I made this lunch for my Dad. There was no reason for the theme other than my continued quest to use new cookie cutters. I did not realize that he prefers red grapes to green so he shared some with my Mom.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Cactus – Havarti dill cheese, tortellini, cherry tomatoes, spinach, black olives, olive oil and red wine vinegar
Top Right: Pistachios
Bottom Right: Green Grapes
As part of my CSA share, I can pick 2 pecks of apples from their orchard. When I checked-in to get my apple bag, the woman said, “Have fun!” It was my first time apple picking solo. I took some photos and enjoyed myself on a beautiful day with loaded apple trees. It was easy picking.
I asked my parents what they wanted me to make with some apples. My Dad wanted an apple pie with a lattice top. We made the pie together at their Lake House. I made a basic pie crust, my parents peeled the apples with this, my Mom then cut the slices in half and plumped some raisins. I sprinkled the apples with some cinnamon and nutmeg. We did not use any sugar. I made a lattice crust and decorated with braids and some leaves cut with a cookie cutter. After about 45 minutes in a 400 degree oven, we had a beautiful pie.
This was for my friend Deborah on a night we had dinner in her garden. She made delicious fruit popsicles for dessert.
Container: Wooden box purchased in Kyoto at Bento&co.
Contents: Rice balls Nishiki rice shaped with a cookie cutter and plastic wrap, black sesame seeds, Asian Cabbage Salad (I did not use cilantro)
Earth (Tree): cucumber cut with a cookie cutter
Wind (Cloud): radish cut with a cookie cutter
Water (Water Droplet): purple carrot cut with a cookie cutter
Fire (Fire): radish cut with a cookie cutter
Happy Fall! This is my collection of Fall / Autumn themed meals.
Updated 9/2/24.
OWL
PUMPKIN
Pumpkin Muffins with Cream Cheese Filling
Pumpkin Rice with Cinnamon Pumpkin Stencil
Sweet Potato, Bell Pepper, Cheese Pumpkins
FALL LEAVES
Cheese Dog Playing in Carrot Leaves
Falling Leaves Painting on Quesadilla
Leaf Fruit Salad
SQUIRRELS
Squirrels Eating Peaches Pancakes
MUSHROOMS
Cheese, Apple, Marinated Mushrooms
Mushroom Rice
APPLE
Apple Pie with Caramel and Walnuts
Apple Tree Rice
I was inspired by the art of Tanya Marcuse to take this photo in my Mom’s rock garden.
When I see mushrooms I think of many things, but one is my Dad and his stuffed mushrooms. I don’t like mushrooms but my Dad is known for his delicious stuffed mushrooms. It is a popular winter holiday food for my family. Since I don’t eat mushrooms, I rarely cook with them but I have made sauteed mushrooms with butter and mushroom soup. I made this lunch for my Dad. This was my first time making marinated mushrooms. I was told that they were delicious.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Mushrooms – cheddar cheese cut with cookie cutters, paprika details, Brown Rice and Wild Rice Pecan Stuffing (I used vegetable stock.)
Top Right: Mushrooms – apple cut with cookie cutters, dipped in water with lemon juice to prevent browning, then sprinkled with cinnamon, frozen blueberries
Bottom Right: Marinated mushrooms
I made this lunch for my Mom. She enjoys honey cream cheese with nuts and she also likes owls. She ate this meal at her Lake House. I should have taken a photo of the new wallpaper in the laundry room. It has owls.
Container: Wooden box purchased in Kyoto at Bento&co.
Contents: Owl – polenta cut with a cookie cutter then frosted with a mixture of cream cheese and honey, Eyes – cucumber with dried blueberries, Ears – sliced almond, Beak – carrot, Body – sliced almonds and pecans, lettuce (CSA)
I made this meal for my friend Renae. I drew sheep when I was a kid, she drew dinosaurs. I enjoyed making a dino meal for her. We had an outdoor dinner at my place, then we went for a long walk in my neighborhood. It was a beautiful September evening and wonderful to connect in person!
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Dinosaurs – cheddar cheese cut with a cookie cutter, Snow Pea and Tomato Pasta salad
Top Right: Dinosaur – apple cut with an imprint cookie cutter, dipped in water with lemon to prevent browning then sprinkled with cinnamon, blackberries
Bottom Right: French bread
I made this tortellini lunch for myself. The cute cloud boxes and cloud shaped cheese elevated the meal to make it more special. I often think that I should make more cute food for myself but most of the time the fun meals I make are for special people in my life.
Container: Cloud box from Japan (set of 3)
Large Box: Clouds – cheddar cut with cookie cutters, tortellini, cherry tomatoes, spinach, black olives, olive oil and red wine vinegar
Medium Box: Green grapes
I made this hands and feet themed lunch for myself in my quest to to use some cookie cutters for the first time.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Hand and Foot – polenta, pesto
Top Right: Almonds, Walnuts
Bottom Right: Hand and Foot – melon, frozen blackberries
I made this meal for my friend Deborah on an evening we ate dinner in her garden. When I asked for theme ideas, she said planets/space. I enjoyed using my Saturn cookie cutter for the first time.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Saturn – sweet potato cut with a cookie cutter then roasted, black beans, corn, tomato, lime vinaigrette
Top Right: Stars – radish cut with a mini cutter, olive tapenade (I didn’t use the capers and used ordinary black olives)
Bottom Right: Blackberries and pistachios
Mini Dippers: Stars – flour tortilla cut with a cookie cutter, brush tortilla stars with olive oil, place on cookie sheet and bake in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes or until lightly browned and crisp.
I made this spaceship meal for myself with the same ingredients as the planet bento for Deborah. Most of the friends I showed this photo to did not know what it is supposed to be.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Spaceship – sweet potato cut with a cookie cutter then roasted, black beans, corn, tomato, lime vinaigrette
Top Right: Stars – radish cut with a mini cutter, olive tapenade (I didn’t use the capers and used ordinary black olives)
Bottom Right: Blackberries and pistachios
Mini Dippers: Stars – flour tortilla cut with a cookie cutter, brush tortilla stars with olive oil, place on cookie sheet and bake in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes or until lightly browned and crisp.
I made this for my friend Carol on an evening when we ate in her garden. It is pizza that is supposed to look like watermelon. Another friend and my Mom both said that it does not look like watermelon, it looks like pizza.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Watermelon – homemade pizza dough, pesto, Asiago, tomato sauce, black olives
Top Right: Pistachios
Bottom Right: Watermelon
I made this cheesy moose for my Mom to enjoy at her Lake House. As usual she smiled when I gave it to her.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Top: Moose – hot cooked Nishiki rice press into a cookie cutter with plastic wrap, carefully push rice out of cookie cutter, cheddar cheese broiled on top in toaster oven, eye – hazelnut skin, peas
Bottom Left: Cherries
Bottom Right: Hazelnuts
Fresh “cake” made entirely from fruit is delicious, healthy, and fun to eat. Other years I made one from watermelon and honeydew. This year I made a beautiful “cake” with fresh cantaloupe. It was a tasty and beautiful dessert for my parents and myself at their Lake House.
Cake – fresh cantaloupe (slice off the top and bottom and cut off the skin with a knife), remove the seeds and then fill the melon with fresh blueberries
Decorations – fresh blueberries (giant and normal sized), cantaloupe flowers (cut with a cookie cutter), ricotta cheese. I attached the cantaloupe flowers and blueberries with toothpicks and warned the eaters that there were toothpicks in the food.
I received beautiful corn in my CSA share. My Mom thinks the mouth looks like a beak. I was trying for lips but regardless, we think these are cute.
Container: Wooden box purchased in Kyoto at Bento&co.
Contents: Corn – zucchini and tomato details (bento food cutters), broccoli, (CSA), cabbage leaves (CSA)
I made this for myself. It was simple but very cute. Maybe it will end up being the first in a series of different emoji.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Smile Emoji – Niishiki rice shaped with plastic wrap in a cookie cutter, Chrddar broiled on top (before putting in this box), Eyes – peas, Nose – hazelnut skin, Mouth – raspberry, frozen peas
Top Right: Hazelnuts
Bottom Right: Cherries
I made this meal for myself. Recently I am fascinated with my potato vegetable salad series. I keep thinking about new ways to present this theme. Fresh cantaloupe makes cute crabs and is especially delicious this time of year.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Crabs – Cheese (cut with a cookie cutter), paprika put on with a toothpick, roasted potatoes (cut with a cookie cutter), red bell pepper (cut with a cookie cutter), ricotta with dried basil and garlic powder
Top Right: Hazelnuts
Bottom Right: Crabs – melon with mini chocolate chip eyes
I made this lunch for my Dad. He did not know what it was supposed to be. I tried to make it look like the flag of Italy. Regardless, I was told that it was tasty.
Container: Book Bento Box
Contents: Nishiki rice with homemade lemon basil pesto, salsa, raspberries
I made this meal for myself with fresh vegetables from my CSA. It may not look like much, but it was delicious.
Container: U Konserve
Contents: Corn, carrots (cut with a cookie cutter), cabbage, broccoli, tomato, Asiago
Small Round Container: Frozen blueberries, blackberry, Greek yogurt, cinnamon
Today is my birthday and I took the day off from work. My parents came to visit me today. They arrived in time for lunch and I made this for us. The flowers are birthday flowers from my parents.
Menu
My critique of the meal: This easy meal looked impressive and was delicious. All 3 of us enjoyed this meal. My Dad joked that the chocolate looked so good he thought it was plastic but he knew I would not serve something non-edible. The only thing I would change about this meal is the vinaigrette. I did not measure and my splash of vinegar was too much.
I made this bee themed lunch for my Dad. He loved it, especially the honey walnut cream cheese.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Beehive – focaccia cut with a cookie cutter, honey walnut cream cheese (softened cream cheese with chopped walnuts and a drizzle of honey)
Top Right: Bees – cucumber cut with a cookie cutter
Bottom Right: Bees – apple cut with a cookie cutter, dipped in water and lemon to prevent browning and sprinkled with fresh ground cinnamon
I made this lunch for my Mom. She loves birds and I was happy to use some cookie cutters for the first time.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Birdhouse – cheddar mashed potatoes cut with a cookie cutter, Birds – carrots cut with a mini cutter, peas
Top Right: Birds – carrots cut with a mini cutter, snow peas
Bottom Right: Birdhouse – watermelon cut with a cookie cutter, frozen blueberries
I made this fun snack meal for myself and served it with mixed nuts.
Container: ELB Snack Boxes
Contents:
I made this meal for myself on a night I brought individual dinners to Carol and we ate in her garden.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Bamboo – green bell pepper, roasted potato with basil, zucchini, (cut with a cookie cutter), over a homemade pesto with fresh lemon juice
Top Right: Celery with hummus
Bottom Right: Bamboo – apple imprinted with a cookie cutter, walnuts
I made this for my 18 year old niece. She selected the theme and styled the chocolate chips. It follows a similar concept as this.
A few weeks ago, I received these delicious cherries in my CSA share. They were the inspiration for this theme.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Cherries – cheddar cut with cookie cutter, angel hair pasta, zucchini, basil
Top Right: Cherries – radish cut with mini cutter, lettuce (from CSA)
Bottom Right: Cherries (from CSA)
I made this simple lunch for my Mom at her Lake House. It delighted her since it had been a long time since she had cream cheese and jam. I was not sure if she would like it since I don’t remember her giving it to me. I thought my Aunt made it when I was a kid.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Butterfly – focaccia cut with a cookie cutter, cream cheese, strawberry jam, snow peas
Top Right: Butterflies – carrot cut with tiny cutter, snow peas
Bottom Right: Butterflies – watermelon cut with a cookie cutter
I made this dragon themed meal at the request of my 18 year old niece. I am always asking people what theme or food they want and it makes me happy when they give requests.
Dragon – cheddar mashed potato with Kerrygold butter, milk, heavy cream, salt, cooled then cut with a cookie cutter, peas
Fire – carrot cut with a knife
Balls – cheddar mashed potato cooled then shaped into balls
I made this meal for myself. I like this potato salad recipe since it uses cottage cheese instead of mayonnaise. Green olives always remind me of my Grandfather. He loved them.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Statue of Liberty – cheddar cheese cut with a cookie cutter, cottage cheese potato salad
Top Right: Green olives with pimento
Bottom Right: Star – apple cut out, peanut butter
I made this snack lunch for my Mom. I served it with mixed nuts.
Container: ELB Snack Boxes
Contents:
Today is my 9 year blogiversary! 9 years ago, I could not have imagined how much Eclectic Lamb would impact my life. Creating and sharing my creative food brings me so much joy! I look forward to many more years.
Container: Wooden box purchased in Kyoto at Bento&co.
Contents: 9 Years – carrot cut with cookie cutters, broccoli and cheese mashed potatoes, strawberries (from my CSA), blackberries, lettuce (from my CSA)
I made this gorilla themed lunch for my Dad. I questioned if it looked like a gorilla. When I gave this to my Dad I asked him if he knew the theme. He hesitantly said, elephant. I asked my Mom and 18 year old niece who were nearby and they said it did not look like a gorilla.
I was excited to find the baby bananas! In 2013 when I made this Jungle meal, I wanted to use baby bananas but could not find them. This was my first time buying them. My Dad did not want to try them at first but when he tried it he said it was slightly sweeter than normal size bananas. My Mom agreed. My 18 year old niece and I don’t eat bananas so we did not try but they looked adorable.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Gorilla – cheddar mashed potatoes cut with a cookie cutter, smoked paprika, peas
Top Right: Palm trees – cucumber, carrot, over romaine
Bottom Right: Baby bananas
I made and photographed this meal at my parents Lake House. I think that this is the first time to take and share a behind the scenes photo of a photo shoot. It was such a beautiful day and location!
I made this lunch for my 18 year old niece. I gave her a few theme choices and she selected giraffe.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Giraffes – carrot cut with a cookie cutter, food coloring details, focaccia
Top Right: Green beans
Bottom Right: Giraffes – watermelon cut with a cookie cutter
I made this for my friend Carol. It was a hot evening and we ate cute meals in her garden. I will share the meal I made for myself on another day.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Daisies – cheddar cheese, orange and yellow bell pepper, roasted potato (cut with cookie cutter), over a homemade pesto with fresh lemon juice
Top Right: Daisy – yellow bell pepper cut with a cookie cutter, celery with hummus
Bottom Right: Daisies – apple cut with a cookie cutter dipped in lemon juice and water to prevent browning with food coloring marker details, blackberries
I made this snack meal for my Dad. It was served with mixed nuts.
Container: ELB Snack Boxes
Contents: Fish – carrot cut with cookie cutter, Fish – cantaloupe cut with a cookie cutter, watermelon, Turtles – tortilla chips – flour tortillas cut with cookie cutters, (place on cookie sheet sprayed with cooking spray, brush with olive oil and bake in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes or until lightly browned and crisp), Turtle – cucumber cut with a cookie cutter, hummus
I made this meal for myself. It is an ordinary but delicious meal I often make.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Stars – cucumber cut with a cookie cutter, peanut noodles
Top Right: – Sunflower Seeds
Bottom Right: Blackberries
My Mom, Dad, 18 year old niece, and I enjoyed a Red, White, and Blue themed meal at my parents Lake House on the 4th of July. Each of us contributed to the meal in some way. My Mom made the tomato sauce and decorated the table. My Dad cooked on the grill. My niece made the breadsticks. I made the white pesto and ice cream sundae’s.
Red, White & Blue Platter – tomato, fresh Mozzarella, grilled eggplant
White Pesto – without the pasta
Breadsticks – with tomato sauce to dip
Red, White & Blue Sundae – raspberry sauce, vanilla ice cream, blueberry sauce, fresh whipped cream, red and blue sanding sugar (berry sauce – frozen blueberries and raspberries each cooked with a little simple syrup – cornstarch to thicken)
My critique of the meal:
My Mom had paper American flags and as a last minute idea I stuck them in radishes. They were easy and looked cute. After the meal my Dad ate all of the radishes. It is already well-known that my Dad loves radishes. My Mom decorated the rest of the table. I would not make the white pesto again. It was not special enough for me. My 18 year old niece’s breadsticks were amazing. I shaped them (since I love working with bread dough) but she did everything else, including making and applying the delicious topping. It was my first time making a fruit sauce sundae. My Mom, Dad, and I loved it. The niece had chocolate which is her favorite.
In full disclosure, I am the only one that ate the meal as pictured. The others also had grilled hot dogs.
Here is a collection of United States of America themed food I have made. Happy 4th of July!
Updated 5/20/24
AMERICAN FLAG
USA Potato Salad – cheddar cheese, blue potato, red bell pepper
Blue Mashed Potato Flag with Cream Cheese and Salsa
American Flag – rice, salsa, black beans
Swiss Cheese and Food Coloring Marker Flag
American Flag in a Bowl– blue potato stars, corn, tomato salad
Rice, Red Bell Pepper, Butterfly Pea Powder, Cheese Flag
USA COUNTRY SHAPE
USA Carrot and Daikon (Japanese radish)
LANDMARKS
Statue of Liberty – Daikon (Japanese radish)
Cinnamon Tortilla Statue of Liberty
Cheddar Cheese Statue of Liberty
Green Bell Pepper Statue of Liberty
Cheddar Cheese Statue of Liberty
FIREWORKS / ROCKET
Pizza Rockets
BALD EAGLE (National Bird)
Cream Cheese and Cinnamon Bread Eagle
Mashed Potato and Paprika Eagle
Pumpernickel and Wheat Bald Eagle Sandwich
PRESIDENTS
Rice & Cheese George Washington
Mashed Potatoes George Washington
Rice and Cheese Abraham Lincoln
James Buchanan Log Cabin Sandwich
PATRIOTIC STARS
RED, WHITE, & BLUE
USA
If you have ideas for any American themes I am missing, please let me know.
Thanks!
I made this meal for my Dad. He rarely gives me food or theme suggestions but is happy to eat whatever I make for him.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: USA Flag – Swiss cheese, food coloring marker details, Lemony Artichoke Pasta Salad
Top Right: Mixed nuts
Bottom Right: Stars – flour tortilla cut with a cookie cutter, cherries
I made this dinner for my parents and myself. We enjoyed the meal on their back deck. Our dinner entertainment was watching a Robin find food to feed her newly hatched babies.
Individual Spiral Vegetable Tarts – Homemade pie crust, goat cheese with lemon zest, garlic powder, fresh ground black pepper, cut carrot and zucchini with vegetable peeler, roll in spirals, drizzle with a little olive oil, bake at 350 for about 40 minutes.
Tomato, Cucumber, Black Olive, Feta Salad
My critique of the meal:
This was easy, attractive and delicious. I did not need to keep the tarts in the pans but did it because I was concerned they would fall apart. After taking the photos we took them out of the pans and it made it easier to cut and eat the spiral vegetables. When I made similar tarts before I used Boursin herbed cheese and cheddar. I think I prefer that combination to the lemon garlic goat cheese. Maybe a little honey would be tasty with the goat cheese combination. Fresh basil could be a good addition to the tomato salad.
I made this simple but fun lunch for myself.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Fish – cheddar cut with a cookie cutter, food coloring marker details, mashed potato, green peas
Top Right: Almonds
Bottom Right: Fish – apple cut with a mini cutter, mandarin oranges
I made this basic meal for my parents and myself. It has been awhile since I made 3D Crackers and Soup.
Sailboat – 3D Crackers made with a cookie cutter set, pistachios
Strawberry Soup – I did not use the Riesling and reduced the sugar.
I made this Octopus themed lunch for my Dad.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Octopus – cheddar cut with a cookie cutter, cottage cheese potato salad
Top Right: Seahorses – carrot cut with a mini cutter, black olives
Bottom Right: Jellyfish – apple skin cut with a cookie cutter, peanut butter inside apple pieces
I made this simple meal for my Mom. She loves artichokes.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Flower in Pot – cheddar cut with a cookie cutter, food coloring marker details, Lemony Artichoke Pasta Salad
Top Right: Radish, carrot
Bottom Right: Watering Can – flour tortilla cut with a cookie cutter, cherries
I made this meal for myself.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Butterfly – cucumber cut with a cookie cutter, peanut noodles
Top Right: – Pumpkin Seeds
Bottom Right: Raspberries
I made this lunch for my Mom. She enjoys feeding and watching hummingbirds. Sometimes bats and raccoons enjoy her hummingbird nectar also.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Hummingbird – cheddar cut with a cookie cutter, food coloring details, cottage cheese potato salad
Top Right: Hummingbirds – carrot cut with a mini cutter, green olives with pimento
Bottom Right: Hummingbird – zucchini cut with a mini cutter, mandarin oranges
My Dad wanted a fun social distancing activity for us so he ordered cheese from Amsterdam for an online cheese tasting. It took 3 weeks to arrive because mail is not as good these days but the cheese arrived! We attended their Saturday afternoon tasting in English via Zoom. My parents have traveled to Amsterdam several times and went to the Reypenaer Cheese shop in person for a tasting.
The event was informative and fun. Our class happened to be small with only one other group. We made a lunch of it with crackers and fruit since it happened to be 11 am Eastern time.
The card above lists flavors it is possible to detect when tasting cheese.
I would recommend this experience if you are looking for a delicious and memorable activity.
I made this fun lunch for my Mom. She loved it!
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Fox – cheddar cut with a cookie cutter, Face – food coloring marker, mashed potato, green peas
Top Right: FOX – carrot cut with cookie cutters, green olives with pimento
Bottom Right: Fox – cut apple with cookie cutter, peanut butter
In January, I created a list of 20 Goals to Accomplish in 2020. One of my items was to enter a piece into the 6×6 Exhibition. Today the global online purchasing begins. There are many submissions for this gallery fund-raiser. My piece is #1842.
It is a mixed media piece:
Normally the gallery has in-person viewing and online. This year because of COVID-19, the show is entirely online. If you wish to purchase my piece (all submissions are priced at $20), go here and enter 1842 in the artwork search number. Each of the submissions are amazing in their own way. Take a look! Thanks!
I made this meal for myself for lunch at home. It is convenient to have meals prepared and waiting for me.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Leaves – cucumber cut with a cookie cutter, cherry tomatoes, peanut noodles
Top Right: – Pumpkin Seeds
Bottom Right: Raspberries
I made this beer themed lunch for my Dad since I wanted to use my beer mug cookie cutter and he enjoys an occasional beer.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Beer – mashed potato cut and imprinted with a cookie cutter, paprika, Cheers – carrot cut with cookie cutters, green peas
Top Right: Beer – carrot cut with a cookie cutter, sliced radish
Bottom Right: Pretzel – cheddar cut with a cookie cutter, mixed nuts
Eclectic Lamb 
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