"f" is for felt

or, how to occupy your children while you try to make soup and other things in the kitchen

M and B go to the same school--but on different days and in different rooms.  for the last couple weeks whenever  we drop B off at school, M has been very interested in a felt board in B's room.  her interest coupled with pictures a facebook friend of mine just posted of a felt board she made for her kids reminded me that i've been wanting to make one for the girls.  M of course asked for something hello kitty themed, so i obliged (thankfully my children aren't all that discriminating!)

here's what i came up with:

even though i thought i might go blind after cutting out all those tiny pieces, it was well worth it as the girls played with it for a good portion of the morning while i got to cut and roast veggies for soup and to make more "goldfish" crackers (feel free to post an instructional comment if you know how to make a link to my previous post!)

happy lunching (and felting)!

"m" is for mouse

a lunch can only be as creative as it's weakest link (or, having to pack a lunch for school limits how cute i can make it)

M requested a mouse for "m" week.  here's what i thought this could mean:

esp b/c i wanted to use the pizza i had made earlier this week.  but then i realized that (a) i accidentally made the ears with peanut butter instead of "fake" peanut butter and (b) that would end up looking like a piece of pizza, two half moons, and some raisins by lunch time

so i had to start over.  i got out the fake peanut butter and came up with this:

hey folks--they can't all be winners ;)  but at least it will still look like this at lunchtime :)

happy lunching!

"x" is for xylophone

it's only "m" week at M's school, but a friend of mine asked for an "x" lunch--and i usually only do a fun school lunch for M on fridays so i thought i'd take the opportunity to fulfill my first request ;)

i actually thought of x-ray for "x" week, and thought something like this would be best:

but then another friend suggested xylophone and i'm guessing you'll agree that's a much cuter "x" lunch (and more recognizable lol!)

happy lunching!

"c" is for crazy--or how to make your own "goldfish"

i have a very dear friend (i won't name names but she knows who she is!) who is starting to go "au naturel" when it comes to food--and is trying to take me down with her get me to see the value of her ways.  so when she told me she was making her own "goldfish" crackers, i told her she was crazy--and then decided i had to try it out. 

here's what you need: 8oz of cheddar cheese, shredded; 4 tbsp butter, cubed; 1 cup flour (i used white whole wheat), 3/4 tsp salt (i will cut this down next time b/c i thought they were kind of salty), 2 tbsp cold water; 350 degree (anyone want to tell me how i can type in that circle thingy to indicate "degrees"??) oven

here's what you do: pulse everything but the water together in a food processor until it looks like (coarse) sand; pulse in the water 1 tbsp at a time; remove the dough from the food processor and wrap it in plastic wrap (or press and seal which is what i used) and chill in the fridge for 20 mins; roll it out and cut it into shapes using whatever (mini) cookie cutters you have and place the shapes on a parchment-lined cookie sheet.  bake for about 15 mins or until crispy.

they are incredibly easy (but the cutting is time consuming)!  i will admit that my dad (usually my biggest fan) said "they don't" in response to my "they're supposed to taste like goldfish crackers"--but i thought they were pretty good and my most important critics (M and B) liked them so i considered them a success!   

i'm also not ready to completely cross out "goldfish crackers" from my grocery list...;)  but i will try them again--but i'll lessen the salt and i'll try to make them thinner next time. 

happy lunching!

"l" is for lollipops

these aren't as creative, in my opinion, but M requested lollipops for "L" week so i couldn't refuse :)  peanut butter and jelly circles and stars with veggie stix for the lollipop stick. 

are you wondering why every sandwich is peanut butter and jelly??  simple--the only other sandwich M will eat is a grilled cheese.  and really, doesn't grilled cheese speak for itself?!  no need to make shapes when you're eating buttered bread and melted cheddar!

happy lunching!

"k" is for kitty

hello kitty, that is

i have no idea how or when it started, but my 4 yr old (M) has a mild obsession with hello kitty.  most evenings in our house include printing out a hello kitty coloring page for her to color while i get dinner ready--while in hello kitty pjs and a hello kitty headband (her, not me)

so what else would i make for "k" week??  and if you're wondering why i wouldn't make it for "h" week, there's a very simple explanation:  it never really occurred to me to make a lunch corresponding to the letter of the week until "j" week.  so we start at "j"--maybe if anyone ever actually reads this i'll go back and think of something cute for "a" through "i" ;)

and in case you're wondering, that's a peanut butter and jelly sandwich cut into a cat's face, with raisin eyes, a nose made out of a piece of one of those rocketship-shaped goldfish crackers, slices of about one square of a hershey bar for the whiskers, and a homemade butterfly-shaped goldfish cracker (more on those to come later) for the bow.

happy lunching!

"j" is for jigsaw

my oldest daughter's preschool teacher assigns a letter to each week.  in school, that means they talk about words that start with the letter, do crafts of things that start with the letter, practice writing the letter, etc.  at home, it means mommy tries to come up with something clever for lunch. 

this was for "j" week and if do say so myself, was probably my best lunch yet--and free hand no less ;)  just thought i'd put my best foot forward for my new blog...

my first ever blog post!!

i'm a sahm--i "used" to be a lawyer.  and while i absolutely adore my children and feel incredibly fortunate to be able to stay at home with them, sometimes i get bored.  bored?, you ask.  with a 4.5 yr old and a 2.5 yr old to take care of?? 

ok--not bored.  under appreciated.  i admit it--i miss the feedback.  i need someone to tell me i'm doing something right--not just the millions of things i'm doing wrong (complete with foot stomping and whining). 

enter facebook.  huh?  let me explain:  make cute lunch for children.  take picture.  post to facebook.  bask in the glow of friends' accolades.  repeat as necessary (or when time permits).

actually, i really just wanted to have fun with my girls' lunches--especially b/c they're pretty picky eaters and i thought it might be a great way to insure their actually eating what i made.  but the accolades were so delightful!  and then i started getting suggestions/requests for a book--and my did my ego begin to swell!  then i realized that i only made cute lunches every once in a while.  plus, a book requires not only the commitment to write it, but a publisher and people to buy it--and that's a whole different ballgame than friends on facebook who make a sideline suggestion.  so, the idea to blog was born (thanks to my loving and supportive husband)--and here we are! 

so, i hope you enjoy--i'll post any lunches i make for the girls, and any other fun stuff i can think of--and i hope you'll follow along!