fig peeky eyes

I have not been in 'cutesy' lunch mode lately... I did a bunch of fall themed lunches last year like this one or this or this.  But it's the halloween ones I really have fun with!  There are a whole bunch here.

I decided to skip right over the fall and do a sneak 'peek' for halloween.  I am going to try to 'sneak' in a pair of eyes with lunch each day as a countdown of sorts to halloween.  Funny thing is, I don't overly love halloween - but I love the themed lunches and it is one theme I can really have fun with!

Turkey and provolone on whole wheat tortilla, yogurt with (not so) frozen blueberries, fig 'peeky eyes' with blueberry center on a bed of walnuts, celery sticks.

morning lunch blahs

Finally put pics on my computer today... only had one lunch on there.  The last few weeks have been kinda out of routine around here - been subbing, husband was out of town for three weeks, activities for the kids started, and on and on...  
 I got into the bad habit of making lunches in the mornings while still half asleep and short on time!  This is never good.  Definitely no 'cute' lunches and rarely time to get the camera out.  Plus, after a few days, they start to all look the same...

I did manage to snap this pic along the way!

Herb salad mix ( added dressing in a container after the pic), applesauce with cinnamon, orange slices, raisin and almond mix.

baby spinach with feta and almonds, plum, veggie chips, newmans alphabet block cookies.

Goodbye summer! - strawberry rhubarb pie

Here we have ham and cheese rolls with crackers so the kids can make their own sandwiches.  I figure my two little monkeys eat with their hands anyhow.... when in Rome, right?!  Also some orange slices and a slice of their mom's kick butt homemade Strawberry Rhubarb pie. 

Our last house on the east coast had rhubarb growing rampant in a corner of the backyard. For the two years we lived in that house, I learned to make all sorts of rhubarb dishes in the summertime, but by far, our favorite was/is this pie!  We ate it all summer long - and yes, those were not our skinniest summers on record.  Some wiggle and jiggle was added to my life around that time!

Being in Texas, good rhubarb is harder to find.  But, occasionally I do -and an occasional pie isn't gonna hurt, right?!

Farewell summer strawberry/rhubarb pie - till we meet again my love!

Oh, how I love thee....

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

2 ready store bought or homemade pie crust pastry for a 9 inch pie

1 teaspoon orange zest
3 cups diced rhubarb
2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
1 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca
1 tablespoon milk
1 tablespoon white sugar for decoration

1.Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C). Line a pie pan with bottom crust.


2.Mix together rhubarb, strawberries, orange zest, sugar, and tapioca. Spoon into crust. Roll out second crust, and place over the filling (make lattice top or cut slits in top crust) Seal the edges. Brush with milk, and sprinkle extra sugar on top.

3.Bake at 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), and bake for an additional 35 minutes.   Let cool and enjoy!

baby, baby, baby.

Nope, not pregnant.  Don't even entertain that thought....

I found these cute little organic baby grapes at central market.  I am sure they had a more sophisticated name, but I can't for the life of me remember what they were called.  So, they are now 'baby grapes' to us.  Along with baby grapes are 'baby block' Newman's own arrowroot cookies with a homemade pumpkin spice dip, and 'the crunchy lettuce' with some baby spinach added.  After the pic, I threw some feta cheese on top.

rainbow and flowers- ooops!

Most of the time I make their lunches exactly the same.  On this particular day, I had some subtle changes...  below is HER lunch.  She got tomatoes and her favorite strawberry dressing.  He didn't want either, so he got some veggie staws instead.  Her pears were cut into cutsie flowers - his left in chunks.  

OH did I get holy heck at the end of this school day!! THIS lunch went with HIM and the 'plain' lunch went with HER. OOOOOPS!

 

Grapfruit 'rainbows' with a sprinkle of sugar on top, romaine lettuce with pear slices, cheddar cheese strips, 'rain drop' tomatoes, and strawberry dressing.

fruits and veggies

I try to balance out food groups, but every once in a while a lunch is heavy in one area or another.  This was a 'friday' lunch.  We were out of meat, cheese, bread....  so, this one is a little heavy in the fruit and veggie department.  I figure that is not such a bad thing :)

Veggie straws, applesauce with cinnamon, carrot, dried black mission figs, fruit strip