Bento, Baby!

Image by Japan It Up

Let me be the first to say that I do not have our household completely "green" by any stretch of the imagination. I still buy some of our snack foods packaged individually. I still keep non-organic cleaners with chemicals I would rather avoid locked away for those really tough jobs that my organic or homemade cleaners just don't seem to get. I still use throw away napkins when I'm certain my reusable ones won't make it back home (school lunch, field trips, family outings that last all day). That being said, I try to be conscientious of our environment and the waste we create in many, many ways.

Recently, I've been enamoured with the whole Japanese-inspired Bento style of packing lunches. In a very simplified nutshell, the idea is to pack food in such a way that it is pleasing to the eye, appetizing, and incredibly waste-reducing. Through some of my super sweet buddies on Twitter, I was introduced to another lunch, my new favorite go-to spot for great lunch ideas for my littles. Melissa has such creative ideas for making lunch and snack times yummy, fun, and eco-friendly!

I'm a firm believer in good nutrition throughout the day and feel better about the lunches and snacks my kiddos eat if I know exactly what ingredients are in them. Needless to say, we pack rather than buy when eating at school (and, truth be told, my kids prefer it that way). In an effort to cut down on waste (AKA: plastic baggies, etc..), I decided to pack today's lunch "Bento-style" (just for clarification, while Bento is a name brand for a certain style of meal packing box, it is also used generically to refer to the style of packing meals).

After I packed the basic box (which was a Lock-n-Lock box vs. a brand name Bento Box or Laptop Lunch Box), I put a folded napkin over the food and layered the yogurt tube and wheat crackers (in their reusable snack bag!) on top...double decker delights! I also tucked in a little chocolate square for dessert :) If this were a fully "green" lunch, the yogurt and applesauce would have been bought in bulk (vs. individually wrapped) and spooned into their own cup/container. However, my first grader's new lunch box from California Innovations (which I love!) stands upright rather than laying flat (not good for semi-liquid goodies).

I popped on the lid with its rubber gasket, added a sweet note, and got a big "awesome!" from my little guy :) I have my eye on some super cute mini alphabet steel cookie cutters that I'm planning to use to up the fun factor in lunches to come!

49 Printable Coupons Available from Target!

Target, one of my favorite shopping hot spots, has just released 49 printable coupons...whoo, hoo! And remember, you can combine Target store coupons with manufacturer coupons for the same products and enjoy additional savings! Get yours HERE.

The Truth About The Food We Eat

When signing into my Yahoo Mail today, an interesting headline caught my eye..."The Truth About The Food You Eat". Always on the lookout for ways to improve my family's eating habits, I clicked over to take a peek. What I found was staggering! This is a definite must-read for anyone concerned about the quality of food they allow into their household. Check out the full story HERE (be sure to click on the links within the article for a bigger scare!). Can you say sand in Mexican Pizza?! Fortunately for us, most of the items referenced never enter our household, but it sure makes me question what unsavory ingredients might be lurking in some of the "convenience foods" we do keep on hand. A pretty faithful label reader before, this mama is surely about to kick it into overdrive!

A Yummy Way To Stretch A Buck

Here's a quick way to save a little cash and make a yummy treat at the same time! My little ones love blueberry muffins, but with 4 of them to care for, finding the time to make muffins from scratch is not always feasible. With the price of "gourmet" box mixes climbing higher and higher, I've come up with my own little improvisation.

I use Jiffy brand blueberry muffin mix (98 cents at our local market!) and prepare it according to the box instructions. Then, I add 1 tsp of vanilla, fresh blueberries (when in season), and 3/4 cup of non-dairy whipped topping (which I typically have on hand for parfaits, fresh berries, and smoothies). I finish them off with a sprinkle of raw turbinado sugar. I like to bake ours in mini muffin molds...perfect for little hands!