few candy crush-lookin’ pink candies (which will compete with the Oreos as his favorite part of lunch). I also packed red grapes, baby pretzel nuggets, raisins, a mandarin orange, and two red velvet Oreos (you’re welcome, son). I used two Valentiney rings as decoration (light pink shimmery heart and a glittery hot pink kiss lip thing).

Boom.

Kristin

Tag: sprinkles