K-Bento: A is for Apples, B is for Bear, C is for Cookies

This is my Kindergartner's favorite bento box next to Easy Lunchboxes.  So you might see me blogging about my K-Bentos on this particular box.  And this is, of course, courtesy of an amazing bento blogging friend, Jenn of Bento For Kidlet. Don't forget to check her blog for her awesome bento fun.

Today, Missy A brought a bear full of corn kernels, grapes, diced apples, and a chocolate chip cookie, which she devoured on morning recess and lunch.  I guess this was just the right amount of food that she could actually consume in school. And she loved it the way it was presented to her.

School Lunches: Pokemon...Gotta Catch Them All!

Mr G is a huge Pokemon Fan. There came a time that everything had to be Pokemon-themed. Glad that I wasn't bento-ing back then, or else, every single day would be Pokemon-inspired lunches.  I must say that I am thankful to a very amazing friend, Jenn of Bento For Kidlet, who gifted me all her Pokemon sandwich cutters and punchers, bento box and picks.  This had made my boy's Pokemon World complete.

On top is Pichu cut and pressed on a whole wheat bread with cheddar cheese & ham.  On PokeBall tomatoes were Pikachu (yellow), Treeko (green), Mudkip (blue), and Torchic (orange). The background was made of Nori sheets for the tall grass and some dried blueberries for pokemon's energy and health boost.  This part of the compartment was easily made by my 9 year old Mr G.  Awesome isn't it?

We also added corn and green peas, and green apple slices for added healthy sides and dessert.  I wanted to make sure that my boy is getting enough nutrients in his Pokemon lunch today.  All packed on our favorite Easy Lunchboxes.

I hope you loved this post!  Have a great Labor Day weekend!!

Doctor Who, You've Got Lunch!

Last summer, I was inspired by my amazing Bento bloggers and Friends, to follow a fabulous long time TV series about an adventure in space and time, Doctor Who. Since it was out of season then, I bought a Netflix subscription to catch up just before the current series premiere on Fall. Christopher Eccleston, the 9th Doctor and the next Thor, is my favorite by far.  He is  my first doctor encounter so he holds a special place in my heart. I love him because he has an incredible amount of humor that makes the whole show enjoyable to watch.  My bento lunch for this hop goes back from the 2005 first season episode 2: The End of the World.

As part of the Bento Bloggers and Friends Group, we have decided that a blog hop would be appropriate to welcome the Season Premiere of Doctor Who on BBC. 

In this episode, the Doctor takes Rose to the year 5B where they land on a space station which is orbiting the Earth and observing its destruction by the expanding Sun.  Among the elite alien guests assembled to watch the phenomenon is Lady Cassandra (featured below),

who takes pride in being the last pure human, though she has received many operations that have altered her image.  It is discovered that Cassandra, to receive money for her many operations, plans to let the guests die and then profit from the stock increases of their competitors. She departs and brings down the shields, causing harmful direct radiation to penetrate the station.

The Doctor manages to reactivate the system and save Rose, after which he brings Cassandra back and she ruptures as she has not been moisturized.  Above is a video clip how she was defeated by the Doctor.

The Mandarin oranges serve as Lady Cassandra's brain,
which is responsible for her return in "New Earth".

Cassandra returned in "New Earth," which took place 23 years after.  "The End of the World." Her brain had indeed survived. Her eyes had been retrieved and she was repaired with extra skin taken from back of her previous body.  She was hiding in the basement of the hospital run by the Sisters of Plenitude, and tended to by a devoted forced-growth clone named Chip.

I hope you've enjoyed this post.

See more Doctor Who inspired lunches by pushing the button.

**Disclaimer: Doctor Who pictures courtesy of Google Search engine and Video courtesy of YouTube.**

School Lunches: Ocean Wonders

Today is my birthday so I thought of making a cute lunch theme for the kiddos.  The first time I made them octopuses and crabs was last summer and they were so sold to that idea.  If you haven't seen that yet, check it out here. So I got to repeat them this school year to serve hotdog lunches in so many ways.

Here's a lunch for Mr G: Hotdogs Octupuses and Crabs with
white Jasmine Rice, and Nori sheets, celery stick with Ranch, and pluots.

For Missy A: She got 3 pairs of Octopuses and Crabs on sticks,
with Goldfish crackers and lots of Nori. 

Cocktail of mini jellies "ala JellyFish" for her AM snack.

If you love this post, would you care to follow me via Google Friend Connect, Network Blog, Facebook or Twitter?  I'd be glad to have you around. Also, check back on September 3rd for my Easy Lunchboxes Giveaway.  See you then!

K-Bento: Turkey-Crackers-Jello

It's Momables giveaway this week! If you haven't had the chance to enter,

please click here.  Don't miss out. It only runs till Sunday.

My daughter loves grapes that she requested another round for her snack today. She loves them skewered on pretty food picks.  And I guess this has drawn so much of her attention to eat better in school.  Yesterday's packed school meal was a success.  And I figured she needs smaller bites of food for ease of eating.

Oven Roasted Turkey cut into pieces with the help of FUNBites CUBE IT,
Cheese Crackers and mini jellies.

I wouldn't call this lunch but this was packed purposely for school lunch.  Since she talks a lot, she needed small quantities in bite-size just to fill her up. Then she eats proper lunch at home with me.  I figured this would be less-stressful for her to eat as she talks. 

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

School Lunches: DIY Pizza

It's Momables giveaway this week! If you haven't had the chance to enter,

please click here.  Don't miss out. It only runs till Sunday.

Today's lunch for my 4th grader, Mr G, is his favorite DIY pizza courtesy of MOMables' popular menu.  If you were familiar of the Lunchables Pizza Meal, this is similar except on a healthier version.  Instead of packing sweets for treats, try fruits or veggie slices. I made use of slightly toasted flat whole grain breads for the crust, garlic & basil spaghetti sauce, shredded cheddar cheese, and pepperoni for meat. I was able to find some cherries in the market, so I grabbed a bag for his lunch today and snack after school.  Lunch packed in our favorite reliable container, The Easy Lunchboxes.  Grab one now before they ran out.

I hope you enjoyed this post as much as my son enjoyed his lunch.  Happy Wednesday everyone!

School Lunches: Meatballs with Panda Aboard

Mr G has never given me troubles packing lunches for him.  He seems so sold to the idea of lunch-packed from home sealed-with-a-kiss. I just need to remember not to send an "I love you" note.  Gone are the days when they don't mind you kissing and hugging them tightly in public. So anything that goes inside his Easy Lunchboxes is well-appreciated and a content tummy always comes back home happily.

Today he had meatballs with ketchup.
Sides are corn kernels, red globe grapes, and Goldfish crackers.

I hope you enjoyed this post. 

Have a great Tuesday!

K-Bento: A Teaser

I am being challenged by Missy A. For some reason everything that I packed for her returned home half uneaten.  I was beginning to wonder what's wrong with my meals when she eats them perfectly well at home. So I volunteered again to watch her on lunchtime. And I found out that she's so busy talking with her BFF since pre-K. They both talk and laugh non-stop, but her BFF eats while she talks, and she doesn't.

I remembered one of you commented to pack lightly of a variety of food that she likes.  So I tried it today and I hope you wouldn't pre-judge me of the not-so-healthy food choices I've packed. This is what I call a teaser of everything that she likes and eat.  I would have to start from scratch and journalize everything that works.  Somehow a diligent planning needs to be done for this girl.

Chocolate Wafer Rolls, ww crackers and honey-roasted ham delis.

Grapes for her snack/dessert and a yogurt drink (not in picture).

I packed this actually to be interchangeable. They can either be eaten on snack or lunch time. Her call.  The amount of food is almost similar.  Just enough to fill her up in between classes and play.  I hope she'd enjoy them and would start eating better.  Of course, I added some of our bento accessories for an appealing meal.

I hope you enjoyed this post.  I would love to hear your thoughts.  Any suggestions, comments or helpful ideas are welcome.  Please jot them down on my comment forms.  

Have a wonderful Tuesday!

School Lunches: Cheesy Pizza Bagel

Missy A was feeling hungry today and requested for a cheesy bagel pizza.  She asked, I complied.  Anything that makes her eat in school.  And I made sure I give her only a tiny bit of the sides or that will fill her up if she decides to eat the treats ahead.

I know I've been packing a pretty hefty meal for her.  Just worried that it might not be enough for her especially when she hits a good appetite.  But I guess not in school. She's just way too distracted with friends around her.  Today she came back with 3 pizzas, all of the strawberries, and none of the goldfishes. 

But she did pretty good at snack time.  She finished her cookies and yogurt drink, which probably filled her up an hour & a half later for lunch.  So I think I should avoid sweets on recesses to give her more room for lunch.  Let's try again tomorrow.

As always, I never have any problems with Mr G.  He's a good eater of bento meals. He got the same lunch as his sissy except that he had dried blueberries and 1 more cheesy pizza than Missy A.

Blogiversary and a Review & Giveaway: MOMables

I was thrilled when I was given the opportunity to try out MOMables for 3 months. They are healthy school lunches made fresh by busy parents. During summer, they offer 3 lunches and 2 dinners, which helped busy moms prepare healthy meals in a snap.

I attest to the yumminess and simplicity of their recipes. The weekly menu planning is awesome.  It worked out just fine.  There was never a complaint of disliking what I serve on the table...considering my kids are picky-eaters.

I have been packing school lunches for my son for a year now. I must admit that there were days when all of my ideas were exhausted and I just couldn't think of anything new or good enough for him to bring to school.  But with the help of MOMables, I was able to send school lunches up to their last days.

Home-made Chicken Nuggets
courtesy of Momables' LunchBox Wars

With MOMables, you can choose the right ingredients and control portion sizes. Thus, lesser waste, nutritious lunches and happier tummies. This is when MOMables is helpful to plan your school meals ahead of time. Stress-free. Worry-free.

DIY Lunchable Pizza Meal
courtesy of Momables' LunchBox Wars

MOMables doesn't even take too much of your time to prepare and pack lunches for your loved ones. A matter of fact, it takes only under 10 minutes to prepare each meal. It gives you a week of school lunch menus ahead of time, with recipes and shopping lists in a single download to print and bind. 

Turkey & Cheddar Cracker Bento
courtesy of Momables' LunchBox Wars.

This is where I keep mine. And I have integrated my shopping list on my Android App, OUT OF MILK, just so I have access to my list anytime when I'm on the go.

My MOMables Menu filed and bound.

Ham, Cheese & Lettuce Bagel
courtesy of MOMables LunchBox Wars

I have featured some of my most requested meals, that I have done for my kids, all courtesy of Momables, which everyone of us enjoyed and complimented.

Spaghetti Marinara

MOMables offer subscription rates for 3, 6, and 12 months. As low as $5-$6 a month, depending on the length of subscription. Once signed up, you have easy access of their wide-array of menus and recipes, downloadable on a weekly basis as it becomes available.  It includes 5 lunches per week with an image to visualize how a meal would look. Ready by Thursdays, it gives you ample time to shop. I love that it comes with a handy shopping list that accompanies you at the store. Also, you have the freedom to adjust and modify ingredients, according to your pantry's availability or if anyone has allergy issues.  Most recipes are gluten-free and nut-free, too.  What else could you ask for?

Still not convinced? No worries. Sign up for their newsletter today, and be entered for a $5 Starbucks GiftCard every week.  Not only that, but you also have access to their free sample menus, and other great tasting recipes prepared by actual moms like us.

For my BLOG-anniversary, MOMables is giving away FREE 3-month subscription to one of my lucky readers.  To enter, you only need to leave a comment why you would like to win this giveaway, and follow each mandatory steps to qualify. So what are you waiting for?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you very much!

Good luck to each one of you!!

 ~Marie

*Disclaimer: I was provided with a FREE 3-month MOMables subscription to facilitate my review. No other compensation was received and the opinions expressed are purely mine.*

A Birthday & A Trip

August 11 marked the 9th birthday of my first born and only son.

We made a trip to San Francisco to bond with awesomely great family friends. He didn't have an elaborate and fancy celebration, but it was something he wished for in his 9th birthday.  That's to celebrate with his own friends, where they could play and enjoy each other all day long. And he got his wish with a trip.  They actually had the chance to sleep over in one room for 3 nights and 4 days before we actually moved to our next destination.  Guess what, we never heard of a single argument, which is very soothing to our ears of course. 

Happy Birthday, Mr G!!

Our first destination is San Francisco!

Of course we came to see the Golden Bridge & the National Parks once again for the children. Hub and I have been here several times, but the kids. We showed them several of its amazing sceneries around, such as; Alcatraz, Fort Point National Historic Site and the Palace of Fine Arts, where they had a great deal of fun and adventure.

We also visited the Lands End Sutro Baths, the Cathedral, Fisherman's Wharf, Pier 39
and The 6 Painted Ladies.

We brought the kids to the Carmel Mission Basilica in San Jose, CA.

Now that Mr G is officially a 4th grader, we thought of visiting Mission Churches.  I was told that they will be learning about the several mission churches across the country.  So we made sure that we don't miss one of our favorites.  Learning is best when you get to experience it first hand. 

Here's how it looks outside the Basilica.

We love it here then and now.  It has been 10 years ago that we came here, just before marriage.  And now that we have the fruit of our love, we came back to tour them around, and bond with some good relatives.  We try to make it a point that every travel is stress-free and memorable for the kids to cherish through our lifetime.

This is a late post but I hope you had a wonderful time touring with me as I reminisce our trip this summer.  Love it here as always!!

School Lunches: Vege-Chickburger & Eggrolls

TGIF! We made it thru the week. 

Missy A is still adjusting in school. She's having a terrible time eating faster to make it on time. Most of the time I'd see leftovers by dismissal time, that she'd finish in the car on our way home. Not that I asked her to, but because she was very hungry.  I'm trying to re-invent meals for her that would work. She's not a sandwich eater. I was thinking if I could ask my mommy friends to make our lunches similar, it might help her eat better and faster.

You might think that I give her so much food. Maybe and maybe not. But that's exactly how much she consumes at home.  What do you think? This is the time I need major help.

Missy A had eggrolls and apple slices for lunch on her Easy Lunchboxes.  She also had pretzels and peanut butter dip with juice pouch, and a yogurt drink (not in picture) for snack on a pencil box.  I figured it's the right box size to go in their snack bin, and easy for her to spot and for me to label. Gogurt fits in too so no problem getting another box for longer snack like it. 

Mr. G had Vege-Chickburger on honey wheat sandwich thins, mayo, pickle and fish-shaped cheeses.  Ketchup on the side with apple slices and carrot sticks on the side. He also had 2 bottles of yogurt drinks.  Extra bottle not in picture. All packed on Easy Lunchboxes.

I hope everyone had a good transition in school.

See you next week!

☺☻☺

School Lunches: Hotdogs OR Corndogs

Today was a better day. I packed the night before for a smoother transition this morning and it worked perfectly well. Staging were done the night before too. And the hot foods were baked and cooked in the morning. So they taste just right by lunchtime.

Missy A has grapes, oranges and oven-baked hotdogs with ketchup for lunch.

 A frozen yogurt and juice pouch for her snack, just perfectly thawed by snack time.

  Mr. G has corndog instead, shelled edamame, grapes and oranges.  I also packed 2 bottles of yogurt drink for snack and lunch in case he needs more.

My hub has all of our dinner leftovers in his Easy Lunchboxes: 

Chinese Spicy Porkchop, Spring Rolls & Tofu.  

An apple and an orange fruit on the side for dessert.

All lunches are packed in our favorite Easy Lunchboxes.
Have a great Thursday!

~Marie

School Lunches: Chicken on a Rush

Day 3 in school and lunch packing didn't go as smooth as the last couple of days. First of, I woke up pretty late to pack the "lunches."  Kids were fine. This is a good example of why it is important to plan and pack ahead of time.  Glad I've made and frozen chicken nuggets over the weekend to prepare for crazy days like today.  It was so easy to bake them, while preparing for breakfast.

But I must admit, I came in short with today's post. Bad pictures and no food picks.  Next time I shall never trust my camera phone again.  But I'm still glad I was able to pack their lunches, though not as pretty-looking as the others.  The kids were picky with the stuffs I'm throwing in their lunches. Plus hub is stressing me out with time. 

So this is just a last minute lunch, but still healthy.

My little girl had chicken nuggets with grapes for lunch.  

Mandarin oranges for a snack.  I honestly forgot my picks to make this bento look better.  All packed in her Princess little container.  Missy A is happy, and so I do.

Mr G had chicken nuggets too except he had pluots for his sides and a BBQ sauce.

All packed in our favorite container, Easy Lunchboxes.

I hope for a stress-free Wednesday to all!

Happy lunch-packing ♥

~Marie

School Lunches: Cracker, Deli & Cheese

Our second day called for a volunteer work at school for me.  If you've been reading my blog over at Momscapade, you would know that I've been a parent volunteer for both of my children for 2 years in a row. So when the opportunity called for it, I would open-heartedly do so.  I learned so much from it as an after-school educator as well.  And dealing with children seemed to make my daily schedules busy and satisfying.

Today was pretty-much a different routine compared to last year, as Kindergarten classes went. There were three teachers moving around on each room to test the kids' performance on various aspects individually.  After 9 days, they'd be placed on their permanent classroom for the whole year.  This must be tough for the kids, because this is the time that they're making good friends.  Only to find out that after 9 days, there'd be possibilities that they'd be separated again.  Oh well, we're keeping our fingers crossed, and hoping for the best.

As much as I like helping in the classroom, I mostly look forward for break time.  This is the time, I like seeing the kids eat and play around the school grounds. I also noticed a few kids who brought bento styled-lunches. Honestly, this excites me a lot. I spoke with the child, and told her that I do the same kind of lunches to my kids too.  And we bonded right away. I introduced her to my daughter and they seem to click pretty well.

This was what Missy A brought to school. Ham deli cut into pieces by FunBites Cube It. All skewered by my girly-colored triple hearts picks. I added apple slices and strawberries to fill her up.  She also brought with her an Oreo brownie and a juice pouch for snack.

Ham deli prepared with FunBites CUBE It!

And Mr. G had crackers, pepperoni, and cheddar cheese for lunch.  Like Missy A, he also had strawberries and apple slices for a fulfilling lunch.  All lunches packed in our favorite lunch container system, the Easy Lunchboxes.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Tuesday!

See you tomorrow.

~Marie

School Lunches: Sushi in a Row

Today is the first day of my children in school. I have to admit that my nerves are attacking once again. I tend to be hyper at things when the pressure is on. I woke up pretty late so everything was on a rush, but the kids.  They're always perfectly calm and just go with the flow with their mother..haha!!

Surprisingly, they did great in the morning. I guess it was the excitement that brought them back to school days routine. They ate their breakfast, brush their teeth and put on their clothes all by themselves. Dad helped a bit of course, while I'm busy packing all the goodies for school and snapping photos for today's post.

By special request, Missy A is having sushi rolls, watermelon and pretzels for lunch.  She also have Cheeze It for snack and a juice pouch. I made sure she has a bottle of water to beat the summer heat. Oh well, whatever you call it.

Here's her lunchbag all packed and ready for today.

Mr. G is having sushi as well for lunch, with watermelon and carrots instead of pretzels. Just like Missy A, he's having the same snack and juice pouch and a big water bottle to beat the summer heat. All lunches are packed in our favorite container, Easy Lunchboxes.

I hope each one would have a good start in school this year.  

Happy 1st to all!!

~Marie

Bento at Work: Fish & Veggie

I pack lunches to hub daily but I seldom feature it. Why? Most of the time he packs his own lunches to work. And you guessed that right. He'd normally just toss dinner leftovers into his glass bento box whichever way he wanted it.  But ever since I got our Easy LunchBoxes, he packed better on his own. Then I started taking pictures of his bento works, which he lets me before leaving for work.  On his ELB, he packed multi-grain brown rice, grilled red snapper, salted eggs & tomatoes, and garlic spinach.  All home-cooked the night before.

Summer Mealtime: FunBites Lunch {K-Bento}

I got my Cube It FunBites Cutter in the mail last week after my initial request.  I have to admit that I've been itching to try it out since the time I laid eyes on it.  I just knew it's the perfect cutter when on my morning rush to school and work.

I have a Luv It cutter too that graced my kitchen for months. My kids can't get enough of cutting just before eating. They're perfect for bite-size pieces. I love using it on sandwiches, melons, mangoes, cheeses, hams, pancakes, etc.  They look great on skewers or even when just left alone. The possibilities are endless.  Just be creative.

 Today I have made cream cheese sandwiches for Mr. G, watermelons,

and strawberries.

While my little girl had Nutella and Peanut Butter sandwiches, 

with watermelons and strawberries.  

Both snacks were prepared with the help of a Cube It in under 10 minutes.  

That includes photographing the meal for this post. Imagine that! FunBites are not only durable food cutters, but are reliable time saver as well.

Watch out for my FunBites giveaway as part of my Back to School Event.

Be on my mailing list so you don't miss out.

I hope you enjoyed this post.

Enjoy the rest of the summer.  School starts by Monday.

~Marie