Hearts

When I was a kid, my mom always had me make the green salads for dinner. I could never make them plain and boring, just chopping up the carrots like a normal person. I made them into shapes, my favorite was always hearts.

Sunshine

I've got sunshine... on a cloudy day...

Actually it's been pretty sunshiny here lately which has been absolutely lovely!

We had some leftover yellow rice from the school buses, which was rice and honey mustard sauce. Smiley face made from raisins and goji berries, sun rays out of carrots. Remember the sunscreen! 

Art

"It's just art, Mom" said my eight year old son when I asked what it was. He really wanted to make his own piece of art for lunch today.

Baby carrot, cantaloupe, a small piece of cut rice cheese, arranged on a pick, laying on a bed of rice. 

Leprechaun

I saw a similar one online somewhere and of course had to change it up for our restrictions.

Green pepper for the hat; one of those "smashed fruit" all natural fruit leathers for the strap, cut turkey pepperoni for the hat buckle.

Gluten free bread cut into a circle, raisins for eyes, sunflower seed nose, and some chopped carrots for the hair and beard. Super cute, not as difficult at it looks, and the kids loved it!

I also made some gelatin "jigglers" from pineapple juice and knox gelatin for gold pieces, but they came out super tart and were not a hit.

Roy G Biv

Somewhere... over the rainbow...

Red: Pastrami
Orange: Carrots
Yellow: Pineapple
Green: Snap Peas
Blue/Indigo/Violet: Purple grapes

Chocolate gold coin for dessert!

Leap

I kept Googling images for something that might portray "leap" for leap day, but I didn't want it just about that there is an extra day in February. I kept finding this goldfish jumping from a small fishbowl to a bigger one and I love it. I love the significance of not being stuck where you are, of having the courage to leap into something bigger, better, and more fitting.

Leap.

White rice with locally made all natural food coloring (from food), a baby carrot goldfish with a flax seed eye, rice cheese letters. 

Valentine's Day Foods

I absolutely love celebrating Valentine's Day with the three little loves of my life, they bring me such joy and it's always fun to do something together to celebrate our little family.

My oldest decorated some hard boiled eggs with the rice cheese and the alphabet cookie cutters.

While I was in the shower, my kids cut out these letters out of apples and rice cheese for me, and put them by my coffee, so I would be sure to see it! 

My little one always needs a snack at Pre-K so I made her some heart shaped hearts and carrots, complete with valentine picks. 

The youngest is allergic to beef and there was some ground buffalo on sale and I thought we would try it. I made some small, heart shaped mini meatloaves for dinner. I made up the meatloaf, then used my rice mold to make the hearts and then cook them up! I also made more heart carrots and Roma tomatoes, cut on the diagonal and put together as hearts. My son is very into presentation and fancy drinks and desserts so he insisted we have our sparkling strawberry cider in our pretty glasses with blueberries, all on top of a white tablecloth. What a fun treat! 

Year of the Dragon

Happy Chinese New Year! Celebrating this day is the turkey bacon breathing dragon! 

His body is made from leftover black and white rice, mixed; Eyes are rice cheese and cilantro; carrots across the body with a cilantro tail. 

Holiday Penguins

I found these Olive Penguins and just had to make them! These took quite a bit more prep than what I usually like to do, but, hey, it was holiday break... well, I found myself becoming increasingly frustrated, but I think it's just me, and I wasn't using regular cream cheese.

I first made this cashew cheese the day before because it needs to refrigerate and started on the penguins. They turned out pretty cute and the kids loved them. Another good afternoon snack, and I didn't make as many as I wanted. I will probably still try again next year just for fun!

one of the kids wanted to try... poor little penguin. 

Afternoon snacking

I was excited for Holiday break as I was going to make some snacking platters for the kids that I couldn't make into boxe-able lunches.

Another veggie Christmas tree! Veggies are so much more fun to eat when they look like a tree.

snap peas and spinach for the tree; sliced turkey, dried cranberries, carrots for the ornaments; clementine for the star. 

Christmas Tree Platter

Some new friends invited us over for a holiday party, and asked us to bring something to share. Now, I am the person who, when asked to bring something,  I stop by the store and grab a bag of chips and don't even bother to put them in a nice bowl. Because I'm classy like that. Usually I'm just at a loss for things to bring and even forget things like, say, a bowl to put the chips in. Hostessing is not my forte! 

Anyway, I found this idea online and went with it... I even went to the store and bought a holiday platter! 

Broccoli Christmas tree, cauliflower snow, carrot and tomato ornaments! So much fun, so easy, and a hit at the party! 

Later, my mom was inspired and sent me a picture of what she made for their family get together! Yay, I love being an inspiration! 

Happy Snowmen

Rice balls, raisins, carrots, and gluten free pretzels.

Sinterklaas

Sinterklaas.

Rice head, mung bean thread beard, apple for his hat with blended carrot for the cross (supposed to be gold).

Sinterklaas Day

Sinterklaas kapoentje,
gooi wat in m'n schoentje,
gooi wat in m'n laarsje, 
dank u Sinterklaasje.


Putting our wooden shoes out tonight for Sinterklaas! Carrots for his horse... 

 Our shoes out... I don't have any wooden shoes and the kids felt like I was being left out so they put my black heels out, complete with a carrot and apple!

Put a Bird on It

After all the Halloween creativity, I was lost as to what to do for November. Autumn is not my favorite time of year as it's getting dark and cold. This was the product of going through my fridge at 7 in the morning and trying to find stuff to throw together. Came up with this bird! How cute is he?

Rice ball with sesame seed oil, carrot nose, olive eyes and red cabbage head feathers.

Ninja

I was so excited about this one. We had been reading a Lego Ninjago book at bed time, and I found some  inspiration online for ninja lunches.  I was just thrilled with how it turned out. My kids thought I was awesome too which is always a great feeling. Carrots as weapons, rice balls wrapped in nori... it was so easy, yet super cool. We also had turkey burgers left over from dinner the night before for some extra protein and for the ninja's to hang out on.

I guess I started something...

 After coming home from pre-k, my little one decided that her lunch must have a face. We had to have a discussion that the nose is just a carrot..."see mom? how my nose goes from here to here and has two holes?"... that I will not be whittling the carrot to look like a real nose. She was pretty happy with the end result! 

These were mini turkey meatloaves and a curvy carrot for the mouth!