Momables' Chicken Nuggets

Chicken Nuggets has been my kids' favorite lunches.  I'm sure you could tell coz I've been frequently sending this for school lunch. And I don't even worry about it because it's all-natural and safe for them to consume every single day.  It's by Momables, the only menu planner that my family trust throughout my lunch packing years.

On his Lunchbots Trio, he has homemade Chicken Nuggets on one compartment, a BBQ sauce on the second, and blueberry and edamame on the third.  For this small box, it's a matter of partitioning to pack all the needed nutritions for lunch.

On her Goodbyn Mix and Match Set, she has the same lunch but smaller in portion size.  Everything she needs to be satisfied and stay focused in school.

Happy Tuesday!

 

All bento accessories are available through Bento USA,

the cheapest and most complete online bento products in the USA.

Other bento gears are also available thru My Amazon Affiliate Link.
Thank you for your support!

Happy V-Bento Day! A Valentine Theme

Valentine's Day has been such a special holiday in our household.  This is the day that we celebrate our love for each other.  It's an anniversary for always being together no matter what the season brings. Like Christmas, it's another season of giving.  Nothing big and fancy, but everything sweet and not good for our teeth.  It's tough when you're the dentist in the family. I am very particular and conscious of anything sticky and chewy candies, that my children brought home each time from school.  That's a huge no-no.  They carry along sugar bugs that  cause decay when left unbrushed.

To celebrate ala bento way, I have prepared school lunches with a simple Valentine theme that anyone can easily duplicate for a week long.  You might be seeing familiar lunches from the past, that I decided to re-post to celebrate our love for bento.

Shrimp Fried Rice with orange wedges on Goodbyn Mix and Match Lunchboxes.

Beef Teriyaki Strips and Teriyaki Fried Rice on Easy Lunchboxes.

Whole wheat dinner rolls & heart shaped-hotdogs on Lunchbots Trio.

Quesadilla wedges with Hearty stamp on EasyLunchboxes.

Have you tried packing lunches with notes? Lunchbox Love Notes has a special way to send your love with food.  They are credit card-sized notes with positive thoughts that boosts self-confidence and sense of security when away from home. My children love them. Some were even passed out to their friends, who enjoyed reading them with facts and jokes on the other side.

Her Lunch

His Lunch

Have you seen this simple tutorial yet?
Click here to find out!

Have a fun Valentine Day!

Happy Heart's Day to all..

All bento accessories are purchased through Bento USA,

the cheapest and most complete online bento products in the USA.

Other tools are also available thru My Amazon Affiliate Link:

Thank you for your support!

A Week of BIG and SMALL Bento School Lunches

It's been a whole week of crazy schedules last week, when blogging is not a part of it.  I was called to work twice during the weekday, and once on a weekend. Then the rest of the days were volunteer duties in school.  Well, like it or not, but I am that one of those crazy parents who love to volunteer their precious time for their children's classes, no matter what the duty calls for. And, I honestly LOVE it.  It feels good to be needed.  It satisfies me all the way.  What's worst? I was invited to be a part of the PTA-Board Committee the following school year. Of course, I finally accepted after constant invitations for a year now.  So get ready for the drama!

Asian Fried Rice

This lunch was inspired by Momables' menu plan.  I have been sending varied rice meals to school, but never thought of making use of Asian Seasoning which is an equal mixture of soysauce and sesame oil drizzled onto the rice as you stir-fry.

My girly-girl, Missy A adores flowers.  And, she eats anything shaped in florets.  So in her 2-tiered bento box, courtesy of Bento USA, I packed 3 Asian Rice shaped in florets by making use of a 4-shaped onigiri maker {found at the end of this post}, grapes and Oreo cookies on flower-shaped bento cups.

On Mr G's Aqua-lidded Easy Lunchboxes, he got a similar lunch and sides except its cuteness. No more cute shapes for my 4th grader boy. He just wanted me to toss everything in his box.  Glad I could still make use of my silicone cups though.

Breakfast Sushi Rolls

Sushi is one of the best rice meals sent to school without the need of any utensils.  May not be the easiest one to make for most, but once mastered, you'd be hooked like a PRO.  Right now, I'm challenged to make the inverted sushi rolls, which Nori sheets are placed in between the rice and the filling. Are you in?

 

On Missy A's Goodbyn Mix and Match Box, she had half of the amount of sushi roll Mr. G got on his EasyLunchboxes {below}.  Both got apples for fruit sides. The only difference was that Missy A got hers chopped up, while Mr G 's apples were chunked up. Broccoli florets for my veggie loving swimmer, and a choco chip cookie for my sweet tooth little fairy.

 

DIY-Pizza Bagel Lunchables

Addicted to pizza lunchables? Why not DO IT YOURSELF.  It's easy.  All you need is any type of bread. I have used pita breads, thin bagels, thin wheat round breads, and pocket breads.  I even tried Pillsbury's pizza dough, and they worked just fine.  I send them pre-toasted to get the crusty taste of a pizza crust. They taste better.  Then pack it with shredded cheese of your choice, meat toppings, marinara sauce, and a fruit.  Don't forget the spoon to scoop up the hearty sauce and spread them onto the bread crust.

On Mr. G's EasyLunchboxes, he had shredded 4 types of cheese (Mozarella, Parmesan, Cheddar, & Monterey Jack), spaghetti sauce, and turkey pepperoni.  On his other compartment, he had some strawberry hearts.

Bagels

Since we had a stash of bagels at home, I thought of sending in bagels for Thursday as well.  I worked on this day, so something quick and easy was highly favored.  Another easy and simple lunch to go by on rush mornings without compromising healthy nutrition.

Missy A's Goodbyn Mix and Match containers was filled with PB & J bagel thins, 2 heart bento picks of red globe grapes, and a strawberry on a heart shaped cup.

On Mr G's Easy Lunchboxes, a ham and cheese bagel was accompanied by some strawberry wheels and dill slices.  Best of all, it held a special Lunchbox Love Note to send this lunch with a burst of LOVE.

Leftover Dinner

I was called to work again, so Friday's lunch was just a leftover pizza dinner.  It was homemade though, so it wasn't that bad after all.  I was thinking of packing a different lunch, but the kids insisted on pizza.  So it was pizza all the way with a little fruit heavy for Mr G {Aqua ELB}.

On both of the kids' EasyLunchboxes BRIGHTS, they both had each one's portion size of pizza and oranges. On their smaller compartments, Mr G {aqua lid} had kiwi and Missy A {pink lid} had whole wheat fishy crackers swimming on a yellow cup.

It was a long and winding lunch making last week.

So glad you were able to drop by today.

Thanks for stopping by!

All bento accessories are purchased through Bento USA,

the cheapest and most complete online bento products in the USA.

Other tools are also available thru My Amazon Affiliate Link:

Thank you for your support!

K-Bento: Waffles and Bacons

My Kindergartner, Missy A is a number 1 breakfast eater at home. She eats anything served for breakfast anytime during the day.  That brought the wonderful idea of packing it for school lunches as well.  I always get a high success rate of a clean lunchbox and a happy tummy after school.

Due to my daily crazy schedules, I have lost track of the exact dates I sent in a particular meal. Everyday, I took pictures, upload them in a batch to my image web host, copy the link to blogger, and save just whenever I find time.  I didn't like the idea of a daily stress of coming up with a post anymore. Just because of the high demands of my kids.  I assist with homeworks after school, and re-teach what was learned in school.  Just to make sure they retain it well for chapter tests in the future.

So one school day, Missy A brought breakfast for school lunch.

Meatless Meal: Quorn Chicken Cutlets

About a couple of weeks ago, I received a promotional email from Quorn Foods, makers of meatless and soy-free frozen dinners. I was offerred to try out any one of their products {my choice} for a review. To be honest we're not a fan of frozen dinners.  I had mixed emotions toward this offer because I am not quite sure how my children would respond to meatless meat that obviously look like meat.  But I ended up replying with a YES. And I'm just so glad that I did!

Quick and Easy: Freshly-Made Bento School Lunches

I have featured lunches that are quick and easy to prepare in the morning. I wake up 30 minutes before the kids to prepare for breakfast and lunch.   Each meals featured below are tried and tested to be packed under 20 minutes.

Semi-Homemade School Lunches

I have been working part-time with a crazy schedule.  There are days when I get 3 days in a row for 10 hours on the floor each day. Just lucky to get hours after I've dropped the kids off to school. That gives me ample time to read books to Missy A, as part of her Kindergarten program, before I took off to work. It's pretty darn tough to prep lunches ahead of time when work is physically exhausting that gives off zero stamina to brainstorm & prepare the night before.  So what do I do on these days? Either I make use of frozen stuffs I made days before, or purchase foods that I can work on to  make it semi-homemade. I may not have time to post them on time, but I make sure to never miss to  pack lunches for them on a daily basis. 

Here are some of the lunches I sent for those busy days with not enough time to make ahead, but managed to make them semi-homemade and healthy.

Dimsum 

His & Her Lunch

You must be wondering by now what has happened to us. I have been delayed posting lunches lately.  I've been crazy busy with work (not that I work daily) and with my school volunteering duties.  It's just physically exhausting and mentally draining to even come up with a sensible write-up for each post.  Seriously, I can't just post the lunch picture and hit publish anytime.  It wouldn't be nice to just leave you guessing what's in the box.  So please bare with me.

I made a HIS and HER Lunch last week.  These were one of the days my kiddos prefer different menus.  Most of the time I send in somewhat similar lunches, and just show off  how I pack individual portion size for each. 

Chicken Nuggets, Corn Kernels & Melon

Finally the kids are back to school after Winter Break. They've been off for 3 weeks and they've been missing their friends and teachers. Honestly, I love to be with my kiddos every single day of my life, but there are times I wish for ME time too.  And that's when I want my sanity back...LOL!! Kids can drive you crazy at times. Don't you agree?

We're always good on first days. No jitters...no tantrums...always on time & early. These were the days when the kids were still excited and hyper.

For their first days, I didn't make anything special, but fulfilled their requests. Missy A had her favorite chicken nuggets meal with BBQ sauce on her green condiment cup, corn kernels and melon cubes with a puppy food fork. Everything packed on her favorite Goodbyn Small Meal Box.

Mr. G got a similar lunch except that I doubled the portion size.  And his lunch was packed on his favorite blue lidded EasyLunchboxes.

The kids also had their Emergen-C Raspberry Drink (pre-mixed to boost up their immune system this flu season) on their individual Goodbyn bottles, and a package of Mini Oreos for their sweet treat.

Breaded Salmon + Brown Rice for Work

Finally got the chance to take a picture of my hub's lunch for today. I usually would prepare my kids' meals first so I could stage them while the kids were still asleep.  And would prepare breakfast next. His lunch would always be last since leftovers never look good on pictures the next day unless I heat them up. Honestly, hub's never picky as long as he has something packed.  One of the several things I'm so grateful for.  

This morning, I had time to cook for him. Finally! I was able to thaw some salmons overnight. I made him breaded salmon over brown rice.  He also had some melon cubes and fresh garden salad that he prepared after I took a shot of this.  I wasn't able to wait any longer.  The kids were up and didn't wanna miss to blog about his lunch too by the time I got back from school.

Here's his lunch!

Seasoned and breaded Alaskan salmon.  One of his favorites so far.

And packed on our favorite EasyLunchboxes.

Have a good lunch, everyone.

Happy back to school!

All bento accessories are available through Bento USA,

the cheapest and most complete online bento products in the USA.

Other bento gears are also available thru My Amazon Affiliate Link.
Thank you for your support!

Aknowledgements:

Christmas 2012 and a Winner

One of our most favorite holidays is Christmas.  Perhaps because of its festivity and the month long celebration filled with love, joy and peace for all of us.  It was indeed a long process to prepare for the event, but worthwhile to enjoy with the rest of your loved-ones. It has always been magical for us each year.  Things always turn out pretty well even when the tide gets tough.  God always find a way to make each puzzle piece fits into our not-so-ordinary lives.  That's one of the major things we are mostly grateful for.  The birth of Jesus is a symbol of unity, forgiveness and happiness.

This year I am also thankful for Goodbyn, a lunch gear that has given me the opportunity to know and truly love through my kids' school lunches. It was a pleasure reviewing their awesome product, and a real treat to give away a set to YOU in time for Christmas.

I have drawn my winner and it is my greatest honor to congratulate:

Kendra Peterson!

for winning a set of Goodbyn Mix and Match Set.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

An email has been sent to you!

Please respond within 48 hours to claim your price.

Have the merriest Christmas to each one of you!

Thank you for all your love and support.

*Disclaimer: I have been provided a set of the said lunch gear to facilitate my review, and another set for a giveaway to my readers.  All reviews found herein are solely expressed by myself and my daughter's, as our own opinions based on my experience packing meals on the lunchbox, and hers using it.

Goodbyn Mix and Match Set Giveaway

Finally my Goodbyn Mix and Match Set giveaway has been set to go live for my Christmas Giveaway Event. 

Tis the season to share and give. SO, If you haven't read my review about Goodbyn's Mix and Match Set 2 weeks ago, here's the link for you to read first before entering so you know what you are winning for.  

Goodluck to all and may my luckiest reader win!

Happy holidays to all!!

xoxo!!

~Marie

K-Bento: Turkey Cheeseless Meal

It's the cracker bento days once again. 
This time it's Turkey Cheeseless Meal.

This is one of Missy A's favoured lunches ever.  Aside from it's easy to eat, it's healthy and filling.  Plus she can have a little bit of everything in front of her in a small box, except cheese. She's not a fan of any of it. So she has yogurt drink (not pictured) on the side instead. Perfect for the preschoolers and kindergartners, and toddlers alike.  Just adjust the portion size.

In her Goodbyn Small Meal Box, which appears to be her most favorite, is 4-5 pieces of whole wheat crackers, About 2 pieces of turkey coldcuts, cut into squares, and was held by a purple lion food pick.  She also has a portion of her brother's cubed red pears, and a Holiday Edition Oreo. Not sure if you can see the Snowman on the Oreo. But the kids are loving it.  It has a red filling.  The sad thing is, it has artificial food coloring. So be wary if you're someone allergic to it.

Be happy!

Happy Birthday, Missy A!

It's been 6 years now since I've given birth to our little angel.  She is the daughter that we've always wanted and a wonderful sister to Mr G.  They are inseparable. We love to think that they're the best of friends every parent would want their children to be.  And no, they're not perfect. As a matter of fact their imperfectness filled each other's needs to grow and learn better.

This day marks the birth date of Missy A. Nothing spectacular planned as compared to last year.  This time she opted for a smaller and simpler party.  Since it's a school day, we sent in 3 dozens of Krispy Kreme Christmas Sprinkle Donuts, juice boxes and apple slices for her class of 24 + 2 of her BFFs and 4 Kindergarten teachers.  We successfully pulled out 2 of her best buddies, which normally aren't allowed, from their respective classes to celebrate with her.  Thanks to their K-teachers for such kind accommodations.

I also sent in her birthday lunch bento on her Goodbyn Lunchboxes - Mix and Match - Small Meal Box.  I made chicken taco this morning, but she opted out for the corn tortilla shell. So she just had the chicken filling and a cracker instead with red pears and Golden Oreos.

 

After school, she requested for a playdate party at Chuck E Cheese. We booked a party package for 8 kids (for her 3 friends and sibs, plus Missy A and Mr G).  It was a blast! Since it was a weekday, the place was not even packed.  It was just us and another walk-in party group who graced the venue.  We almost had the place to ourselves. It was a fun, cozy evening for all of us. Parents got to catch up on everything and chowed the night away while the kids played and had fun. We liked it better this way. Invite only guests your kids truly interact with, and parents whom you know and care about.  That's what we call a stress-free party. Don't you agree?

 

Missy A had very few presents, but had her wishlists filled.  So for her it was the best night ever. We plan to do it that way from now on. Have the birthday child write up a wishlist and distribute them to inquirees. Whatever left unfilled is what we purchase for our birthday child.

 

Hope you had a fabulous and fun Wednesday!

~Marie~ 

Momables Lunch: DIY Pizza Buns

It's the first day of December and Christmas is almost here.
We plan to make all or most of our lunches Christmas-sy for the remaining 10 school days this December.  We don't own any Christmas themed cookie cutters, so it might be a little bit tougher for us  to pull our lunches together.  But we'll try our best and do the countdown.

It's the third today, so there are
22 
more days before Christmas

Today's lunch is inspired by Momables,

The Pizza Buns!

As all of us know, Momables always have an easy fix lunch. That's why I love them for always being so reliable and for fixing kid-friendly lunches all the time.

I don't have mini bagels on hand this time, so I made use of hotdogs buns instead. Actually I like the buns better because of their flexibility to fold together and  eat them like pizza sammies.  Missy A is not a fan of pepperoni, so she had turkey bacons on top with Mexican blend of cheese.  I made them a little bit festive by adding the gingerbread girl on the mandarin Cuties.

Mr G had a similar lunch except that he had pepperoni toppings on his pizza.  He also had  red globe grapes and red pears on the side.  Both lunches are packed on an Easy Lunchboxes.

For her snack recess, Missy A had some fudge coated pretzels and red globe grapes
with a mini apple juice. Snacks are packed on her Goodbyn Lunchboxes - Small Meal Box.

Tools used:

Thank you, Goodbyn! {A Review}

 I was feeling fortunate lately when Goodbyn sent me their pink Mix and Match Sets and a bottle for a review and a giveaway.  I was truly ecstatic!  As a matter of fact the review shouldn't be due till my pre-Christmas event, but I just can't wait to thank them enough and show them my sincerest appreciation.  Come back for my giveaway coz that wouldn't happen till next month. 

We ♥ Ponies

Well, well, well.  It seems we have some "neigh-sayers" in the audience. My Little Pony is Missy A's first love.  She loves anything horses and pink and purples. If there's anything we have, horses is part of the theme.  Or it will be a long argument as to why nots.

'Tis the Season for Santa

This is the time of the year that we are mostly awaiting for.

The week after Thanksgiving. 

CHRISTMAS SEASON!!

We can finally start putting up holiday lights and decors.

And think about Christmas crafts with the kids.  Yearly, we make crafts to decorate our home.  It's fun! And 'tis the season the kids feel that Christmas is special, when their help is mostly needed to finish up the preparation before the big day.

Since my daughter's birthday falls on the 5th of December, we decided to hunt for our "just perfect" Christmas tree on a weekend after the 5th.  We would like to dedicate at least a week solely for her celebration, before we could actually call it Christmas.

Santa waving to let Missy A that Christmas is coming so she better
be good. I found a Winter Oreo at Target yesterday
to include in their lunches.

Day 12: I am thankful for RICE

One of the mostly used staples in our kitchen is rice. We are huge rice consumers and can't survive a meal without it.  So just imagine when we get into shortage of rice crops? We'd surely starve.

Adults eat brown rice, which is low in saturated fat, and very low in cholesterol and sodium.  It is also a good source of Selenium and Manganese.  They are best to prevent chronic illnesses such as Diabetes and Hypertension.

We eat all kinds of rice except the forbidden rice, which is black in color. Not because of its taste or its color, but because I haven't found where it's sold yet.  But I'm sure it would be a long discussion with my kids why it's black, of all colors. We don't have any Trader Joe's or Henry's nearby, and I'm not a diligent driver who would drive far and beyond just to find what I'm looking for. I'm mostly an online shopper who'd rather skip the long lines and busy hours.  Not unless it's just across the street or less than 5 miles away.  Hub does it for me. I just give him all the list and the brands that I prefer.

Day 11: Thank you for MRM

"What is MRM?" you might ask?

Well, it is short for Most Requested Meals.

Day 7: Thank you CuteZCute

Of all the cutters I have, cuteZcute has given me the most inspiration to use because of the many faces it created on my lunches when there's only sandwiches in mind to pack for school. My children are not huge fans of sandwiches.  The only way I could make them devour it is thru cute sandwich cutters. like cuteZcute. I wish I could buy all sorts of cutters in store but I'd love to put into consideration that neither one of us liked to be swamped with bento accessories inside my lovely cozy house.  We just had too many toys lounging around, and anything more of my bento collections would send the hub nuts.  SO I have to be wise on my purchases and requests. I carefully choose only the best and the useful ones in our household.  

So I am thankful for cuteZcute for the opportunity I was given to try out their cutters before it even came out in the market.  I had the grandest opportunity to play around with its endless possibilities.  It actually outweighs my creativity.

Here's a cuteZcute Linky Love by Lunches with Eyeness,

for a vast lunch ideas created by the genius bento mommas.