Schizencephaly Awareness Day

It's Schizencephaly Awareness Day.

Schizencephaly is a developmental birth defect characterized by abnormal slits or clefts in the cerebral hemispheres of the brain.  You can find out more about it here.

I have a client with this diagnosis so I decided to make a lunch to honor him.  The colors that represent this are green and purple.

 We had green and purple pasta wheels; honeydew and cantaloupe melon chunks with a purple flower pick (for midmorning snack); Green apple chunks and "purple" grapes with a heart pick; Snap peas and purple cabbage with baby carrots hidden under the peas.

Here's a picture of the pot of pasta.  Isn't it pretty?

Thanks for Reading!
Deb

Scratch Day

Scratch is a computer programming system that the kids are learning about in school.  A good friend organized a Scratch Day for our area and the kids and I went to it.  

It was so much fun!  The kids programmed scenes and games.  Maya was in the intermediate group with her best friend and I hung out with Max and his best friend in the beginner group.  They learned how to make music with the computers and also how to make Lego characters move!  

Max and his best buddy made a Lego giant with a computer operated crane that lifted the Lego giant up in the air!  

Because Scratch Day is all day long I made lunches.

 Max had turkey and cheese whales with a "computer" pick; Baby carrots, grape tomatoes and cucumber stars; Apple wedges on fish picks; gummy snacks; a granola bar for a snack

 Maya had her favorite: lunchables with turkey and salami and Triscuits; gummy fruit snacks; Honeydew and cantaloupe melon chunks with a "computer" pick; Baby carrots, grape tomatoes and cucumber stars; Granola bar.

I made lunch for me too! Baby carrots and the outsides of the cucumber stars; Turkey slices, pepperoni, Laughing Cow cheese wedge, and Wheat Thins; Apple slices with peanut butter; Granola bar.

I highly recommend you check out Scratch with your kids!

Thanks for Reading!

Deb

Love a Tree!

Yup!  It's been a while since I posted again.  It has been super crazy busy here in the Mile High.  

May 16th was Love a Tree day!  I love theme days because it helps me decide what to make.

PB&J tree sandwich with a heart cut out and filled with crust; Triscuit crackers; Pepperoni and Laughing Cow cheese wedge with bread heart on top; Baby carrots, sweet pepper rings and tree cucumbers; Honeydew and Cantaloupe melon chunks

You may ask, what do you do with the crusts from the sandwiches?  Seems like a lot of bread is missing.

I made tree cut out french toast for breakfast!  Yum!

Thanks for Reading!

Deb

Max's birthday!

Max's 7th Birthday was Apr 24.  I cannot believe my baby is 7!!!  

Unfortunately he has not had a party because he has the worst mom in the world it has been so crazy around here.  

But I did make get a treat for school:  

I usually make their cupcakes for the birthday school treat, mostly because when Maya was younger she couldn't eat store bought.  But this time I was just too crazy busy and didn't have time.  He really wanted a "toy" on the cupcakes rather than a ring or something so I bought these ninjas at Party City and just put them on the cupcakes that I bought at the grocery store.  He was happy with the results, and I guess that is all that matters. :)

For lunch it happened to also be Pig in a Blanket Day.  How could I resist?

Pigs in blankets; Baby carrots under string cheese and cucumber stars (cause he's a star!); Roasted sweet potato flowers (which he gave away because his friend LOVES sweet potatoes and he "doesn't care for them" - what a hoot that kid is!); Fresh strawberries and mango chunks.

We did go out to dinner the night before his birthday with Grandma and Grandpa but I didn't get any pictures.  We couldn't go out on the night of his birthday because that was the same night as Maya was in the Shakespeare play.  So we woke up early and went to breakfast instead!  It's his favorite meal anyway!  

We went to Snooze, a local breakfast/lunch joint with AWESOME food.  They brought Max a birthday chocolate chip pancake with a candle in it.  Which he didn't even try.  Because he doesn't like chocolate.  Why?  Because he's nuts.

Here's my breakfast:

Two different types of Eggs Benedict - Early Harvest Benny on the right sitting on a mushroom and leek croquette and on the left Bella Bella Benny with prosciutto, balsamic glaze and arugula.  Delish!!

Even Papa joined us on this momentous occasion!  And we all made it to school/work on time (relatively).  ;)

Happy Birthday Max!  We love you!

Thanks for Reading!

Deb

Breakfast for Lunch! x2

Oh my goodness!  What a month it has been!  I can't believe I haven't posted since March 23!  

Things have been super duper crazy here in Mile High Munchables land.  Maya was in the school Shakespeare play with multiple late night rehearsals, 2 performances, then she had a sleep over birthday party to go to, another party the next day, a concert with us, another party on Sunday.....  And that was only this weekend!

The concert we went to was so fun!  It's a couple of guys that Tim taught way back in the day and they now have a 2 man band called the Okee Dokee Brothers.  They are a really adorable bluegrass kids band.  They do an adventure and write songs.  For example, their first CD - Can You Canoe? was written while canoeing down the Mississippi River for a month.  Very cool.   Check them out!  Here they are with the kids:

But have no fear!  The kiddos have been eating! 

I started writing this post on Apr 9 when we had this for lunch:

Cantaloupe chunks; Homemade french toast sticks (because Maya can eat egg now!!!); syrup in the little pot with the lid; Greek yogurt with a frozen Greek yogurt chick (I think Maya had hash browns instead of the yogurt, but I don't really remember)

Coincidentally we also had breakfast for lunch today!

Blackberries and strawberries; Cherry granola; Homemade pancakes; Greek yogurt on top of some frozen berries to keep it cold and give it a flavor; There is syrup in a tiny squeeze bottle that I think Max put in with the silverware.

I thought about doing a round up of all the lunches that I haven't posted but that was too overwhelming.  So I will post a couple of other ones in another post for theme purposes and then just start over.  Maybe the others will make it into future posts.  

Thanks for Reading!

Deb

Molded Rice

So I got these great molds that are supposed to be egg molds.

Unfortunately they have not worked so well for me as egg molds so far.  Maybe my eggs are too small?  I don't know.

But I decided to try using them as rice molds.  Max has decided he doesn't like rice in the last year or so, although he ate it up when he was younger.  I thought by molding the rice into fun shapes might make it more interesting.

Nope.

But Maya and I liked it!

To go with our rice at dinner I made some chicken in a soy/worcestershire sauce and green beans.

I liked how the rice kept its shape even when I drizzled the sauce over it.

It bodes well for holding up in a lunch box.  Yea!

Max did eventually eat his rice star after Maya had finished all her dinner and was allowed to have a lollipop.  He wanted a treat too.

Thanks for Reading!
Deb

Spring is in the Air

Happy Spring!  

The first day of spring was absolutely beautiful.  

Or was that the day before?  I can't remember.  

Someone posted on Facebook that Mother Nature is going through menopause with all the crazy weather we have been having!  It's so true!  One day it's 70 and sunny and gorgeous and the next day its snowing!

I, for one, am ready for nice weather to stay.  I want the Farmer's Market to open.  I want to grill out.  I want to ride bikes, go to concerts in the park, etc.  I know I should be used to the eclectic weather in spring in Colorado, but I'm not.  

Ok, done pouting.  :)

Here is our first day of Spring lunch:

Flower Ham/cheese sandwich with bee and ladybug pick and cinnamon raisin bagel crisp; strawberries (a little tart so mixed with some sugar - yum!) with daisy flower pick; Baby carrots, flower cucumber and grape tomato with leaf pick.

Friday was National Down Syndrome Day.  A shout out to all those I have been fortunate enough to meet, work and play with.

Friday was also National Doggy Day so here's lunch!

PB&Huckleberry Jam Dog in house sandwich, apple cinnamon rice cake snack, peanuts (Maya got raisins); Baby carrots, grape tomatoes and celery chunks; Grapes with a dot pick that I thought would represent a ball for the dogs to play with.

Thanks for Reading!

Deb