Adventures in Lunch Land

So I finally have the lunch box system I have wanted for sometime. The lunchbox:

The containers:

And it's not hard to find the food in this house! My sister C was interested in my lunch box capers and asked if I could post a few things about them. So here it goes, I hope it helps. 

This is one lunch box Goosie's. I chose her's because I put the most stuff in it at this time. This is what it all looks like empty:

There is a foogo Thermos for her drink, a small utensil holder for her fork and spoon, a square sandwich container bottom that acts as a base for the four smaller containers inside. The round containers and square containers hold about 4oz each. I bought a reusable zippered bag some time ago and find it useful for crackers and breads. Lastly the container holding all the lids came free with the lunch boxes. I can fit all of this in her lunch box and there is still room. It is all about utilizing the space you have to the best of your ability.

Here is what all those little containers look like full:

As you can see there is quite a selection and the kids aren't lacking for food, and yes they finish all of it! Here is a close-up of Goosie's, I will also let you know what she will have for lunch tomorrow..

Goosie will have: diced ham, a gherkin, an oatmeal bar, and Nilla wafers in the small containers. String cheese will fit in between the milk and the square base and wheat thins in the bag. The melon is her power snack and sits on top of the smaller containers. The utensil holder also fits down the side of the bag and there is room to spare. I am sure I could figure out a way to fit some banana bread, a muffin, an apple or just about any thing else of that size in the lunch box as well.  

     I am so thankful I discovered bento boxes! I know that I am not making authentic bento's but I am very happy with the new way I have to make and send healthy lunches to school with my little ones. Let me know if you have any questions! Until next time dear readers..Be Blessed!

Update and Rambling

     Next week Hubby is technically on leave, or as civilians would say paid vacation. I know that next week will run like any other week in the house. Due to his many doctors appointments it is hard to go anywhere. Add to that the MEB process and we really are staying home. The truth is I see him less when he is on leave then I do when he is not on leave. I am not sure how that works or really why. I hear many times of vacations to the beach, mountains or somewhere in between. I would love a family vacation. I would like to go somewhere just the two of us where we didn't have an agenda or kids.That day will come I just don't think it will come next week.
     I bought new lunch boxes for the kids. I have seen the T.V. commercials for Pack-it and figured why not, it would certainly help keep things cold. After starting to pack the kids lunches I discovered that I wanted something more in a lunch box. Something that would keep the food cold, and not take up space I could use for food the way an ice pack or cube does. I even thought of making one myself. But common sense got a hold of me and I bought these:

One for each of the kids and one for either Hubby or myself. The kids have taken them to school for a day and so far so good the bento style lunches I pack are staying colder then they have previously. Here are some of the ones I have made: 

Roast beef and provolone roll ups; 1/2 a pear; a homemade pretzel and homemade cheese crackers with a Hug to drink

Diced ham;sliced orange;carrots with ranch dip; homemade pretzel and white chocolate cream with milk to drink

Turkey spinach and ranch roll-ups; a pickle; carrots with hummus dip;green grapes; peanut butter chocolate banana nilla  sandwiches with milk to drink

Chicken salad;broccoli spears;jello; banana peanut butter chocolate roll-ups; string cheese; crackers; pretzel sticks and milk to drink

I have had to rework the packing of the lunches a little due to the amount of space in the Pack-it. I already had all the things I needed so it wasn't that big of a deal. Better lunches all around!! The kids were excited when they took there new lunch boxes to school yesterday and gave a good report on them upon returning home.  When I emptied the pack-it's  of the food containers I was pleased that they were still quite cool on the inside. I am confidant that they kept the kids lunches better chilled then any other lunch box system we have used in the past and are well worth the money spent. 

      We have also added to our family recently. His name is Koda and he is an adorable ball of fur!

Koda with Hubby on adoption day

I was not expecting this little guy to join our family, but he has for better or worse and we are thankful to have him. Each of the girls has tried to claim Koda as their own, but Hubby is adamant that Koda belongs to him.

     We still have heard nothing as far as orders go for where/when we will be leaving the home we are in now. That hasn't really stopped the leasing company from renting it out already. That's right someone is slated to move into the house we are currently occupying on the 21st of this month. We have yet to give any sort of written notice or anything else. Oh the joy, but we are paid up through the end of September and are on a month to month lease until Hubby's orders come in. The new tenets are not my problem, they are the leasing companies problem. I understand the homeowners position is not one that they can afford a rent and a mortgage.. but this is a little out of hand. I have a peace that all of this will work out and will be praying for them and everyone else involved. 

    I have started pulling away. I have never been good at saying goodbye. That word seems so final to me. I can't remember the last time we went to a going away party in our honor. I think it would be too much. Everyone I meet and make friends with means so much to me.. not just for the time I am there, but always. I am selfish. I know. When I leave I don't want to say good bye. I would rather remember the last time I saw my friend both of us thinking that it wouldn't be long until we saw each other, laughed together, hugged or went shopping. I carry them all with me in my heart. I am thankful for Facebook and Twitter that keeps me connected with some of them and email that keeps me connected with others. I don't call like I should nor do I write. But I carry them with me. I am selfish and I hope that the ones I have left behind will forgive me. Hubby and I have made as many moves as years we have been married.. and that is a lot for anyone I think. So be patient with me. When we reach our new destination it may take me a while to come out of my shell once more, to make friends and become less of a hobbit. And if after a year or so I start to pull away, please understand that is what I have grown used to doing. It is not you, it is me. So fight for me.. or I may just pull away and say goodbye without anyone being the wiser, holing up in my house with hobbies and other busy things because that is what I have done. 

     Well, that is it for me today Dear Readers. Until next time, Be Blessed!

Lunch..

     When I was growing up there was one option as far as lunch.. the lunch room. Where I would get in a line and dutifully have my ticket punched only to have a tray of over cooked somewhat bland food piled on to it. I would look forward to pizza, hamburger and hot dog days, as there wasn't much you could do to mess those up. I still shudder when I think of the over cooked worm size spaghetti noodles with a so called marinara sauce. Lunch looked something like this (on the good days):

I had the green eyes of envy for anyone at the table who brought their lunch. It was a surprise to see what they pulled out on a day to day basis, not to mention I knew it took time to make that lunch. I am no dummy, with seven sisters, a Momma who worked one job and a Daddy who worked two. Lets just say school lunch was easier. I still wanted to pack my lunch. But all through elementary, middle and half way through high school I had school lunch. One day I decided that I was going to pack my lunch. On the days I remembered I ate, on the day's I forgot I didn't .. well I did I just ate off all my friends plates.
     After graduating there was work, I was making money and it felt good to spend it. So I bought my lunch, it just made since to me. Then I got married. No kids so every now and then I would pack a lunch of left overs for Hubby, but mostly we would go out for lunch. Ten years and three kids later.. I am packing for almost everyone.
     I started packing lunches for Goosie when she was in kindergarten. I thought it was a great way to save money. I would pack her lunch three days out of the week and she would buy her lunch the other two. I thought this would teach her some responsibility and it would give me a break from the dreaded brown bag. After some time I grew tired of the usual peanut butter and jelly, with an apple, a drink and some chips or something. So last year (first time I was packing for Miniman) I stumbled across the idea of bento boxes. Let me say that the Japanese have lunch on the run for this one. Creative, colorful, healthy, imaginative. The only limit to a bento is your imagination! Almost any of the food storage containers you already have at home can be used as a bento. There are special boxes you can buy. some are basic, others are fun shaped, you can spend a lot or just use the containers you already have and spend nothing. I have chosen the latter, it means a little more creativity on my part to make sure everything fits, it I think it's worth it.
     So now that you have the containers, what do you put in them? I grew up with a pyramid, but it has been replaced with a plate:

I try to make the bento as colorful as possible. I also try to make as much of the food at home. I am on Pintrest and have a board just for School Food This means it is has less preservatives and other things then what you can buy at the store. This also means more work. But it is work well worth it when you think of the benefit your children have at lunch time. Fresh food, that is full of flavor, vitamins and nutrients. The teachers are the green eyed monsters sometimes! If you need ideas you can check this out. I will post the ones I make and the recipes I use as an added help. Well, it is about time to roll out the cheese cracker dough. Until next time dear readers.. Be blessed!