Today is International Waffle Day so I have a lunch quesadilla waffle and a dinner or dessert waffle with ice cream and fruit. I got the idea for the quesadilla waffle from here.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Cheddar cheese quesadilla made in my waffle maker
Top Right: Baby carrots
Bottom Right: Plain Greek yogurt with frozen raspberries
I made this waffle with ice cream and sour cherries for my husband. I think that he would be happy if there was a waffle day every week.
Today is my husband’s birthday so I made a special lunch for him. He loves muffins and fruit so it was a natural choice.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Fruit muffins with streusel topping (I used Welch’s Antioxidant Fruit Blend of frozen fruit which contains strawberries, blueberries, sweet cherries, sour cherries, and blackberries)
Top Right: Cashews
Bottom Right: Raspberries
Above Box: Peach Yogurt
Next in my yearly series of Zodiac symbols in food, is Aries.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Top Left: Lettuce, radish
Bottom Left: Blueberries, raspberries
Right Side: Penne pasta with a little butter, Parmesan cheese, orange Cheddar cheese Aries symbol
I had fun making and eating this Happy Snail lunch. The snail is mashed potato with these eye picks and spinach details. I used a cookie cutter from the Ikea Woodland set to make the snail shape. Since I don’t like nori, I used spinach instead to detail the snail’s shell. As usual, I enjoyed drawing on pistachio shells.
Container: Wooden box purchased in Kyoto at Bento&co.
Contents: Broccoli, orange cheddar mashed potatoes, spinach, chickpeas, spiced tomato sauce, pistachios with food marker details, blueberries
Linking to:
I don’t live in New York City but I live in New York State and decided that this would be a fun theme for a lunch. Also I had the Statue of Liberty cookie cutter. I made the Statue of Liberty from a tortilla that I baked with a little olive oil and cinnamon sugar.
Container: LunchBots Trio
Left Side: Statue of Liberty – flour tortilla with olive oil, cinnamon and sugar, Raspberries, blueberries
Top Right: Lettuce, homemade poppy seed bagel, Cheddar cheese
Bottom Right: Radish, baby zucchini, apple, broccoli
My oldest nephew turned 18 this week! I made this lunch for him to take to school on his birthday. His school has a microwave for students to use so I put the raspberries in a silicone cup so his fruit and chocolate were easy to remove before heating. This is a big meal as I added pasta around the peppers. For a smaller appetite you can just serve in the peppers. But since I made it for a teenage boy I provided a large portion of pasta.
This was my first time stuffing peppers with pasta, in the past I used rice. I had some for my dinner and enjoyed it.
Also featured for the first time is my new EasyLunchBoxes Urban. These easy and convenient containers now come in three color sets: Classic, Brights, and Urban.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Top Left: Raspberries
Bottom Left: Dove Sea Salt & Caramel Dark Chocolate
Right Side: Three Cheese Macaroni Stuffed Peppers
Not Pictured: Granola bar and almonds
I had these bear cookie cutters and decided to use them with rice.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Top: Cooked Nishiki rice, soy sauce, food coloring (face details), broccoli, carrot
Bottom Left: Blueberries, melon
Bottom Right: Post Great Grains Bar Undone Granola Snack Mix
Last year I shared 7 St. Patrick’s Day lunches including some old ones. This year I created new cute food for St. Patrick’s Day. I love making cute shaped food for any holiday or occasion. This food includes a shamrock, Claddagh ring, Irish flag, Leprechaun, sheep, and a tortilla chip in the shape of Ireland.
This was a simple but satisfying meal to make and eat. I made the hand-pie with pie crust, a shamrock cookie cutter, cooked broccoli and cheese.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Broccoli and Cheese Shamrock hand-pie
Top Right: Pistachios with little shamrocks drawn with food safe marker
Bottom Right: Kiwi
Recently I have enjoyed garnishing with cheese art. I made a mermaid, fox head and now this leprechaun. I was inspired by this coloring page. My leprechaun has a deep wrinkle on his face (crack in the cheese) but I think that it adds to his character.
Container: Book Bento Box
Contents: Quinoa, Broccoli and Cheese Casserole, white and orange Cheddar cheese, food safe marker
I am not sure how successful this is but I tried to make a Ireland country shaped tortilla chip to top this Mexican rice meal.
Container: Wooden box purchased in Kyoto at Bento&co.
Contents: Lettuce, rice, black beans, tomatoes, onion, cheddar cheese, tortilla cut in the shape of Ireland and browned in a frying pan with cooking spray.
When brainstorming new Ireland / St. Patrick’s day themes to try this year, I remembered the Claddagh ring. The fingers turned out a little strange but I still like it.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Top: Cheddar cheese quesadilla with food marker details
Bottom Left: Sugar snap peas
Bottom Right: Green grapes
I made this little Irish flag themed snack for my husband. I wanted it to be different than this Irish Flag so we came up with different food he would eat in green, white, and orange.
Container: Small divided snack container
Top: Sugar snap peas, cauliflower, orange cheddar
Bottom Left: Ranch dressing
Bottom Right: Green grapes
The stencil is supposed to be a sheep and her lamb.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Top Left: Broccoli
Top Right: Mandarin oranges
Bottom: Quinoa with Parmesan and hot paprika (I used a stencil to create these sheep)
What are you making for St. Patrick’s day this year?
Originally this mashed potato lunch was supposed to be Curious George but it does not look like George to me. Maybe it is because of the color or that I forgot his ears. But I think it looks like a cute monkey. I served this meal to my husband.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Monkey – Cheddar mashed potatoes with cheddar face and food safe marker details, spinach
Top Right: Cashews, banana Runts candies
Bottom Right: Raspberries
I made this Polar Bear themed lunch for my 10 year old nephew on a day he stayed at my house. I don’t think that it looks like a Polar Bear but it looks like a bear.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Bear shaped bread with chocolate details (after baking), cheddar cheese sticks
Top Right: Snowflake shaped apple slices (dipped in water with lemon juice to prevent browning)
Bottom Right: Popcorn (snow)
This year for Hinamatsuri (Girls Day) I made pizza, toast and mason jars filled with candy. Even if you can’t get traditional sweets you can make your own cute gift. My Girl’s Day label template is at the end of this post.
I made these Emperor and Empress Pizzas with my 16 year old niece. Actually I was the mean Aunt who came up with the idea but gave my niece an almost impossible task of making it. But I think that she did a great job and they turned out cute.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Emperor (pizza crust, mozzarella and orange cheddar cheese, spinach, carrot [baton]), Empress (pizza crust, mozzarella, tomato sauce, spinach, carrot [fan])
Top Right: Strawberries
Bottom Right: Popcorn, mint M&M’s
I made this Hinamatsuri themed toast by writing with chocolate. I was inspired by this.
I made these little snacks for my two Japanese language students (both girls are in high school). Since I am in the United States and do not have easy access to Hinamatsuri candy, I used mini mint candy in three colors. Hinamatsuri (Girl’s Day) colors are pink, white and green but I used pink, yellow and green. I put a layer of green candy on the bottom, yellow in the middle and pink on top. The label has the date of Hinamatsuri (March 3) and Hinamatsuri written in Japanese. It also includes clip art of the emperor and empresses.
If you are making macaroni and cheese for lunch or dinner, why not decorate it to look like a lamb or lion. Just be careful because if you put the decorations on hot pasta they will melt (but it could be part of the fun).
Since I like lambs I make a lot of lamb themed food and crafts. Of course I had to make a lion and lamb themed meal to celebrate the beginning of March. I know that these are not the best but they were easy, fast, and fun. Cut out shapes from thin sliced cheese (I used cheddar and cookie cutters but you could use a knife), and decorate with food safe markers or food coloring and a toothpick.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Top Left: Melon with Lamb and Lion picks
Bottom Left: Sugar Snap Peas
Right Side: Lion – (Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, thinly sliced cheddar cheese, food safe marker) Lamb – Wegmans Shells and White Cheddar, thinly sliced cheddar cheese, food safe marker) broccoli
My husband works long hours and often comes home late. For those days I like to have dinner in the refrigerator for him to heat up. Here are five make ahead meals. These can also be leftover for lunch meals.
Twice baked potatoes are a frequent request when I ask my husband for meal ideas. I made this meal so the potato could be taken out and heated in the microwave.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Top Left: Orange
Bottom Left: Peppermint candy
Right Side: Salad with lettuce, radish, carrot, twice baked potato with cheddar cheese
This meal includes several of my husband’s favorites: salad, tapioca pudding, and citrus with mint sugar. This entire meal is meant to be eaten cold.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Lettuce, cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, hard boiled egg, carrot, mozzarella cheese
Top Right: Tapioca pudding (after I made it, I put it in my EasyLunchBox to cool).
Bottom Right: Grapefruit and orange with mint sugar
This falls under not his favorite but food he will eat category. Anyway, I think that he appreciates my having made something for him.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Penne pasta with butter, Parmesan cheese, cooked broccoli
Top Right: Grapefruit
Bottom Right: Garlic bread
Potatoes and cheese are two popular ingredients here. I also added fruit and vegetable. This entire meal can be heated in the microwave. Applesauce is great warm!
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Potato and cheese gratin
Top Right: Cooked broccoli
Bottom Right: Applesauce with cinnamon
This one was actually for me as my husband won’t eat black beans. I love having a healthy meal prepared ahead of time.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Penne pasta with chopped tomatoes, black beans, corn, and Cheddar cheese (I did not use this recipe but it was my inspiration)
Top Right: Strawberries
Bottom Right: Broccoli and carrots
I hope that this gave you some ideas. What do you like to make ahead for dinner and have waiting in your refrigerator?
I love this cookie cutter I received from my sister for my birthday last summer. I used it to make a fun garnish for this meal.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Fox – Gouda, white Cheddar, food safe marker, quinoa with broccoli and cheese (see recipe below)
Top Right: Coriander carrots (see recipe below)
Bottom Right: Green grapes
Quinoa, Broccoli and Cheese Casserole (6 servings)
1 1/2 cups quinoa, rinsed in a fine sieve
2 tbs olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 medium broccoli crowns, cut into bite-size pieces
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 375 F.
Bring 3 cups water to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Stir in the quinoa, cover, and simmer gently until the water is absorbed, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skilled. Add the onion and saute until golden. Add the broccoli and about 1/4 cup water. Cover and steam until the broccoli is just a little more than tender-crisp, 5 to 7 minutes.
In a mixing bowl, combine the cooked quinoa with the broccoli mixture and half the cheese. Season with salt and pepper and stir well. Transfer the mixture to a lightly oiled, shallow 2-quart casserole. Sprinkle evenly with the remaining cheese. Bake until the top is golden and crisp, 20 to 25 minutes.
Coriander Carrots (4 servings / serving size 1/2 cup)
1 lb carrots,sliced
1 tsp vegetable oil
1 tsp ground coriander
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup water
Saute carrots in oil in nonstick pan until golden.
Add coriander, lemon juice, and water. Bring to a boil and simmer until carrots are tender-crisp. Watch this carefully; carrots burn easily if the heat is too high.
Continuing in my yearly series of Zodiac symbol lunches, here is Pisces.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Homemade pizza with tomato sauce, mozzarella, and cooked spinach Pisces symbol.
Top Right: Green grapes
Bottom Right: Mini sweet peppers
I had some leftover dough when making other shaped bread so I made this flower.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Flower shaped bread with food marker details, lettuce with mushrooms and mozzarella cheese, cherry tomato on flower stem pick
Top Right: Holiday Skittles
Bottom Right: Orange with flower and ladybug picks
2015 is the Year of the Sheep. Of course I had to make sheep shaped bread. I was surprised that I have not done it before but I did make sheep shaped cinnamon rolls.
If you are interested in making sheep shaped food (sweet and savory) I have a Pinterest board.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Top: Sheep shaped bread with food marker details, cheddar cheese stick, spinach
Bottom Left: Cherry tomatoes with sheep pick
Bottom Right: Kiwi
This year I have four new heart / Valentine themed meals. My niece made one of them. I have a large collection of heart and Valentine cookie cutters and enjoy using them.
After I made the heart shaped rice, the rest of this meal came together with food I had in the house. I had defrosted frozen sour cherries because I used some for individual sour cherry cobblers (my husband’s favorite).
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Heart shaped rice balls, sour cherry juice and sour cherries, baby romaine
Top Right: Sour cherries and ricotta
Bottom Right: Tomatoes and feta
My 16 year old niece made this lunch. She cut the lettering out of carrot and dyed the spaghetti brown. She was inspired by a sculpture one of her Uncles made for her Aunt.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Pasta with a little butter, carrot, red bell pepper, dyed spaghetti
Top Right: Hershey kisses
Bottom Right: Red grapes on skewers
I have a Cupid cookie cutter that I wanted to use so I made a Cupid quesadilla.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Cupid – cheese quesadilla with food marker details, lettuce with shredded carrot and sliced almonds
Top Right: Heart shaped York Peppermint Patties
Bottom Right: Apple slices cut and stamped with this cutter (dipped in lemon juice and water)
I had fun using my collection of heart cookie cutters to make this snack type meal for my husband.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Cucumber, Cheddar cheese, peanut butter sandwich on wheat bread, radish
Top Right: Strawberry yogurt with heart sprinkles
Bottom Right: Heart shaped York Peppermint Patties
I wanted to try to use chocolate in savory dishes instead of sweet. Today I have two lunches that include savory chocolate.
In the first meal I used a cocoa chili rub on top of homemade bread. It had a subtle taste. I also made beet hummus for the first time. I am not sure if I will make it again. It tasted alright but I could not get over the color. I am accustomed to hummus not being red. But the fresh vegetables with dip for lunch was refreshing so I need to revisit this idea.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Breadstick with Cocoa Chili Rub, broccoli, celery, snow peas, radish
Top Right: Beet hummus with beet garnish
Bottom Right: Grapefruit
I made a chocolate mole sauce and served it with rice, cheese, and cooked frozen vegetables. The garnish is carrots cut into heart shapes.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Basmati rice with cheddar, vegetables (green beans, rainbow carrots, and red pepper), and a mole sauce to taste (see recipe below).
Top Right: Kiwi
Bottom Right: Snow peas
Mole Sauce (adapted from a Cooking Light recipe for Cheesy Rice and Bean Strata)
2 tsp olive oil
1 cup minced onion
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1 (25 ounce) jar marinara sauce
2 tbs unsweetened cocoa
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, chili powder, and oregano. Saute 2 minutes. Add marinara sauce; cook over low heat for 30 minutes; stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in cocoa.
Store remaining sauce in an airtight container in a refrigerator for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months Serve with any Mexican meal.
In honor of Setsubun (bean throwing day) in Japan, I made this Oni Shaped Pizza lunch.
Setsubun is generally celebrated on February 2 or 3. It is a custom for a family member to wear an Oni mask and other family members throw beans at him. They say, “Demons out! Luck in!”.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Oni pizza with tomato sauce, mozzeralla cheese, spinach (nose and mouth), orange and white cheddar details, food safe marker for eye
Top Right: Red grapes
Bottom Right: Edamame (soybeans in the pod)
Happy Groundhog Day!
I made this meal for my husband to heat up (in the microwave) for dinner on a night that he came home late. He loves sauteed mushrooms. I choose applesauce as the fruit because he likes it warm.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Groundhog – Nishiki rice shaped in plastic wrap, brushed with soy sauce, eyes and nose (dried blueberries), teeth (cheddar cheese), mushrooms sauteed in butter
Top Right: Applesauce with cinnamon
Bottom Right: Boiled zucchini with toasted pine nuts
Linking to:
This year I am planning to make each of the Zodiac symbols into a lunch somehow. Since it is January I am starting with Aquarius. I made a paper stencil and sprinkled hot paprika over my quinoa that is mixed with a little butter and Parmesan cheese.
For each month’s Zodiac symbol I plan to make the symbols in different ways. If you have any suggestions, please let me know.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Quinoa with a little butter and parmesan cheese, hot paprika
Top Right: Red grapes
Bottom Right: Edamame (soybeans in the pod)
Today I have penguin pizza in honor of Penguin Awareness Day. Over a year ago I tried to make penguin pizza with sliced olives but I did not like how it turned out. The olives shrunk and slipped. This time I made olive paste. I am happy with how it looked and although I don’t normally eat olives on pizza it was a nice change.
Last summer I made a traditional penguin pizza for a day at the zoo. I enjoy using cookie cutters to shape pizza dough into cute shapes. If you try this make sure to use enough flour so the cookie cutters do not stick to the dough.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Penguin shaped white pizza (cookie cutter) with olive paste and mozzarella cheese
Top Right: Fish (cookie cutter) shaped carrots, penguin (cookie cutter) cucumber
Bottom Right: Blueberry yogurt with snowflake sprinkles
I considered making a mermaid bento for a long time. Today I finally have one to share. I made her out of Cheddar cheese. She is a bit strange looking but I like her. I am sharing templates in-case you want to cut your own similar mermaid out of cheese. But for a better looking mermaid please see this link.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Quinoa with black beans, (I used more bell pepper than the recipe called for), I cut the mermaid pieces from white and yellow Cheddar and used small dots of cream cheese to hold on her head and shells. I dipped toothpicks in gel food coloring for her face and belly button.
Top Right: Green and red grapes
Bottom Right: Plain Greek yogurt with blue sprinkles
Mermaid template I used a heart cookie cutter for her face and the shells are a cutter from this set.
Linking to:
I love using these deer cookie cutters I bought in Japan last year. The cookie cutters and the idea of snow covered trees was the inspiration for this lunch.
Container: LunchBots Trio
Top Left: Tortilla deer browned in a frying pan with cooking spray, lettuce blend
Top Right: White Nishiki rice with broccoli and Parmesan cheese (snow covered tree)
Bottom: Cherry tomatoes, green olives, feta
Condiment Container: Ranch dressing
My 10 year old nephew loves bagels and chocolate so he requested this bagel lunch that looks like a doughnut. I melted some chocolate chips in the microwave and spread it on top of the bagel. He helped by adding some sprinkles.
This was my nephews idea but I did see something similar before at Mamabelly.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Peanut butter sandwich on a bagel with melted chocolate chips on top and some sprinkles
Top Right: Carrots
Bottom Right: Clementines
Linking to:
These meals can be enjoyed for breakfast or anytime. Most of these were packed for a meal on the go and many are easy to put together. (The calories in these meals range from 240 calories to 373.5 calories). The Fruit & Nut Bar and Raspberry Muffins can be made ahead and stored in your freezer.
Fruit and Nut Bar Breakfast
The Fruit & Nut bar in this meal requires time to make and bake but it freezes well. I freeze it in individual portions.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Fruit and Nut Breakfast Bar with dried apricot, cherry, and blueberries (230 calories)
Breakstone’s Individual 4 ounce Cottage Cheese (90 calories)
Apple (26 calories)
Total: 346 calories
Fruit & Nut Breakfast Bar (8 servings)
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
6 oz mixed dried fruit, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup low-fat plain yogurt
1 large egg
1/4 cup apple juice concentrate
2 Tbsp canola oil
Nonstick cooking spray
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large bowl, mix all dry ingredients. Add dried fruit and walnuts.
In a medium bowl, combine yogurt, egg, apple juice concentrate, and oil.
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and gently mix in the wet ingredients until blended.
Coat a 9 x 9 x 13 inch pan with cooking spray. Spread batter in pan.
Bake 45 – 50 minutes until browned and toothpick comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes before slicing.
Slice into 8 equal servings. Individual portions freeze well.
Potato and Cheese Breakfast
This meal is easy to make with an extra baked potato from dinner. I put the sliced potatoes and cheese in silicone cups so I can heat it in the microwave but keep the other items in this meal cold.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
6 oz baked potato, sliced (165 calories)
1 oz shredded mozzeralla cheese (80 calories)
Plain Green yogurt (90 calories)
Strawberries (20 calories)
Total: 355 calories
Hard Boiled Egg, Raspberry Muffin, and Walnuts Breakfast
My husband loves fruit muffins so this breakfast was for him. Muffins can be baked and stored in the freezer for a fast breakfast.
Container: ECO Lunchboxes
Raspberry Cream Cheese Muffin (142 calories)
Hard boiled egg (78 calories)
0.7 ounce Walnuts (130 calories)
Total: 350 calories
Ricotta, Tomatoes, Italian Bread, and Raspberries Breakfast
This red and white meal has a lot of cherry tomatoes and raspberries and was filling.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
60 grams Italian Bread (162 calories)
123 grams Cherry Tomatoes (22 calories)
1/4 cup Ricotta Cheese (108 calories)
1 cup Raspberries (65 calories)
Total: 357 calories
Hummus, Pita, and Clementine Breakfast
I like to keep mini pita in my freezer for a quick meal.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
2 Mini Mini Pitas (140 calories)
Individual Hummus (130 calories)
Clementines (70 calories)
Total: 340 calories
Apples, Cheddar, and Walnuts breakfast
I find fruit, nuts, and cheese to be a satisfying meal.
Container: LunchBots Trio
182 g Apple (95 calories)
1oz Cheddar cheese stick (100 calories)
25 grams Walnuts (164 calories)
Total: 359 calories
Avocado, Tomato, and French Bread Breakfast
I like avocado but do not buy it very often. This was a different breakfast for me but sometimes I like to mix it up.
Container: LunchBots Trio
1 cup diced Avocado (234 calories)
Tomato (22 calories)
30 grams French bread (81 calories)
Total: 337 calories
Quaker Real Medleys Oatmeal Breakfast
This oatmeal was a fast breakfast that could be stored in my pantry. It was easy to cook in my microwave.
Quaker Real Medleys – Blueberry Hazelnut Oatmeal (270 calories)
10 Hazelnuts (90 calories)
Total: 360 calories
Cream Cheese, and Berries Wrap
This may have been my first time eating a wrap for breakfast. I ate this with the berries still slightly frozen. It was fun to eat.
Large tortilla (200 calories)
1 cup mixed frozen berries (80 calories)
1 ounce 1/3 less fat cream cheese (70 calories)
Spread cream cheese on a large tortilla, add berries, roll up, and cut.
Total: 350 calories
Polenta with Beans Breakfast
I love polenta but usually make it myself. For this meal I used prepared and packaged polenta that I bought in my grocery store.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
1 serving Polenta with tomato and white beans (188.5 calories)
Breakstone’s Individual 4 ounce Cottage Cheese with paprika (90 calories)
Apple (95 calories)
Total: 373.5
Polenta with Tomatoes and Beans (makes 4 servings)
1 pound prepared polenta (80 per serving)
14.5 Can of Diced Tomatoes (18.5 per serving)
15 ounce can white beans (90 per serving)
Nonstick cooking spray
Seasonings (optional)
Slice polenta into 1/2 inch slices. Put on a cookie sheet with cooking spray and aluminum foil and broil until lightly browned.
Heat tomatoes and white beans (and seasonings if desired).
Serve on top of broiled polenta.
Disclaimer:
I am not a nutritionist. I planned these meals based on previous knowledge and internet research. Since many sources have varying nutritional information for the same item, I do not guarantee the calorie counts.
For many of the recipes I used my food scale to weigh items. If you care about calorie counts I recommend buying a food scale. If you do not have a food scale, you can make the meal in the same container I used. You can then reference my photos for food quantities when making your meal.
My family often makes fun of me and says that I never make the same thing twice. But over the years our Christmas breakfast menu has held constant. Yes, this year I wanted to swap out the Pig Scones for a different Christmas themed bread but my family protested so I made the scones. I am not sure how Pig Scones became a Christmas tradition for my family but I guess it is here to stay.
Our Christmas breakfast 2014 was enjoyed by my Mom, Dad, brother, husband, and myself.
Menu:
Pig Scones – see recipe below
Shaped butter – soften butter and spread in candy mold, freeze, remove from mold when firm and store in the refrigerator
Roasted Potatoes with a Dijon Dip – see recipe below
Citrus with Mint Sugar – I used pink grapefruit and clementines and omitted the pomegranate
Coffee, Juice
I am an early riser. I have been a morning person since I was a small child. This breakfast takes a little bit of work but I enjoy spending quite time in the kitchen on Christmas morning. The citrus does take time to peel and remove the membranes. You could do this the night before but I prefer doing it in the morning so it is fresh. This year my husband asked me to make twice as much of the mint sugar so I made a huge bowl of citrus.
Pig Scones
Pig Scones (I am not exactly sure of the original source but Holiday Cooking 1992)
2 cups flour
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup butter
8 ounces sour cream
1 egg yolk
Stir together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Cut in butter until mixture resembles course crumbs. Make a well in the center.
Mix sour cream and egg yolk, add all at once to dry mixture. With fork stir until moistened.
Turn dough onto floured surface. Kneed gently. Pat dough into 1/2 inch thickness. Cut 10 circles with a 2 1/2 inch round cutter for the heads. Shape extra dough for ears and make small circles for the snouts. Pinch to attach ears and snouts to heads. Place 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet. Make jowls with a knife or spoon. Add dried blueberries or dried cranberries for eyes.
Bake in a 400 degree oven for about 15 minutes or lightly browned.
Roasted Potatoes
Roasted Potatoes with Dijon Dip
Peel and dice russet potatoes. I do enough for my pan. While I am working I keep the diced potatoes in a bowl of water. It ends up being a lot but these disappear. Melt 1 stick of butter and mix with potatoes (drain the water if they were soaking in water) in oven safe pan. Bake at 400 degrees for about an hour or until fork tender and brown. You may need more or less butter depending on how many potatoes you roast. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Dijon Dip
Mix 1/2 cup mayonnaise with Dijon mustard to taste.
Christmas Breakfast Plate
I took this photo of my filled breakfast plate outside on my side porch.
Santa Candle Holder
I am guessing that most families don’t have Pig Scones and Santa on the same table but my family does. It was a delicious breakfast enjoyed by all and we look forward to it every year.
Happy New Year! Today I have a simple cheese quesadilla meal.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Cheese quesadilla with 2015 cut out with small cookie cutters
Top Right: Green olives with pimentos on frilly toothpicks
Bottom Right: Celery with bourbon blue cheese (I used less bourbon)
Keeping with tradition I am happy to share my favorite bento from the year. It was difficult picking only 14.
I made this lunch as part of a series of Japan travel photos and bento I made at home after the trip. The meals were inspired by my photos and memories.
This is another lunch inspired by my trip to Japan in 2014. I made this Buddha quesadilla lunch for my niece. I smile every time I see this photo.
This is the third bento inspired by my trip to Japan to make this list. I love the simplicity of this lunch.
I made this lunch for a hike with my nephews at a nearby nature preserve. It stands out for me as one of my better bento from the year.
This is another lunch I made for the hike at the nature preserve. It was incredibly simple – made with a cookie cutter but I thought it was beautiful.
I was delighted when I found this cookie cutter and knew that I needed to use it to make lunch. It is another simple cookie cutter lunch but I loved it.
I made this for my 17 year old nephew as part of 14 Fourth of July themed meals.
My niece came up with the idea for this meal. Maybe you did not know it was fireworks until I told you but I love how this turned out.
After making this Babar out of mashed potatoes I was so delighted I had to share it immediately with my Mom and husband. If I had to pick one favorite from the year it is this one.
Another simple cookie cutter lunch but it was a delight to make and eat.
This was another one that made me smile a lot. Why eat a regular calzone when it can be cute like this?
I made this simple more traditional Japanese bento for my niece.
Sprouts make perfect grass for these sandwich bunnies. Also this year I had fun decorating pistachios.
This lunch was part of a series of flower themed lunches. I actually had a negative comment on this one on Pinterest. A person assumed that cute lunches were only for kids and that if we teach kids not to eat toxic plants we should not make lunches that look like them. I made this lunch for myself not a kid and I was pleased that she thought it looked so good. It is cream cheese and chives.
I hope that you enjoyed seeing my favorite bento from the year. Please be sure to subscribe to my blog by email if you want to see what I make in 2015.
I like to make many different types of Christmas cookies it but does take a lot of time including cleaning up the kitchen afterwards. Many years ago I started making cookies that did well in the freezer so I could make batches over a few weeks but serve many different types at once. I frost before serving.
I assembled this cookie tray to send to my husband’s business. I still have more in my freezer for the next time I want to make a cookie tray.
What types of holiday cookies do you make?
I made these Reindeer Hash Browns because one of my friends is hosting a cute reindeer snacks party (round-up) and I am not one to miss out on cute food parties.
The first time I tried making these I used reindeer shaped metal cookie cutters that had narrow legs. It was very difficult to pack in the potatoes and it was a mess. Luckily I found a reindeer cookie cutter in my grocery store that had fat legs. I tried making the hash browns again with this cookie cutter and it worked out great. It would have been easier if my cookie cutter did not have a handle but you could probably cut it off with tin snips if you were going to make a lot of these.
I only made one reindeer hash brown with this cutter. I was pressed for time and decided not to stay up all night testing different ways to make reindeer shaped hash brown potatoes. Although it would have been delicious and memorable. So if you try this and have advice please share them in the comments.
Instructions:
Peel and shred potato (I used a box grater). You could also try buying frozen hash brown shredded potatoes.
Heat a small frying pan with oil. I sprayed my cookie cutter with cooking spray but I don’t know it it is necessary.
Pack enough shredded hash brown potatoes into the cookie cutter so it holds it shape but not too much that it is difficult to get the potatoes in the middle cooked. You will need to experiment and get the feel for it if you are not accustomed to making hash browns. I removed the cookie cutter after packing it with shredded potatoes.
I cooked the hash brown at medium heat and did not move it until I could tell that it was browning. I also pressed down with a spatula because I was afraid it would fall apart when flipped. It did just fine! Cook until both sides are brown and the middle is cooked. You may need to reduce the heat to give the middle enough time to cook.
If you want it to look like Rudolph put a dot of ketchup for the red nose.
So whether you are making these for Christmas breakfast or for a Frozen themed breakfast, let me know if you try these.
Today I am joining some Bento Bloggers and Friends on a Holiday themed bento blog hop. Since we already had quite a bit of snow this year, I ended up with a Frosty themed lunch and snack.
My 10 year old nephew did all of the amazing drawing (food safe markers) on the snowman shaped cheese quesadilla and he ate this lunch.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Cheese quesadillas with food safe marker details
Top Right: Snowmen shaped apples dipped in water with a splash of lemon to prevent browning
Bottom Right: Snowman doughnut – purchased mini powdered doughnut, added mini chocolate chips and carrot for nose
I wanted to make something else in the snowman theme so I made this fun snack. Thomas bagel thin with cream cheese, dried blueberries, and a dried apricot.
Please click on the button below to see what Jackie of Loving Lunches made to share with you.
I am not Jewish but I have an appreciation and interest in world cultures and religions. I made these Hanukkah lunches last year. This year I wanted to do something different so I looked at my Hanukkah cookie cutters for inspiration. It was not immediately apparent to me why there was a shield cookie cutter in my cookie cutter set. After researching it for awhile I found this activity and explanation. Hanukkah is the celebration of the Maccabees winning battles. They returned to Jerusalem and brought the Temple back to its Jewish roots of worship. My shield and Star of David represent this.
My 10 year old nephew ate this quesadilla lunch for lunch at home.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Cheese quesadillas, shield – blue food coloring and water applied with a dedicated paint brush, lettering – food safe marker
Top Right: Dreidel shaped green bell pepper
Bottom Right: Clementines, pistachios
Today is Poinsettia Day so I made this simple Poinsettia themed lunch. It was easy to make and delicious.
Question: What are the second and third most popular Poinsettia colors? (answer is at the end of this post)
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Toasted Thomas’ English Muffins with cream cheese, mint leaves, and strawberries
Top Right: Cauliflower and Red Bell Pepper
Bottom Right: Air popped popcorn and Jolly Ranchers candy
Answer: white and pink
Linking to:
I don’t know why I made a Gingerbread man without a face. Looking at this photo afterwards I almost did not publish it.
This was a very simple but well received meal. My shaped bread meals tend to be popular with the people who eat them.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Gingerbread Man shaped homemade bread (french bread dough) with cinnamon
Top Right: Gingerbread Men shaped yellow bell pepper
Bottom Right: Red grapes
Not Pictured: Mini Dippers with cream cheese
This is not the dried blueberries I probably would have used but I think it looks better.
Face or no face? Which version do you prefer?
I am starting to decorate my house for Christmas so I made an ornament themed meal. Today I will probably start decorating my miniature trees. I have collected the Hallmark Miniature Ornaments since I was a kid.
I make a lot of lunches with cheese quesadillas. They are a popular food with everyone I make lunches for, the ingredients keep for awhile in my refrigerator, and they are versatile for making cute shapes.
This was my first time using a plunger stamp cookie cutter with apple slices. It worked great. I dipped the apple slices in water with a splash of lemon juice to prevent browning.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Christmas ornament cheese quesadilla with food marker details, spinach salad, toasted slivered almonds
Top Right: Christmas tree apples (made with a tree similar to this).
Bottom Right: Carrots with ranch dip (in small container)
Caution: While it is safe and fun to eat holly shaped food, actual holly leaves and berries can be toxic.
This week my garden club worked with holly and other fresh greens to make holiday table arrangements. We sell arrangements and wreaths at our annual fundraiser. I only have one holly bush in my yard. It does not have berries. I am not sure if it is a female or male holly bush but I would need both in my yard to get berries.
You can make simple holly shaped food using cookie cutters. (Cookies cutters are not only good for cookies!) I used two different sizes for this light lunch. It would also make a fun snack.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Holly shaped cheese quesadillas with food safe marker details
Top Right: Pomegranate seeds
Bottom Right: Cucumber cut into holly shapes
Recently I found Holiday Double Sided snow globe and snowflake cookie cutters at Target. I knew that I needed to make lunch with the snow globe. Since I thought that my readers would be just as excited I searched for a link but I could not find one on Target’s website. But the snow globe is included in this set.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Snowglobe almond butter sandwich on wheat bread, raw broccoli
Top Right: Clementines
Bottom Right: Plain Greek yogurt with colorful sprinkles
Linking to:
This year my 10 year old nephew and I each made Gingerbread houses for a contest in my town. Rules: they need to incorporate a candy cane, they can’t be larger than 12 inches by 12 inches, only the base can be non-edible, and it can’t be a purchased kit. The 10 years and younger category is the only category that can have adult help with making the dough, baking and assembly. My Dad cut two bases out of plywood for us. We covered them with heavy duty aluminum foil. They are very sturdy. Today I will bring them to the library for display and judging. I am a little nervous about transporting them.
Gingerbread Recipe: I used this recipe because it uses butter. Originally I thought about using Crisco Shortening but I read that it does not work the same since becoming healthier so I opted to take the safer path and use butter. I had used this recipe in the past and it is very easy to work with. I made the dough two days before and baked and assembled the houses one day before we decorated them.
Frosting Recipe: I did not want to deal with cracking and separating eggs so I used this recipe which uses Meringue Powder. It hardens fast and in general holds well (except for the regular sized candy canes on the roof line).
This is my nephews house. He drew a sketch of what he wanted it to look like and what materials I would need to buy. He did a great job and was happy when it was done! We used the Wilton Gingerbread House Cookie Cutter Set to cut the pieces. We did need to change one part of his design because the regular sized candy canes with a round peppermint candy on top of them would not stick to the house. They kept on falling off several hours later. So we used miniature candy canes and attached the round peppermint candy behind it.
My nephew used spearmint leaves candy as foliage around the house. The roof is frosted and has miniature M&M’s on the top.
We were not sure how these will be displayed and if people will look at the back. My nephew chose to keep the back of his house simple. I like it! His hands got a little tired but he did a great job piping the door and windows on the house.
He made a gingerbread sleigh out of gingerbread scraps that he cut to size. He used a small gingerbread man cookie cutter for the man. He glued miniature M&M’s for mittens. Miniature candy canes are the sleigh runners. Square gum became the front walkway.
I purchased bags of the large peppermint sticks at the Dollar Tree. He used them with gumdrops for a fence, to trim the house and walk, and to make the large front doors. Miniature M&M’s are the door knobs.
This is my entry for the 19 and older category (the first photo in this post shows another view of my house). I decided on an A-frame style house because I never tried this type before and I liked the large roof. Also when I was growing up my Grandparents had an A-frame house as their summer home. I used the roof pieces from the Wilton Gingerbread House Cookie Cutter Set and created two triangular pieces. I was a little off with my templates so one side is raised up with some gumdrops (my husband’s idea) and a lot of frosting is on the roof so you can’t see the gap between the two pieces. I crushed candy canes and added them to the roof. This photo actually shows the back of my house.
This is the front of my house. I made a balcony out of gingerbread scraps and lined it with PEZ candy. I did not know if the judges wanted a literal interpretation of the candy cane theme so in addition to crushed candy canes on my roof, I used them as little fences in the back and front of my house. I used red, green, and white rock shaped candy for my front and back walks. Small red candy lines my front and back doors. I used two peppermint candies for the chimney.
This close-up of the back of my house, shows the gumdrops I used as foliage and the sugar ice cream cones I used for trees. I tinted some frosting green and it was very easy to make these cute trees.
My nephew had fun crushing the candy canes for me. We put them in a large Ziplock bag and he used my marble rolling pin to crush the candy canes. It made a lot of noise but it smelled great and he had a good time. I made a mess while putting the crushed candy canes on the freshly frosted roof (I had wax paper underneath and tilted my house but candy cane pieces went everywhere including on my floor). But I am very pleased with the look.
I know, this is very simple and not the best looking gingerbread house lunch since it is monochromatic and not colorful and fun. But we left the color and creativity to our gingerbread houses. Also on a busy day of decorating, it was a easy lunch to make. I actually made two versions of this (mine had a lot of scraps).
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Gingerbread house Cheddar cheese quesadilla with food marker details, candy canes. I used a cookie cutter similar to this but you could easily cut the quesadilla to your desired shape.
Top Right: Carrots and green bell pepper cut into candy cane shapes with a mini cutter
Bottom Right: Gingerbread men shaped apples cut with a mini gingerbread man cutter, I dipped them in water with some lemon juice to prevent browning
We had a fantastic time making our gingerbread houses and I look forward to seeing the other entries in the contest. We already are winners for spending time and creating edible art together.
In honor of Charles Schulz birthday, I have a Snoopy themed bento. I made this for my 12 year old nephew for dinner at home. I am thankful that my nieces and nephews of any age enjoy eating my bento meals. I enjoy sharing my love of cute food with them.
This also happens to be my 500th post! It is difficult to believe that I have created so many. I am thankful to my readers for encouraging me along the way.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Snoopy – mashed potatoes with cheddar cheese, spinach details, red bell pepper heart, Woodstock – mashed potatoes with cheddar cheese and yellow food coloring, spinach details, Hee! Ha! – mashed potatoes with cheddar cheese, carrot letters
Top Right: Raspberries
Bottom Right: Brazil nuts
Linking to:
In time for Thanksgiving I made a simple lunch with a little bread shaped turkey.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Top: Turkey shaped bread with food marker details
Bottom Left: Broccoli
Bottom Right: Plain Greek Yogurt with some yogurt dyed orange and frozen in a pumpkin shaped ice cube tray
I received some cute fox cookie cutters from my sister for my birthday in August. I finally got around to using one. The fox is cooked and mashed carrots. The snow is mashed potatoes with a little butter and a lot of shredded cheddar cheese. This meal can be heated (warm applesauce is delicious) or eaten cold – depends on your preference.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Fox – cooked and mashed carrots placed in a fox shaped cookie cutter. Snow – carefully spoon cheddar mashed potatoes around the cookie cutter. Then, carefully lift off the cookie cutter.
Top Right: Applesauce
Bottom Right: Green peas (these were frozen – they will defrost by lunch if you decide to eat this cold)
Linking to:
Today is Homemade Bread Day so of course I had to make a shaped bread bento. I started baking bread when I was 12. I love working with the dough, the smell of it baking, and of course eating it afterwards.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Fish shaped bread using a basic dough of flour, yeast, salt and water, food marker details, cheddar cheese stick
Top Right: Fish shaped carrots (used cookie cutter), cucumber
Bottom Right: Red grapes
I made this lunch for my 14 year old nephew to bring to school for lunch. He requested taco salad.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Lettuce, Mexican Cheese Blend, Salsa in Mini Dippers (I put the top on after taking the photo)
Top Right: Skittles
Bottom Right: Black beans with sauteed onion and some tomato sauce
Out of the Box: Banana, Blue Corn Tortilla Chips
Not Pictured: Mini Dippers with Taco Sauce, mixed nuts
Over the summer for my birthday a friend gave me the Moosewood Restaurant Cooking for Health cookbook. I love that it includes nutritional information for the recipes. I made the Broccoli-Cheese Wrap filling recipe with pasta for dinner with planned leftovers for lunch. It was delicious! Next time I want to try it in a wrap.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Broccoli-Cheese filling with pasta (the filling contains: broccoli, sauteed onion, garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, ricotta, mozzarella, feta, salt and pepper)
Top Right: Sunflower seeds
Bottom Right: Strawberries
Tonight I will take 2 nephews to see the movie Big Hero 6. I made this Baymax as part of dinner for one of my nephews (the other does not like mashed potatoes).
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Baymax (mashed potatoes, cheddar cheese, and a little butter, salt, black food coloring), spinach leaves Tip: try to make your mashed potatoes a little stiff and chill in your refrigerator until it is easier to shape.
Top Right: Pistachos
Bottom Right: Clementine (Big Hero 6 written with food safe marker), pistachos
My husband enjoyed his last snack bento lunch so much that I made another one.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Above Box: Banana
Left Side: Goldfish Pretzels, raisins, Ritz snack mix, carrots
Top Right: Dill Pickles
Bottom Right: Hard boiled eggs
This was an easy and delicious sandwich lunch I made for myself.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Pretzel roll purchased at my Wegmans grocery store with Dijon mustard and Swiss cheese, sugar snap peas.
Top Right: Pistachio nuts
Bottom Right: Blueberries
This lunch was made over the summer with a tomato from my neighbor’s garden. I love cottage cheese with fresh tomatoes.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Mixed lettuce and spinach salad with carrots, tomato filled with cottage cheese and sprinkled with Vermont Country Seasoning.
Top Right: Slivered almonds
Bottom Right: Strawberries
I love tomatoes and feta and this lunch came together fast with ingredients I had in my house.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Yellow, orange, and red grape tomatoes, feta cheese, a little olive oil, salt and pepper
Top Right: Blueberries and slivered almonds
Bottom Right: French bread
I needed to pack a lunch for myself and did not have much in the house. So I toasted a freezer waffle. I enjoyed it and would make it again.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Toasted Frozen Belgian waffle, cheddar cheese
Top Right: Blueberries and peach
Bottom Right: Plain Greek yogurt with cinnamon
I made this easy lunch for my 16 year old niece on a day that we were out and about.
Container: Wooden box purchased in Kyoto at Bento&co.
Contents: Nishiki rice with black beans and salsa, cooked broccoli
I enjoy handing out treats to trick-or-treaters on Halloween. Usually around 250 – 300 kids come to my door in a 2 hour period on Halloween night. This year we had 244 but it was cool and a little rainy.
This year my parents visited for Halloween. I believe that you don’t need to have kids to carve a pumpkin. My mom, dad, and I each carved a pumpkin.
Halloween morning when reading the news I learned about the Teal Pumpkin Project. So I searched my craft room for the closest paint I had to teal, quickly painted my pumpkin, printed out the sign, and gathered some non-food items. I was glad that I learned about this project when a mom noticed my pumpkin and asked about the non-food treats. Her son had food allergies and my teal pumpkin was the first one she found that night in my town. He picked out a glowing finger.
This is a basket of some non-food items I gathered: glow fingers, bouncy balls, stickers, mini puzzles.
I have a tradition of handing out something special to my first 25 trick-or-treaters. This year I did not make a craft for them but I gave out large candy bars to the first 30 kids. The Reese’s and Kit-Kats went first and then the Hershey bars.
I hand-out a variety of treats. Pretzels, cheese balls, chocolate.
Potato chips and Goldfish
Popcorn balls, coffee filter bundles with chocolate.
It was a fun evening and the kids seemed to enjoy the treats they received!
Eclectic Lamb 
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