Teeny Tiny Little Pancake People

Had to come up with something fast tonight for dinner as we needed to rush out to skating lessons. Went with banana pancakes and thought, hmmm I'll make some extras for lunch. Then I decided to make teeny tiny ones the size of a quarter so I could use my new little hats picks!

The 3 year old will be getting a party of pancake people in her lunch tomorrow - along with another big one to fill her up! (Faces made with cut up raisins and craisins)

Tuesday's Lunch

Both kids had this today, nothing fancy but I'm trying to take pictures of my regular bentos as well so you can see that it can be basic but still fun!

6 year old - Dried mango and banana chips (they sweet talked their dad into those at the grocery store), some fruit salad, a container of apple sauce and a cheese and red pepper muffin.

The 3 year old got the same only her muffin was ham and red pepper.

One can't do dairy, one won't eat meat - these kids of mine!

Winner and New Contest

Congrats to Jodi - winner of the marine cutters set!

Here is another chance for you to win! I ordered my favorite bento picks set (and trust me, I have alot!) so you could enjoy them too. I love them because they have faces when you look at them one way but look totally different from the top.

All you have to do it post a comment to this post and I'll draw a winner at random next Monday!

A bit big for bento....

We had the 6 year old's class party today. The main thing we had for lunch was a huge hit so I thought I'd share it, even though it's not small enough for bento!

The theme of the party was pirates so we had 2 of these baguette pirate ships - great for a party or even just a playdate! Super quick and easy and got gobbled up! We did one cheese and lettuce and one jam to play it safe.

Cut the baguette, put whatever you want inside, stick pretzels along the sides for oars, throw in some sails and you have a great pirate ship. The best part is that 99% of both got eaten, it was a nice change from regular party food and they served as centerpieces!

Can't take credit for the idea though, saw it on a website and thought it was great. You can download the pirate sails for free here! I printed them out on cardstock and used heavy duty wooden skewers.

Here's our cheese and lettuce version!

Lunchbox Recipe - Blueberry Pumpkin Muffins

OK, so I'm not a super huge muffin fan. I make them for my kids but I don't eat alot of the ones I make because I feel they are just wanna be cupcakes - ha! Except these. These are sooo good. Seriously. You'll eat as many as your kids! (Is that a good or a bad thing?) Try them and let me know what you think!

Blueberry Pumpkin Muffins

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup quick cooking oats
2/3 cup white sugar (I don't always use all the sugar)
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
1/4 cup butter, melted (I use margerine)
3/4 cup fresh blueberries or frozen blueberries, thawed (I use frozen)

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease and flour muffin pan or use paper liners.
2.Mix the flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in a mixing bowl until evenly blended. In a separate bowl, stir together the pumpkin, milk, egg, and butter. Gradually stir in the flour mixture, just until all ingredients are moistened. Fold in the blueberries. Spoon batter into muffin cups, filling to the top.
3.Bake in preheated oven until tops spring back when lightly pressed, about 20 minutes.

Freezing instructions:
They freeze great! I freeze them in freezer bags and take out the night before for lunches.

Peanut Butter Piggy, Perhaps?

Welcome to tomorrows lunches!

Peanut Butter Piggy

For the 3 year old. A little too cutesy for the 6 year old!

Making the pig: Cut 2 circles of bread and punched out 2 holes for the nostrils. Spread with PJ&J (you see the jam peeking out through the nostrils). Squished the 2 together. Cut a triangle cracker in 2 for the ears and red pepper for the inner ear and mouth. Eyes are a combo of a baking decoration (white thing) and raisins.

Then we have grapes with fellow farm animal picks and some fishies in an animal cup. Oh and some veggie booty as it reminded me of curly pig tails!

For the 6 year old

A Whales Tale

Punched the whale and water out of a piece of bread with small cutters. (Uses the same set you can win below! Don't worry - yours is the new and unopened set!) Made his favorite cheese and lettuce sandwich letting the cheese show for the whale and the lettuce show for the water. Fishy crackers to swim around the whale.

Cut up grapes with a whale and fish picks.

Small bowl of water (OK, berry sugar free applesauce) with a seal on a "rock" (aka strawberry). Picture taken before the lid was put on for the applesauce container, I'm not that wild and crazy!

If you've enjoyed these lunches, please take a second to comment! Gives me motivation to keep posting if I know people are diggin' them :) Also feel free to tell your friends, re-post of facebook (I totally love that) and don't forget to enter the contest a few posts down!

Lunchbox Recipe - Homemade Granola Bars

These rock! My kids adore them.

Homemade Granola Bars

• 2 cups rolled oats
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup wheat germ
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup raisins (or 3/4 cup of whatever dried fruit(s) or extras (coconut, chocolate chips etc) you like.
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Generously grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the oats, brown sugar, wheat germ, cinnamon, flour and raisins. Make a well in the center, and pour in the honey, egg, oil and vanilla. Mix well using your hands. Pat the mixture evenly into the prepared pan.
3. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until the bars begin to turn golden at the edges. Don't let them get too brown - just the edges! Cool for 5 minutes, then cut into bars while still warm. Do not allow the bars to cool completely before cutting, or they will be too hard to cut.

Freezing instructions:

After cutting into bars, place a flat layer in a freezer bag. (I usually do 4 per bag). Then take out the night before and by morning, they will be ready to get put into lunches.

Go make a batch and let me know what you think!

TGIF Lunches

Today's lunches..

Strawberry Garden

For the 3 year old:

Strawberry PB&J sandwiches - I poked in a few of those red cake decorating sprinkles to make it more strawberry like. Hulls of the strawberries are veggie booty.

A couple flower mini sandwiches so not to waste the rest of the bread, veggie bootie and grapes with flower picks.

The Letter M

The 6 year old asked for "M" sandwiches so that's what he got. Made them cuter by polka dotting them with fruit leather.

Grapes with robot picks, a cereal bar cut into 3 and speared with a pic and a few pretzels.

Let's do this thing!

So here goes - first official post on Bento Diva!

First, I posted some things under the FAQ on the left side (<----- over there, under the cupcake) along with a few things under About Me. The FAQ might answer some questions you have about Bento, the About Me - well, probably won't LOL

On the previous post, I posted some pictures of bentos I've made my kids. Yes, I use alot of the same things. Why? My kids are picky. They aren't going to go for that traditional seaweed, molded egg type deal. No way, no how. I gotta make it cute and fun - but I have to make it so they want to eat it as well. (Try being around the 3 year old when she hasn't eaten - not pretty). I try and keep it healthy but I'm not uber crazy either (like my mom was. Seltzer and carob? Not a treat. Just sayin'.)

Anyway, on to the fun cause I want you to bento too! Yes, you. It's giveaway time! (And keep checking back as I ordered some more bento things for me and got a couple more things for giveaways as well).

Here's what you can win today - a set of marine cutters great for cutting cheese and ham! Just post a comment on this post with your name/email and I will choose a name by random draw next Thursday! If you aren't local I'll happily mail it. if you are, you can pick it up yourself. Love you!

PS - You can be emailed with updates on this blog by subscribing on the right :)

Bentos from the past...

Robot bento.

The 6 year old loves a good robot. Cheese and lettuce sandwich with pretzel arms, crust mouth and circles cut out of fruit leather for eyes. Strawberries and the rest of the fruit leather speared with robot picks and a few fishy crackers.


Number 3 Bento

Leftover pancakes with jam inside - for the 3 year old (bet you figured that out!) Grapes with animal picks, fishy crackers and bear cereal things from the health food store.

Pirate Bento - dairy free version.

The 3 year old has a dairy allergy. Her pirate sandwich uses red pepper and cucumber peel for the face. Veggies on people picks (she loves those), strawberries with animal picks and some raisins and veggie booty.

Pirate bento.

Pirate sandwich with with a cheese face and cucumber peel and red pepper features. Homemade granola bar (remind me to post the recipe!), strawberries with animal picks, raisins and veggie booty.

Bear Bento

Quick bear sandwiches with raisins and craisins for the eyes and mouth. Strawberries with bear pics. Honey fishy crackers (bears like honey, they do match the theme!) and raisins in a bear cup.

French Toast Bento.

Leftover french toast (breakfast for dinner, yum!) rolled up with jam. Strawberries, whole grain rice cakes and cucumber people.