April showers & some flowers

We've been spending lots of time outside enjoying the spring weather. Time for picnics at the park! After watching the Boston Marathon pass through our town, we walked to a nearby playground for lunch and some fun.I brought along a picnic bento of finger foods for everyone to share.

And here are some lunches from April:
Ryan & AJ's lunches: peanuts; cucumber slices; stir-fried broccoli over rice.

Maia's lunch was
similar: a strawberry;
a pickle; cucumber slices;
stir-fried broccoli over
rice.

It's trickier making a
complete lunch without
nuts for preschool.


Ryan & AJ's lunches:
cupcakes; sandwiches;
pickle; carrots.






Ryan & AJ's lunches:
Thermos' of tofu-herb
ravioli; pickle; carrots;
grapes; strawberries.





You can always tell when
the spring rains arrive--
my pics get dark & gloomy.
Ryan & AJ's lunches: somen
noodles with sesame tofu &
steamed broccoli; carrots;
grapes; apricots/raisins;
mini banana muffins.Maia's lunch: apricots; grapes; steamed broccoli; somen noodles w/sesame tofu; carrot; pickle; snap peas.
























Happy spring!

duck pond

Oh the rain!! It was downright dark on the porch this morning when I popped out to take lunch pics. Ryan looked out and exclaimed "the yard lake is back!" It had retreated quite a bit during the recent spate of warm weather, but as soon as it started raining again the water level rose back quickly. In fact the children's room in the neighboring town's library is closed because it is flooded, and many roads are closed in the town just north of us.
Maybe these duckies won't mind the wet weather...

AJ's
lunch
for
grand-
ma's
house
(same
as
Ryan's
lunch):
grilled
nutri-
tional
yeast
cheez
"ducky"
sand-
wich;
sliced
black
olives;
zucch-
ini brownie; carrot sticks; steamed asparagus.

AJ actually asked for the
grilled cheez sandwiches
to be cut into shapes,
because he remembered a
snack from 2 years ago (!)
when I cut his sandwich
into a dinosaur. He has a
memory, well, like mine;
he remembers crazy details
and dates like that.

My food yesterday:
7am- 2 sliced bananas w/almond
butter, agave nectar & grated
coconut.
9am- Raw Revolution chocolate
coconut bar.
11am- flax crackers; baby carrots.
1:30pm- 1 apple; 1 orange; leftover
miso soup.
3pm- salad: romaine, grated carrot,
olives, shallot, balsamic vinegar.
5pm- marinated broccoli, bok choy
& scallion in shoyu & garlic.

Is it really summer?

It sure doesn't feel like summer, well, except for the mosquitos. Rain rain rain and more rain. Temps in the 60s and 70s. And did I mention the rain?

Here are some "leftovers" from the last few days...
I managed to make myself a bento: mixed berries & cherries; cucumber slices; pasta w/sundried tomato, garlic & walnuts.
Kids' meal of leftovers:
stuffing; tofu spinach stuffed
pasta shells; snap peas;
carrots; strawberries; roasted
potato half; beet salad.


And a muffin tin meal:

Row 1: kettle corn; pear slices; corn thins; green bell pepper.
Row 2: carrot sticks; farmer's market bread; blueberries; vegetable matzoh crackers.
Row 3: farmer's market toast w/sunflower butter; cucumber slices; peanuts; strawberries.

Poor Ryan tried to eat
an apple, and couldn't,
because he's missing all
of his front teeth! The
new ones are on their
way in quickly though.
I'm sure he'll be able to
eat them again by fall
apple season.

We did manage to have
a picnic on the only sunny
weekend day...
Simple onigiri, edamame, strawberries & blueberries.

The only reason I know the calendar isn't lying is that the black raspberries are ripening!









I'd better get out there and
pick some quick before they're gone!