Happy Fall, Y'all!!!

 I love Fall! I pulled out my scarecrows and pumpkins last week and separated all my Fall, Halloween and Thanksgiving Bento supplies so I would be ready and not searching for that cute something...

Adrian had a ham and muenster cheese sandwich on 12 grain bread with 2 pumpkins a top and applesauce with Fall sprinkles on the side.

Popcorn and goldfish in the middle and 2 pumpkin shaped pumpkin bread bites below.

Sweet Andrew got a PB& Fig jam sandwich on multi-grain rounds with Colby Jack pumpkins atop, grapes and carrots, Simply 7 hummus chips and a pumpkin bread bite too. We just received a box of Simply 7 chips from a giveaway through Family Fresh Meals! Yum-o!!

Used in these lunches

You've got mail

Thank you, Corey at Family Fresh Meals, for the giveaway!

We opened the box, and a couple bags, while big brother was at school. 

My little poser had a lot of fun with all this attention:)

 Verdict? YUM!!!! You'll definitely see Simply 7 in our bentos this week, and next and maybe the week after that...we received a case!

Check out Family Fresh Meals for great recipes, lunch boxes and giveaways!

Two if by Sea

  I've had these cutters for a couple years or more...the dolphins are sandwich cutters that I got for a dollar at the time. The angel fish is from a sea creature set, probably from Marshall's or Home Goods.The sea creature picks are also an older set from a cake supply store.

The jellyfish pods (actually from a space cutter set) and little boat are from allthingsforsale.com.

I've seen a handful of blogs make an octopus from string cheese, but I can't remember which one I saw recently. It was probably a picture on Pinterest.

They each got grapes and yogurt. Goldfish for my non pretzel eater and carrots and apples for my less picky 2 year old.

Muffin Tin Crayons

 I'm sure you have old broken crayons...or new broken crayons because your 2 year old thinks it's funny to break them in half!! This was a rainy day craft a couple weeks ago. 

It kept some little hands busy peeling paper off the crayons.

Melt them in the tray in 30 second intervals. The silicone does get HOT!

I froze them, so the boys would get to see their creations faster.

Used in this post

 

 

Day at the park

My five year old ate most of the top lunch and the bottom was shared by my almost 3 year old and me.

I packed PB&Fig jam trains, goldfish, grapes, strawberries and clementines, cheese elephants and fruit snacks with raisins. There were some extra carrot and cheese sticks in the Goodbyn and some cookies tucked into the little dipper (in the top) and the green frog (in the bottom). 

Operation Smile through Campus Book Rentals

I recently took my boys to their first dentist appointment. Everything was fine, no cavities. Permanent teeth seen in the x rays coming in just fine. I'm so thankful for these smiles. 

 I can't imagine, as a mom, what it would be like to not be able to help my own child, but Operation Smile is helping just those moms, and Campus Book Rentals is taking part through their Make a Difference Campaign. 

Campus Book Rentals contacted me about promoting their cause to help Operation Smile. I gladly accepted. Operation Smile is an organization that provides free surgeries to repair cleft lip and cleft palate for children around the globe.For every book rented, a portion is donated to Operation Smile. I hope this holiday season when you think about giving, you will choose this.


This is a sponsored post. All opinions are my own. 

Dinner...with bento leftovers

Dinner is served...

This is what is looked like first...

I'm a mommy of a 5 year old and almost 3 year old...boys, so I can't always take my time in the kitchen. I've learned from a few cooking blogs and tv shows to cook in stages. For instance, I cooked off a 1/2 pound of ground beef last night, used some of it for sloppy joes and some tonight for quesadillas. I make a small batch of guacamole for snacks, and add to it if needed. I keep some frozen vegetables on hand, like corn. I threw half the bag in a hot skillet with a little butter, add 3 sliced tomatoes (from my mom's garden...still growing!) and it's done...about 2 minutes of my time. The slaw...is a quick version of spicy slaw. Half a bag of slaw mix, 3 onions diced, lime juice (I was already squeezing it for the guacamole), a little chili powder and salt, and I'm done. My boys were playing outside while I made this...maybe 20 minutes, but I can see them from my kitchen.

I often get asked or criticized about wasting when I use cookie cutters for sandwiches for bentos. For the most part, the birds and squirrels get the crust. It's cheaper than birdseed:) The meat usually goes in a sandwich for me and the cheese...perfect for quesadillas or nacho night! It melted. No one cares if it's the scraps!

Happy 'Talk like a Pirate Day' Arrr!!!!

Arrr! My wee littles had a pirate sandwich filled with butters and jam. They was swimmin' with the fishies and came upon some golden treasures...

a cheese stick pirate, grape-filled swords, raisins and a cookie.

I've seen this sandwich idea for a couple years, saw it first here...on her header.

Lunch is served!

My boys took lunch to school today...one with elephants, the other with ships...

Ham and salami roll ups, cheese bites and colby jack elephants,

strawberries, fruit snacks and raisins and goldfish with an IKEA cookie.

Cream cheese and fig jam sandwich with colby jack boats,

strawberries and grapes and goldfish with an IKEA cookie.

Used in this lunch

French Toast Bites fit for a Frog...prince or two

I had this really great idea after we attended a cute dinosaur party for my friend's 3 year old boy Saturday. She made the best Dinosaur sugar cookies, and we took a couple home. I just bought Dinosaur chicken nuggets from my HEB...and then my oldest woke up with a horrible cough and a slight fever, so I'll save that idea for when everyone is feeling better!!! 
I hope none of her kids get sick either!

This muffin tin meal is from a few weeks back. It was a french toast bites breakfast made from cinnamon raisin bread. When you're down to the last two slices and it's a bit dry, make french toast!!!

The boys ate this all up with yogurt and sprinkles, bacon, syrup for dipping, scrambled eggs and red grapes. Our frog cups were accompanied by frog picks and green forks!

Happy Muffin Tin Monday!

Used in this meal

New Cutters and a Giveaway coming up!!!

 Rockets!

Elephants!

Bears! 

Oh my!

  And a cute school bus, to boot!

The boys took these lunches to school yesterday. Andrew had a PB&J with Rocket Cheese.

Adrian had ham and cheese elephants and bears.
The picks and cutters can all be found at Allthingsforsale.com

I'm gathering some stuff for a great giveaway coming soon!!! It will include some of my homemade kids' cloth napkins! 

used in this lunch

Homemade Tomato Bouillon

Tomato Bouillon
20-25 Juliet tomatoes (small Romas)
olive oil
salt & pepper
parsley flakes
garlic powder
water

I coated my dutch oven with about 1 tablespoon or so of good Olive Oil. Added the tomatoes and about a cup or so of water, just enough to cover them. Add the seasoning, bring to a boil, then simmer til done. It's in a mason jar, but I didn't can this because I am using it within a week.

I made this rather mild because I want to add heat and garlic to it for one recipe and leave it plain for another. I'm making Romanian cabbage rolls tonight and they require plain Tomato Bouillon. If I want to make a spicy Mexican taco soup, then I can add to the bouillon.

enjoy!

Goodbyn and Bynto lunches and more

I packed lunch for my husband in our Goodbyn Original and lunch for Adrian in his Bynto.  Husband got hummus (in the hippo) and naan bread, a mini chocolate croissant, homemade trail mix, pita chips, tomato (my dad's garden), feta and kalamata salad and salami.  Adrian had apple sauce, dino ham and cheese, train graham crackers and marshmallows, red and green grapes, and cheese crackers.

We recently discovered an International Foods Market that opened a couple months ago in our neighborhood. Oh my. I met my husband in Romania. This store brings back so many memories...good feta, European coffees and chocolates, Mediterranean olives, cookies. I'll be back. The feta was amazing!

Kind of looks like an armadillo, huh? I am from Texas:) The eyes were on clearance at Hobby Lobby...one of those Wilton sets to make animal faces.

My package from All things for Sale came in! 

I'm looking forward to a couple cute themed lunches with rockets and robots, planes and cars, elephants and bears... my two year old squealed with me when we opened the package:) 

And in October, my sweet Adrian has to go see a pediatric ophthalmologist. the earliest appointment was October 10. I called in mid August!

He failed his eye screening at his pediatrician's office by a long shot. One eye is significantly worse than the other, so after talking to my mom and other moms, it seems he will most likely have to wear a patch. So, pirate themed goodies to get us through the days ahead is what I'm planning. My sweet mom already bought him a pirate book. He loves his Ludee. 



Used in this lunch...