I am thinking out the lunch for Monday and am wondering about some ideas for purple colored foods. These can be breads, fruits, condiments, anything that might be useful that a kindergartner might eat.  Comment below and let me have those ideas!

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Week 3: Kung Fu Panda

Week 3: Kung Fu Panda.  Are you ready for a Kung Fu lunch?  I hope my daughter is!  This was a fun one to make.  It turned out a little bit angrier and less cartoonish than I was originally planning but I think it is alright.  Besides my daughter loving Kung Fu Panda this was in response to my friend Helen (who's the biggest Panda fan I know) who beat me at fantasy football last week.  Humble pie does not taste good.

Anyway, I put less stuff in this week because my wife bought new sandwich containers for our daughter's lunch so it is more shallow.  Tell me what you think.  Have any ideas you would use to make it better or advance the theme even more?  Remember to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter.

Ingredients

Peanut butter and jelly

2 pieces of sourdough bread

   Blue food coloring

1 Tbsp. fat-free cream cheese

8-10 blueberries

8-10 green peas

1 Tbsp. of Nutella spread

1 serving pasta, cooked

3 potstickers, cooked

1 piece of nori (dried seaweed)

Directions

1. Using the template as a guide, cut out the shape of Kung Fu Panda’s head from both pieces of bread.  Spread peanut butter on one piece and jelly on the other.  You could also use your child’s other favorite sandwich ingredients.  Press the pieces together in a sandwich.
2. Cut two teardrop shaped eye pieces and two small ear pieces out of nori.  Cut the nose out.  It doesn’t have to be exact, just similar to the picture!  Attach nori pieces to sandwich with a little peanut butter.
3. Take 1 Tbsp. of cream cheese and, using your fingers, shape it into two small circles.  Press onto the nori eye pieces that are already on the sandwich.
4. Put three drops of blue food coloring in a bowl.  Dip the end of a toothpick in the food coloring.  Use it to create the blue part of the eye by lightly touching the tip of the toothpick to the cream cheese on both eyes.
5. Use a toothpick to draw lines with Nutella spread where shown on picture to form eyebrow, nose, mouth, and chin.
6. Place sandwich in container.  Put cooked potstickers underneath as shown, and fill in empty spots of container with cooked pasta, blueberries, and peas.
7. If desired, finish by cutting the words “KUNG FU PANDA” out of nori and use a drop of water on each letter to attach them to the potstickers.

#lbdbento

Getting Ready For Monday

I'm getting the lunch ready for Monday.  Anyone have good ideas on how to cut Nori (dried seaweed) easily?  I have tried using a sharp knife and it works ok but I would love some suggestions.  Go ahead and post away!

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Week 2: Cat in the Hat

Week 2: Cat in the Hat.  My blog has been down but hopefully this posts. I tried cat in the hat this week and it was a bit more difficult. I tried to sort of paint the face on with Jif's version of Nutella. It turned out alright but it was a hard one to do detail with. I have an idea of a different technique for next week that I will try since I might need to use black again.

Thanks for starting the school year with me and following me on this project.  Remember to check out my Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest!

Ingredients

2 frozen slices of sourdough bread

   Yellow, blue, and red food coloring 

1 stick of string cheese

4 strawberries

1 serving pretzels

1 handful of grapes

1 serving peanut butter

1 Tbsp. fat-free cream cheese

1 Tbsp. strawberry jam

Directions

1. Using the template as a guide, cut The Cat in the Hat’s head out of the slices of bread.  Repeat with his hat on one piece of bread.  Spread peanut butter on one slice of the head and press both pieces together to make a sandwich.
2. Make alternating lines of jam and cream cheese on the hat piece as shown in the picture.
3. Mix equal parts yellow, blue, and red food coloring in a small bowl to make the color black.  Dip the end of a toothpick in the black coloring and use it to draw the details on the Cat in the Hat’s face.
4. Place head in container and put hat piece directly above head.
5. Put strips of string cheese on the left of the cat.  Place three strawberries on top of the cheese.  Arrange grapes and pretzels to the right of the cat as shown in the picture.
6. Slice a strawberry into three pieces.  Finish by placing strawberry pieces in a bow tie shape on the cat’s neck, as shown in the picture.

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Healthy White Bread?

I know I just started this blog, but if anyone sees this, I am thinking out the lunch for next week and the week after.  I find it helpful for me to look at buying things from the grocery store that can be used for multiple lunches.  White bread is going to have to be used a couple times coming up.  I obviously want the lunches to be as healthy as possible.  Can anyone tell me a healthy option for white bread?  Please post it on here if you know of one.  Keep tuned for week 2 coming soon!

Week 1: Hello Kitty

Week 1: Here we go, my first official project, Hello Kitty, one of my daughter's favorites.  

Hello Kitty is pretty popular in my house.  My daughter loves her and many of the kids in her class do as well.  I can't believe she is still around, I remember the cartoon from when I was a kid.  Have fun with this and if Hello Kitty is a favorite of your child, give this lunch a shot!  Remember to follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and YouTube.

Ingredients

2 slices frozen sourdough bread

6 black tortilla strips

2 Tbsp. low-fat strawberry 

   cream cheese

1 handful of dried cranberries

1 serving peanut butter and jelly

3 strawberries

1 white “button” candy

1 handful goldfish crackers

1/2 cup fresh spinach

3 baby carrots

Directions

1. Using the template as guide, cut Hello Kitty’s head out of 2 frozen slices of bread.  Spread peanut butter and jelly on the slices and press together in a sandwich.  If your child doesn’t like pb&j, use the ingredients they prefer.
2. Form strawberry cream cheese into a bow shape and place on head by the ear, as shown in the picture.  Place white candy piece on top.  Use the cream cheese to make a small spot for the nose.  Press dried cranberries on the head for her eyes. 
3. Use spinach as a background to cover the bottom of your container.  Place Hello Kitty head in the middle inside of container.   
4. Arrange goldfish crackers on one side and dried cranberries on the other.  Fill in the top with strawberries.  Place three baby carrots on the bottom to fill up empty spots.
5. Finish by pressing black tortilla strips onto the sides of Hello Kitty’s face for whiskers.  Use 3 on each side.

#lbdbento

I'm just a Dad who was inspired by a fellow parent and blogger to create a special lunch every Monday for my daughter during her first year of Kindergarten.  The goal is for the lunch to be made out of common stuff from the fridge, be semi-healthy, and of course help her to feel feel special every Monday as she starts a new week at school!