Eclectic Lamb

Midsummer Stitchalong 2013 In Progress

Posted on July 17, 2013 by eclecticlamb

It has been awhile since I stitched something to post here on my blog. I stitched a lot of baptism stoles for my Mom’s church but I already posted about that once. When I read about the Midsummer Stitchalong with Studio MME at Feeling Stitchy, I knew that I wanted to participate.

This is my in-progress photo. I decided to transfer the image with an water-soluble pen. I know that it may not be the best choice for every project but I used DMC thread on a flour sack towel.

I have liked birds since I was a small child. When I was 2, I had an imaginary bird named Tippy. Recently we put a new bathroom in our house and I choose flower wallpaper with parrots. I am enjoying working on this stitchalong.

Posted in Embroidery | Tagged stitchhalong | 6 Comments

13th Birthday Bento

Posted on July 16, 2013 by eclecticlamb

This was part of my nephew’s 13th birthday lunch. I am guessing that many 13 year olds would not want a themed lunch at school due to peer pressure but this lunch was served at home and he loved it. He also feasted on french bread pizza and jam tarts for dessert.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Background: Cheddar, corn and zucchini quesadilla (I sauteed the zucchini in a little olive oil and added corn) I painted the number 13 with a little food coloring and water.

Birthday Cake: Mozzarella quesadilla painted blue with food coloring and water, candles (carrot in the shape of the number 13), flames (cheddar cheese)

Snack: Mini Reese’s Pieces and peanuts

Fruit: Green grapes

Posted in Bento / Cute Food | Tagged bento, birthday, vegetarian | 9 Comments

Muffin Tin Monday Dinosaur

Posted on July 15, 2013 by eclecticlamb

I made this dinosaur themed muffin tin lunch for my nephew who is almost 5 years old. He loved it!

Top Row:

Dinosaur nest with egg (corn and Colby-Jack cheese)
Mama and baby dinosaurs (strawberries with chocolate eyes)
Letter D (Colby-Jack cheese)
Dinosaur eggs (green grapes)

Bottom Row:

Broccoli
Dinosaur pizzas (I made pizza dough and cut with a dinosaur cookie cutter, topped with tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese and baked)
Dinosaur fossil cookies

Linking to:

Posted in Bento / Cute Food | Tagged muffin tin, vegetarian | 8 Comments

Mr Potato Head Bento

Posted on July 12, 2013 by eclecticlamb

This lunch was made for my nephew on his last day of being 12. This was a lunch at home. My 16 year old nephew helped me assemble this. This meal has so many possibilities. We choose to make it this way but many fruit and vegetables would make great parts for Mr. Potato Head. The potato can be eaten cold, at room temperature, or heated. You can also have the parts ready to put on after heating the potato in a microwave.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Background: Lettuce

Mr. Potato Head: Twice baked potato riced with a little butter, milk, Mexican cheese blend, salt, pepper, and cooked broccoli (turned upside down) hair (broccoli), eyes (grapes with Wilton candy eyes), ears (sugar snap peas), nose (strawberry), mouth (red pepper), feet (green grapes)

Fruit: Strawberries and green grapes

Vegetables: Green beans, yellow bell pepper, sugar snap peas

Posted in Bento / Cute Food | Tagged bento, lunch, Mr. Potato Head, vegetarian | 23 Comments

Little Red Riding Hood Bento

Posted on July 11, 2013 by eclecticlamb

I was inspired by a reader suggestion to make a Little Red Riding Hood bento. I was not sure about how this turned out but my 14 year old niece loved it.

Container: ECO Lunchboxes

Background: Rice covered with raw spinach leaves

Trees and Plants: Broccoli and asparagus

Little Red Riding Hood: Red Hood (red pepper), hair (spinach leaves), head, hands, & feet (Nishiki white rice), face details (chocolate & red sprinkles), body (Nishiki white rice with tomato sauce)

Grandma’s House: House (Arnold Pocket Thins Italian Herb – toasted), windows & doors (carrot)

Path: Peanuts

Fruit: Strawberries

Posted in Bento / Cute Food | Tagged bento, fairy tale, vegan | 10 Comments

Pasta Lunch for Guests

Posted on July 10, 2013 by eclecticlamb

My Mom, brother and two cousins from Ireland visited for a few days. We did a lot of sightseeing but I still wanted to prepare homemade meals for them. I made 5 versions of this same lunch in the morning and it was an excellent meal between visiting attractions. I desired an easy lunch but also wanted my guests to experience my bento lunch because cute lunches have become such a part of my life. I savor showing my love with healthy and cute food. I made this easy and cute by creating simple garnishes for each section.

My Mom prepared the pasta and my cousin Peg helped me assemble the 5 lunches.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Pasta: Mini Penne with Zucchini Pistou (My Mom made this while I cooked breakfast for everyone). We used toasted walnuts instead of pine nuts, reduced the garlic to 2 cloves, and we forgot to add the shaved Parmesan on top. I added a cherry tomato half and small basil leaf as garnish.

Vegetable: Diced tomatoes and mozzarella cheese with a little olive oil, white wine vinegar, salt, and pepper. A mozzarella cheese flower was the garnish.

Fruit: Strawberry Melon Spinach Salad – We added the dressing right before eating. It was delicious! When I prepared the melon for this salad, I cut flower shapes for garnish. I added a fresh blueberry with a small piece of angel hair pasta. It softened by lunch.

Posted in Bento / Cute Food | Tagged bento, pasta lunch, vegetarian | 17 Comments

Hyena Bento

Posted on July 9, 2013 by eclecticlamb

My 8 year old nephew requested a Hyena lunch for our day at the zoo. He helped by painting on the eye and dots with a mixture of food coloring and water. I made the fact card to go along with this lunch.

Container: ECO Lunchboxes

Background: Homemade cheese pizza slices, snow peas

Hyena: Cheese quesadilla, eye & dots (black food coloring)

Elephant & Giraffe Picks: Black olives

Nuts: Pistachios

Fruit: Pineapple

Posted in Bento / Cute Food | Tagged bento, vegetarian | 15 Comments

Muffin Tin Monday The Desert

Posted on July 8, 2013 by eclecticlamb

My 14 year old niece requested a muffin tin meal. They are now popular among my niece and nephews. They love my bento lunches and muffin tin lunches provide “something different” for lunches at home.

Top Row:

Camel Animal Crackers
Chocolate turtle (I melted chocolate, placed in ziplock bag, cut corner, piped into turtle shape, and put in the freezer until I made the lunch) on sand (graham cracker crumbs)
Palm trees (flour tortilla with food coloring, baked in oven until crisp and lightly browned) in sand (couscous)

Bottom Row:

Cactus (asparagus) on sand (cashews)
Water at the oasis (blueberries)
Pyramid (onigiri with corn and shredded cheddar)

Linking to:

Posted in Bento / Cute Food | Tagged muffin tin, vegetarian | 12 Comments

Tanabata Party

Posted on July 7, 2013 by eclecticlamb

Tanabata is a Japanese star festival. According to a folktale, Hikoboshi (star Altair) and Orihime (star Vega) were lovers and separated by the Milky Way to only meet once a year. Typically people celebrate on July 7.

Since I was a kid I loved learning about other cultures and especially holidays. In college I studied Japanese language and culture. I have lived in Japan and visited many times. I love celebrating holidays and throwing parties. I enjoyed my Hinamatsuri party so much that immediately afterward I started planning this Tanabata party. A friend who lives in Japan was amazing and sent me many fun Tanabata things to use. Eight children and three adults attended this party.

We made decorations, wrote out wishes, and hung them from bamboo. I had so much fun searching for, coming up with and making themed food for this party. My young guests were thrilled to celebrate with us and learn a little about this Japanese festival.

Table setting:

Black paper plates
Black and white paper straws (from Michaels)
Black napkins with white stars (from Michaels)
Silver plastic tablecloth

Tanabata Table Setting

Drinks:

I choose dark drinks to be reminiscent of the night sky.

Chocolate milk
Grape juice

Grape Juice

Food:

Blue tortilla chips with salsa
Edamame
Fruit cups with stars (apple shooting stars, watermelon stars, red grapes, blueberries, pineapple)
Alfredo Pasta Pie with Toasted Bread Stars (I did not exactly follow the recipe, I made my own cheese sauce and used cheddar. I did not use the basil, tomatoes, and green onions because I was serving kids. I did not put the bread stars under the pasta.) with Hikoboshi & Orihime (inspired by this.) I made their bodies out of bell pepper, faces out of cheese, and hair details are from dried seaweed. I put the characters on after baking but their faced did eventually melt into the hot pasta.
Tanabata layered rice (I was inspired by this.) I filled mine with sauteed onion, black beans, and diced tomatoes. I topped it with snow pea and 2 stars.
Roasted Zucchini
Make your own Milky Way Pasta (I made spaghetti and tossed with a little butter. The kids put cucumber and carrot stars on top and added paper Hikoboshi & Orihime picks.) I re-sized this to make the picks.
Star shaped rice balls with melted cheese
Star dish with Japanese snacks

Tanabata Fruit Cups

Tanabata Pasta Pie

Tanabata Layered Rice

Make Your Own Milky Way Pasta

Star Cheese Onigiri

Star Snack

Dessert:

MilkyWay candy
Star brownies with powdered sugar and sprinkle stars (I used Ghirardelli Double Chocolate mix)
Tanabata cookies (I was inspired by this)
Grape jam tarts (I made a pie crust, fitted into a mini muffin pan, spooned in grape jam, added 2 stars and baked)

MilkyWay Candy

Grape Tanabata Tartlets

Star Bownies

Tanabata Cookies

Decorations:

Tanabata Bamboo

Tanzaku (Wishes)

Tanzaku Paper and Ties

Tanabata Net Decoration

Tanabata Decoration Kit

Tanabata Decorations

Favors:

Tanabata Folder with Stickers

Back of Tanabata Chocolate

Tanabata Chocolate Open

Posted in Crafts, Food, Party Planning | Tagged tanabata, vegetarian, 七夕 | 28 Comments

Tanabata Bento

Posted on July 5, 2013 by eclecticlamb

Tanabata is a Japanese star festival. According to a folktale, Hikoboshi (star Altair) and Orihime (star Vega) were lovers and separated by the Milky Way to only meet once a year. It is common to celebrate with fireworks. I made this bento lunch for my 14 year old niece.

Container: Blue Box from Japan

Hikoboshi & Orihime: Cooked lasagna noodles (cut with circle cookie cutter), food marker details

Milky Way: Angel hair pasta with a little butter and Parmesan cheese, carrot and cucumber stars

Fireworks: Strawberries and blueberries, Greek yogurt with multi-colored sprinkles

Posted in Bento / Cute Food | Tagged bento, holiday, vegetarian, 七夕 | 14 Comments

Nachos Bento

Posted on July 3, 2013 by eclecticlamb

My 12 year old nephew and I made this lunch. I wanted something quick and easy to prepare. He cut the the carrots and helped make the nachos. This many not look pretty, but it is a fast and different option for lunch.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Fruit: Nectarine

Vegetable: Carrots

Nachos: Baked tortilla chips, cheddar and mozzarella cheese, black olives – broiled on baking sheet until cheese is melted

Not Pictured: Granola bar

Posted in Bento / Cute Food | Tagged bento, nachos, vegetarian | 2 Comments

Red White and Blue Bento

Posted on July 2, 2013 by eclecticlamb

I made this red, white, and blue lunch for my 14 year old niece. It is very rewarding to make themed meals for my niece and nephews since they enjoy them so much and show their appreciation.

This meal was easy to make. I used an United States shaped cookie cutter for the tortilla chips.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Salsa: (not pictured) in Mini Dippers

Nuts: Hazelnuts

United States Shapes: Homemade flour tortilla chips

Vegetable: Radish slices

Fruit: Blueberries

Posted in Bento / Cute Food | Tagged bento, USA food, vegan | 19 Comments

Muffin Tin Monday Independence Day

Posted on July 1, 2013 by eclecticlamb

I made this 4th of July Muffin Tin Lunch for my 12 year old nephew. He requested a Muffin Tin meal. I know that usually Muffin Tin Lunches are made for younger children but anyone can enjoy this fun lunch at home. As a maker, I enjoy coming up with different things to put in each compartment.

Top Row:

Red, White and Blue Muffin (I used a package of frozen mixed berries containing blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries)
Synder’s of Hanover Patriot Shaped Pretzels – flag, Liberty Bell, and star
United States shaped tortilla pizza (flour tortilla with mozzarella cheese and tomato sauce, baked)

Bottom Row:

Cucumber stars with United States flag pick
Red, White and Blue Yogurt (raspberry, top of blueberry fruit on bottom, and blueberry from fruit on bottom)
Blueberries

Linking to:

Posted in Bento / Cute Food | Tagged 4th of July, muffin tin, vegetarian | 23 Comments

Meteor Day Bento

Posted on June 30, 2013 by eclecticlamb

Today is Meteor Day so of course I made a meteor themed lunch. This was my first time trying Forbidden Rice and starfruit. I thought that they were alright but not my favorites. I would eat them again if I wanted it for a cute lunch but otherwise I would not have them again.

Container: Blue Box from Japan

Meteor in Sky: Black Forbidden Rice with cheddar cheese details

Fruit: Starfruit (Carambola) with blackberries

Posted in Bento / Cute Food | Tagged bento, meteor lunch, vegetarian | 10 Comments

Paul Bunyan Bento

Posted on June 28, 2013 by eclecticlamb

I made this meal for Paul Bunyan Day. Paul Bunyan was a lumberjack and an American folktale character. The story says that he had a blue ox named Babe.

My 8 year old nephew actually had this for dinner at my house. My husband drew Paul’s flannel shirt and came up with the pretzel yoke idea. My nephew placed the letters. This was my first time using this box I bought at Target.

Container: Turtle Box from Target

Lettering: Carrot

Babe: Pancake dyed blue (used cow cookie cutter), yoke (pretzel)

Paul: Horseradish cheese with food safe marker details

Fruit: Kiwi slices

Axe: Green pepper

Wood: Carrots

Syrup: NY Maple syrup in red container

Posted in Bento / Cute Food | Tagged bento, pancake, vegetarian | 12 Comments

Pizza Tart Bento

Posted on June 26, 2013 by eclecticlamb

I was inspired by the pizza tarts here at INGENUITY. My 12 year old nephew and I made them for dinner. They were delicious for dinner and also made a wonderful leftovers for lunch meal.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Vegetable: Salad with lettuce, cherry tomatoes, grated carrot and cut sugar snap peas

Fruit: Raspberries

Pizza Tarts: I made a butter pie crust and fit it into standard sized muffin tins. I used a crust recipe for a double crust pie and it made about 18 tarts. (You could also buy pie crust and roll it out.) We filled the unbaked tarts with some small raw pieces of broccoli and tomato sauce. (of course you could leave out the broccoli or add something else) Then we covered it with Parmesan and Mozzarella cheeses. We baked them at 375 for about 20 minutes.

Posted in Bento / Cute Food | Tagged bento, leftovers for lunch, vegetarian | 8 Comments

Tiny Seed Bento

Posted on June 25, 2013 by eclecticlamb

I made this lunch in honor of Eric Carle’s birthday. I liked the idea of “The Tiny Seed” themed lunch but I had never read the book. I borrowed “The Tiny Seed” from the library to prepare. A majority of my lunches are created for loved ones but I actually ate this one on an outing with my 12 year old nephew.

I added leaves and butterflies as sides for this lunch because I was inspired by the following quotes::

“All summer long the birds and bees and butterflies come visiting.”

“And the wind carries yellow and red leaves past the flower.”

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Leaves: Carrot, cucumber, and radish

Butterflies: Apples

Background: Couscous with Trader Joe’s Dried Baby Sweet Pineapple and sunflower seeds.

Flower: Flour tortilla painted with food coloring and baked until lightly brown and crisp

Posted in Bento / Cute Food | Tagged bento, eric carle, vegan, vegetarian | 19 Comments

Lemonade Stand Bento

Posted on June 24, 2013 by eclecticlamb

When I brainstormed ideas for a summer themed lunch, I landed on lemonade stand. I packed this lunch for my husband. The pasta and tartlets have lemon. I added raspberries because my husband loves raspberries and I think that raspberries go great with lemonade.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Background: Neely’s Lemon Pasta Salad I omitted the asparagus and used yellow tomatoes instead of red because I wanted the color of lemons.

Lemonade Stand: I cut a flour tortilla to shape and used a food safe marker and food coloring for details. I sprayed a cookie sheet and tortillas with cooking spray and baked at 400 for about 5 minutes until browned.

Lemonade Pitcher & Glass: Gumdrop type candy

Lemon Tartlets: I used this recipe but did not put powdered sugar on top.

Fruit: Raspberries

Not Pictured: Lemon yogurt

Posted in Bento / Cute Food | Tagged bento, vegetarian | 19 Comments

Under the Sea Day Preschool Camp

Posted on June 21, 2013 by eclecticlamb

The theme for our fourth and last day of Aunt Kathy’s Preschool Camp was Under the Sea. Our previous themes were Australia, Dinosaurs/Volcanoes, and Outer Space.

I made this lunch for my 28 month old nephew. I was running out of time so I quickly cut the sandwich freehand. My nephew enjoyed everything except the pepper.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Fruit: Strawberries

Vegetable: Red bell pepper

Background: Pepperidge Farm Goldfish Pretzel and Pepperidge Farm Goldfish Baby Crackers

Crab: Peanut Butter sandwich on wheat bread, Wilton candy eye, and food marker smile

I made this lunch for my nephew who is almost five. I was running out of time so I quickly cut the sandwich freehand. I was going for shark but I think that it looks more like some type of fish. My nephew did not mind, he gobbled up this lunch.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Background: Pepperidge Farm Goldfish Pretzel and Pepperidge Farm Goldfish Baby Crackers

Shark: Peanut Butter sandwich on wheat bread, Wilton candy eye, and food marker mouth

Vegetable: Corn (I think of corn as a starch not a vegetable but my young nephew is limited with vegetables he will eat and he requested corn)

Fruit: Blueberries

Preschool: Our focus of the day was anything that is Under the Sea but we also had fun with sand. We played with Play-Doh, sand and water. We ate fun and healthy food. We used hands to create cute painted crabs. We pretended to walk like a crab, swim like a fish and used snorkel equipment.

We used Play-Doh to imprint shells and pose laminated paper sea creatures.

Shell Imprint in Play-Doh

Laminated Sea Creatures in Play-Doh

I created a quick sandbox from a plastic tote. We added some sand toys and plastic gold coins to find in the sand. It was a rainy day so we played on my side porch.

Sandbox

I created a water table of sorts from a plastic tote. Old and young kids all enjoyed this so much! We had things that floated (sponges, cork, plastic boat, watering can) and things that sunk (flat marbles). This activity was a huge hit!

Water table

I found cute Under the Sea themed chocolates at The Fresh Market. They were a fun addition to our food for the day.

Crab and Fish Shaped Chocolate

Since it was our last day, I bought a watermelon and designed and carved a simple Shark/Under the Sea themed fruit bowl. Our fruit salad contained watermelon, red grapes, and pineapple. It was delicious and all enjoyed a fruit feast!

Under the Sea Themed Carved Watermelon

We made an Ocean in a Bottle and filled it with small shells and small plastic sea creatures I found at The Dollar Tree.

Ocean in a Bottle

We found this cute crab hand print idea and did our own version. The young nephews enjoyed picking out googly eyes.

Crab Hand Print Craft

Posted in Bento / Cute Food, Crafts, Food | Tagged bento, under the sea preschool, vegetarian | 11 Comments

Strawberry Pizza Bento

Posted on June 20, 2013 by eclecticlamb

It is now strawberry season here. I made a strawberry themed dinner for my husband and myself. The leftovers made an easy and delicious leftover lunch.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Strawberry Pizza:The pizza has goat cheese, strawberries in a reduced balsamic vinegar and a garnish of fresh spinach leaves. I made some changes to the original recipe. I did not use white balsamic vinegar and I used spinach instead of baby arugula and frisée. I am thinking about trying this with feta cheese next time.

Vegetable: Strawberry, Cucumber, and Basil Salad, I reduced the amount of basil and did not use the balsamic vinegar since I already had some in the pizza. I thought that this was refreshing and delicious.

Strawberry Bread: I used this recipe. I don’t like this type of bread so I did not try it but my husband loved it.

Posted in Bento / Cute Food | Tagged bento, featured ingredient, strawberry lunch, vegetarian | 10 Comments

Rose Bento

Posted on June 19, 2013 by eclecticlamb

I made this simple lunch in honor of June roses. I used a rose pan that made six muffins. The nuts and strawberries don’t look like roses but I decided to just go with it. In either case, it was a delicious lunch.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Rose: Red Pepper and Cheese muffin (Page 230, Great Breads by Martha Rose Shulman) with lettuce

Dairy: Raspberry yogurt with almond flower

Fruit: Strawberries

Posted in Bento / Cute Food | Tagged bento, rose themed lunch, vegetarian | 13 Comments

Outer Space Day Preschool Camp

Posted on June 18, 2013 by eclecticlamb

The theme for our third day of Aunt Kathy’s Preschool Camp was outer space. Our previous themes were Australia and Dinosaurs/Volcanoes.

This Astronaut lunch was prepared for my 28 month old nephew. He loves pasta! He did not eat the astronaut or carrots.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Fruit: Apple moons and stars (I peeled the apples and then dipped them in a solution of water with a little bit of lemon juice to prevent browsing. Then, I used a variety of small cookie cutters to cut the star and moon shapes.)

Vegetable: Carrot moons and stars (I used small cookie cutters to cut the carrots. I like to use a folded dish towel between my hand and the metal cookie cutter. It prevents the metal cutter from hurting my hand.)

Background: Farfalline pasta with tomato sauce

Astronaut: Lasagna noodle with food marker details (I used kitchen scissors to freehand cut the Astronaut.)

I made this pasta rocket lunch for my nephew who is almost five. I was inspired by this lunch by BentoLunch.net . My nephew ate almost all of this lunch. There was only a little pasta left.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Background: Farfalline pasta with peas and carrot stars

Rocket: White and orange cheddar cheese

Nuts: Cashews

Fruit: Blueberries

Preschool: Our focus of the day was outer space, astronauts, and rockets. We practiced counting down from 5, read books about astronauts, and made rockets out of paper towel tubes. We had a lot of fun all day playing with a space themed sensory box. We played with glue and glitter (on Aunt Kathy’s porch) to make star art. We pretended to be astronauts. Everyone had fun playing in a refrigerator box converted to a rocket ship (Aunt Kathy was the only one to not go inside the box).

My husband and I made this simple astronaut costume out of a 35 oz utz Halloween Pretzel Treats container and a white pillow case.

Astronaut Costume

We mostly followed these directions to make rockets out of paper towel tubes.

Handmade Paper Rockets

This was my first time making a sensory box. I followed these directions to create a space themed sensory box. I could not find star shaped pasta so I used dried black beans and dried navy beans. I also used the Space themed Toob set. This sensory box was a huge hit! My younger nephew loved this so much. He played with it off and on for long lengths of time throughout the day.

Space Themed Sensory Box

I took a refrigerator box and covered one side with space themed paper I found at the Dollar Tree. The kids decorated the other side. We had this box outside and inside (it started to rain). The kids loved it!

Space Themed Refrigerator Box

We did our own version of glitter sponge painting. We cut stars from sponges, dipped in glue, then sprinkled with glitter. But we were inspired by this (scroll down).

Star Glitter Craft in Process

Star Glitter Craft

Our afternoon snack was Cheddar Rocket Crackers from Trader Joe’s.

Rocket Snack

Posted in Bento / Cute Food, Crafts, Food | Tagged bento, preschool, vegetarian | 12 Comments

Eat Your Vegetables Day

Posted on June 17, 2013 by eclecticlamb

Today is “Eat Your Vegetables Day“. I decided to eat and photograph vegetables as part of every meal and snack. I am a vegetarian but ate vegan all day in celebration of Eat Your Vegetables Day.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Fruit: Blackberries

Vegetable: Golden Beets roasted with a little olive oil and thyme

Main: Cold Peanut Noodles with cucumber and cherry tomatoes

For part of breakfast I had Vegan Carrot Cake Muffins. I used white flour and substituted dried blueberries for the raisins.

Vegan Carrot Cake Muffins

I had a simple snack of hummus with carrots, baby zucchini, and sugar snap peas.

Sabra Hummus and Wegmans Baby Vegetable Medley

Hummus and Vegetables

For dinner I made homemade pizza dough and topped it with seasoned black beans and zucchini lattice.

Black Bean and Zucchini Lattice Pizza

Posted in Bento / Cute Food, Food | Tagged bento, peanut noodles, vegan | 10 Comments

Dinosaur and Volcano Day Preschool Camp

Posted on June 16, 2013 by eclecticlamb

Dinosaurs and Volcanoes were the topics for our second day of Aunt Kathy’s Preschool Camp.

This Volcano with Dinosaur pizza lunch was prepared for my 12 year old nephew. He was one of my two teachers for our preschool camp. My 14 year old niece was our second teacher. I acted as principal/co-teacher.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Fruit: Strawberries

Vegetable: Cucumber

Volcano & Dinosaur: Homemade pizza. I shaped the volcano by hand. I tried several versions but was happiest with this one. The only sauce was the lava, the rest was cheese. I cut the dinosaur pizza with a dinosaur cookie cutter. Broccoli trees.

Yogurt: Raspberry yogurt to represent lava

I made this dinosaur lunch for my 28 month old nephew. He seemed to enjoy the pizzas. His older brother received a Dinosaur themed Muffin tin meal. I will post it when it is the weekly theme for Muffin Tin Monday.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Fruit: Grapes cut in half

Vegetable: Green Peas (he did not eat the peas)

Dinosaurs: Homemade pizzas, crust was cut with a dinosaur pizza cutter

Preschool: Our focus of the day was dinosaurs, volcanoes and the letter D. I made a volcano play mat with bean bag dinosaurs. We played with dinosaurs frozen in an ice egg. The young nephews were thrilled to go on a dinosaur themed egg hunt. We played with dinosaur and volcano stick puppets. Our afternoon snack was a dino dig in pudding. My niece made a paper mache volcano and we all enjoyed watching it explode. We also used Q-tips to paint dots on dinosaurs.

I sewed a volcano mat using fleece. I followed these directions. It was my first time sewing fleece and my first time with a new sewing machine. It is not perfect but the result is fine. I used this template and modified it for the dinosaurs. I used decorative felt and filled them with dried lentils.

Volcano Mat with Dinosaurs

I was so pleased to find these directions. It was not a hot day but we still had fun with the dinosaurs in ice. My 28 month nephew in particular was fascinated by these.

Plastic Dinosaur in Ice Egg

Dinosaurs Freed from their Ice Eggs

My 12 year old nephew came up with the idea of having an egg hunt. We put dinosaur stickers and plastic dinosaurs in various plastic eggs. My niece and nephew enjoyed preparing for this hunt and my young nephews had a great hunt, fun opening their eggs and enjoyed playing with their rewards.

Dinosaur Egg Hunt

We made volcano and dinosaur stick puppets. We found it here and used this for the dinosaurs. My niece made the design for the volcano.

Volcano and Dinosaur Stick Puppets

I spent quite a bit of time looking for dinosaur dig ideas. When I found this edible dinosaur dig idea, I knew that it would be perfect for our afternoon snack. Everyone from the teachers to students, enjoyed this fun dig. My nephew who is almost 5 said, “This is very special”. When they found the dinosaurs in the pudding, I quickly washed the dinosaurs so they could play with them.

Dinosaur Dig Snack

Dinosaur Revealed

My niece made this awesome volcano with paper mache and spray paint. We put a small plastic cup in the top to hold the baking soda and vinegar. She dyed the vinegar red before pouring. Everyone was mesmerized by this activity.

Volcano Starting to Erupt

Continued Eruption

Watching Volcano Eruption

Linking to:

Posted in Bento / Cute Food, Blog, Crafts | Tagged bento, dinosaurs, preschool, vegetarian, volcano | 16 Comments

Flag Day Bento

Posted on June 14, 2013 by eclecticlamb

In honor of Flag Day I decided to make this American Flag themed lunch for my husband.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Background: White rice with a little butter and shredded horseradish cheese, toasted walnuts

American Flag: Tortilla painted with blue food coloring, white tortilla stars (could not fit 50 so 2 starts represent all 50 states), red pepper stripes

Salad: Lettuce, cherry tomatoes, horseradish cheese star

Fruit: Watermelon stars and blueberries

Posted in Bento / Cute Food | Tagged American flag, bento, flag, flag day, vegetarian | 20 Comments

Australian Flag Bento

Posted on June 11, 2013 by eclecticlamb

I made this lunch for my 14 year old niece on Australia day of our preschool-camp. She loved it!

Container: Bento box from Japan

Australian Flag: Cheese quesadilla with blue food coloring, Union Jack red drawn with food safe marker, cheese quesadilla is also around and underneath the flag

Nuts: Toasted almonds with hazelnut in the center

Vegetable: Cucumber stars

Fruit: Apple stars with cinnamon

Posted in Bento / Cute Food | Tagged australian flag, bento, flag, vegetarian | 22 Comments

Australia Day Preschool Camp

Posted on June 10, 2013 by eclecticlamb

Two of my young nephews are staying at my sister-in-laws house while their parents are on a business trip to Australia. I am hosting 4 sessions of “Aunt Kathy’s Preschool Camp” at my house. My 12 year old nephew and 14 year old niece are assisting with camp. We planned four different themed days and we worked together to prepare fun and educational activities. Of course I included fun lunches for everyone but I will share some of the lunches in their own post.

This kangaroo quesadilla lunch was served to my 28 month old nephew. I was not sure how much to give to this age. He did not eat the cucumber or cheese “K” but ate everything else.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Fruit: Apple stars with a little cinnamon

Vegetable: Cucumber stars

Kangaroo & Joey: Quesadillas with flour tortillas and mozzarella cheese, face details drawn with food safe marker

Letter “K”: Colby-Jack cheese

I made this Koala and baby themed lunch for my nephew who is almost 5. He ate most of it.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Koala & Baby: Quesadillas with flour tortillas and mozzarella cheese, face details drawn with food safe marker, ears are Colby-Jack cheese, served with Japanese Koala cookies and Colby-Jack “K”

Vegetable: Cucumber stars

Fruit: Apple stars with a little cinnamon

Preschool: Our focus of the day was marsupials and the letter K. I printed many photos of marsupials and hung them up at their level. We decorated a wagon to look like an airplane to transport us to Australia. We listened to Australian music. We played memory using two copies of these cards.

My nephew, niece and I made the crocodile from an egg carton mostly following these directions.

Egg carton Crocodile with Kangaroo

My niece made this crocodile puppet by following these directions.

Crocodile Puppet

We had fun with this koala mask and this kangaroo mask.

Koala and Kangaroo Masks

My nephew enjoyed playing kangaroo pretend play with an apron and pocket to hold a joey.

Kangaroo Pretend Play

My nephews painted a paper plate to make a koala. I found the idea here.

Koala Craft

My niece made these Kangaroo cups. We used them to serve an afternoon snack of pretzels.

Kangaroo Cups

Posted in Bento / Cute Food, Crafts, Food | Tagged Australia themed preschool, bento, vegetarian | 17 Comments

Pig Quesadilla Bento

Posted on June 7, 2013 by eclecticlamb

I made this lunch for my 12 year old nephew for lunch at my house. It was Australia day for Aunt Kathy’s preschool camp. I know that it is not Australia themed but it does use quesadillas. I made lunch for 5 including myself that day and wanted all of the lunches made before the kids arrived. To keep it easy, everyone had quesadillas with the same fruit and vegetables.

I came up with this theme by looking through my cookie cutter collection. When I realized that I had large and small pig cutters, I decided to make a pig themed lunch.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Background: Cheese quesadilla painted with food coloring

Salsa: in Mini Dippers

Nuts: Toasted almonds with a hazelnut in the center (in a Wilton cup)

Pig: Cheese quesadilla painted with food coloring

Vegetable: Cucumbers cut into pig shapes

Fruit: Apples cut into pig shapes sprinkled with cinnamon

Posted in Bento / Cute Food | Tagged bento, quesadilla, vegetarian | 10 Comments

Taco Bento

Posted on June 5, 2013 by eclecticlamb

My 12 year old nephew requested that I make a taco themed bento lunch to eat at school. I prepared the beans the night before. The rest I assembled in the morning. Then I drove the lunch to my nephews house before he got on the school bus. He was very thankful and enjoyed this lunch.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Taco Shells: Taco Bell Home Originals brand Mini Taco Shells

Lettuce

Cheese: Mexican blend

Fruit: Grapes and raspberries

Beans: Black beans (basically the same as this but I did not use rice) and quartered cherry tomatoes

Above the box: Granola bar and taco sauce in Mini Dippers

Posted in Bento / Cute Food | Tagged bento, taco, vegetarian | 12 Comments

10 Bagel Bento Lunches

Posted on June 4, 2013 by eclecticlamb

I love making bagels. My niece, nephews, husband and I love eating my mini bagels. So it is natural that bagels are featured in many of my bento lunches. I have made more than 10 bagel lunches but these are some of my favorites (in no particular order).

1. Bear Bagel

2. Bagel Lunch

3. Bagels and Cheese

4. Summer Tea

5. Bagel Jack O’ Lantern

6. Bagel and Granola Bar

7. X O Bagels

8. Sunflower Bagels

9. Animal Faces on Cheese Bagels

10. Ready to Drive Bagels

Posted in Bento / Cute Food | Tagged bagel, bento, vegetarian | 14 Comments

Snoopy Bento

Posted on June 3, 2013 by eclecticlamb

As a child I was a fan of Snoopy. I have thought about making a Snoopy themed bento but it was not until I found this bento by RabbitCanCook, that I knew I had to use her Snoopy in a bento. I served this to my 12 year old nephew while he was at my house for lunch.

Container: ECO Lunchboxes

Background: Rice covered with raw spinach leaves

Fruit: Mango

Nuts: Slivered almonds

Snoopy: Rice with spinach details

Dog house: Red bell pepper

Woodstock: Yellow bell pepper

Posted in Bento / Cute Food | Tagged bento, snoopy, vegan, vegetarian | 20 Comments

Leftover Orzo Salad with Chickpeas Bento

Posted on May 31, 2013 by eclecticlamb

This was an easy and quick lunch made from dinner leftovers.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Orzo Salad: Orzo Salad with Chickpeas, Dill, and Lemon from Cooking Light (I used chives from my herb garden instead of the green onions and garlic)

Fruit: Blackberries

Vegetable: Lettuce, cauliflower, tomato, carrot, green pepper, and sugar snap peas

Linking to:

Posted in Bento / Cute Food | Tagged bento, leftovers, vegetarian | 12 Comments

Hockey Bento

Posted on May 30, 2013 by eclecticlamb

I made this lunch for my 11 year old nephew. He requested a hockey themed lunch. The food here is for his lunch and snack.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Hockey Sticks & Ice: Green pepper and ranch dip

Hockey Pucks: Blueberries

Hockey Rink: Quesadilla with food coloring details

Above the box: Granola bar and pistachios

Posted in Bento / Cute Food | Tagged bento, hockey, vegetarian | 21 Comments

Animal Face Bagel Bento

Posted on May 29, 2013 by eclecticlamb

My 8 year old nephew helped me assemble this easy lunch. He asked me to title it “Animal Face”. My nephew decorated this lunch with my animal pick collection. This was a lunch at home so no need to think about what other little boys would say.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Vegetable: Red bell pepper

Fruit: Blueberries

Bagels: Homemade cheese bagels

Linking to:

Posted in Bento / Cute Food | Tagged bagel, bento, vegetarian | 13 Comments

New York State Bento

Posted on May 28, 2013 by eclecticlamb

I made this New York State themed lunch for my 8 year old nephew. This is my second attempt. Last year I tried one but did not like it enough to post here. The beaver and Long Island were the problem last year. In this bento I tried a different type of beaver and omitted Long Island (which happens to be my place of birth) from our state shape.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Status of Liberty: Green pepper

New York State Shape: Cheese quesadilla

Beaver: Tortilla broiled with cooking spray and paprika (our state animal)

Apples: Our state fruit

Eastern Bluebirds: Tortillas broiled with cooking spray and sanding sugar (state bird), Wine Red Garnet (state gem) is under the bluebirds

Not Pictured: Greek yogurt (important state product) dip with grated apple and maple syrup (product from the Sugar Maple – our state tree)

Posted in Bento / Cute Food | Tagged bento, NY food, state themed lunch, vegetarian | 18 Comments

Squirrel in Tree Bento

Posted on May 27, 2013 by eclecticlamb

My 14 year old niece and I made this bento lunch. The tree and squirrel are both cheese quesadillas.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Background: Assorted lettuce

Tree: Cheese quesadilla

Squirrel: Cheese quesadilla painted brown with food coloring and water (before cooking), Wilton candy eye

Vegetable: Snow peas

Fruit: Strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries

Posted in Bento / Cute Food | Tagged bento, vegetarian | 23 Comments

Leftover Ravioli with Pesto Cream Bento

Posted on May 24, 2013 by eclecticlamb

This was a quick bento made from leftovers. The ravioli is cold in this photo because I made this bento lunch from leftovers in the refrigerator. It can be heated or eaten cold.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Ravioli & Vegetables: Ravioli with vegetables and Pesto Cream sauce (see recipe below)

Salad: Lettuce, cherry tomatoes, green pepper, yellow pepper, carrot and cucumber

Fruit: Raspberries

Ravioli with Vegetables and Pesto Cream

Add amounts to your desire and the number of people you want to serve, this is just a general idea recipe. Try at your own risk.

Ingredients:

Cheese Ravioli (or any type)

1 onion

1 red pepper (or vegetable of your choice)

Green beans (or vegetable of your choice)

Olive Oil

Sour Cream

Pesto

Method:

Saute onion in olive oil in skillet until soft, add vegetables and cook until tender (add additional olive oil or some water if needed).

Add sour cream and pesto to make sauce.

Cook ravioli according to package directions.

Blend drained ravioli and sauce.

Serve

Linking to:

Posted in Bento / Cute Food | 15 Comments

Little Boy Blue Sheep Bento

Posted on May 23, 2013 by eclecticlamb

Here is the fourth and final lunch in my four part series this week of nursery rhymes/songs with sheep/lambs.

Little Boy Blue come blow your horn, the sheep’s in the meadow. I did not have room for the cows in the corn.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Little Boy Blue: Boy (cheddar cheese painted with blue food coloring and water), mixed nuts

Horn: Apple with cinnamon, apple pieces

Sheep: Black olives and mashed potatoes (cooked cut potatoes, mashed with cheddar, salt, pepper and a little bit of butter), molded into sheep

Meadow: Cooked broccoli

Linking to:

Posted in Bento / Cute Food | Tagged bento, lamb, Nursery Rhyme, sheep, sheep themed food, vegetarian | 23 Comments

Baa Baa Black Sheep Bento

Posted on May 22, 2013 by eclecticlamb

Here is the third lunch in my four part series this week of nursery rhymes/songs with sheep/lambs.

Baa, baa, black sheep, Have you any wool? Yes sir, yes sir, Three bags full.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Wool: Cheese popcorn

Fruit: Peach

Background: Lettuce

Black Sheep: Peanut butter sandwich on pumpernickel bread

3 Bags: Corn and feta cheese fillo dough bundles tied with chives

Linking to:

Posted in Bento / Cute Food | Tagged bento, lamb, Nursery Rhyme, sheep, vegetarian | 17 Comments

Mary had a Little Lamb Bento

Posted on May 21, 2013 by eclecticlamb

This is second in my four part series this week of nursery rhymes/songs with sheep/lambs.

Mary had a little lamb, its fleece was white as snow

And everywhere that Mary went, the lamb was sure to go

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Background: Lettuce

Mary: Cheddar cheese quesadilla with hair and dress painted with food coloring and water

Lamb: English muffin served with cream cheese and pineapple (in Mini Dippers)

Wool: Cauliflower

Fruit: Raspberries

Linking to:

Posted in Bento / Cute Food | Tagged bento, lamb, Nursery Rhyme, sheep, vegetarian | 16 Comments

Old McDonald Sheep Bento

Posted on May 20, 2013 by eclecticlamb

This week I am featuring nursery rhymes/songs with sheep/lambs.

Old McDonald has a farm, Ee-i-ee-i-o, And on his farm he had a sheep, Ee-i-ee-i-o

With a baa-baa here, And a baa-baa there, Here a baa, there a baa , Everywhere a baa-baa

Old MacDonald had a farm, Ee-i-ee-i-o.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Background: Flour tortilla painted with a little blue food coloring and water

Baa-Baa: Carrot

Sheep: Peanut butter sandwich on wheat bread, eyes (chocolate sprinkles), nose (food safe marker)

Barn: Watermelon, door (Wegmans fruit flat details), apple slices

Wildflowers: Yellow bell pepper, centers (dried blueberries attached with spaghetti – it softens by lunch)

Linking to:

Posted in Bento / Cute Food | Tagged bento, lamb, lamb nursery tales, sheep, vegan | 17 Comments

Reader Influenced Bento

Posted on May 17, 2013 by eclecticlamb

Last week I invited you to vote on the type of bento I would make. The winner was “Interesting colorful food layout (not character)”. I bought a lot of colorful produce for this bento but it ended up being red, green, and white.

I hope that you think of this as interesting and colorful. I tried a few new techniques in this lunch.

Container: ECO Lunchboxes

In Round Cup: Tri-Color Pearl Couscous cooked with vegetable bouillon, added chickpeas and decorated with chickpeas, green peas, and snow peas

In Oval Container: lettuce, cream cheese with some homemade pesto in cherry tomato cups, green pimento stuffed olives on star picks, checkered apple (this was my first time trying this, I used this awesome tutorial by Jenn of Bento for Kidlet), stamped watermelon (used cutter similar to this), and snow peas.

Not pictured: Blue Diamond Natural Oven Roasted Almonds with Sea Salt

Posted in Bento / Cute Food | Tagged bento, vegetarian | 30 Comments

Under the Sea Bento

Posted on May 16, 2013 by eclecticlamb

My 14 year old niece made this lunch. I only offered a little help/suggestions.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Ocean: Mukimame, sprouts

Starfish & Seahorse: Homemade grape jam sandwiches on wheat bread

Whale: Apple on blueberry yogurt

Fish: Pepperidge Farm Goldfish Crackers

Posted in Bento / Cute Food | Tagged bento, vegetarian | 21 Comments

Tennis Bento

Posted on May 15, 2013 by eclecticlamb

When I found Racchette pasta at Wegmans, I knew I had to make a tennis themed bento lunch. I made this lunch for my 14 year old niece. She ate it at school and heated the pasta with a microwave available for students. I placed the sides in silicone cups so she could remove them before heating the pasta.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Fruit: Mineola Tangelo

Nuts: Toasted pecans

Tennis Pasta: DeCecco Racchette pasta with green peas, dressed with a garlic and olive oil sauce, carrot lettering

Linking to:

Posted in Bento / Cute Food | Tagged bento, pasta lunch, racchette pasta, vegan | 20 Comments

Lily of the Valley Bento

Posted on May 14, 2013 by eclecticlamb

Lily of the Valley is my favorite flower. I love the shape and smell. I am also reminded of my Grandmother’s garden in the house she had when I was a kid. That house and garden holds magical memories for me. I have a memory of fresh cut Lily of the Valley in a small juice glass on a counter in the kitchen. The memories are probably more special because that house and garden no longer exist. When I was about 11 my Grandparents sold that house. A contractor bought it, destroyed the house and garden and built apartments.

Container: ECO Lunchboxes

Soil: Wild rice cooked with a vegetable bouillon

Lily of the Valley: Apple with chives (from my herb garden)

Vegetables: Lettuce, mukimame, cucumber, carrot, roasted green and orange bell pepper, roasted asparagus (difficult to see in photo)

Linking to:

Posted in Bento / Cute Food | Tagged bento, lily of the valley shaped food, vegan, vegetarian | 29 Comments

Bagel Bear Bento

Posted on May 13, 2013 by eclecticlamb

I am not convinced that this looks like a bear. I think that the eyes are the problem. But my husband enjoyed this for breakfast on a day he went to work early. I love that he does not mind eating cute food because I love making cute food.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Bear: Homemade bagels with cinnamon sugar topping, eyes (Craisins), nose (carrot made with CuteZcute cutter), filled with cream cheese and homemade apricot jam

Vegetable Bears & Fruit: Cucumber bears and strawberries

Mini Bears: Mini Teddy Grahams – Honey

Linking to:

Posted in Bento / Cute Food | Tagged bagel lunch, bento, vegetarian | 29 Comments

Vote for Bento I will Make

Posted on May 10, 2013 by eclecticlamb

I appreciate you my readers, your visits and all of your “likes” and comments. I love it when you offer suggestions for what I will make next.

So I thought it would be fun for you to vote on the type of bento I will make. Please vote below. In the comments, offer specific suggestions if you want.

~~Voting is open until Sunday May 12.~~ Voting is now closed. See results below. On Friday May 17, I will post the bento influenced by you.

Posted in Bento / Cute Food, Blog | 15 Comments

Family Tree Bento

Posted on May 9, 2013 by eclecticlamb

I wanted to try out a family tree idea. This was a quick and easy lunch to prepare.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Fruit: Apple and strawberries

Dip: Ranch

Hearts: Horseradish cheese

Tree: Peanut butter and homemade strawberry jam on wheat bread, broccoli, sugar snap peas, carrot lettering

Posted in Bento / Cute Food | Tagged bento, tree lunch, vegetarian | 17 Comments

Millennium Falcon Quesadilla Bento

Posted on May 7, 2013 by eclecticlamb

In preparation for my recent “May the 4th Be with You” blog hop, I made two bentos. This is the one that did not make the cut for the hop. But I thought that it would still be nice to share.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Background: Nori (dried seaweed)

Millennium Falcon: Cheese quesadilla with food marker details

Asteroid Field: Red grapes

Lightsabers: Pretzels with dyed white chocolate

???: I was aiming for Vader, looks more like Chewbacca, roasted green pepper with raw pepper slices behind

Linking to:

Posted in Bento / Cute Food | Tagged bento, Star Wars, vegetarian | 14 Comments

Matching Bento and Napkin

Posted on May 6, 2013 by eclecticlamb

Awhile ago a reader suggested that I embroider a bento. I love my EasyLunchboxes so it was a natural choice to embroider it on a napkin. I enjoyed planning and creating this simple embroidered napkin with matching lunch.

Container: EasyLunchboxes

Stars: Peanut butter sandwiches on wheat bread

Fruit: Strawberry

Vegetable: Sugar snap peas

Embroidery in Progress

I made a 12 inch by 12 inch napkin from a Flour Sack Towel bought from Herrschners. I used a water erasable pen to transfer my pattern to my napkin. My stitching is done with a simple back stitch. For the food I used 2 strands of DMC thread. For the outline of the box I used DMC Perle 5. I would have used 2 strands of DMC thread but I did not have any black left in my stash. (If you would like the pattern, leave a comment or email me.)

EasyLunchboxes with Matching Napkin

Posted in Bento / Cute Food, Embroidery | Tagged bento, EasyLunchboxes, embroidered napkin, vegan | 24 Comments

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Ravioli with Vegetables and Pesto Cream

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