Cute Little Witch

I LOVE Halloween. Out of all of the holidays, it's easily my favorite.

And I love packing cute Halloween themed lunches!

Like this cute little witch lunch I packed recently for Lulu:

This lunch includes:

Carrot slices

Watermelon pieces

Snap peas

Ranch dressing

Annie's Organic bunny grahams

Turkey and cheese sandwich

Vanilla cupcake

To make the sandwich, I used the outside cutter from the CuteZCute sandwich cutter set. It is made with turkey and cheese, with candy eyes and details drawn on with food dye. Easy, cute, and tasty!

For Bean, I packed a simple hoagie/sandwich lunch. She really loves these Schar gluten free hot dog rolls for hoagies. They are a nice, soft, fluffy bread, perfect for sandwiches!

Gluten-free turkey and cheese sub on Schar GF rolls

Gluten-free pretzel sticks

Gluten-free cupcake

Watermelon chunks

Carrots and peas with ranch

Both lunches are packed into Laptop Lunch boxes. The thing I like best about these boxes is that the individual compartments have lids that you can use to keep food where it's supposed to be, with no touching or spilling. No watermelon juice on the sandwich, and no cupcake frosting on the peas, even when the kids drop their lunchbags repeatedly. Pretty great feature!

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No Nuts? No Problem!

"But what will we feed them?!" The rallying cry heard all around, as more schools move toward a peanut and nut free system to ensure the safety of those suffering severe allergies. "What will we feed them, if we can't send peanut butter?"

I can understand the panic. I have a kid who eats a very limited diet due to severe food aversions, and one of the very few foods he will consistently eat is peanut butter. But all of that pales significantly in comparison to what a parent feels when they send their allergic child off to school. They are literally putting their child's life in the hands of others. It is scary! Nut and peanut free schools are a great thing for those who would suffer greatly if exposed to those allergens.

For us now, being nut and peanut free is a normal thing. Beaker's nut allergy is limited to hazelnuts and is thankfully fairly not severe, but we have plenty of friends with severe nut and peanut allergies, and we take every step we can to keep them safe. We've found plenty of delicious foods that contain no nut or peanut products, and I am happy to share some safe lunch packing ideas. Hopefully this list will help!

* Nut Free Spreads - Got a kid who really loves peanut butter and won't eat much else? Try a safe alternative spread! Sunflower seed butter is our favorite, and Sunbutter brand is becoming pretty easy to find in stores. WowButter, made with soynuts, is another good option. Both are very similar to peanut butter in both taste and texture, and have a pretty decent protein content. Try them on a sandwich with jam, or rolled up in a tortilla with banana and honey. Anything peanut butter can do, these safe alternatives can do better!

* Serve Up Soup - A Thermos is a great way to keep your hot favorites nice and hot for lunch! It only takes a few minutes in the morning to heat up a small pan of soup and warm a thermal container with some hot water, and it will keep the lunch deliciously warm until it's time to eat. We also love our Thermos for packing favorites like macaroni and cheese, ravioli, and spaghetti for lunch. Whenever I make a large pot of soup or such, I tuck a few small portions in quart sized freezer bags and stash them in the freezer. Then the night before I plan to send a 'hot packed lunch', I pull out the portion bag and tuck it in the fridge. By morning it is thawed out and ready for a quick reheat on the stove. Some chilled fruit and crackers are perfect on the side!

* A Twist on a Classic - My kids don't like tuna fish or chicken salad on sandwiches, but put it in a cup with some crackers on the side for scooping and suddenly it's the best lunch ever! I make mine with finely diced sweet onion, dill pickles, mayo and mustard, and just a dash of black pepper, and serve it up with either Ritz or rice crackers. This is one of Bean's favorite lunches!

* Do-it-Yourself - There is a certain brand of pre-packaged lunch product available in stores which is super popular among kids, and it's easy to see why. Putting your own food together out of separated ingredients is fun! The unfortunate side is that these boxed products are often very high in sodium and sugar (and let's not even talk about the inflated price tag!) With a few silicone cups and some simple ingredients, you can make your own version at home for a fraction of the cost and with much better nutrition in mind. The basic cracker-stacker includes crackers with your choice of sliced cheeses and meats, or you can try a few different favorites. Like nachos with cheese sauce and salsa, or fun mini DIY mini pizzas with a flatbread crust, marinara sauce, and choice of toppings on the side!

* Roll it Up - For a quick and easy protein, take regular lunch meat and cheese and just roll them up! The tube shape is easy for small hands to hold, and more fun to eat than any old sandwich. You can also mix this up by cutting the rolls into bite sized pinwheels.

* Let's Do Brunch - Not just for weekends anymore! Mix it up and pack a bit of breakfast for lunch. French toast, pancakes, and waffles all make excellent lunches. They're especially fun when cut into sticks and packed with a bit of syrup for dipping! Try adding some fruit and a hard boiled egg on the side for a well balanced meal.

* Beans, the musical fruit - Beans are an excellent, and often under utilized, source of healthy essential proteins. Bean dip with tortilla strips, cold bean salad, bean burritos - there are so many things you can do with beans for a nutritious and delicious lunch!

* That's a Wrap - Transform a boring sandwich or salad by tossing the ingredients into a tortilla and rolling it up into a wrap! If you want tasty sandwich or salad pinwheels, try rolling the wrap up tightly the night before, wrapping up with plastic wrap to keep it in place, and chill it overnight in the fridge. In the morning, slice into delicious and pretty pinwheels.

* And Speaking of Salad - Not fans of regular green salads? Try pasta salads instead! Toss your favorite whole grain pasta or tortellini with some olives, mozzarella, and other tasty ingredients for a delicious meal with plenty of vitamins and protein.

* Kid Favorites, Cold - Chicken nuggets and hot dogs both taste surprisingly good when served cold in a lunch box. Especially with their favorite sauce on the side for dipping! Pizza and grilled cheese sandwiches are two other favorites that are great for a cold lunch. Try it out - they might surprise you!

* Dip it, Dunk it, Scoop it - Avocados are a great source of healthy essential fats, and guacamole is great for scooping. Make your own by adding diced onion, lime, lemon, and garlic to a cut up avocado and mix together. Pack it with tortillas, crackers, or veggies for dipping. You can also try packing in a nut-free butter spread in a cup with apples, carrots, and bananas for dipping. Hummus is another excellent dip to pack as the protein in a lunch, and very good with cucumbers and pita strips.

So there we go - eleven delicious ways to pack nut and peanut free lunches to help keep kids safe! Want more ideas? Check out some of these great blogs:

 

Creative Fun Food

Also, the Snack Safely Guide is an amazing list of nut and peanut free snacks and products and should definitely be checked out by anyone in search of safe snacks!

It may seem overwhelming and difficult to you now, but I promise that within a few weeks you will have it down pat. And those with allergies definitely appreciate your efforts in keeping them safe and well!

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Top Five Back to School Essentials

(*Note: This post contains affiliate links.)

I cannot believe it's that time again already! It seems like summer just started, but already it's just about time to pull out the school supply lists and peruse back-to-school ads. Getting five kids ready to return to school is a pretty massive undertaking, and I really have to be organized in order to pull it all off successfully. Having a list ready in advanced, or at least a pretty good idea of what I'm looking for, is crucial!

To help get you started, or maybe just give you some good ideas, here are five things which I find to be essential for making going back to school as smooth as possible!

#1: A great lunch dish.

As a bento-packer, having a great box to pack lunches in is definitely my number one essential school supply! A good bento box can make lunch packing both easy and fun. Some of my favorite bento boxes are pictured below:

Clockwise from the upper left: Laptop Lunches, Lunchbots Trio, Easy Lunchboxes, and the Planet Box Rover

#2: A few fun tools.

A good sharp knife is the best bento tool, but there are a few other common kitchen items that can make lunch packing vastly more pleasant! Colorful silicone baking cups, a few sturdy shaped cutters, and a variety of fun cupcake picks are great ways to brighten up any lunch.

Clockwise from upper left: Wilton's Silicone Baking Squares, Crayon cupcake picks, leaf cupcake picks, CuteZCute Cuddle Palz sandwich cutter and stamper.

#3: A sturdy backpack.

The higher kids climb in grades, the heavier their backpacks seem to get. I remember lugging around a bag that seemed to be filled with bricks when I was in school, and they haven't gotten much lighter since! A strong backpack with sturdy straps is worth the extra cost over those made with flimsier materials. I am still hunting for a great backpack brand that can stand up to the beating my kids put them through.

#4: A good water bottle.

Yes, for us this is a school must! Water fountains and breaks to visit them can seem few and far between, so to keep hydrated we take reusable bottles filled with cool water with us everywhere. They are easy to wash with hot water and a good bottle brush, and by using reusable bottles instead of buying bottled water we are reducing both our spending and our impact on the environment. My favorites for the kids are the Reduce Water Week bottles.

#5: Your own style.

This one is the most fun! Whether you're reinventing yourself with a whole new style, or just adding a few new pieces to spruce up an outgrown wardrobe, back to school clothing and accessories shopping can be a blast! It can also get crazy expensive. Try going in with a list of specific items to avoid impulsive over-shopping, and watch for sales! A lot of retailers offer good clothing deals right before the new school year starts. Our favorite accessories this year are brightly colored shoes, backpacks with patches, and super fun Jamberry Nail Shields!

The special letter for the Bento Bloggers & Friends Back to School Basics Hop & Giveaway code is...

Keep going through the whole hop for a chance to win! Collect all of the letters for the code, unscramble the secret message, and follow the instructions to enter to win an amazing prize. Click the pic below to continue through to the next post in the hop:

Thanks for playing with us, and good luck!

Food Allergy Awareness Week

Did you know...?

(Graphic courtesy of FARE, http://www.foodallergy.org/home - Check them out for some great info, resources, and support for food allergies.)

As most of my regular readers know, my four year old is allergic or sensitive to six of the Top 8. He is also highly allergic to garlic, which isn't in the Top 8 and isn't required to be labelled for in the US, and he has cold induced cough variant asthma and cold uritcaria (which causes hives in response to exposure to rapid changes in temperature from warm to cold). We keep him safe by being very careful with his food - always reading ingredients labels, never giving him anything we aren't sure of, carefully washing hands and surfaces to prevent cross contamination - and by carrying a pair of Epi-Pens, his inhaler, and allergy medicine with us wherever we go. We also make sure that his skin is covered fully anytime it is cold and use extra coverage if it's raining.

My 11 year old also has some allergies - most notably an allergy to latex, and to multiple fruits and vegetables (strawberries, mangoes, pineapple, cantaloupe, and cucumber in particular). She has been loosely diagnosed with oral allergy syndrome - a condition which causes mouth burns and rashes with exposure to raw fruits. Anti-histamines are very helpful for her when she is accidentally exposed, and we take care to watch for natural fruit juice flavorings in food ingredients to help prevent reactions. Luckily she is pretty proactive about her own health and is able to read ingredient labels on her own now.

Ever since Beaker and Bean were diagnosed last year, I have tried to use this blog as an example to other parents of how you can still have fun with food and keep kids safe, even with multiple serious food allergies. I post some of the lunches that I make for Beaker, both as a creative outlet for myself and to give others ideas for preventing allergies from taking all of the fun out of food. I also love to share any new tips or good products that I come across that might help others out.

Here are a few of my personal favorite posts from the last 15 months, in no particular order (click the pic to go to each original blog post):

Food allergies can be scary. They can be life threatening, and the severity can change with little or no warning. And accidents can sometimes happen, even when the utmost care is taken. But generally, with care and precaution, people with food allergies can be kept as safe as possible. And with a little extra effort, the diet doesn't have to be boring or bland - it can be delicious, and fun too!

Have any questions about food allergies? Want help navigating the world of allergy testing? Feel free to drop me an email using the form on the right side of the blog, or leave me a comment here. I would be happy to help in any way that I can!

For more ideas, check out the great posts from these bloggers:

Keeley McGuire Blog - http://www.keeleymcguire.com

Creative Food - http://www.creativefunfood.com

Bentos on the Bayou - http://bentosonthebayou.blogspot.com

Biting the Hand That Feeds You - http://bitingmyhand.blogspot.com
Following in My Shoes - http://followinginmyshoes.com/

Want this cool bento gear for yourself? Check out my affiliate links below!

Caps For Sale

Caps For Sale 

A Tale of a Peddler, Some Monkeys, and Their Monkey Business

Written and Illustrated by Esphyr Slobodkina

Caps For Sale is a story about a cap-seller who settles in to rest under a tree, and wakes up to an unusual surprise. A bunch of silly monkeys have stolen his hats and won't give them back!

What is a salesman to do when monkeys get up to their business? You'll have to read it to find out!

"Caps! Caps for sale. Fifty cents a cap."

Monkey see? Monkey do!

I made this lunch for Beaker to celebrate National Reading Month. The sandwich is UDI's Gluten Free bread with lunchmeat and a vegan, soy-free mayonnaise (his favorite!). On top is a slice of cheese with the tired peddler painted on, using food-safe dyes and a toothpick. The leaves on the tree he rests against are made with cucumber peels.

Also tucked into the lunch are cucumber slices, snap peas, and baby sweet peppers. Peeking out of the cucumbers is a silly little monkey and the cap he stole away from the peddler. Another monkey and cap are hiding in a Halo orange with raisins. Rounding out the lunch are a handful of Van's Natural gluten free crackers and a little tub of Enjoy Life allergy-free chocolate chips.

The whole lunch is packed neatly in our Laptop Lunchbox. These boxes are great for packing several different items securely in one box. Everything stays together, right where it's supposed to be! Very convenient, and easy enough to use that Beaker can open them himself.

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Super Simple Sandwiches

Back to school for all of us, and that means back to packed lunches. And also back to being busy! And back to rushing around to get things done, to homework and band practice and housework, to streamlining and simplicity wherever possible.

Sometimes, simple lunches are the very best!

Here is a series of super simple sandwich lunches we packed recently:

This pretty flowers-and-pink lunch is packed into the largest piece of a Bento Buddies set from Laptop Lunches. The lunch consists of half of a pastrami sandwich with clementines, cheese slices (mmm, black pepper cheese), and crunchy star crackers, all neatly tucked in to a box small enough to fit in a purse. Very convenient for quick lunches on campus!

This tasty lunch, packed into a Laptop Lunches Bento 2.0 box, is not just delicious. It's also gluten, soy, and nut free! The toasted ham-and-cheese is made with a special gluten, soy, and nut free bread, with allergy safe ham and coconut oil instead of butter (Beaker reacts to butter, but not to cheese ~ weird, right?). On the side he has some allergy safe crackers and a tiny tub of sunflower seeds, cheese pieces with fruit gummies, peaches and clementine segments, and baby carrots. Tucked into the side is a homemade protein bar made with a bunch of safe ingredients, a whole lot of deliciousness, and love.

Speaking of super simple, the above lunch could not have been any easier. I think it took about three minutes to put together, max. The sandwich is leftover grilled chicken, tossed with Caesar dressing and grated parmesan cheese, with romaine lettuce on a hoagie roll. Tucked into the side is a small cup of cheese crackers, with a few cookies pieces and a whole plum to round out the meal. All of this is packed into an Easy Lunchbox, which really does live up to it's name!

Another super simple sub sandwich is this Italian sub, made with slices of salami and pepperoni, mozzarella cheese, and Italian dressing all on a sub roll, topped with a skewer of pimento-stuffed green olives. Kettle potato chips, sweet watermelon, and garden fresh organic cherry tomatoes make this a delicious and filling meal, great for any appetite!

And finally, the bread-less sandwich! Okay, not everyone will consider this one a sandwich, but it is one of our favorites. The rolls are simply ham, rolled up and sliced, then slid onto skewers. Also included is crisp and sweet apple slices, cool cucumbers, and a chocolate chip brownie bar for dessert. Oh, and also a delicious and healthy protein packed Greek yogurt, drizzled with honey and topped with a sprinkle of chia seed mix. My personal favorite for breakfast or a snack, and one that Beaker and Bean both gobble up and beg for more. I was so glad to find that it is safe for both of their allergies, which makes it a fantastic snack to keep on hand in the fridge!

Hope your week went smoothly and this week is even better!

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