MOMables Monday - Fruit and Cheese Bistro Box

For a recent post over at MOMables, I did a Starbucks-style DIY Fruit and Cheese Bistro Box. Only without the wasteful packaging and the $5 price tag! And since their Bistro Box "meals" are really more of a snack, I made an actual lunch-sized version as well, for eating after the photo shoot!

[This post contains affiliate links.]

Fruit and Cheese Bistro Box

As you can see, a nice little snack. Or meal for a little one who doesn't think Brie "tastes like poison." But not gonna save you any money if packed for a larger appetite... since you'd still be hungry, and end up going out and buying something else anyway!

Make It A Meal!

I added more crackers and cheese (Gouda, since Z loooooves Gouda,) added some cashews to the almond-cranberry mix, more apples plus some raspberries, and a side of veggies. Yum!

The girls ended up sharing this as a movie snack tray. And by "sharing" I mean fighting over every last crumb. Except the Brie.* (And no, Little E didn't have any issues choking on the nuts. She loves to carefully nibble and bite and chew them and has had no problems thus far.)

*In the interest of full disclosure, that wedge of Brie got tossed before serving this to the girls. None of us really like Brie, and I happened to still have the wedge from a fruit and cheese box we'd bought at Starbucks one day. Weeks before. Yeah. It was moldy. I didn't want to have to go buy a new hunk of cheese no one was going to eat, so I just carved out most of the moldy bit from the side away from the camera, and washed the rest off for the photos.
Food photography magic! Not as glamorous as it looks! Haha!

Tools of the Trade

    

Summer Camp Snacks - Little Gym

 

Monday, 8/5/13 through Friday, 8/9/13

This week, Z had VBS camp in the mornings, and Little Gym camp in the afternoons. A busy week for Mama, and a snack-filled one for Little Z!

Monday

Organic golden plum and sugar snap peas, kettle corn

Tuesday

Organic carrots, dye-free Unreal candies

Wednesday

GF garlic pretzels, organic champagne grapes

Thursday

Organic blueberries, KIWA Andean red and blue potato chips

Friday

Smart Puffs, organic champagne grapes, 1/2 Enjoy Life Choco Loco bar

Tools of the Trade

    

[This post contains affiliate links.]

Simple "Trip to the Farm" Lunches

 

Tuesday, 7/30/13 - Z had drama camp in the morning, then we had to head to the farm to pick up our weekly CSA share. So I packed lunches to munch on together in the car before setting out.

Mama's Lunch

Peanut Butter and Co Cinnamon Raisin Swirl, Hail Merry chocolate macaroons, organic apples, organic salad
(red lettuce, carrots, golden and red raspberries, blueberries, sunflower seeds, hemp hearts, raisins, dressing)

 

I was sent a variety pack of Peanut Butter and Co products to use in our lunches. I thought for sure that the Dark Chocolate Dreams would be my favorite, and the Cinnamon Raisin Swirl my least, but it ended up being the other way around! I cannot express how crazy delicious it is to dip apple slices into some of their Cinnamon Raisin Swirl peanut butter. Ambrosia!

[This post contains affiliate links.]

She's Got My Heart!

Organic strawberries, carrots, and sugar snap peas; Smart Puffs, GF Dark Chocolate Dreams PB sandwiches

 

The girls really like the Dark Chocolate Dreams flavor from Peanut Butter and Co, and when I'm feeling too lazy to get out the jelly, it works well with plain PB or by itself instead of a PBJ. I don't mind sharing it with them because, surprisingly, I don't really like it. Except with strawberries or marshmallows! Mmm mmm!

Little Super Star!

Organic strawberries, carrots, and sugar snap peas; Smart Puffs, GF Dark Chocolate Dreams PB sandwiches

 

Little E got the same lunch as Big Sis, only with less food. And a star theme, to change it up a bit.

 

The girls love eating side-by-side, but I have to be careful and plan ahead to give them similar lunches. E gets into a snit if she feels she's being slighted in the lunch department!

We spend a lot of time eating in the car for many reasons. One, we live near Seattle, and it's usually too cold and/or wet to picnic outside. Or we're someplace without convenient picnic tables and amenities... and it's always close enough to traffic to entice my little runner to scarper off and give me heart attacks.
And Two, we either have somewhere to be and no time to go home (and get everyone out, and fed, and back in) or else I'm afraid E will fall asleep on the way, and I prefer that she eat first!

Plus, when they're safely strapped in, they can focus on eating rather than trying to climb around in the car and mess up all of Mama's buttons! And I can sit nearby and eat my lunch in peace! Ahhh!

Tools of the Trade