Thursday, September 6, 2012

Back To School Lunches!

It's the First Day of School today! Here are the Back To School lunches:

Sprout starts Kindergarten! I packed her an Apple themed lunch:

She has 2 apple-shaped peanut butter sandwiches with a gummy worm, Enjoy Life caramel apple bar, alphabet cookies, tomatoes, fruit salad, and yogurt, pack in a Yubo lunchbox.

Bella packed her own lunch! Her theme is "I Love Teachers"  ♥ 


She made herself heart-shaped peanut butter sandwiches, and packed alphabet cookies, grapes with ABC picks, and carrots in a heart-shaped muffin cup, in an EasyLunchboxes container.

Beanstalk requested his sandwich say "Back To School". 


He didn't request a checkered apple, but cute or not, I put one in his PlanetBox anyways :) I also gave him some SmartFood popcorn, pork jerky (hidden under the Lunchbox Love note because I don't like the look of it), the requested peanut butter sandwich, and a gummy worm.

Pickle requested a sandwich just like his big brother's :)


He also has an oatmeal cookie cut in half, a mini number 3 sandwich (for 3rd grade) and yogurt with 3 sprinkles. Pickle also wanted me to take a picture of his new red spork and robot-print napkin


Wow, what a hectic morning we had - we are out of practice!
There's more to this story... but that's for another post :)


Lunch Gear shown here:

22 comments:

  1. Wow - those lunches look incredible!!!

    How long does it take you to make these 5 lunches? I have to pack 2 (for one kid) and I need about 15 minutes - however, mine aren't as cute and elaborate as yours!

    And another question... What's with that whole apple and school thing? I'm pretty sure it's yet another American thing I don't get - but why do apples somehow symbolize school?

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    Replies
    1. Apples are Ripe when school starts. September brings apples and first days of school in the US.

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    2. Thanks! Lunches for all can take anywhere from 10 minutes for throwing crackers and fruit haphazardly into a bento box to 20 minutes each if I get fancy ;) On an average day, I do need at least half an hour to do the lunches if I want them to look nice and snap a pic too . But I don't have to pack for all 5 every day - kindergarten and preschool are only 3 days a week, and some of the kids like to buy their lunch at school once a week or so, especially if "breakfast for lunch" is on the menu. And this year, Bella said she'd like to pack her own sometimes!

      The apple thing - you know, I though about that myself when I posted it! I think it's probably a number of things... apples are associated with Autumn in North America... A is for Apple - apples are a common thing pictured for A in classroom alphabets... and "an apple for teacher" which I don't know the origins of, but there is a song called that, I think maybe it was once custom to bring an apple for the teacher? In any case, here at least, apples and school just go together :)

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  2. These are so cute! Great ideas! Where did you get your "spork"? Would love one for my kindergartener!
    megsmolinski@hotmail.com

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    1. Meagan, she has a link to them in one of the product boxes at the bottom of her post, as well as a link in the word "spork" in her text. I get the ones without the knife for my kid, but she's only 4. They're smaller (and fit in my EasyLunchboxes) and by the same company. She loves them! Go through the links above and then you can search for "light my fire spork" for a variety of colors and both styles.

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    2. Thanks Ludicrous Mama :) Meagan, we have the smaller Light My Fore sporks as well as the larger one shown, they are just right for the 3 & 5 year old, and no serrated edge. I got them from Reusit.com

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  3. They look great! Fun and delicious!

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  4. Anonymous9/06/2012

    I love your blog! I have just started doing bento lunches for myself. I like how it helps me control my food portions. I really like fruit shaped things! Can you post a link or tell where you got the little green and red silicone apple muffin molds?...sorry, I'm not sure what they would be called. Thank you, Valerie

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    Replies
    1. I found them at H-Mart, which is a Korean grocery chain, and brought a pack when I got to meet Candy Girl and her Sproutlets for a visit! They also had little sauce bottles with apple tops! Super cute!

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    2. We don't have any H-Mart's in Alabama. I guess I'll have to hope they show up on eBay. Thanks for letting me know. BTW, what are they actually called?

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    3. I have never seen them anywhere either - Ludicrous Mama finds the coolest stuff - check out her blog Biting the Hand That Feeds You - she links to most things she shows in her posts.

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    4. Thanks a lot to both of you for taking the time to reply to me! I appreciate all the information that you can give me. I'd really like to find the silicone apple muffin cups. Have a wonderful weekend, Valerie

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    5. Valerie, they are actually hard plastic, not flexible silicone, in case that
      helps in your search :)

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    6. I found the plastic apple cups from a seller on www.ecrater.com. In case anyone else might be interested; they are Shinzi Katoh designed Apple Divider Cups and here is the link to them:

      http://bentocrazy.ecrater.com/p/6190256/shinzi-katoh-designed-apple-divider#

      Thanks so much for all the information ladies. I appreciate it!

      Have a wonderful weekend,
      Valerie

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  5. The lunches look great! They were well-packed as always and neat.

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  6. Very cute! Love the robots!!

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  7. With that Lunchbox Love note, Beanstalk's lunch needs M&Ms!
    Love love LOVE all the lunches, but especially Bella's! She clearly put a lot of thought into it, and it shows!

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    Replies
    1. I know, I totally thought so myself! But, I don't keep m&m's on hand :) I really chose the note for the message on the other side but I liked the colour of the orange side , haha!

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  8. Awesome lunches! Where did you find the cute robot napkin?

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    Replies
    1. Nevermind, I found the info on your facebook page. LOVE your blog! :-)

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    2. Thank you! Glad you found the info on your own - I should have posted a link to the napkins! Will edit to add ;)

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