I made this rice lunch for myself to take to work. It was simple but satisfying. It will not make any list of best or most attractive lunches but it provided nourishment and some visual interest.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Tea Pot – hot cooked Nishiki rice pressed into a cookie cutter with plastic wrap, cheddar cheese details, peas
Top Right: Cashews
Bottom Right: Tea cup – apple cut with a cookie cutter and dipped in water with a splash of lemon, blackberries
These crescent rolls waffle pizzas were a dinner one night during the 6 weeks that my 19 year old niece stayed with me. The last time we made these was in 2012! They are very easy and delicious so I don’t want to wait 6 years before making them again. Basically you take Pillsbury Crescent Roll dough, put a layer on your waffle iron, put on some cheese, then put on another layer of dough and cook. Last time I had a rectangular waffle iron but that died so I used my round one this time. It is easier to make with a rectangular waffle iron but it still worked out. See how to make them here.
I made this potato and vegetable themed potato salad for myself to celebrate 4th of July on this blog. Yes, my flag stripes are a little bit wonky but I am guessing that this meal will end up being one of my favorites for 2018. The whole thing makes me smile and it was delicious!
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: White Stars – cheddar cheese, Blue Stars – blue potato (cut with cookie cutter and cook until tender but not falling apart), Red Stars – red bell pepper, on top of a light layer of Dijon vinaigrette – Dijon mustard, olive oil, white wine vinegar, salt and pepper
Top Right: Pistachios – USA drawn with food safe markers
Bottom Right: American Flag – blueberries, strawberry jam put in a plastic Ziploc bag, cut off small part of corner and pipe on stripes, plain Greek yogurt
My 19 year old niece and I made this gorgeous fresh honeydew melon cake. I knew I wanted to try another melon cake since this one was so much fun and delicious. For our honeydew melon cake I was inspired by this. My niece found this kiwi lotus flower and carved one for our cake. I removed the rind from the honeydew and cut off the top and bottom, removed the seeds from the center, filled it with extra honeydew pieces and topped it with a round of honeydew. We made fresh whipped cream and frosted the cake a little to hide the honeydew round that covers the hole. We decorated the cake with green grapes, melted chocolate chips (put in a ziplock plastic bag, cut off a small corner and pipe the melted chocolate onto the melon), and strawberries.
I was so pleased with our results! It took some time, but it was a rewarding activity. If you make your own melon cake, I would love to see it.
As my long time blog readers know, I love using EasyLunchboxes! Awhile ago when I was contacted to receive and try their new Snack Box Containers, I was very excited. I love these snack boxes and see many uses for them besides packing snacks. It has 4 – 1/2 cup sections and as you can see in these photos it can also be a satisfying meal.
My 19 year old niece made and photographed this space themed snack box. It was a night that I had a speaking engagement after work and was not home until late. It was awesome to have the help with preparing lunch for the next day!
Container: ELB Snack Boxes
Contents: Trader Joe’s Cheddar Rocket Crackers, mini pretzels, apple stars (dip in water with a splash of lemon juice to prevent browning), cucumber and carrot stars
Container: ELB Snack Boxes
Contents: Pretzels, ricotta cheese with some powdered ranch dip mix, strawberries, cucumber cut with a crinkle cutter knife
Container: ELB Snack Boxes
Contents: Dried cherries, raspberry Greek yogurt, cashews, Special K Protein Cereal – Cinnamon Brown Sugar Crunch
Disclosure: EasyLunchboxes sent me the product shown here for review. I was not financially compensated. All opinions stated here are 100% my own.
I made this packed turtle lunch for my 19 year old niece. I made a similar lunch for myself the same day but it was just a round pizza with broccoli and the same fruit but not in a turtle shape. I rarely put broccoli on pizza but I enjoyed it in this lunch.
Top Left: Kiwi and grape turtle (these are everywhere online so I don’t know the original source) with chocolate sprinkle eyes – make the holes with a toothpick, blackberries
Bottom Left: Sunflower seeds
Right Side: Turtles – store bought pizza dough cut with a cookie cutter, cooked broccoli cut into small pieces, mozzeralla cheese, a little bit of garlic powder – bake at 425 until brown on the bottom (about 10 minutes)
I made this meal for myself on a day that I made salsa rice for my companion Dennis.
Container: LunchBots Trio
Top Left: Tulip – cooked Nishiki rice mixed with some salsa and shaped in a tulip rice mold, spinach leaves
Top Right: Macadamia nuts
Bottom: Tulips – cheese filled grape tomatoes. I mostly followed this but made it quick since I only used Boursin for the filling and did not add stems, asparagus is underneath
My 19 year old niece and I made this beautiful and delicious dinner. My family likes to say that I don’t make the same thing twice, but I am guessing that I will make this meal again. Of course it took a long time to cut and roll the roses but that is part of the fun. My niece placed the vegetable roses on the tarts.
Zucchini Rainbow Carrots Rose Tart – I followed the advice in the comments on this post and made some corrections / additions.
Crust – I used homemade pie crust instead of the puff pastry.
Filling – I did not use eggs or mozzarella and added Boursin herbed cheese, garlic powder, extra sharp cheddar and a lot of freshly ground cracked pepper to the ricotta. (I would add even more flavor to the filling next time).
Vegetable Roses – I found the rainbow carrots at Trader Joe’s. I used a mandolin slicer and cooked the slices in the microwave for one minute before rolling as the directions say. But after rolling the roses, I cooked them an additional minute in the microwave before placing on the tarts. After putting on the olive oil, I also put freshly ground salt and pepper on top of the roses.
Apple Cream Cheese Rose Tarts – these were very easy, impressive looking, and tasty! In my rush to get them in the oven, I did make a mistake and did not fold up the bottom of the puffed pastry before rolling. So they were a little too tall for the muffin tin.
The leftovers made a delicious lunch the next day.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Zucchini Rainbow Carrots Rose Tart – see my modifications above
Top Right: Macadamia nuts
Bottom Right: Strawberries
Happy Onion Ring Day! I love my Dad’s onion rings. I call them my Dad’s but I think that my Mom often makes the batter. We had them as part of a meal at their Lake House.
I love my little deer cookie cutter I bought in Japan. I decided to use it again with polenta. I made it myself with cornmeal but you can use a cookie cutter with store bought polenta. I am not sure why I did not give the fawn eyes.
Container: LunchBots Trio
Top Left: Polenta fawn (cookie cutter), feta cheese spots, shredded lettuce
Top Right: Red grapes
Bottom: Tomato, feta, little bit of pasta
My 19 year old niece and I made this taco salad. She loves lime and I think it is gorgeous on this! The sombrero is from this lunch 2 years ago. It makes me nostalgic. But I am glad that I captured all of those memories here. Next month will be my blog’s 7 year anniversary!
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Lettuce, red bell pepper, corn, black beans, cucumber, lime
Top Right: Cactus tortilla chips – cut flour tortillas with a cookie cutter, place on cookie sheet sprayed with cooking spray, spray shapes with cooking spray, sprinkle with salt and bake in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes or until lightly browned and crisp.
Bottom Right: Blackberries, strawberry
Not pictured: Salsa and ranch dressing
I made this packed lunch for my 19 year old niece.
Container: U Konserve
Contents: Mini pancakes, raspberries, blueberries
Mini Dippers – Granola
Greek Yogurt
My niece and I made and enjoyed a crepe dinner. She also took photos while I made the crepes with my electric crepe maker – see below. I was excited to make and eat mini individual crepe cakes for dessert. This was our second time eating the Asparagus and Cheddar Crepes – I designed the simple recipe myself a few months ago.
Asparagus and Cheddar Crepes – My crepe batter is similar to this. Boil asparagus in water for a few minutes, then drain. Put shredded cheddar and asparagus in a crepe and fold. Place crepes in a baking pan coated with cooking spray. Add shredded cheese on top of crepes. Bake at 375 for about 20 minutes or until brown.
Mini Individual Crepe Cakes – We mostly following this method but used my own crepe batter and added a layer of freshly whipped cream in alternating layers.
My critique of the meal: I really don’t think that I would do anything different. But depending on who I was serving, maybe I would serve a salad along with this meal. It is a labor intensive meal so I would recommend not making this for a large dinner party unless you have plenty of time and help.
I made this for my companion Dennis to take as a packed meal for work. I asked him if wanted a face on the starfish and he said, “yes”. He prepared the starfish apples for this meal.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Top Left: Starfish – apples dipped in water with lemon juice and then dipped in cinnamon sugar
Bottom Left: Goldfish crackers with some pumpkin seeds
Right Side: Starfish – cooked Nishiki rice mixed with some salsa and pressed in a cookie cutter with plastic wrap, face – spinach cut with a straw and a mini cookie cutter, peas
I made this lunch for my friend Renae to eat at work today on her 40th birthday.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Cheddar mashed potatoes over lentils, broccoli, zucchini, and carrots cooked in vegetable broth, carrot lettering
Top Right: Lindt Caramel Milk Chocolate Truffles with white chocolate “40”
Bottom Right: Honeydew and cantaloupe
I made this lunch for my 19 year old niece. I like using these cloud boxes and thought it would be fun to make flavored popcorn and put it in one of the boxes. I found a list of 50 Flavored Popcorn Recipes and asked my niece to pick a few. It is possible that other flavors will end up here sometime.
Container: Cloud box from Japan (set of 3)
Large Box: Salad with mixed lettuce, blueberries, and sliced almonds
Medium Box: Yogurt Granola Popcorn with Greek Yogurt Craisins
Small Box: Mandarin oranges and blueberries
Not pictured: Vinaigrette
I asked my 19 year old niece for dinner suggestions for the 6 weeks she is staying with me. One suggestion she had was Corn Fritters. When I was a child, Saltsman’s, a family style restaurant my family and grandparents enjoyed, served corn fritters with maple syrup as one of the courses. I think that we drove 1.5 hours to get to that restaurant. Sometimes my grandma and I would make corn fritters at home. When my niece and nephews were younger, I made corn fritters with maple syrup for them. My niece remembered them and requested it for dinner. They were delicious and I was very happy to enjoy them for dinner with her.
Salad – Assorted lettuce, red bell pepper, daikon (Japanese radish), ranch dressing
Corn Fritters – see recipe below
Battered Apple Rings – served with cinnamon sugar instead of powdered sugar
Corn Fritters
Ingredients:
2 cups of frozen corn
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 egg
1 tsp melted butter
1/2 cup milk
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
Vegetable oil
Maple Syrup
Mix corn, salt, pepper, well beaten egg, melted butter, milk, flour, and baking powder. Drop batter by tablespoons into hot vegetable oil (360 to 370). Fry two to three minutes, until golden brown. Drain onto paper towels.
My critique of the meal: I would not change anything about the salad unless guests preferred a different dressing choice. I definitely would not change the corn fritters with maple syrup. Maybe if I was trying to be healthier, I would not serve the fried apple rings on the same day as the corn fritters but it was convenient since the oil was hot. The apple rings would be wonderful with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce.
I made this lunch for myself to take to work. I would consider it a craft fail for the mini rice dinosaurs but it is sort of cute in a funny way and it was fun to eat.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Mini Dinosaurs – hot cooked Nishiki rice pressed into a cookie cutter with plastic wrap, spinach details, sauteed broccoli, green bell pepper, zucchini in vegetable broth, white beans
Top Right: Pistachios
Bottom Right: Blackberries
I made this packed lunch for my 19 year old niece in honor of Hot Air Balloon Day.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Top Left: Hot Air Balloon – apple with skin cut and dipped in lemon water, blackberries
Bottom Left: Cashews
Right Side: Hot Air Balloon – hot cooked Nishiki rice pressed into a cookie cutter with plastic wrap, spinach details – cut with a straw, woven carrot basket, green peas
Other Hot Air Balloon Lunches:
I made this packed lunch for my 19 year old niece. I am enjoying having her stay with me. It is fun to be able to make so many lunches for her. I am also making better lunches for myself more often than usual.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Butterfly – hot cooked Nishiki rice pressed in a cookie cutter with plastic wrap, carrot and bean details held on with pieces of spaghetti (I pre-cut the holes in the carrot with a toothpick), zucchini, green pepper, and broccoli sauteed in vegetable broth
Top Right: Pistachios
Bottom Right: Blacberries
I made this with my 19 year old niece for her to take as a packed lunch. She made the birds nest and did most of the styling for this meal.
Container: ECO Lunchboxes
Contents: Bird – blue mashed potato shaped with a cookie cutter, eyes – tortilla (pupil – food coloring marker), beak & tail – tortilla, red bell pepper, broccoli, lettuce, chow mein noodles, dry roasted spicy wasabi edamame
Small Round Container: Birds Nest – chow mein noodles with melted dark chocolate, eggs – Coffee Nut M&M’s
A few weeks ago, I made two identical versions of this packed dinner to take to my friend “C’s” house. We watched The Theory of Everything movie that she borrowed from the library. One of the reasons I don’t have a TV by choice is to encourage myself to get out and do things with people. It was perfect to go to her house with a meal and watch a movie!
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Roasted Broccoli with Chickpeas and Goat Cheese – I can’t see the walnuts in this photo and am now wondering if I forgot to put them in but it was delicious. We ate it as a cold salad. Romaine is underneath.
Top Right: Sliced strawberries with a little lemon juice and honey
Bottom Right: Tomato, cucumber, and feta with a little olive oil, salt and pepper
I made this for my 19 year old niece to take as a packed lunch. It is very monochromatic and not the most attractive. I can say it was delicious since I had a similar lunch in a different theme that I will share on another day.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Roasted Cauliflower, red pepper and cheddar cheese hand pie with a butter pie crust
Top Right: Pistachios
Bottom Right: Strawberry jam tart
My 19 year old niece is staying with me for 6 weeks. I am excited to make and share a lot of fun lunches and dinners. I will probably be sharing the meals I make during this time until long after she is no longer staying with me. I made two identical versions of this packed lunch for each of us.
Top Left: Flower Twice Baked Potato Bites – I mostly followed this recipe. I added shredded cheddar cheese in the mashed potato mixture and flower shaped carrots (cookie cutter) on top before baking.
Bottom Left: Pistachios with flowers drawn with food safe markers
Right Side: Roasted broccoli and flower shaped red bell pepper (cookie cutter) with some white beans
I made this meal for my companion Dennis and made an identical one for myself. It may seem a little strange to put basil on strawberries but the whole meal was delicious!
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Top Left: Sliced strawberries with a little bit of lemon juice, honey, and fresh basil
Bottom Left: Fresh mozzarella balls, cherry tomatoes, olive oil, freshly ground pepper, basil
Right Side: Homemade pizza with homemade basil pesto, mozzarella cheese, and sliced cherry tomatoes
I made this for my companion Dennis to take as a packed meal for work. I used my Shark Attack cookie cutters for the first time. I thought about using the person with the severed leg but I did not want the lunch to be gruesome.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Shark – hot cooked Nishiki rice pressed into a cookie cutter with plastic wrap, spinach details, surf board – cheddar cheese (cut with a cookie cutter), black beans and salsa
Top Right: Cashews
Bottom Right: Blackberries
I made this lunch for myself because I had leftover black beans. It was good but too healthy tasting.
Container: Wooden box purchased in Kyoto at Bento&co.
Contents: Bear – (I used my food processor to puree black beans with some olive oil, onion powder and a splash of lemon juice), cherry tomatoes, lettuce, strawberries, crinkle cut carrots and cucumber
Two weeks ago, I entered my 4th Flower Show (“Celebrations in May”). I almost didn’t participate but I decided to enter a photo since it is more fun to attend when I have a personal connection to the show. I was called last minute to enter another photo and make a brooch since they needed all 4 places filled for the entries in a category to be filled. A friend said that I did a good deed. Maybe she said that since my entries were all failures.
I entered 3 classes and received two – honorable mentions (4th place) and one – 3rd place but it was really a 4th place (more details on that below). So it was a failure for me but as my companion Dennis said, I knew I would not place well because of “lack of prep, time, effort, and lack of caring”. I thought the lack of caring was a bit harsh but if I cared more I would have taken the time to make my entries better. I also would have taken the time to find the photography rules since I had never entered a photograph before.
Class 1 – “Celebrating Wildflower Week”
The above photo is the 1st place brooch.
I like the idea of making a key to show materials used.
2nd place brooch. This one was my favorite. It uses pussy willows.
3rd place brooch
For the background, I glued corn husk together and covered it with sheet moss. Since this was a last minute entry, I used materials I had at my place. I cut bay leaves from my spice drawer and painted them. I had the dried miniature Button Chrysanthemum from a past flower show entry.
The judges comments for my brooch, “We question one of the material used. Nicely executed.” I asked later and they did not believe that I used corn husk. I guess they are not allowed to pick up the piece to see the back.
This was my second time to enter a brooch in a flower show and I did not do well the first time either. My wildflower brooch this year really was 4th place because someone who said she would bring one, did not. The Flower Show Committee made a simple one so that the others could be judged.
4th place brooch but it was made quickly by the Flower Show Committee to enable the other entries to be judged.
Now on to the photos. I used what I had and did not get them professionally printed. I don’t like glossy paper so I did not use it. As I did not read the rules, maybe it is supposed to be on glossy paper. Anyway, I knew when I entered that mine would come in 4th place. Plus I made it easy for the judges.
Class 3 – “National Photo Month”
1st place photo
2nd place photo
3rd place photo
4th place photo
This photo is one I took in the past year from the front deck of my parents Lake House. The judges comments to me were, “It needed more interest and drama in the foreground. Lacks an interesting focal point.”
Class 4 – “Meditations Day”
1st place photo
2nd place photo
3rd place photo
4th place photo
I struggled with finding a last minute meditation photo in the correct orientation. I had some Buddha ones in portrait. It had to be in black and white.
As usual, I enjoyed participating in the Botanical Arts division of a flower show .
My friend “J” came over for lunch. She wanted black beans and a cat theme. I am always happy when people suggest themes and food. Also it caused me to come up with a technique new to me – I pureed black beans.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Cat – layered black beans, Mexican blend cheese, and corn packed into a cookie cutter, (I used my food processor to puree black beans with some olive oil, onion powder and a splash of lemon juice), lime peel for face details, lettuce
Top Right: Raspberries with cinnamon sugar tortilla cats (cut flour tortillas with cookie cutter, brush the cut tortilla chips with olive oil and then sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Put shapes on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 for about 8 minutes (bake until lightly browned and crisp)
Bottom Right: Mice tortilla chips (cut flour tortillas with a cookie cutter, place on cookie sheet sprayed with cooking spray, spray shapes with cooking spray and bake in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes or until lightly browned and crisp.
Above the Box: Salsa (in Mini Dippers)
I made this for my companion Dennis. He actually suggested the theme and I was happy to oblige.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Top: Rhino – cheddar mashed potatoes cooled then shaped and stamped with a cookie cutter, horn – cheddar cheese, peas
Bottom Left: Raspberries with some white chocolate chips
Bottom Right: Pistachios
I had my friend Renae and her family over for a Groot themed meal. They brought over their baby Groot to use as a centerpiece. This theme was something I talked about for awhile and we finally did it. I made 6 individual Groot breads (my companion Dennis came later after work and he also enjoyed the meal).
Groot Bread – I doubled the recipe and made 6 individual Groot breads. For the eyes I used dried cherries. I did not use an egg wash.
Raw Vegetables with Ranch Dip
Groot Cookies – I am not skilled with a pastry bag and struggled with this since the dough was too thick. Also I forgot to buy heavy cream and used milk. I had to keep adding milk to make it loose enough so I could pipe it. But they turned out cute and my guests enjoyed. I used Trader Joe’s Cacao Nibs for the eyes.
I only made 2 with cheddar cheese on top since I did not know how popular they would be with my crowd.
My critique of the meal: I was concerned about the nutritional value of the meal since it was centered around large individual breads. I love doing themed meals and I think that this will be memorable for my guests. I know that it will be memorable for me.
I made this lunch for my 13 year old nephew for lunch at home. I was thrilled that he was able to come and spend the night at my place. He loves basketball and bagels. I enjoyed carrying out my tradition of making themed food for him.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Top Left: Basketballs – cantaloupe cut with a round cookie cutter (put melted chocolate in a zip-lock plastic bag, use scissors to cut a small corner off of the bag, pipe chocolate onto melon)
Bottom Left: Orange bell pepper cut with a round cookie cutter
Right Side: Basketball – homemade bagel with cheddar cheese, black food coloring marker details
A week ago, I invited my friend Carol over for dinner and Scrabble. I am bad at Scrabble but enjoy playing it as long as my opponent does not mind that I am not tough competition. Carol offered to bring an arrangement and asked about the theme. I did not have a theme in mind and asked her if “Welcome Spring” went along with what she wanted to make. The daffodils were perfect! With snow and temps in the 30’s, it did not feel like Spring but I do live in Rochester, NY.
Romaine and Sugar Snap Peas with Pecan Dressing
Cheesy Quinoa and Asparagus Bake
Sliced strawberries with a splash of Fragola (Wild Miniature Strawberry Liqueur), a dollop of ricotta cheese and a drizzle of honey
I wanted to use my cute individual dishes that I bought at Wegmans awhile ago. Individual Cheesy Quinoa Asparagus bakes were perfect for these dishes.
I created my own dessert with inspiration from my Easter basket – Strawberry Liqueur.
My critique of the meal: I would not make the pecan dressing again but I do like the idea of roasting and making my own nut butter to make a salad dressing. I enjoy quinoa bakes but probably not with asparagus. I am looking forward to serving fruit with liqueur and ricotta again.
It has been awhile since I made a featured ingredient lunch. I made this for my companion Dennis. He loves macadamia nuts so it inspired this packed meal for him to take to work.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Pasta with Macadamia Nuts – I used ricotta cheese
Top Right: White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Energy Balls
Bottom Right: Asparagus & Macadamia Salad with Lemon Parmesan Dressing – I did not ribbon the asparagus since they were thin
I made this for my friend Carol. I enjoy having her over for dinner since she eats a wide variety of food and the conversation flows. It was a memorable meal – delicious! I served the dessert from the refrigerator but put it on the table for the photos.
Greek-Style Stuffed Eggplant – I did not use the mint or parsley and seasoned with salt and pepper. Also I halved the recipe and only used 1 eggplant.
Garlic Bread – I sliced store bought French bread, spread with butter, sprinkled with garlic powder and put in the oven with the eggplant until lightly browned
Individual No-Bake Cheesecake – I used graham cracker crumbs.
This meal was fairly simple but memorable. We keep talking about the stuffed eggplant!
I made this meal for my niece. It is healthy and plain but I served chocolate with it. She helped style it and placed all of the almonds for the mermaid’s tail.
Container: Book Bento Box
Contents: Mermaid – hot cooked Nishiki rice pressed in a cookie cutter with plastic wrap, eye – spinach, hair – carrot, tail – almonds, broccoli, carrot sea horses, shells, and starfish
My 19 year old niece and I have a tradition of decorating eggs for Easter. I am so pleased that we just finished our 8th year of decorating eggs together! This year we used the Ukrainian wax resist technique. Many years ago we used the same technique but we did not know what we were doing and we used a simplified technique. This year we took a class at a library and decided to try it at home with blue dyes. It was easy to order various blue dyes from The Ukrainian Gift Shop.
We started with blown-out eggs with 2 holes.
I Googled Ukrainian egg patterns and focused on eggs with only blue and white. I printed off some images and patterns. We mostly based our designs on those images and patterns. This technique is fun but takes a long time to complete. My niece made 3 eggs and I made 4 but hers are more detailed.
When we were done, I attached 1/8 inch white ribbon hangers by using a very long needle. Then I used a little bit of hot glue if the hole was large and I was afraid the ribbon would fall through.
Year 8 – Ukrainian
Year 7 – Punched Paper
Year 6 – Diorama
Year 5 – Marble
Year 4 – Ribbons
Year 3 – Quilling
Year 2 – Simplified Ukrainian
Year 1 – Paper Cut-out
It is fun playing with fire! But of course we had to be careful and never leave the flame unattended.
My niece made this beautiful egg based on an image.
I used a coloring book page to make this bunny and flower design.
My lines are not straight but I still think it is pretty.
My niece made this gorgeous egg.
On my new tree this year are some eggs from the past 2 years. It makes me feel peaceful and happy to look at it.
I enjoy making food art on a plate but don’t do it very often. Typically making a full meal works better into my plans. I had this idea last year but I was busy starting my new life (job and apartment) before Easter. This year, my 19 year old niece and I enjoyed this.
Rabbit with Carrot Car: Rabbit – cheddar mashed potatoes cut with imprint cookie cutter, eye – red bell pepper, vehicle – whole carrot cooked, broccoli, black olives attached with dry spaghetti
Container: Book Bento Box
Contents: Rabbit – cheddar mashed potatoes cooled then shaped with a cookie cutter, cooked broccoli, asparagus, carrot, mango
Over a week ago, my friend Carol and I went to see the Rochester City Ballet perform Cinderella at Nazareth College. The ballet was amazing, it was my favorite ballet experience. The performance had humor, special effects, visual interest, and skilled performers. We had dinner at my place before the ballet. Of course, it was Cinderella themed. When Carol asked what she could bring, I said an arrangement. She made a beautiful centerpiece.
The menu was mostly make ahead and easy to prepare.
Cinderella Salad: Assorted lettuce, glass slipper (daikon – Japanese radish cut with a knife around a paper template), pumpkins (carrot cut with a mini cookie cutter), stars (yellow bell pepper cut with a mini cookie cutter)
Clock Strikes Midnight Roasted Cauliflower and Cheese Hand Pie: Roasted cauliflower, sauteed onion, cheddar cheese in pie crust with pie crust details cut with small cookie cutters. Baked at 375 for about 20 minutes.
Cinderella Coach Orange Sorbet: Orange Sorbet, chocolate wheels (put melted chocolate in a zip-lock plastic bag, use scissors to cut a small corner off of the bag, pipe chocolate onto a baking sheet covered with aluminum foil, refrigerate until firm)
This meal was so much fun to plan, make and eat! It reminded me of something that I already knew – Adults Can Eat Cute Food Too!
I made this dog themed lunch for a co-worker. She was thrilled and loved it! It is exciting to make food for different people because it often provides new theme and food ideas. This co-worker suggested a dog theme and since her last dog was a black lab, I decided to try for a dark dog. This was my first time to make a black bean cake, it was easy to shape with a cookie cutter.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Dog – Black Bean and Brown Rice Cakes – Use a dog shaped cookie cutter (I sprayed the metal cookie cutter with cooking spray but I am not sure if it was necessary), cheese details, assorted lettuce, carrot bones (mini clay cutter)
Top Right: Cashews
Bottom Right: Raspberries
Above the Box: Salsa, Greek Yogurt with a splash of lime juice in Mini Dippers
I made this lunch for my supervisor at work. She loved it! My goal for this meal was to make a cute lunch that was relatively low-carb. It was my first time making the Roasted Mexican Broccoli and I loved it! I reduced the spice a little since I was not sure about her preferences but it was still flavorful. I took this photo at home before bringing it to work. Before eating her lunch, my supervisor took a photo to show her husband. There was a slight mishap since the horses on the left shifted a little during transport. In her photo of the lunch, it looks like the horses are having “fun”. It gave us a good laugh.
Container: U Konserve
Left Side: Horses – white and orange cheddar cheese cut with a cookie cutter, black beans mixed with some salsa, Roasted Mexican Broccoli
Right Side: Horse – white cheddar cheese cut with a cookie cutter, raspberries and blackberries
Above the Box: Horseshoes – cut flour tortilla with a cookie cutter, place horseshoes on cookie sheet sprayed with cooking spray, spray horseshoes with cooking spray and bake in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes or until lightly browned and crisp.
Not in Photo: Roasted Red Pepper Hummus and sugar snap peas (I added this since I was not sure if I packed enough food.)
I made this lunch for my companion Dennis. I have made more non-themed meals for him than cute ones but he is happy anytime I pack a lunch for him.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Instrument – cheddar quesadilla (cut with a cookie cutter after cooking), sour cream and salsa in Mini Dippers
Top Right: Apples with instrument cut out (cookie cutter), cinnamon sugar
Bottom Right: Black Bean Lentil Salad with Cumin-Lime Dressing – I put in less lentils since my companion was not sure about lentils, I also did not use cilantro because he does not like it
Today is National Toothache Day. Toothaches are horrible and not something to celebrate but it is a good reminder to take care of your teeth. I ate this lunch at work. The sides were in silicone cups for easy removal before heating the rest of the meal in the microwave.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Tooth – cheddar mashed potatoes cooled then shaped with a cookie cutter, sauteed zucchini and tomato with vegetable boullion.
Top Right: Pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
Bottom Right: Grapefruit
This year to celebrate February and Valentine’s Day, I have 3 Heart and Animal themed lunches. They feature mashed potatoes, rice, and quesadillas. This first lunch is a cheddar mashed potato giraffe with heart shaped markings. I made it for my companion Dennis.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Giraffe – cheddar mashed potatoes cooled then shaped with a cookie cutter, carrot hearts (cut with a mini cutter), spinach and oak leaf lettuce details, zucchini and tomatoes sauteed with a little vegetable bullion
Top Right: Heart Shaped Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup
Bottom Right: Pink grapefruit
I made this cute Bear holding a paper Valentine chain for myself. This cheerful bear was an awesome packed lunch.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Bear – Hot cooked Nishiki rice pressed in a cookie cutter with plastic wrap, spinach and oak leaf lettuce details, heart carrots (cut with mini cutter), black beans and corn mixed with a little salsa
Top Right: Cashews
Bottom Right: Cherry tomatoes
Who can say no to a dinosaur quesadilla? Dennis ate this meal. He also had the small round quesadillas scraps with the dinosaur cut out.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Top: Dinosaur – quesadilla with cheddar
Bottom Left: Raspberries
Bottom Right: Red bell pepper and cucumber hearts (cut with heart cookie cutter)
I enjoy making groundhog themed lunches. But when I showed a photo of this one to friends only my companion could guess (on the second try what it was), my other friends gave up after several guesses. If I somehow added a shadow maybe it would be more recognizable.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Groundhog (Hot cooked Nishiki rice pressed into a cookie cutter with plastic wrap, carefully remove cookie cutter, spinach and oak leaf lettuce details), black beans, salsa, corn
Top Right: Cashews
Bottom Right: Cherry tomatoes
These tornado lunches are similar to the hurricane lunches I shared previously. I was satisfied with the taste but not the look so tried them again on a different day.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Cold peanut noodles with peanuts (in a tornado shaped cookie cutter), diced cucumber
Top Right: Carrot noodles
Bottom Right: Cherries
Round Container: Bugles
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Cold peanut noodles (in a tornado shaped cookie cutter), broccoli
Top Right: Pistachios
Bottom Right: Sliced strawberries
Awhile ago I ended up making two different versions of hurricane themed lunches (on two different days) since I was not satisfied with the first one. I considered making a third one combining my favorite elements from each lunch. Instead I am sharing both. Maybe in the future I will revisit this theme. These were healthy and delicious lunches.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Cold peanut noodles (in a hurricane shaped cookie cutter), blackberries
Top Right: Sliced strawberries
Bottom Right: Broccoli
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Cold peanut noodles with peanuts on top (in a hurricane shaped cookie cutter), diced cucumber
Top Right: Carrot noodles
Bottom Right: Cherries
A few days before Christmas, I hosted this easy meal for my friend, her husband, her two daughters (12 & 9), my parents, and myself. It was a fun evening! I put Reese’s White Chocolate Trees at each place.
Menu
This year I hosted 6 for Christmas – my parents, my friend, her two adult sons, and myself. As usual, I wanted to try something different so I created a 6 course meal. I consider this one of my epic memorable meals – along with Dumplings Around the World that I hosted several years ago.
Course 1: Appetizer – Spinach & Artichoke Puffed Pastry – I prepared this a week before, put in my freezer and then baked before serving
Course 2: Salad & Bread – Baby Romaine & Grapefruit Salad served in a Grapefruit Cup, Rolls with Holly Shaped Butter
Course 3: Vegetable – Baked Zucchini Caprese Stacks – I made my own pesto with walnuts
Course 4: Pasta – Pumpkin Ravioli with an Apple Cider Reduction or Three Cheese Ravioli with Garlic Olive Oil
Course 5: Cheese – Cheddar, Brie, Blue Cheese, Caramelized Walnuts, Marcona Almonds, Raspberries, Apples
Course 6: Dessert – Chocolate Cheesecake Squares, Mini Citrus Cakes with Whipped Cream, Strawberry Gelato
Appetizer – Spinach & Artichoke Puffed Pastry
To make my 6 course menu manageable, I started with make and freeze appetizers. I baked them just before serving.
Salad & Bread – Grapefruit Salad in Grapefruit Cup with Rolls and Holly Shaped Butter
I liked the idea of serving the salads in grapefruit bowls. I doubt I will do it again but it was something different.
I love making shaped butter for various occasions.
Vegetable – Baked Zucchini Caprese Stacks
I know that these do not look like much but these vegetable and cheese stacks were a hit! Attendees kept raving about them afterwards.
Pasta – Pumpkin Ravioli
I made two different ravioli for the pasta course a week ahead and put them in my freezer. I offered 2 choices but allowed attendees to have both choices (separately) and many took me up on the offer.
Pasta – Three Cheese Ravioli
Cheese – Cheddar, Brie, Blue Cheese, Caramelized Walnuts, Marcona Almonds, Raspberries, Apples
I know this does not look beautiful but it was delicious and everyone enjoyed! I really should make the cheese course a more frequent feature of dinner parties.
Dessert – Strawberry Gelato, Mini Citrus Cake, Chocolate Covered Cheesecake Square
I once went to a fancy restaurant dinner in NYC where all guests were given a trio of desserts on a plate for the last course. That was my inspiration for this. All of my guests enjoyed this dessert and the entire meal. I hope that this meal was a memorable for all attendees.
Happy New Year! I made this meal for my Mom. She is always happy when I make lunch for her. She especially enjoyed the cheesy mashed potatoes.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: 2018 – Cheddar mashed potatoes cooled then shaped with cookie cutters, green peas
Top Right: Cashews
Bottom Right: Clementine
Eclectic Lamb 
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