still frozen friday

The temperature may have warmed up past zero, but the ponds in the area were still frozen and patchworked with ice fisherman. We went out across Dug Pond in Natick to Blueberry Island for a look around...no blueberries to be found this time of year though!

In food news, I was gifted the Happy 101 award AGAIN! This time via Kashmirkat over at An American In Bento. Kewl!

Ryan's lunch: striped apple slices; avocado maki; peanuts; a dropper of soy sauce; dried apricots; cucumber slices; cold tofu.

I didn't think this
little box would
be big enough, but
Maia climbed right
in and Ryan pushed
her around. The box
contained an order
of vitamins--something
I don't worry too much about--but the kids do enjoy the Animal Parade multivitamins and calcium (which tastes like vanilla ice cream sundae).

Borg cube crash lands!

Ryan's lunch: pineapple
chunks; mini Luna bar;
falafel hummus cucumber
wrap on flax lavash; mini
pumpkin muffin; snap
peas; gherkin pickles.


And a family hike...

AJ is
finally
getting
into
going
on
hikes.
He's
usually
my
quiet
indoor
type.
Having
Dada
come
along
piqued
his
inter-
est.






















Here
are
all
the
guys
stand-
ing
atop
a Borg
cube,
LOL.
It was
just
light
enough
to get
back
to our
car
and
home
for
dinner.

Stocking the pantry

Actually we don't have a
pantry, just a few over-
stuffed cabinets and Elfa
racks over the basement
door. A pantry is one item
on a very long home
renovation list that I
may never see. But while
I impatiently wait for our
clutch of green tomatoes to
slowly ripen, I turn my attention towards evaluating and restocking the pantry items I'll want for packed lunches next week.

- canned & jarred items: beans for hummus, salads, burritos, soups...refried beans for dips...pasta sauce & canned tomatoes for stuffed pastas, pizza, lasagna, soups, sauces...olives, pickles, and other finger foods...sauces & condiments like soy sauce, ketchup, mustard, maple syrup, agave nectar, salad cremes...furikake, toasted sesame seeds, dried seaweeds.

- stocks, broth, bouillon...not just for soups, but for flavouring rice & pasta dishes, a homemade sauce, or sauteed vegetables.

- crackers & pretzels...though I had intended to be ambitious and learn to make my own crackers over the summer I never got to it. But I haven't bought any crackers in months either. I like the new Mary's Gone Crackers, but I don't want to buy anything too "weird" for the beginning of the school year, so I'll have a look at what's on sale and has no bad oils. Pretzels nuggets, sticks, & puzzle shapes are fun snacks & gap fillers.

- nuts & seeds...for trailmix, gap fillers, salad toppings, yogurt toppings, asian noodle toppings, cooking in rice, baking in breads & muffins. Of course I can only send nut-products with Ryan, since preschool is nut-free. But the kids love peanuts, almonds, cashews, & sunflower seeds.

- pasta...cool shapes are a favourite, and I often buy those mac & cheese boxes, toss the cheese packet, cook the pasta, and add my own healthier sauce.

- noodles...save yourself some money and check out your local asian market or online retailer for an array of different noodle styles.

- rice...sticky, brown, sushi, basmati, wild, arborio, or forbidden black, there are hundreds of rice varieties available to liven up lunch and keep your grocery bill low. You don't have to have a rice cooker, but if you want one, pick one up cheap at an asian market or buy one online. They really make cooking rice a cinch. There are whole cookbooks dedicated to rice cooker recipes, or search online for thousands of ideas.

- flour & other grains...wheat flour and bread aren't your only options. Try something new like shelf-stable pre-cooked polenta, make your own oatmeal bars for a fraction of the cost of those storebought cereal bars, try a few gluten-free recipes, use millet or barley in place of rice or oats for a new taste & texture.

- other baking ingredients...make sure to have the basics on hand such as sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, spices

- treats...I don't like to add too much fruit or lots of sweet foods to lunches, but it can be fun once in a while; things like mini gel cups, tiny dark chocolates, refined shaped crackers, sweet cereals, Luna bars, fruit leather, fruit shapes, dried fruit, cookies, baked chips, Veggie Booty, Tings, etc. can be added in small amounts on special days or to complete a themed lunch.

- drinks...while water is great, a bottle of lemonade or Vruit juice can be a nice change...my kids also love vanilla rice milk and chocolate almond milk--adding some coconut milk is a nice creamy addition too. I'm going to try not to resort to drink boxes as much this year; even though we recycle them at home, schools do not. While the kids all have Sigg water bottles, I've bought a few new cheaper BPA-free plastic ones made by Eastar that are short and slim for fitting in a lunchbox, perfect alongside a bento box.

I'm sure I'm forgetting things. Help me add to this list so everyone can benefit!

And if you want to challenge yourself during the first few weeks back at school, check out my newest "Chopped" style challenge at Bento: Impossible.

Spiderman lunchset giveaway!

It's been quite a while since I've had a giveaway, so to help you get ready for the school year, here is a Spiderman lunch set! Finding girl themed bentos is easy, but if your boys don't like cars or bears you're often out of luck.


Here's the prize: a sandwich keeper, sparkly stickers, paper muffin cups, fork & spoon. The sandwich keeper did not come with outer packaging, and the fork & spoon were part of a multi-pack but have never been used.

- The plastic sandwich keeper fits a traditional sandwich perfectly, or it can be used as a bento to arrange foods neatly inside. The lid is not leak-proof, but it stays on well. If you want the image on the top to stay looking new, handwash.
- Stickers are a fun treat for kids. They can also be used to decorate a lunch note, or used with a toothpick to create a unique bento or cupcake decoration.
- Muffin or cupcake cups are handy to separate food items in a bento. Use paper ones to hold dry foods like nuts, dried fruit, grapes, mini pitas or shaped sandwiches, cookies or crackers, etc.
- A small fork & spoon set are easy to fit inside a lunchbox or furoshiki. Handwash or place in a small items basket in the top rack of a dishwasher if you must.

So here's the hoop...Answer one of the following questions in comments to be entered to win! That's it! (You will be required to provide a name & address for shipping purposes if you win.)

Question: What will you likely pack for your child's first lunch this school year?
(If you don't have kids in school, homeschool, if this is for an adult, for a gift, or if you just don't like the first question: What is your favourite sandwich?)

I will pick a winner on Thursday, Aug. 27th by random-boy-hat-#-generator, hahaha.

Spiderman & Bionicles

For April Fool's Day, Ryan wanted to have the same things his friends have whom he always says have "boring" lunches or "always throw their food away" or "just has junk". LOL. I was lucky enough to get this Spiderman sandwich box recently from someone who lives near a dollar store (amazingly the strip-mall-topia here doesn't have one). I have an extra one too for future blog candy in the next few months, so stay tuned!
Ryan's lunch: strawberry gel cup; chicken-free nuggets w/ketchup for dipping; 2 layers of pbj sandwich; steamed broccoli (I admit it, I just couldn't give my child a meal with no vegetables!).

AJ's snack: chicken-free
nuggets w/ketchup;
onion & flax pita chips;
steamed broccoli.




I definitely have boys.
Despite keeping my comic
books in the basement and
forbidding anything but
Pokemon on Cartoon Network,
Ryan still loves superheroes.
It's rubbing off on AJ as well.
They are obsessed with
building Lego Bionicles, always
saving their allowances for the
newest robotic creatures.

Ryan's top bunk is totally
decked out in Bionicles
scaling the footboard and
swinging from the light.

And AJ sleeps with them
in the bunk below, along-
side his Littlest Pet Shop
poster.

Of course Ryan still sleeps with his "Giraffey" too that he's had since he was 2 months old. Aww.

Lock & Lock giveaway winner!

And the winner is...















Cory!

May you find many
blackberries to pick
this summer to use
in your new Lock &
Lock box!



Here's AJ picking out the winner from the 28 entries.
Cory, I will be contacting you soon to get your shipping info. Congratulations!