Bento Bugs

Friday, 5/25/12 - I had the opportunity to playtest something at Microsoft (in exchange for some free software! Woot!) so dropped the girls off at my mom's house for a few hours. Packed Z a yummy lunch to snack on while there.

Buzzy Lunch

Yogurt pretzels, PB-Honey sandwich, cherries, Plum Organics Puffs assortment,
string cheese nibblets, celery, carrots, peanut butter (for dipping)

With no theme in mind, I just randomly chose my new beehive sandwich cutter. And when looking for a container to house the peanut butter for dipping the celery, I couldn't find the rabbit one (which is her favorite animal,) so I grabbed the bear. (Dip box from Daiso.)

I crammed as many cheese nibblets as I could into a mini silicone cup, and had to eat the last few that wouldn't fit. They're nestled in with an assortment of Plum Organics Super Puffs in Reds, Greens, and Purples. I actually got them for the baby, but she has a super-sensitive gag reflex, and isn't quite ready for them apparently. Plus Z goes wild for them, and will eat up her veggies in order to get to eat them. Sold!

I tried something new with the celery. In the past, I've only offered it to her in sticks, either to dip with Ranch, or as ants on a log. She'd eat it some of the time, especially when the sticks were from the center of the bunch, so more tender and less stringy. But for the most part she'd just pulp it up in her mouth and spit most of it back out. But then I read on Creative Food how she slices her daughter's celery up very thin. Duh! Small, nibble-sized pieces, and it solves the stringy issue too. I can't believe I never thought to cut it for her! I cut it into little crescents for soups and stuff. What a dope!

In the car on the way to my mom's house, she insisted upon a theme. So I told her Bees and Cs. Since the bee and bear box start with a 'B,' and the cherries, cheese, carrots, celery, and "crunchies" (the Plum Organics Puffs) start with a 'C.' The pretzels don't really fit, but she conceeded that they kind of look like capital Bs once I offered to eat them for her when she whinged that they didn't fit the theme.

She ended up eating all but half of the celery and carrots. Not bad.

Monday 5/21/12 - Just a slap-it-together lunch day. We had no plans (according to my calendar,) other than Baby's swim class at 3, so I'm guessing I put this together for Z to snack on in the car on the way to and from swim class (no food allowed in the pool building, so she couldn't eat it during class.)

Ladybug Lunch

PB-Nutella sandwich, carrot, Greek honey yogurt, strawberries

I used my ladybug sandwich cutter and broke off enough carrot to fit across the EasyLunchbox compartment, since I was too lazy to cut up flower coins, or even carrot sticks.

After getting most of the Greek honey yogurt into the smaller compartment, I added some dye-free sprinkles (although you're better off getting them through naturalcandystore.com.) In case you hadn't noticed, I dribbled some yogurt onto her sandwich as well. I licked cleaned that dollop up though.