Lunchbox look - Sept. 2 - 5, 2014

It was a short week for us with the Labor Day holiday. Something you don't realize until you have school-aged children is that short weeks are actually infinitely longer than a standard week. Who knew? Also, as the days get shorter, look for my photography to get progressively worse - ha! I try to make lunch as I'm preparing after-school snacks and dinner, but sometimes the Speedlite has to come out.

Apples! A recent birthday party goody bag included a sour gummy so I snagged it for a bookworm theme I'd been planning. Then my children played My Little Pony for three straight days, and Apple Jack is one of their favorite characters. She lives on Sweet Apple Acres, so I knew I needed to adjust my theme. I used a simple biscuit cutter to make the sandwich plus a leaf pick and freehanded an apple out of fruit leather. There's also peanut butter pretzels, raisins, raspberries, dried cherries and apple slices. I keep the apple from turning brown by soaking it in a ramekin of water with a squirt of lemon juice while I prepare the rest of the meal.

Magic rabbit! It's a little tough to see but the teeny grapes are nestled in my new pride and joy - a black silicone top hat muffin cup. I have coveted this for months and finally treated myself to it. There's also carrots, strawberries, a stack of cucumber slices and a sandwich with a cheesy rabbit topper. The facial details are all sprinkles - Easter eggs and simple circles for the eyes, a heart nose and another heart for the teeth  with a little cut off the tip (ever so gently, using a light hand and an X-acto knife).

Leftover pizza! I halved and stacked a piece of pizza from dinner (let it cool completely) then piled in fruits and veggies - mini grapes, cucumbers, raspberries and carrots, plus a second tier filled with watermelon. To keep the pizza dry, I surrounded it with disposable sushi grass.

Woodstock! This was super easy with a cookie cutter. There's a ham and cheese sandwich (surrounded by deli paper to make it easier to remove; strawberries; peanut butter pretzels with a teeny container holding a single raspberry, and cucumber slices and carrots.

Thanks for stopping by!