MOMables Monday - We {Heart} Pizza Bites!

Thursday, 9/26/13 - I shared this leftover pizza idea with MOMables, and it's one of our favorites! With or without dip, Leftover Pizza Bites are a big hit with both my girls.

Hearts for Kindergarten

Leftover GF olive pizza, dye-free heart gummies, organic sugar snap peas and strawberries

The mini heart cutter not only made cute shapes out of our leftovers, but also managed to utilize most of each piece. So not a lot of wasted scraps. Yay!
Plus I actually remembered a heart in my Kindergartener's lunch! (My goal was every school day, but so far I'm 50/50.)
The heart gummies are from Surf Sweets, and might only be available around Valentine's. I stock up, since they're dye-free; made in nut, gluten, and dairy-free facility; and use pectin instead of animal gelatin.

Hearts for Baby

Leftover GF olive pizza, dye-free heart gummies, root chips; celery, tomatoes, carrots, organic strawberries

Similar lunch for the toddler, but with a few root chips to help fill the space, since she won't eat as many pizza bites. She also gets a wider assortment of veggies. 'Cuz she'll eat them!

Tools of the Trade

    

Simple Superstar School Lunches

9/12/13 - Lunches for my little superstars - filled with love. And stars.

Big Girl Stars

Hail Merry macaroons, GF PB sandwich w/sprinkles, organic carrots and apples

 

The sandwich was simple with a star cookie cutter, and I added extra peanut butter on top and added some India Tree natural multi-colored jimmies to make it exciting.

I used tiny 1/2" star and heart cutters to make imprints in one of the apple slices, to slightly brown and appear better by lunchtime! (I remembered a heart for this lunch! *fist pump*)

I cut several tiny star carrots just for fun. Which she didn't end up eating. But Baby loved them after school while Big Sis ran around on the playground!

To go with the star theme, I found a Lunchbox Love note with some starry trivia. (In a plastic baseball card storage sleeve to protect it for reuse.)

[This post contains affiliate links.]

Happy Little Stars

Hail Merry macaroon, GF PB sandwiches; organic carrots, heirloom cherry tomatoes, apples

Since Little E is more likely to eat her bread if it's cut littler, I used a smaller star cutter for her. With extra sprinkles glued on with peanut butter to make little faces. She loved them!

A heart-shaped leaf pick holds together a baby carrot cut to make a heart, all on a bed of carrots shredded with a special peeler/grater tool. E also got a "star-studded" apple slice.

Tools of the Trade

         

Simple "Trip to the Farm" Lunches

 

Tuesday, 7/30/13 - Z had drama camp in the morning, then we had to head to the farm to pick up our weekly CSA share. So I packed lunches to munch on together in the car before setting out.

Mama's Lunch

Peanut Butter and Co Cinnamon Raisin Swirl, Hail Merry chocolate macaroons, organic apples, organic salad
(red lettuce, carrots, golden and red raspberries, blueberries, sunflower seeds, hemp hearts, raisins, dressing)

 

I was sent a variety pack of Peanut Butter and Co products to use in our lunches. I thought for sure that the Dark Chocolate Dreams would be my favorite, and the Cinnamon Raisin Swirl my least, but it ended up being the other way around! I cannot express how crazy delicious it is to dip apple slices into some of their Cinnamon Raisin Swirl peanut butter. Ambrosia!

[This post contains affiliate links.]

She's Got My Heart!

Organic strawberries, carrots, and sugar snap peas; Smart Puffs, GF Dark Chocolate Dreams PB sandwiches

 

The girls really like the Dark Chocolate Dreams flavor from Peanut Butter and Co, and when I'm feeling too lazy to get out the jelly, it works well with plain PB or by itself instead of a PBJ. I don't mind sharing it with them because, surprisingly, I don't really like it. Except with strawberries or marshmallows! Mmm mmm!

Little Super Star!

Organic strawberries, carrots, and sugar snap peas; Smart Puffs, GF Dark Chocolate Dreams PB sandwiches

 

Little E got the same lunch as Big Sis, only with less food. And a star theme, to change it up a bit.

 

The girls love eating side-by-side, but I have to be careful and plan ahead to give them similar lunches. E gets into a snit if she feels she's being slighted in the lunch department!

We spend a lot of time eating in the car for many reasons. One, we live near Seattle, and it's usually too cold and/or wet to picnic outside. Or we're someplace without convenient picnic tables and amenities... and it's always close enough to traffic to entice my little runner to scarper off and give me heart attacks.
And Two, we either have somewhere to be and no time to go home (and get everyone out, and fed, and back in) or else I'm afraid E will fall asleep on the way, and I prefer that she eat first!

Plus, when they're safely strapped in, they can focus on eating rather than trying to climb around in the car and mess up all of Mama's buttons! And I can sit nearby and eat my lunch in peace! Ahhh!

Tools of the Trade