PIZZADOGS for lunch...

Hi Friends! I hope you are all having a great summer! We sure are, and we have been super busy. The fam and I spent some time at the lake last week with our Squeasy Gear. (Learn more about Squeasy Gear HERE.) Look for a post all about our lake adventure very soon. And we're back on the road again next week. But, I thought I'd pop in for some quick blogging as this is a super post-worthy lunch. My kids are big fans of pizza (like that's a big surprise), and they love hotdogs (bigger surprise??!!). So, what do you get when you combine yummy pizza with a juicy hotdog? You guessed it....a super scrumptiously delicious taste explosion...the PIZZADOG. Yep, you heard right...Pizza + hotdog = PIZZADOG. I so wish I could take credit for this awesome culinary combo, but I ran across the recipe on Pinterest, and, of course, it immediately found its way to my food board.

So, I made a pizzadog for both of my kids for lunch today, and they demolished it beyond recognition. Yep, I was the cool lunch mom! So yeah, I can see this one happening at my house on a regular basis. I know, I know. The PIZZADOG is definitely not health food, but I healthified (hey...it's a word) the PIZZADOG the best I could. I used a King's Hawaiian hot dog bun (an ordinary hotdog bun would have been fine, but the King's Hawaiian bun just sent this over the edge!), Natural Selects nitrate-free hotdogs, Muir Glen organic pizza sauce, Applegate pepperoni, and fresh mozzarella/cheddar cheese. I threw in some black olives, carrots, Sunburst cherry tomatoes, and grapes. And, of course, packed in our favorite lunchbox, the Easylunchboxes, we have lunch success! Friends, these were sooooo good. I hope you will try them.

Here's a brief rundown of the PIZZADOG:

INGREDIENTS:

• Hotdog buns
• Hotdogs
• Pizza sauce
• Mozzarella and cheddar cheese
• Pepperoni
• Italian seasoning

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Heat oven to 400*.
2. Cook the hotdogs according to your preference. I used the microwave for convenience.
3. Place hotdog in a hotdog bun. Top each hotdog with the pizza sauce....the more, the better.
4. Sprinkle the Italian seasoning onto the pizza sauce.
5. Add the cheese on top of the pizza sauce....again, more is better.
6. Place pepperoni on top of the cheese.
7. Cook in the oven for appx. 8-10 minutes or until the cheese is oozey and melted and the bun is toasted.
8. Repeat, as you are going to want a second one.

These are easy, simple, and can be changed up for your family's taste. Add olives and mushrooms. Add your family's favorite pizza toppings. Change up the cheese. These will still be yummy. 

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:

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:

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:

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:

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:

 

Squeasy Gear is in the house......Part 1

Hi Friends!! Summer is in full swing here in the M-town, and I'm happy to report that my kids are not driving me bonkers....yet. Happy summer to all of you! I don't blog very often during the summer break due to how manic and unpredictable our summer days are...yeah, you understand. But, when the super nice folks over at Squeasy Gear asked if we wanted to check out their cool new reusable pouches and sport bottles, I jumped at the opportunity.

When I was first approached by Squeasy Gear, I had the same reaction that you probably just did...."Hmmmmmm- Squeasy Gear...what's Squeasy Gear?" So, I donned my detective hat and dusted off my spy glass, and did some diggin' to find out what this interestingly titled product was. My discovery????

Squeasy Gear is a line of mess-free, eco-friendly reusable silicone food pouches and bottles designed for purées, smoothies, applesauce, yogurt, pudding, and the like. And, a removable insert prevents spills when serving water, juice, or other liquids. Ok, so needless to say, I was intrigued by this product. In all honesty, my kids are older and are quite adept at using a spoon, and there hasn't been a sippy cup in my house in years.....yes, YEARS! So, my first thought was that Squeasy Gear was designed for kids that were a lot younger than mine...toddlers and preschoolers. However, my little guy is always asking for those store bought prefilled applesauce and fruit pouches...you know the ones. Kids will eat anything in a pouch, right? So, I enthusiastically decided to see what Squeasy Gear was all about, and consider it from the perspective of a 7 yr old.

And I am sooooo glad that I did!! Squeasy Gear is such a cool product. Both of my kids hovered over me as I unwrapped the box, obviously intrigued by the brightly colored items inside. I received the bright green 6oz. Squeasy Snacker (perfect size for Z) and the gray 16oz. Squeasy Sport (awesome for my 15 yr old smoothie lover). I put the Snacker to the test right away. After washing it up (which was a breeze since the pouches can be turned inside-out), I filled it with applesauce for Z. I passed it on to him and waited....... A few minutes later, he returned with the empty Snacker in hand and responded, "This is really cool, Mom. Yeah, I like it." Thumbs-up from the Z-man!! Always a good thing to have the approval of a 7 yr old. I inspected the empty Snacker (and Z's shirt) for evidence of applesauce leakage and found none at all. Ten minutes into receiving the Squeasy Snacker, we already have 2 big pluses.....easy to clean and mess-free! I'm happy to say that Z wagged his Squeasy Snacker around with him all day, filling it with water on several occasions.

  

I'm anxious to give the Squeasy Sport a try. My oldest loves smoothies, and the Squeasy Sport is perfect for smoothies. I'll share the 15 yr old perspective of the Squeasy Sport bottle with you all soon. Stay tuned for that. We'll continue to use the Snacker, too, to see if it maintains it's thumbs-up status. Stay tuned for that. And we're headed to the lake on vacay next week, and Squeasy Gear is going to the lake with us. Stay tuned for that. Ok....lots to stay tuned for!! 

Here are some of the features of Squeasy Gear that I like:

Made with 100% food grade non-toxic materials...BPA, PVC, and Phthalates free- YES!! SG is safe for our kids and won't harm our wonderful Earth.

Leak free and mess free- The no-spill insert means Z can drink red punch in the den again!

Easy to clean- SG can be turned inside-out and placed in the dishwasher (top rack only) or hand washed, and all those hard to clean nooks and crannies come squeaky clean. 

Budget friendly- Those store-bought fruit and veggie pouches can cost $1.00 or more. Squeasy Snackers are refillable, so I can maintain my Frugal Fannie status and buy bulk sizes of applesauce, yogurt, or whatever.

Kid friendly- Squeasy Gear is easy for kids to use, lightweight, and brightly colored. 

Squeasy Gear is fun to use, and even the name is fun to say.....Squeasy Snacker, Squeasy Snacker!

Here is a lunch that I made for Z with his Squeasy Snacker:

This lunch is packed in Easylunchboxes.

• Homemade egg salad
• Wheat Thins
• baby carrots with Ranch dressing in the green cup
• blueberries
• Babybel cheese
• Miss Meringue mint chocolate chip cookie 
• Natural applesauce in the Squeasy Snacker

Linked to: Eats Amazing/ What Kids Eat Wednesday

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

Yay for summer!!!!

Whoohoo!! We made it!! The end of school is finally here, school's out, time for summer! I've been limping toward the end-of-school finish line now for a while. I tapped out somewhere mid-April. Are you there yet, Moms?? The end-of-school year insanity has come to an end (insert immensely huge smiley face here). Now time for the busy summer insanity to begin. Since we are so busy during the summertime, I usually don't post very many lunches. But, I have 2 super neat lunchpacking products that I'm going to try out and do a write-up on for back-to-school (yep, gotta start thinking about that now...LOL). So, stay tuned for this. Also, I like to showcase other fabulous bloggers during the summer, so look for this, as well. Hang in there, Moms, the end-of-year insanity will be over very soon for you, too, and I hope you all have an amazingly fun and wonderful summer, Friends!

Here is my kiddo's last lunch of 2nd grade:

This lunch is packed in Easylunchboxes.

• Alexia mini stuffed ham and cheese bites
• Rold Gold mini pretzels- There are 2 chocolate covered mini pretzels for a treat.
• Natural applesauce- I added some strawberry purée for flavor and color.
• baby carrots with Ranch dressing for dipping
• Brothers-All-Natural freeze dried strawberry fruit crisps

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

 

Easy Lunchboxes are awesome...

Here at The Lucky Lunchbox, I get asked pretty often what my favorite lunchbox is. Like many of you, I have a cabinet FULL of lunch-making gear, lunch boxes, and bento boxes. I pack lunch for my son everyday, so I like to have a variety to choose from. I'm very fond of my all-in-one lunchboxes like the Yumbox and the Bentogo Kids, but the lunchboxes I find myself reaching for most often are the Easy Lunchboxes.

So, why are the Easy Lunchboxes my go-to lunchbox, you ask?? First of all, they are, well, EASY....easy for me and easy for my kidlet. I spend about 15 minutes a night making my little guy's lunch, and I love that the Easy Lunchboxes are one compact container. Whatever I'm packing for Z's lunch fits neatly into the 3 compartments.....I don't have to fuss with a multitude of zip-top baggies or separate plastic containers. Quick and EASY, right? As for Z, he can sit down at the lunch table, pop off the single lid, and before the other kiddies are done fighting with zip-top baggies full of crushed chips and searching for a teacher to remove difficult plastic container lids, he is happily noshing on his lunch. EASY, right?

Here are some of the other features that I love about the Easy Lunchboxes:

• ELB's are economical.  A pack of four boxes with colored lids is appx. $14. ELB's are budget friendly....a must for all the frugal mamas out there.
• ELB's are convenient. They nest together to save space and are dishwasher, freezer, and microwave approved.
• ELB's are eco-friendly. They are BPA, PVC, and phthalates free, and are waste free, so they are good for Mother Earth.
• ELB's are functional. They have three divided compartments of different sizes. So, sandwiches don't get mushy from fruit and chips don't get crushed. ELB's are NOT leakproof, however. 
• ELB's are kid friendly. They have easy open lids and are very lightweight, and ELB's are very durable.
• ELB's are fashionable. No, really! They come in three sets of fabulous colors: Classics, Brights, and Urbans....great colors to satisfy even the pickiest color connoisseur.
• ELB's are long lasting. I've been using my original set of Easy Lunchboxes for 19 months, and they still are in great shape with very little wear....not even a stain on them. 

So, let's sum it all up. Easy Lunchboxes are awesome!! They are staples in my lunch-packing arsenal.

Enough gushing.....now on to today's lunch!

This lunch is packed in Easy Lunchboxes.

• Natural Selects ham and pepperoni sandwich on whole wheat bread
• cheddar cheese slices
• Clif Kid organic Z bar- These are a new food like for Z. They are a great snack choice, too.
• strawberries 
• baby carrots and red cherry tomatoes with Ranch dressing in the green box 

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

Snowmageddon in the M-town....

Dear Mother Nature,
          I have two words for you......very funny!!! Yesterday, it was 66*, and I was wearing my flip flops. Today, it is 20*, and we have 8 inches of ice and snow on the ground. That is crazy!!! We are two weeks away from spring, so please, no more unexpected weather surprises! Whatever deal you made with the groundhog, please rethink it!

                                                                        Signed,
                                                                        Frustrated, snowed-in Mama

We finally got some snow in the M-town. We have wanted snow since winter began and now, two weeks away from spring, and we get hit with snowmageddon. Blerg! Well played, Mother Nature. The kidlets were, of course, overjoyed when they hopped out of bed this morning and were met with a winter wonderland. Schools are closed today and tomorrow, so that is only adding to their giddiness. They are outside with my husband right now happily frolicking in the fluffy white stuff. Me.....I'm sitting in front of a nice warm fire. I did venture out this morning before the kids stirred and all the peaceful, fluffy whiteness was disturbed and I took a few pictures....snow covered everything really is beautiful. I think I'll head to the kitchen now to make some hot chocolate. My fridged little snow bunnies should be coming in very soon. Enjoy your day, Friends.

Here is yesterday's lunch for the boy.

This lunch is packed in Easy Lunch Boxes.

• Hawaiian bread Natural Selects ham and mustard mini sandwiches
• cheddar cheese cubes
• red seedless grapes
• sweet peas
• Snack Factory pretzel thins with one Snack Factory chocolate covered pretzel thin

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

Qt pie lunch...

Hearts make such a cute lunch, don't they? Luckily, my little guy loves hearts, and he doesn't mind them in his lunch. February is the month where hearts are everywhere, aren't they? Hearts in February are usually associated with Valentine's Day, but I love hearts in Februay for another reason. February is the month that the American Heart Association has set aside as healthy heart month. And, heart health is very important to me. I love to make heart themed lunches in February to support this worthy cause. So, I like to do several heart lunches throughout the month.

We have this candy store here in the M-town that is A-MA-ZING. Dinstuhls's makes all homemade candies that are devine. In February, they feature milk chocolate covered strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries, and I love, love, love the strawberries! The hubs always picks up a couple of boxes of each for me us. Dinstuhl's also had these milk chocolate hearts with strawberry cream center, and he picked some of these up for the boys. They were pretty yummy, too. It's a good thing these candies are only available around Valentine's day....my waistline would be in trouble!

This lunch is packed in Easy Lunch Boxes.

• Applegate bologna and cheddar cheese sandwich- I used a small heart shaped cutter on the top piece of bread and put the candy heart in the cutout area.
• Dinstuhl's milk chocolate heart with strawberry cream center
• Pirate's Booty white cheddar puffs
• natural applesauce with strawberry heart
• green beans with Ranch dressing on the "Qt pie" box

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