December 2 - Breakfast and Lunch

Ethan and I are both digging our lunch boxes, so I packed us both breakfast and lunch for Sunday's meals ...

Ethan's breakfast, and I use the term loosely since he will spread the meal out the entire morning, is a Sunbutter Sandwich in Christmasy shapes, some Raisins, 1/4 of a Green Apple, plus a Neocate Splash drink. Unfortunately, my little guy has been experiencing very slow growth this past year, and both his pediatrician and allergist have some concern, so we've been trying out a supplemental drink for people w/ food allergies and other medical issues. Thankfully, Ethan loves the drink. My fingers are crossed that we'll see some improvement by his next check-up in January.

My breakfast is Two Eggs, 3/4 of an Apple, one slice of Whole Wheat Bread w/ a pat of Butter (leftover from a trip to St. Louis Bread Co) and a slice of Aged White Cheddar Cheese. I've just recently discovered this cheese and am in love with it. Yum!

The boy's lunch is an Applegate Farms Hot Dog, Raw Carrot Sticks, Black Grapes and Corn. I can't tell you what a lifesaver Applegate Farms is for us. Ethan adores their hot dogs and lunch meats, which are free from all those allergy inducing fillers, and I love having a break from cooking everything from scratch.

Since I didn't cook Saturday night, it's a lazy-raid-the-freezer lunch for me. It includes Trader Joe's Vegetable Gyoza, Raw Carrots w/ Ranch, Black Grapes and Edamame.

A Bento from the Past

I didn't get a chance to make a fresh lunch box today, but I made this bento earlier in the year and hadn't had a chance to post it. As you can see by the little hand in the corner, someone was anxious to eat. This bento contains Apple, Chickpeas, Sweet Potato Snowflakes, Hamburger and Okra. I remember the little man eating this lunch, but refusing the sweet potato shapes! Probably unlike the average kid, Ethan prefers his potatoes with the skin on. These skinless potatoes, despite being cute, were deemed unacceptable for toddler consumption.

Baby Bento - Sweet Potato Men

We'll be eating at home again, as usual, but I recently came across some holiday themed mini cookie cutters and can't resist the urge to make cute little food shapes for Senorcito. They are just the perfect size for him right now. The boy loves just about every vegetable on this planet with the exception of broccoli. He just doesn't care for the texture. Every once in awhile I put some on his plate and he will try it ... It just doesn't stay in his mouth for long. Tomorrow, we are trying the dreaded veggie once again. Maybe one of these days, he'll eat it.

This bento contains two meals and one snack for my 18month old son ...

• Breakfast - Banana Rice Pancakes, Red & Green Apple sticks
• Lunch - Stacks of Sweet Potato Men (scraps under chicken), Broccoli, Roasted Chicken, Banana and Blueberries
• Snack - Clementine and Rice Chex Cereal

Also posted at What's For Lunch Wednesday.

ETA - Senorcito ate all of his broccoli! The trick was using a fork. He refused to touch it with his hands, but happily consumed the veggie pre-stabbed.

Baby Bento - Snowy Day

Yesterday, we got our first snow of the season followed by bitter winds and single digit temps. It was perfect soup weather. I haven't yet found a brand of bouillon or pre-made broth that I'm comfortable with for the very allergic Senorcito. I decided this was the ideal opportunity to discover how to make broth from scratch. Essentially, I just chopped an onion and some carrots and tossed it in a pot with water, garlic, salt, thyme, oregano, and parsley. Then I added rice noodles to cook and pre-cooked cubed chicken to re-heat. It turned out pretty well. Senorcito, along with my husband and I, happily ate it all.

Today's bento contains two meals plus an afternoon snack:

• Breakfast - "Snowflake" Tapioca EnerG Bread (w/ a drizzle of olive oil, not shown), Grapes, and a Clementine.
• Lunch - Chicken Noodle Soup w/ "Tree" Cucumbers, Okra
• Snack - Enjoy Life Snickerdoodle Cookie, Apple Sticks

Also posted at Hapa Bento's December B.O.M.B.