Tortilla Pizza Cups....

Ok. I admit it. I have two addicts in my house. Two pizza addicts, that is. Yes, my kiddos are totally addicted to pizza. I could serve pizza everyday, and I don't think they would tire of it. My little guy especially suffers from this addiction to the point that when asked what he would like for dinner, his first and immediate response is, "Pizza!". Can any of you relate? I can't really blame him, though.
We LOVE.....

So, to accommodate my kids' love for this delicious culinary delight, I am constantly looking for new pizza-like recipes that I can modify to fit my family's taste. Pinterest is my best resource in this endeavor. Pinterest.....oh, how I love thee!! I have a definite grown-up addiction to Pinterest. I was perusing Pinterest the other day, and these mini tortilla crust pizzas caught my attention. Very unassuming at first glance, but upon further investigation, I was very intrigued by these little bits. Tortilla pizza cups (as I like to call them)......a fusion of pizza and tacos. WHAT!!!! Pizza and tacos, ok I'm there! You had me at hello and all that. 

Tortilla pizza cups are mini pizzas with a crispy tortilla shell crust. If you are interested in the recipe, you can find it HERE. I followed this recipe when I made mine. I always use Glen Muir pizza sauce in my own cooking, adding some extra spices to suit my family's palate. I used a good quality pizza blend cheese, and Vermont Smoke and Cure nitrate-free pepperoni slices. I made these two ways. In the first batch, I placed the pepperoni on top of the cheese like in the recipe. (I used regular sized pepperoni, not the minis). In the second batch, I placed the pepperoni under the cheese. Personally, I liked the ones with the pepperoni under the cheese best. They tasted the same, but they weren't as greasy on top, if you know what I mean. The fact that I used regular size pepperoni and not the minis may have played into that. I'm not sure, but my son's lunch has the ones with the pepperoni under the cheese.

I will definitely make these again. We all liked them, even the hubbz. The next time I make them, I'm going to use a bigger circle cutter so that the tortilla cups are deeper. These were very shallow and only had room for the sauce, cheese, and pepperoni. I would like to add some veggies to them. Next time, I will use the mini pepps, also.

These are mini, cute, delicious, and full of oozey, goozey cheesy pizza goodness! Enough said!!! Go make some, y'all!!!!


This lunch is packed in EasyLunchboxes.

• Tortilla Pizza Cups
• Rold Gold pretzel snaps
• black olives
• Baby carrots and zucchini slices
• Brothers-All-Natural Fuji apple fruit clusters and raspberry crisps
• Hershey's milk chocolate Miniature 

Some of the things, or similar things, that I used to make this lunch:

Chicken and cheese lunch...

Hey there!! Hope you are all doing well. Are you all ready for the plethora of leftover turkey meals headed your way next week...turkey sandwiches, wraps, soup, turkey pot pie, turkey-ala-king, turkey tetrazzini. I sure am. I love a good smoked turkey...gobble, gobble! Yum!! I'm ready for the school break, too. I love having my kidlets home with me. I seriously owe you all a huge apology. I am so, so, so, so, so, so, so sorry that my blogging mojo has been quite lax lately. I still make lunches for my little guy everyday, but I'm just not finding many of them to be blog worthy. Translation: B O R I N G!! Yes, boring lunches have been the order of the day recently. Today's lunch is not that exciting either, but I did at least put a bit more effort into it.

I hope you all enjoy your time with your family next week, friends, and I'll be back the following week.

This lunch is packed in EasyLunchboxes.

• Whole Foods balsamic grilled chicken strips
• string cheese
• Rold Gold pretzel snaps
• zucchini and baby carrots with homemade spinach/artichoke dip in the rainbow box
• red seedless grapes and Halo mandarins
• Annie's chocolate bunny graham cookies in the blue container

Some of the things, or similar things, that I used to make this lunch:

There's a bear in my lunch....

Hi Friends! I hope you all have had a good week. Been pretty busy around here...my oldest has the flu. Blerg!!!! Don't ya hate it when your kiddos are sick? Eighty percent of my time has been spent wiping everything down with Clorox wipes. Yes....Every. Single. Thing. He's pretty much quarantined in his bedroom, but I'm taking no chances. What's totally ironic about this is that both kidlets actually have an appointment with their pediatrician on Thursday for wellness visits and flu shots. Yeah, bummer, I know!! So that appointment has been rescheduled. I hope all your kiddos are staying well!!

I don't make many cutesy lunches anymore because my little guy has moved on to a more mature style lunch (unhappy face) and because of lack of time on my part. Boo!!! But, his class is studying about different types of bears, so I decided he needed a bear themed lunch for today...well, sorta a bear themed lunch. Ok, a bear face sandwich. He got a bear face sandwich for lunch. I do kinda miss making the fun, cutesy lunches for him, so maybe I'll start throwing one in every once and a while.

This lunch has my homemade spinach/artichoke dip in it. I made a huge bowl of it over the weekend. My kids love this stuff. The little guy will eat it with a spoon. It's yummo!!! He prefers it over the Ranch dips. Hey....veggies go down much easier when there a delish dip on hand, right? I wish I had a real recipe to share, but I've been making this for so long, I literally throw the mixings in a bowl without thinking about it. The closest recipe to mine that I could find is this one HERE from King's Hawaiian. It has all the ingredients that mine has. I also add salt, pepper, and garlic to mine. I use full fat mayo and sour cream, and I use a really good quality Parmesan cheese. If I have them, I'll add a few green onions.

This is great with veggies, of course, but we also love it with tortilla chips, crackers, and King's Hawaiian bread. It's fabulous as a spread on a ham and cheese sandwich, and my hubby loves it on a chicken tortilla wrap. Ok, it's basically fabulous any way you eat it. Go make some, y'all!!!!

This lunch is packed in EasyLunchboxes.

• peanut butter and strawberry all-fruit spread sandwich- I used a small bear shaped cutter in the center of the bread and used 2 candy eyes and a chocolate chip for the face.
• veggie chips
• baby carrots and zucchini chips with spinach/artichoke dip
• Brothers-All-Natural freeze dried fruit mixture- bananas, raspberries, mango, blackberries
• golden raisins and Happy Melts organic yogurt drops in the blue container

Some of the things, or similar things, that I used to make this lunch:

Pizzadilla leftovers....

Leftovers are a beautiful thing....you cook once and eat twice. They are especially great when you are in hurry and need to make lunch FAST!! Leftovers just taste better on the second day, too, don't they? Monday was a crazy busy day for me, and then last night, the hubbz, kids, and I had a school open house to attend. Doncha just love open house!! The kidlets came home from school, and it was like a tornado around our house getting homework done, dinner prepared, and lunches made. Dinner ended up being quick pizza quesadillas which I call pizzadillas....all the yummy toppings of a pizza folded inside a warm, crispy tortilla. Oh yeah!! My kids love these. I intentionally made a few extra so I could send them in Z's lunch.

My pizzadillas are very easy and quick to make.  I like to serve the marinara sauce on the side instead of layering it on the quesadillas (cuts down on the messiness). When I make these, I layer Monterey Jack cheese, pepperoni slices, mushrooms, and sautéed onions on the tortilla, and I cook them in a large skillet on medium heat (I spray the pan with Pam butter cooking spray) until the cheese is oozey, goozey melted goodness, and the tortilla shells have crisped up.

Pizzadillas are delish, and YES, my kiddo will eat them at room temp. Give them a try...your kids just might like them room temp, too.

This lunch is packed in EasyLunchboxes.

• Pizzadillas served with marinara sauce for dipping- made with Sargento Cheddar/Jack cheese and Vermont Smoke and Cure nitrate and additive free pepperoni slices
• black olives
• Sun World Scarlotta red seedless grapes- These grapes are soooo sweet and delicious.
• green beans tossed in balsamic dressing
• yogurt tube- This is the Kroger brand yogurt tube with no artificial colors or flavors.

Some of the things, or similar things, that I used to make this lunch:

Look....Lunch! #5

Aahhhh!! Fall break! We love fall break. I can hardly believe my kiddos have been in school for 9 weeks. The weather is gorgeous here in the M-town, so the fam and I are headed to the lake for some R&R on Wednesday....one last visit this year before it gets too cold. A big shout out of thanks to my mom and step-dad for looking after my fur baby. I hope you all have a great week, and I'll talk to ya next week.

Look....Lunch! #5
Here's the little guy's lunch from last Friday:

"Look.....Lunch!" is a series of lunch posts for those days when I just don't have time to say anything more than, "Look.....Lunch!".


This lunch is packed in the Lunchbots Cinco.
You can read my original post on the Lunchbots Cinco HERE.

• Vermont Smoke and Cure pepperoni and ham chunks- nitrate, hormone, and additive free
• Kim and Scott's organic soft pretzel bites with mustard for dipping- I brushed off all the salt sprinkles on top as my kidlet doesn't like the salt. I found these at Costco.
• red seedless grapes
• baby carrots and Sunburst cherry tomatoes with spinach/artichoke dip in the rainbow box
• Dannon Danimals strawberry Greek yogurt with a few sprinkles

Some of the things, or similar things, that I used to make this lunch:

Pizza pasta in a Thermos....

Hi Friends! Is it feeling a bit fallish where you live? It sure is here in the M-town. And I LOVE it!! When the weather starts cooling off, my little guy likes to have a hot lunch from time-to-time. I'm happy to oblige because that means more dinner leftovers for lunch, and leftovers are easy. Yay for leftovers! Yay for easy!!

 A Thermos is an awesome supply to have in your lunch packing arsenal for hot foods. There are several brands of thermoses on the market, but the one that I like best is the Thermos Funtainer. I used a Thermos Funtainer for my oldest when he was taking a packed lunch to school, and I have used one for Z since second grade. These thermoses are great, and they really do keep food warm for several hours. I pack Z's Thermos at 7:45 in the morning, and he eats lunch at 11:50. He says that the food is still warm at lunchtime. So, I highly recommend the Funtainer.

While I prefer to pack hot foods, the Thermos Funtainer is great at keeping foods cold, as well. I like that the Thermos Funtainer is stainless steel, BPA free, has an easy open lid, and is made in the U.S.A.

Here are a few things that I have packed in Z's Thermos:
Pizza pasta
Spaghetti
Oatmeal
Mac & cheese
Meatballs
Chicken noodle soup

How to pack the Thermos:
Fill the Thermos with boiling water- and I mean BOILING water.
Close the lid, and let the Thermos sit for 10-15 minutes.
Heat the food to go in the Thermos where it's VERY hot.....scald your mouth hot.
Pour the hot water out of the Thermos, and IMMEDIATELY fill the Thermos with the hot food.
Replace the lid, and pack it in your kiddo's lunchbox.
Done...easy, peasy, lemon squeezy as Z would say.


This lunch is packed in the Thermos Funtainer and a Take-A-Dip snack container.

• Pizza pasta- you can find the recipe for the pizza pasta bake HERE. I loosely follow this recipe when I make the pizza pasta. I often will use whatever pasta shape I have in my pantry. I prefer to use ground mild sausage instead of the links, and I prefer pepperoni chunks in mine instead of the sliced. I also prefer to use fresh mushrooms that I cook in with the peppers and onions, and I combine the Glen Muir pizza sauce with spaghetti sauce because my family likes a really saucy pasta. And, of course, I use twice as much fresh mozzarella cheese as this recipe because WE LOVE CHEESE!
• Goldfish pizza flavored crackers
• red seedless grapes
• baby carrots with Lakeview Farms spinach/artichoke dip
• Hershey's mini chocolate
• Gogurt

Some of the things, or similar things, that I used to make this lunch:

Z-man loves to dip.....

Mmmmm...peanut butter!! My little guy loves peanut butter. He loves the smooth, crunchy and anything in the middle. He will eat just about anything with peanut butter in it or on it. Regular peanut butter sammie...loves it! Peanut butter wrap...loves it! Peanut butter and crackers...loves it! And, yes, he LOVES to dip with peanut butter. But, hey, what kid doesn't? It's in their DNA or something, right? When Z gets a snack attack at home, it's apples with peanut butter for dipping to the rescue. I bought these peanut butter Jif-To-Go cups at the grocery and thought they would be great in the lunchbox. So, today's lunch is all about dipping....apples, veggies, pretzels, and graham crackers.

Here are a few other things that are quite tasty dipped in peanut butter:
Marshmallows
Saltine crackers
Waffles
Bananas
Ritz crackers
Pears
Rice cakes
Animal crackers
Pita chips

This lunch is packed in EasyLunchboxes.

• Vermont Smoke and Cure ham chunks- nitrate, hormone, and additive free
• Sargento cheddar cheese
• Jif-To-Go peanut butter
• celery and baby carrots
• Annie's organic honey graham crackers
• Rold Gold honey wheat pretzel sticks
• Pink Lady apple wedges

Some of the things, or similar things, that I used to make this lunch:

Look....Lunch! #4

Happy Monday, Friends!! On the run today....I'm headed to the DMV to get my van's tags renewed (insert immensely unhappy face here). The DMV here in the M-town is soooooo slow. I hate going to the DMV!!! Nevermind that the Hubbz has been urging me to make this trip for two weeks, and I have been seriously procrastinating. Now, here it is, two days before they expire, so there's no putting it off today. I guess I'll take my iPad with me and peruse a few of the seriously awesome lunch blogs out there for some much needed lunch-making inspiration (insert immensely happy face here). Have a great Monday!!

Look....Lunch! #4

Here's the little guy's lunch for today:

"Look.....Lunch!" is a series of lunch posts for those days when I just don't have time to say anything more than, "Look.....Lunch!".

This lunch is packed in the Bentgo Kids lunchbox.

• peanut butter and cherry bubblegum jelly sandwich- I used the Match and Munch Lunch Punch puzzle cutter on the sandwich.
• Rold Gold mini pretzels
• Sargento string cheese
• baby carrots with spinach/artichoke dip in the green cup
• Hershey's Kisses
• Brother's-All-Natural raspberry and blueberry fruit clusters mixed with Happy Times organic freeze dried yogurt drops

Some of the things, or similar things, that I used to make this lunch:

Sorta kinda Avengers DIY pizza Lunchable....

Yeah, I know! This is a pretty lame attempt at an Avengers lunch. Well, it didn't start out to be an Avengers lunch. I bought the Gogurts the other day at the grocery and didn't even notice that they were Avenger themed....just picked 'em up and tossed 'em in the cart. Over the weekend, my mother-in-law brought over a big honking bag of Hershey's mini chocolates that also were Avenger themed. Again, I did not even notice. So, here I am assembling this lunch, and my little guy comes into the kitchen, looks at the yogurt and chocolate, and says, "Cool Mom....Avengers lunch. I always wanted an Avengers lunch." Well alrighty then! Avengers lunch it is. What's ironic is that my son has absolutely no interest in Avengers or super heroes. Go figure an eight year old.

So, ok it's a sorta kinda Avengers DIY pizza Lunchable lunch (say that three times). I do the DIY pizza pretty often for Z. It's one of his favorite lunches. I like them because they are easy to do. Do your kids like the yogurt tubes? Here's a little tip....put the yogurt tube in the freezer the night before so that the yogurt freezes. Then, in the morning, pop it in the lunchbox frozen. It will thaw by lunch time, and help keep the lunch cold. Pretty clever, huh?

This lunch is packed in EasyLunchboxes.

• Mazor 3 inch round mini pizza crust
• Sargento shredded mozzarella cheese
• Vermont Smoke and Cure nitrate-free pepperoni slices
• Glen Muir organic pizza sauce
• baby carrots and Sungold cherry tomatoes
• Brothers-All-Natural raspberry and apple fruit clusters and golden raisins
• Yoplait Gogurt
• Hershey's Avengers mini chocolate

Some of the things, or similar things, that I used to make this lunch:

Look....Lunch! #3

Hi friends! Well, I hope you all are having a good start to your week. Are your kidlets back in school?? Yes?? WooHoo!! I can hear the deep sighs of relief all across the country. The temps are starting to drop, too, so fall is just around the corner. Double WooHoo!! Here's hoping you all have a drama-free, stress-free, heat-free week!


Look....Lunch!
Here's the little guy's lunch for today:

"Look.....Lunch!" is a series of lunch posts for those days when I just don't have time to say anything more than, "Look.....Lunch!".

This lunch is packed in EasyLunchboxes.

• Natural Selects ham cut into chunks
• Sargento Mozzarella shredded cheese- I was completely out of block cheese, so shredded Mozzarella it is.
• red seedless grapes
• Rold Gold pretzel thins
• Oikos Greek yogurt with strawberry purée swirled into it for a little sweetness
• corn salad- This salad is made with corn, carrots, celery, and almonds tossed with Greek vinaigrette.

Some of the things, or similar things, that I used to make this lunch:

Lunch in a Lunchbots....

Well,  I finally decided to step into the world of the Lunchbots. Woop Woop!! (No, I do not live under a rock!) I have admired these little beauties for a long while now. They pop up on my Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest pages daily, and I practically drool over all of the beautifully packed lunches. So, I decided it was time for me my little guy to have a new lunchbox. It was a pretty easy decision to make, I must admit, since Zulily was running a very special deal on them a few weeks ago. I chose the 5-compartment Lunchbots Cinco with the blue dots lid.


What are Lunchbots?
Are you unfamiliar with Lunchbots? Lunchbots are a durable, reusable, 18/8 stainless steel lunchbox. They are very sturdy and solid....nothing like those flimsy tins that Christmas cookies and treats come in. You know the ones I'm talking about. Lunchbots are dishwasher safe (Mama likey), kid-friendly, and Mother Nature friendly, meaning there is no BPA or Phthalates in them to harm us or the environment.

Plus, they are shiny, and I like shiny things!

The lid fits snugly, but it is not leakproof or water tight so I would stick to packing dryer foods in this box. If you would like to pack yogurt, applesauce or something like that, I recommend sending it in a lidded container, as you see below. Also, liquid will seep under the dividers between the compartments, so I suggest using the silicone cups for semi-wet foods like sliced strawberries (fruit), fruit salad, pasta salads, or pickles.

Lunchbots come in a variety of layouts and sizes.....2, 3, 4 and 5 compartments. They also have a fun selection of colored lids to choose from.

Do you like the puzzle shaped sandwich? Cute, huh? This was done with the Lunch Punch cutters. Lunch Punch is a sandwich cutter set that cuts sandwiches into fun and interactive shapes while cutting off only the crusts. WOW... a fun lunch with minimum waste! The cutters are taller than regular cookie cutters which makes it easy to cut through two pieces of bread and the filling without smooshing (I love that word!) the sandwich. Awesome, huh?! They are also great for cheese, toast, cookies, and Play-Doh. Lunch Punch comes in several super fun sets sure to please the fussiest eater, and each set comes with 4 different cutters....a lot of bang for the buck. I love that! Here are some of The Lunch Punch sets. I'm using the Match & Munch set for today's lunch which is a set of puzzle shaped cutters.

This lunch is packed in the Lunchbots Cinco 5-compartment box.

• peanut butter and cherry bubblegum jelly sandwich- you can read my post about this interesting jelly combo HERE.
• Rold Gold pretzel thins with one chocolate covered pretzel thin for a treat
• Sargento cheddar cheese chunks
• baby carrots and Sunburst cherry tomatoes with Ranch dressing in the green cup for dipping
• Oikos vanilla Greek yogurt with a few sprinkles on top- I add some strawberry purée to the yogurt for a taste boost.
• red seedless grapes

Some of the things, or similar things, that I used to make this lunch:

 

Look....Lunch! #2

PB&J tortilla rollups are the order of the day. Are you kids peanut butter and jelly lovers? These tortilla rollups are a fun and easy alternative to the regular 'ol PBJ on bread.

Look....Lunch!
Here's my little guy's lunch for today:

This lunch is packed in EasyLunchboxes.

• Peanut butter and cherry bubblegum jelly tortilla rollups- You can read more about cherry bubblegum jelly HERE or read my post about it HERE.
• Snyder's pretzel Butter Snaps
• Sargento cheddar cheese cubes
• baby carrots with Lakeview Farms spinach/artichoke dip
• red seedless grapes with a few yogurt covered raisins

"Look.....Lunch!" is a series of lunch posts for those days when I just don't have time to say anything more than, "Look.....Lunch!".


Some of the things, or similar things, that I used to make this lunch:

Look....Lunch! #1

Hi Friends! Well, it's September 1st. Have all of your kidlets started back-to-school? I know a few of you are late starters after Labor Day, so you have one more week to go. Hang in there, Mamas! It's not long now! As usual, the school year has already started out super busy for me....not much time for blogging. In looking back on the photo album in my camera, I've discovered that there are many lunches that I have not had time to blog about. So, I've decided to start a new ongoing series for The Lucky Lunchbox where I simply post the lunch and its contents for those days when I don't have more to say than just, "Look....Lunch!" So, (surprise) I'm calling this series "Look.....Lunch!"

With that being said, "Look....Lunch!"
Here's today's lunch for the little guy:

This lunch is packed in EasyLunchboxes.

• Pizza pasta- mini bow tie pasta mixed with black olives, Applegate pepperoni chunks, tomatoes, Sargento shredded mozzarella cheese, Italian spices, and Italian dressing
• Ritz crackers
• baby carrots
• strawberries and pear chunks
• mini Lucky Charms Rice Krispy treat

Some of the things, or similar things, that I used to make this lunch:

Peanut butter & jelly RITZwiches....

Well, my kidlets have been in school now for 3 weeks. I am still in disbelief that it's already back-to-school time again. We're finally getting back into the swing of things, though. The weather today here in the M-town is gorgeous!! It's the end of August in Memphis, and the high today is 82*. That is unbelievable. The norm is mid 90's. And, the temps are going to be like this for the next week or so. This morning, I could distinctly feel a bit of fall in the air.....it was a cool, brisk 58*. Yep...fall is just around the corner. It's my favorite time of the year....snuggly sweatshirts, yummy chili, football, and, of course, all things pumpkin. I'm so ready for......

Anyway, most kids love peanut butter, right? Z is no exception. Z loves it!!! He does not attend a school that bans it, so I serve PB up pretty often. I like to make PB&J rollups, wraps, sushi, and homemade Uncrustables. A favorite snack around here is peanut butter and Ritz crackers, and I make these for Z's snack quite often. Well, the other day, I got a hankering (I love that word) to change up the 'ol PB-Ritz cracker combo. Yes, the PB&J Ritzwich was born. Score one for mom!! (I'm sure this is not my original creation, but my kidlet doesn't know that. LOL) The salty buttery flavor of the Ritz, the creamy peanut butter combined with yummy sweet cherry bubblegum jelly......HOLY MOLEY!!!! That's some yummy goodness there, y'all.

Why, yes, I did say cherry bubblegum jelly. What!!!! You've never heard of cherry bubblegum jelly?? Well, neither had I until my friend recently bought me a jar and turned me on to it. Pioneer Valley makes this unusual jelly combo. It's made with premium ingredients, is sweetened with fresh fruit, and has no fillers, corn syrup, or preservatives. It's particularly popular with the under 10 crowd in my house. Me....I'm a strawberry fruit girl, so this has a somewhat interesting flavor to me. So, if you want to step outside the jelly box, and try something a little different, this cherry bubblegum jelly is just for you.

I included the peanut butter and cherry bubblegum RITZwiches in Z's lunch for today.

These little delights can be a bit messy, but you can cut down on the mess factor by making these with the mini Ritz crackers......delish AND cute!!! Just pop the whole thing in your mouth at once. You can also up the yumminess factor by adding a thin slice of banana. Peanut butter, jelly and banana RITZwiches.....Oh Yeah!!!!

This lunch is packed in EasyLunchboxes.

• RITZwiches- Ritz crackers, peanut butter, and Pioneer Valley cherry bubblegum jelly
• Sargento cheddar cheese cubes
• Natural Selects Bologna rolls
• baby carrots and Sungold cherry tomatoes
• Oikos Greek yogurt with strawberry heart
• golden raisins in the blue tube- This is an empty mint container....I can repurpose just about anything into a lunch accessory. LOL

Some of the things, or similar things, that I used to make this lunch:

DIY Pizza Lunchable...

First week of school....DONE!! Well, we survived the first week of school without any major mishaps. We've got our morning routine down, both kids are happy with their classes and teachers, and Z is over the moon that his bestie from last year is in his class this year, too. Yay for besties!! Mama's just about gotten adjusted to a quiet house again. And best of all, Grumpy Bear syndrome has just about passed (see previous post). First week success, I'd say.  I know many of your kidlets are headed back to school very soon.....hang in there, Mamas!!!! It's not long now!! The graphic below says it all, huh!

One of Z's favorite lunches has to be the DIY pizza Lunchable. I can't believe I've never posted a DIY pizza lunch. These are so much healthier than the pre-boxed ones at the grocery....you know the ones. The boxed pizza Lunchables have ingredients in them that I can't even pronounce. But, kids love these things, don't they? And, mine are no exception. So, in order to maintain my coolness factor with the little guy, I created our own version of the pizza Lunchable with healthier and tastier ingredients. These are fun for kids to eat, and, best of all, homemade pizza Lunchables are super easy to make. My mini pizza crusts came from an online bakery, but you could make your own, use pita bread or English muffins. Give these a try in your kiddos lunch, and you will be the coolest mom on the block!

This lunch is packed in the Goodbyn Bynto.

• thin 3 inch pizza crusts- I don't remember the brand I used, but Mazor makes a 3 inch and a 2 inch mini pizza crust.
• Vermont Smoke and Cure nitrate-free pepperoni
• Sargento shredded mozzarella cheese
• carrot rounds and black olives
• red seedless grapes
• Kroger yogurt tube- This is their version of the Trix yogurt tubes.
• Glen Muir organic pizza sauce in the round Sistema cup- This comes in a bottle, and I doctored it up to suit my family's taste.
• Hershey's cookies and cream miniature

Some of the things, or similar things, that I used to make this lunch:

Grumpy Bear Syndrome has set in......

Well, it's day 3 of the school year, and grumpy bear syndrome has set in with my kids. All summer long, I allowed the boys to stay up a little later at night and sleep a lot later in the morning (this might have included me, as well), and now we are paying for it. Blerg!!!! Getting back in that early morning school routine is a toughy, huh? This morning was a three cup 'o coffee morning. It usually takes my kiddos about two weeks to adjust to the earlier hours and the brain drain of the new school year. Me??? I very quickly get over the "missing my babies" syndrome. I know that many of your kiddos are getting ready to go back to school. So, here's hoping you all have a grumpy bear free start to your school year. This little fun cartoon kind of sums up that first day for us, doesn't it, Moms?

Here's school day #3 lunch for the little guy. He loves these mini DIY sealed sandwiches....kind of like a mini Uncrustables sandwich that you find in the freezer section of the grocery. They are so easy to make, and you can stuff them with any of your kid's favorite fillings. Make them in any size or shape that you like. The best thing about them, though, is that you can make them in batches and freeze them. Toss 'em into the lunchbox, and they will be thawed by lunchtime. To see my original post on how to make these little cuties, click HERE. 

This lunch is packed in Easylunchboxes.

• DIY mini PB&J Uncrustable- I used strawberry all-fruit spread and peanut butter
• Rold Gold Pretzel Snaps
• red seedless grapes
• Green olives
• sweet green peas with Balsamic dressing in the froggy bottle
• natural applesauce
• Hershey's mini milk chocolate bar

Some of the things, or similar things, that I used to make this lunch:

 

Hello 3rd grade...

Hey Mamas!!!! It's time for the kidlets to go.......

Well, today is the first day of school here in the M-town (insert frowny face), and the little guy is starting 3rd grade. We had a blast this summer (insert happy face)...lots of pool time and a super fun vacation. Z was so excited this morning, bouncing around like Tigger. He couldn't hardly wait to get out the door. It was POURING down rain...I'm talking buckets and buckets, and that didn't squelch (I love that word) his enthusiasm one bit. However, back-to-school time always leaves me a bit melancholy. I know that Z has missed his friends, and I know that I should be overjoyed that he looks forward to school with such gusto. But, I love having my kidlets home with me. I just miss them when school starts. However, I'm pretty sure that the first kid-free grocery shopping trip and lunch with my bestie (insert enormously happy face) will cure me of the back-to-school blues, and I'll be back on track.

Here's our first lunch of the school year: 

This lunch is packed in Easylunchboxes.

• Natural Selects hotdog and Vermont Smoke and Cure pepperoni slices- Both are all-natural and are nitrate and additive free.
• Rold Gold pretzels
• Babybel cheese
• Lakeview Farms spinach/artichoke dip with Baby carrots- Sorry, Z's carrots were a bit dry....time for Mama to go to the grocery.
• red seedless grapes and mandarin orange slices
• Hershey's cookies and cream miniature bar

Some of the things, or similar things, that I used to make this lunch: