The Lunch Box Mama

10-5-10 & 10-6-10

2010-10-06T17:38:00.000-07:00

So I was a total slacker yesterday and did not post lunches. I have a good excuse....... I started working out in a gym with a trainer and I was so worn out yesterday that I fell asleep right after dinner last night.
So here is two days worth of lunches.

Lunches for the 1st grader

Cantaloupe, a babybel cheese round, PB&J, and some sweet chex mix.

Cantaloupe, mini blueberry muffin, PB&J, fish crackers.

Lunches for the 11th grader

Pickle and cream cheese wrapped in ham, ranch dressing, multi-grain crackers with laughing cow cheese spread, carrots, and some banana bread.

Tuna salad in a multi-grain wrap, caramel almonds with yogurt covered raisins, and some grapes.

Only made lunch for hubby today, he ate lunch at home with me yesterday.

Sweet chex mix, carrots, ranch rice snacks, a babybel cheese round, and a ham sandwich.

10-4-10

2010-10-04T13:30:00.000-07:00

It is a cold dreary day here in Ohio. I miss summer. I am not looking forward to the next 6 months of cold and wet. The one thing that gets me through this yucky weather is cooking and baking. So I will be doing a lot of that coming up. I will post any good recipes I make. In the meantime here's lunch.

Lunch for the 1st grader

Cantaloupe, a babybel cheese round, PB&J, and a mini blueberry muffin.

Lunch for the 11th grader

PB&J pinwheels, a giant marshmallow, Trader Joe's pirate booty, banana bread, and fruit cocktail.

Lunch for the hubby

Carrots, mini blueberry muffin, cheddar cheese rice snacks, a cheese stick, ans a PB sandwich

10-1-10

2010-10-01T13:49:00.000-07:00

TGIF
Last lunch of the week!

Lunch for the 1st grader

3 small cookies and natural fruit gummies, mandarin oranges, PB&J, cheese kabob and fish crackers

Lunch for the 11th grader

Almonds with yogurt covered raisins, Trader Joe's pirate booty, PB&banana roll ups and an apple

9-30-10

2010-09-30T17:35:00.000-07:00

Not much to tell you today other than I was really busy and now I am really tired.

Lunch for the 1st grader

Trader Joe's pirate booty, apple sauce, PB&J, a babybel cheese round, and 3 small cookies.

Lunch for the 11th grader

Cream cheese and cucumber rolled in turkey, ranch dressing, carrots. peanut puffs, and mandarin oranges

9-29-10

2010-09-29T14:38:00.000-07:00

Last night I decided to I needed to use up some more of the apples I picked over the weekend. I have been wanting to make these apple muffins for a while now. http://joyinmykitchen.blogspot.com/2009/12/delicious-apple-muffins.html They turned out to be the best muffins I have ever had. I love them!

So on to today's lunch.....

Lunch for the 1st grader

Banana, apple muffin, 3 small cookies, PB&J and some white cheddar crackers.

Lunch for the 11th grader

PB&J pinwheels, almonds with yogurt covered raisins, sourdough pretzels, cream filled wafer, and a nectarine.

9-28-10

2010-09-28T13:19:00.000-07:00

So yesterdays Apple Honey Pie was delish! My in-laws said they loved it. So tonight I will be making something else with apples. Not sure what yet, but I will let you know what as soon as I do.

Lunch for the 1st grader

Nectarines, homemade brownie bite, PB&J, and some fish crackers.

Lunch for the 11th grader

PB&banana sandwich rolls, peanut puffs, almonds, and peaches.

Lunch for the hubby

PB sandwich, homemade brownie bite, nectarines, and fish crackers.
I don't always pack lunch for the hubby. Some time he has lunch meetings or he can make it home for lunch. So sometimes they will be on my blog and sometimes not.

9-27-10

2010-09-27T13:16:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful weekend. Started of with the Great Strides Walk for Cystic Fibrosis. Our small walk raised over 25,000$! Thanks to all that donated!
Team Taylor!

Then we went to a cast party for the Hubby and Stinkerbell. They did some community theater earlier this month. That was when I was lucky enough to score a couple bushels of apples. So today I made Apple Honey Pie. The house smells so good. I cant wait to dig into it.

I got the recipe here. Finding Joy in My Kitchen http://joyinmykitchen.blogspot.com/2009/11/apple-honey-pie.html I have tried many of her recipes an I am never disappointed.

Now on to today's lunch.
Lunch for the 1st grader

Strawberries, a babybel cheese round, a granola bar, PB&J and Trader Joe's pirate booty.

Lunch for the 11th grader

Cream cheese and cucumber rolled in turkey, Trader Joe's cat cookies, multi-grain crackers with laughing cow cheese spread, a piece of grape laffy taffy, and some grapes.

9-24-10

2010-09-24T09:45:00.000-07:00

TGIF!
Here is the last of this weeks lunches. I even made lunch for the hubby.

Lunch for the 1st grader

Fresh peaches, strawberry breakfast bar, 3 sour gummy worms, PB&J sandwich, and some cheese kabobs.

Lunch for the 11th grader

PB&J pinwheels, cheddar cheese rice snacks, Trader Joe's cat cookies. almonds, and some pineapple.

Lunch for the hubby

Fish pretzels, chocolate covered fortune cookie, fresh peaches, ham and cheese sandwich on 12 grain bread and a cheese stick.
This is the first time I have used this box, I think I like it. This is what hubbys box looks like closed.

We will be participating in the Great Strides Walk for Cystic Fibrosis this weekend. We will be raising lots of money to make C.F. stand for Cure Found!
Have a great weekend!

9-23-10

2010-09-23T10:19:00.000-07:00

First day of Fall....and it's going to be in the 90's today. You will not hear me complain, cause winter will be here before you know it. I HATE SNOW & COLD! (and I live in Ohio so we get both) So I do not complain when it's hot.

Lunch for the 1st grader

Trader Joe's pirate booty, cranberry sauce, transportation shaped ham and cheese sandwich's, a babybel cheese round, and 3 sour gummy worms.

Lunch for the 11th grader

Peanut Puffs, 2 homemade brownie bites, pickle and cream cheese wrapped in ham, and a Fruit Squeeze. We have never tried these but they are all natural and I can pronounce all of the ingredients, so we will see what the verdict is later today on whether or not we have them again.

9-22-10

2010-09-22T07:18:00.000-07:00

I finally made it to the grocery store yesterday. So we now have fresh fruit and veggies in the house.

Lunch for the 1st grader

Trader Joe's pirate booty, the last of the mandarin oranges, transportation shaped ham and cheese sandwich's (he stepped out of the PB&J box), and a homemade brownie bite

Lunch for the 11th grader

A banana with peanut butter and honey wrapped in a tortilla, sourdough pretzels, Trader Joe's cat cookies. and some fresh strawberries.
I will be linking up to the "What's for Lunch" Wednesday for the first time today.

9-21-10

2010-09-21T09:25:00.000-07:00

It has been so hard for me to get back in the swing of things after vacation. I still have not made it to the grocery, have to get that done today. Had to go to the dentist yesterday to have two teeth worked on then took Stinker-bell to the C.F. clinic. She got a good report, even though she has a barky cough right now. Her PFT's (pulmonary function test) were 69-71%, which are up a little and she gained .3 kilos (.66 lbs). The doctor said her lungs sound really good for the cough she has right now. He put her on some Bactrim for the bark. Next appointment she will have another blood glucose test. She was diagnosed in April with CFRD (cf related diabetes), but at the time was not bad enough to have to be treated for it. So we have to keep an eye on it. She has not been in the hospital since April, that's a record for her.

Lunch for the 1st grader

Trader Joe's pirate booty, mandarin oranges, PB&J sandwich (new sandwich cuter. bird, flower,heart, and fish) and fruit crisp bar.

Lunch for the 11th grader

Trader Joe's cat cookies, cheddar cheese rice snacks, pickle and cream cheese wrapped in ham, and some pineapple.

Back From Disney World

2010-09-20T08:02:00.000-07:00

We are back from Disney World. The kids had so much fun, lots of family bonding. But, now we are back to the real world of dentist and doctor appointments and grocery shopping all of which I have to do today.
The kids head back to school today which means I had to pack a healthy lunch for them. It was hard to do with very little food in the house.

Lunch for the 1st grader

Pineapple, fruit crisp bar, PB&J sandwich in the shape of Mickey Mouse (I had to cut him in half so he would fit, now he looks like a turtle) and some cheddar cheese rice snacks.

Lunch for the 11th grader

Pineapple, trail mix, PB&J pinwheels, multi-grain crackers with laughing cow cheese spread.

Stinker-bell got a few new lunch box items while we were at Disney World (could not find boy ones).

We picked this up in Japan in Epcot. It comes with a fork and spoon. The only thing I don't like about it is it is just one big box. I like compartments.

We picked this up at one of the many Disney stores. I like this one because it has gel in it so you can put it in the freezer and it will keep food cold.

9-10-10

2010-09-10T07:37:00.000-07:00

I am scraping the bottom of the barrel here. I feel like Old Mother Hubbard, cause my cupboards are bare.

Lunch for the 1st grader

Cantaloupe, a brownie bite, PB&J sandwich, and some cheese kabobs.

Lunch for the 11th grader

PB&J pinwheels, carrots, brownie bite and a small container of ranch dressing for the carrots, Trader Joe's pirate booty, Kiwi and plums.

Thursday's Lunch

2010-09-09T13:19:00.000-07:00

I have been running all over the place trying to get things ready for our big vacation. I don't feel like there is enough time in the day to get everything done. However, I did have time to make the kiddo's a health lunch.

Lunch for the 1st grader

Plums, a babybel cheese round, PB&J, granola bar, and a brownie bite.

Lunch for the 11th grader

Tuna salad in a whole wheat wrap, dip for the carrots, multi-grain crackers with laughing cow cheese spread, carrots. and some plums.

Wednesday's Lunch

2010-09-08T11:08:00.000-07:00

My lil dude decided to step out of hi box a bit with his lunch today.

Lunch for the 1st grader

Clementines and kiwi, yogurt with strawberry preserves, PB&J pinwheels, and a Trader Joe's maple leaf cookie.

Lunch for the 11th grader

Cheese kabob, Tuna salad in a whole wheat wrap, clementines, granola bar, Trader Joe's pirate booty.

Two more days left this week for lunches. Then I will not be back to blogging for a week. Taking the kids o a trip to Disney (gift from the Grandma).

Tuesday's lunch

2010-09-07T11:41:00.000-07:00

Wow we had such a fun Labor Day weekend. Our family goes camping every year at a festival that has pre-1870s encampment. It is so much fun to live as they did back then and the kids get a little history lesson too.

This is lil dude trying hard to play the part. I did not get a good photo of his sister this year.

On to todays lunch
Lunch for the 1st grader

Cantaloupe, yogurt with strawberry, PB&J sandwich, fish crackers and a babybel cheese round.

Lunch for the 11th grader

PB&J pinwheels, carrots with a small container of ranch dressing, clementines,and multi-grain crackers with laughing cow cheese spread,

Friday"s Lunch

2010-09-03T08:32:00.000-07:00

I am so glad today's Friday, and to have a 3-day weekend to boot. We will be doing some camping this weekend, so all our food will be cooked over an open fire. That kind of food tastes so good. I cant wait!!!

Lunch for the 1st grader

Watermelon and blueberries, a home made brownie bite, PB&J sandwich, cheese chunks, and some carrots.
I really wish my son would break free from the PB&J everyday, but he says they taste so good. I don't think he had one pb&j all summer.

Lunch for the 11th grader

Cucumbers with a small container of ranch dressing, cheese and turkey kabobs, Trader Joe's pirate booty, grapes, and some trail mix.
I don't know why the picture is so bad. We don't have much natural light in our kitchen at 6 in the morning.

Thursday's Lunch

2010-09-02T05:18:00.000-07:00

I woke up this morning with a little tickle in my throat. I made a mad dash to the medicine cabinet for the C+ Zinc and sprayed about 20 pumps in my mouth. Ok....maybe not 20 sprays but I can not afford to get sick right now. We are crazy busy right now with all kinds of things. I really need to make a trip to the grocery but we will not be eating at home at all this weekend so it will have to wait. We will make do with what we have here.

Lunch for the 1st grader

Watermelon and blueberries, homemade graham crackers, PB&J sandwich, and fish crackers and a cheese kabob.

Lunch for the 11th grader

PB&J pinwheels, multi-grain crackers with laughing cow cheese spread, homemade graham crackers, cucumbers, Trader Joe's pirate booty, and strawberries and blueberries.

Today's Lunch

2010-09-01T09:29:00.000-07:00

Here is today's lunch. The 1st graders (aka lil dude) lunch has an awful lot or the color orange in it today. Orange is his favorite color. I think I will try for a little more color variety tomorrow.

Lunch for the 1st grader

Cantaloupe and blueberries, a home made brownie bite, PB&J sandwich and some cheese cut in to leafs for the 1st day of September, and fish crackers.

Lunch for the 11th grader

PB&J pinwheels, multi-grain crackers with laughing cow cheese spread, and some cat cookies (trader joes), carrots and cucumbers with a small container of ranch dressing, and some kiwi and strawberries.

I was afraid that the 11th grader (aka stinker bell) would be embarrassed with the fact that I pack a cutesy lunch for her, but she says all her friend rush to see whats in her box every day. It even inspired one girl to start packing her own lunch. I am making brown bagging it cool!

Lunch Post Number 2

2010-08-31T13:39:00.000-07:00

So I did not want to get out of bed this morning. I made the mistake of drinking some iced tea with my dinner last night and the caffeine kept me up most of the night. I guess it's decaf for me from now on. Even with the lack of sleep it still did not stop me from wanting to send my kiddos with a healthy lunch.

Lunch for the 1st grader

Trail mix, babybel cheese round, strawberries and a plum, PB&J sandwich (right now lil dude will not let me make him anything else) and some carrots.

Lunch for the 11th grader

A plum and clementine ( stinker bell said this was a good combo, she liked how the flavors meshed) , multi-grain crackers with laughing cow cheese spread, cat cookies (trader joes), cream cheese and cucumber rolled in turkey, and some trail mix.

Can it be any hotter?

2010-08-31T13:26:00.000-07:00

It is so hot here in Ohio. I can not wait for the cool days of fall. Someone on my facebook asked me today "How do you keep you children's lunch cold?" She has worries that her child may become ill from mayo or other foods left at room temp. My answer to that question is cold packs. I have my favorites and other leave more to be desired.

Here are two that are oh so cute but don't make the cut. They do not stay cold for very long and after repeated use the leek a unknown gel. What a mess!

My favorites are the hard sided kind. I bought the green one for 79 cents at Ikea and the other one came with my breast pump. (I have had this for 7 years) They are still cold when the kids get home from school so I know they are doing their job.

Starting a lunch box blog

2010-08-30T18:30:00.000-07:00

I decided to pack lunches for my kids because it saves money, it produces less waste, it's healthier and fun for them and for me.

The new school year just started last week and so did the lunches. I first posted a picture of my son's lunch on my Facebook because it was his first lunch of first grade. I had lots of friends ask me to continue posting pictures to help give them ideas of what to send for lunch with their children.
Just today I was featured on Dayton Children's Medical Centers Blog on healthy lunches for your kids and I thought.....I ought to start my on blog. I am mainly doing this for accountability, if I have people checking my blog for lunch ideas I will be more likely to keep making them.
WARNING! I am not an author, just a Mama making lunches.
It only takes 10-12 minutes to make two lunches every day. I want my kids lunches to be visually appealing and contain a fruit, veggie, protein and carb.

Today's lunch for the first grader.

Trader Joe's pirate booty, kiwi and strawberries, PB&J sandwich, mild cheddar cheese in the shape of a heart, and carrots.
Lunch for the 11th grader

2 homemade brownie bites, carrots and cucumbers with a small container of ranch dressing, strawberry preserves and cream cheese sandwich, kiwi and strawberries.