9/21

Todays lunches are mostly the same. We had an unexpected over night guest last night and since he was going to school too I made an extra lunch. Can't let kids go hungry, even if they aren't mine!

Since I had an extra kid I didn't have enough food set aside for lunches and needed to think about something else instead.

While pondering what to make since I had an extra mouth to feed my teen son came into the kitchen and asked what was for lunch. I told him I had to ponder for a moment and come up with something and he said "hey, could you make that chicken salad again? That was really good!" So, they all get chicken salad. Easy!  How I make mine  at bottom of post.

For my 7yo-
Chicken salad, GF rice crackers for dipping, Purple sweet potato flowers, red bell pepper slices, white cheddar cheese slices. Cantaloupe and a dark chocolate square with a bumble bar. Pear for afternoon snack.

For my 15yo-
Chicken salad, GF rice crackers, hard boiled egg, red bell peppers, purple sweet potato stars, cantaloupe, dark chocolate square, bumble bar, and a peach.

For my 17yo-
Chicken salad, lettuce for wraps, red bell peppers, purple potato flowers, cantaloupe, dark chocolate square, bumble bar and an apple.

For our guest-
Chicken salad, lettuce for wraps, red bell pepper, purple potato stars, cantaloupe, dark chocolate square and bumble bar, pear.


For my chicken salad- Its really easy and apparently my kids think its the best ever, lol. Also I don't measure anything exactly but this is basically what I do...

I cook 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts in the pressure cooker,  I then remove and shred into a bowl. I add half a small onion diced, half a small apple diced, run half a carrot over the shredder and plop in two spoonfuls of mayo made with olive oil. A little salt and pepper and call it done. Its fairly simple and quick to make if you cook the chicken in a pressure cooker! My chicken breasts went from frozen to cooked tender and shredded in about 35 min!

9/16

3 very similar lunches today.

17 yo DD- chicken breast, babybel cheese, cucumber slices, purple sweet potato hearts. bowl of grapes and 3 apple bunnies. Small bowl of homemade trail mix with a dried date.
Included but not pictured is a nectarine and 1/3 of a bumble bar.

15 yo DS- Same as above, except I'm following his "no flowers Mom, geez" rule :) So his purple sweet potatoes are just circles. (I planned to do star shapes but the 3 yr old ran off with my tiny star I think!)
Included but not pictured, also a nectarine and 1/3 of a bumble bar.

7 yr old DD- chicken breast, white cheddar squares, flower cucumbers, purple heart and flower sweet potato, homemade trail mix (no almonds) and grapes with 2 apple bunnies.
Included but not pictured- the last 1/3 of the bumble bar small bowl of yogurt and a container of grapes and cheese for afternoon snack.

Note about Bumble Bars- I found these in my local "discount grocery store" They were 4 bars for $1.00. I got a dozen of them. I didn't think the kids would like them very much since they're made with sesame and flax seeds and a bunch of other really good for you but sound weird ingredients, LOL!
So I planned to just give them to my husband in his lunches and keep a few in my purse for those moments where you just NEED to eat something right this minute or you might faint :) Turns out all of my kids really, really, REALLY like them!  I bought the Almond, Chocolate and Lemon. My favorite is the lemon flavor. I think they're sized pretty big for a kid so when I pack them into lunches I cut each one into thirds and split them among the boxes. My 3yr old really likes them too, he asks several times a day for a "bumble bee bar pweese?"

I included a link to their website for anyone who was curious about them. I did not receive any money or free food for this mention. Though if the people at Bumble Bars wanted to send me some more yummy Lemon bars, I wouldn't complain! :)

9/15

7 yo DD-
Bottom- Gluten Free sunbutter sandwich, black grapes. In the star container there is a homemade "trail mix" including raisins, craisins, sunflower seeds, fresh coconut flakes and some dark chocolate swirls.

Top- Purple sweet potato flowers, tomato, basil and mozzarella cheese on sticks, black olives on sticks. Flower shaped cucumbers and a babybel cheese made into a lady bug. I used a hole punch for the circles and cut the deco items out of a sheet of Nori. Attached them to the wax with a tiny dob of honey. Afternoon snack is full fat yogurt with a few dark chocolate swirls.

17 yo DD- Peanut butter and Nutella sandwich on Gluten Free bread, corn on the cob with a pat of organic butter, carrot sticks and black grapes. I wrote on her bread with an edible food marker. You can find those in any of your "big box" stores in the cake decorating isle.
Babybel cheese in a lady bug, nectarine slices and some home made "trail mix" containing all the same as the 7yo above, but with almonds. Not pictured is a bowl of full fat yogurt with dark chocolate swirls.

15 yo DS- Ham sandwich on Gluten Free bread, cherry tomatoes on a stick, carrot sticks, Babybel cheese made into a "monster". Nectarine slices, home made trail mix. Hummus for his carrots and of course full fat yogurt with dark chocolate swirls.

3 yo DS-
Pepperoni stick (he requested that I do not cut his "boomer stick" up, which means it will be used as a sword or gun before he eats it, LOL!) cheese squares, homemade trail mix and 3 purple tomatoes.
Grapes, peach slices, cucumber slices and avocado.

9/7

Today is our district wide "late start" day. Classes being 2.5 hrs later than normal. My 7yo wants to try and go to school today since it is a half day. Her Doctor said we could play it by ear and just go based on how she is feeling. She is ready to see her friends again.

Bottom layer- two flower onigiri, purple sweet potatoes (I've only found these in our local Asian Market, they're really tasty!) flower cucumbers and green olives on sticks.
Top layer has more flower shaped purple sweet potatoes, flower shaped carrots, red bell peppers, fresh mango, and half of a gluten free cookie.
Afternoon snack is green grapes and cheese.

17 yo DD and 15 yo DS both got-
2 triangle shaped rice onigiri, purple sweet potato flowers, turkey rolls, red bell pepper slices, mango slices and a kiwi. (my son requested "no flowers mom, geez" so his lunch did not include any flowers, haha!)

End note- my 7yo lasted 2 hours at school before I had to come get her due to a headache. Shes resting now. It was probably too soon to send her back to school after her concussion but the Dr did say to play it by ear and follow her lead. Thankfully kids heal fast so she should be back to normal soon :)