It's a Wrap

Weekends are often when
I use quick recipes the most.
My husband works at least
one weekend day, and when
he is home I find I'd rather
spend the time doing fun
things with the family than
spending all my time in the
kitchen (though I do LOVE
spending time in the kitchen).


So here is a shortcut
meal that is delicious,
and one of my husband's
faves...and it can be kid-
friendly too by using
pita bread instead for
less mess...


Fajita Wraps

1 box Lightlife Smart Strips
1 onion, coursely chopped
1 1/2 cups frozen bell pepper
strips (cheaper off-season), or
the equivalent 1-2 fresh bell
pepper cut into strips
2 T. olive oil
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
2-3 T. sour cream (I use Tofutti brand)
wrap bread or pita pockets cut in half

Heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions (and red pepper flakes, if using...I recommend omitting them for kids meals). Cook a few minutes until onions begin to soften.
Add bell peppers. Cook until onions are soft.
Add chick'n strips. Cook until heated through.
Spread sour cream on wrap bread or in pita halves. Using a slotted spoon to drain excess liquid, spoon fajita mixture onto wrap. Roll up and enjoy!

I took the kids to the
Natick Community
Organic Farm to see
the baby animals and
maple syrup making.
Nate loved the black
lamb, especially when
it licked his fingers.
AJ liked the chickens
best. There were also goats, cows, rabbits, and a mama pig in labor! We watched the tapped maple trees dripping away, and the sugar shack steaming all day boiling the syrup. I bought a bag of greenhouse grown organic salad greens, then we all went to the Memorial School playground next door...

Here are the boys at the playground...

And Maia watching it all
from her mei tai...she got
out once to try the swing,
but was happier being
carried.

Hooray for spring weather!

100th Post Giveaway

It's my 100th Post Party! And coincidentally I've finally reached that wonderful 100 hits per day mark. AND my local supermarket has started carrying Lock & Lock products. Sooo...

Comment and answer my question to win a Lock & Lock 750ml box, colored wooden toothpicks, & some elegant mini paper baking cups.

This Lock & Lock box is advertised as a "dairy keeper" and has a removable horizontal divider with tablespoon measurements on it. Use it without the divider for taller foods, or with the divider to put a sandwich on top and other less stable foods underneath.
This style box is simple and practical for adults or older kids who don't want lots of cutsie characters or colors. It's 750ml size is just right for an average adult lunch or a mother/toddler snack or light lunch. Lock & Lock is known for being very leak-proof, with four solidly locking wings on each side. It can also be used for food storage, craft storage, etc if you don't want to use it as a bento.
All items are new. Contest ends saturday, March 21st and I will announce the winner via high-tech "kidlet picks name out of hat" method on Sunday, March 22nd.

Just answer this fun question to enter:
If you had $100 to spend on only 1 food item, what would it be?
(I personally would order as many cases of Tartex pate as possible!)

Paras, Pokemon #046

Ryan's lunch: rice "Pokeball"; edamame; steamed broccoli; green rice ball (colored with chopped edamame) with "Paras" on top made of rice cheese, white soy paper, nori, red bell pepper; red gel cup; a cup of Brock's "Pokemon food"...ovals of rice cheese, veggie pepperoni & edamame (even though its native food consists largely of gnawing the juice from underground tree roots).

Paras has parasitic tochukaso mushrooms that grow on its back. It is a dual bug/grass type Pokemon. Its most common attack is Stun Spore. It is most often found in dark forests or caves.

8 months

Maia is 8 months old!

She managed to get
herself from the living
room to the dining
room while Dada was
"watching" her this
morning (aka shaving).

She says Dada, Hi, &
AJ. She loves to clap.

This past month she's
become more interested
in food...she especially
enjoys rice with broccoli,
pina colada coconut
yogurt, carrot & red
lentil soup, puffed rice
pieces, & ripe pear spears.
She usually starts off her
morning with part of a
banana. She also enjoys
sharing oatmeal made
with rice, almond or coconut milk.

Ryan's lunch: fruit salad (oranges, plums, strawberries, grapes); sunflower butter & jelly sandwiches; Triscuit triangles; pretzels; green beans.

AJ's snack: grapes;
Triscuits; pretzels;
sandwich; green beans.






Nate's lunch: fruit
salad; Triscuits;
sandwiches; green
beans.





Ryan is always making
new games, just like Dada.
Today's creation was a
board game called "Power
Scols" (Power Skulls). As
far as I can gather, the
object of the game was to
get to the gold & avoid the
water tornados.

muffin tin dinner:
row 1 - baby dill pickles, corn thins, Trader Joe's meatless meatballs, snap pea crisps.
row 2 - dried apricots & freeze dried strawberry slices, cashews, cucumber slices, watermelon.
row 3 - pear slices, banana Craisin walnut mini muffins; wheat & flax crackers; peanuts.

Look what I found at
iParty this evening!
I happened to be there
browsing for St. Patrick's
Day & Easter bento items
and found this in their
Hello Kitty section. While
I'll share it with Maia of
course, it does happen to
be a 650ml box, just my size!

Barefoot Appleseed

Did you know that Johnny Appleseed used to go barefoot in summer to save on shoe leather? Cool. Too bad he wasn't vegan. Today is one of two disputed days celebrating his life. He died in 1845 some time in March, but accounts vary as to the exact date.

Ryan's lunch: rice "apple" colored red with roasted red pepper; meatless meatballs; peas & corn; a pickle; mini pumpkin muffin; cucumber slices; apple slices.

AJ's snack: apple
slices; a pickle; Annie's
saltine crackers;
cucumber slices.

Take 3 Tuesday

Tuesdays and Thursdays are my biggest lunch packing days. I ran out of time to make anything for my husband, but he ended up coming home for a late lunch anyhow. So bentos for 3 boys...

Ryan's lunch: 4 bean salad; grapes & watermelon; steamed broccoli; R-Y-A-N letter tater tots; a strawberry; pretzels.

Ryan didn't want to
get dressed for school
today because he was
too busy re-reading
one of his Magic
Treehouse books.
I can't think of a
better reason not to
want to get ready
for school!

AJ's snack: grapes &
watermelon; steamed
broccoli; A-J letter tater
tots; pretzels.





Nate's lunch: the last leftover zucchini brownie; pretzels; snap pea crisps; N-A-T-E letter tater tots; strawberries; steamed broccoli; 4 bean salad; grapes & watermelon.

I wasn't notified about a birthday in Nate's class today and I had no frozen cupcakes on deck. Luckily I had included the brownie in his lunch and his teacher is creative...she had a tube of frosting in the cabinet (crappy junk but vegan friendly) and some extra sprinkles so she quickly frosted his brownie and threw on some sprinkles and he was none the wiser!

Knock On Wood

Sigh. Of course I had to go and jinx the weather yesterday by talking about sunshine, hikes, and playing in the woods. Now look what we get... poor daffodils...

Compound the snowy,
slushy weather with the
time change, and I had
to bag my artistic bento
plans and go with quick
and easy...we're talkin'
5 minutes max...

AJ's snack: snap pea
crisps; leftover zucchini
brownie; Tofutti cream
cheese & jelly sandwich
on a burger bun; baby
carrot.
He has decided he doesn't
like the snap pea crisps
now, so those came back
uneaten. Blargh.
Ryan's lunch: strawberries; baby carrots; Tofutti cream cheese & jelly sandwich on a burger bun made into a "clock" using edible ink markers & two slivers of strawberry; snap pea crisps; leftover zucchini brownie; peanuts. The clock reads 12:10pm, which is lunchtime for his class.