Planning a trip? Don't forget to pack smart with snacks that resist mess and thrive at room temperature! We understand the importance of staying fueled and satisfied during your travels, and that's why we've compiled a list of easy-to-pack snacks that are perfect for on-the-go adventures. With endless options, feel free to pack your own favorites and customize your snack lineup.  1. Trail Mix: A perfect blend of nuts, dried fruits, and chocolate for sustained energy. Most times we grab pre packaged version as we always have those in our home. You can always create your own ..read more

While store-bought Lunchables offer taste and convenience on the go, the experience becomes even better when you craft your own. In just a few minutes, personalize your lunchbox with your favorite foods or cater to specific dietary preferences. With complete control, your DIY Lunchables can be the freshest, most delicious, and even more cost-effective than store-bought options. Take an extra minute to cut them into fun shapes, add a touch of decoration, and arrange them neatly in your lunchbox for a meal that's both tasty and visually appealing. Why DIY Homemade Lunchables? Customizatio ..read more

Any pizza lovers out there? My hubby and Nikolai love pizza and they can eat them served hot or cold. We baked a batch and saved some for the next day's lunch. Ingredients: One tube refrigerated Pillsbury biscuit dough 1 bottle of organic pasta sauce 2 slices part skim mozzarella cheese (for the ghosts) Sliced olives Directions: Pre-heat oven to 400°. Roll or pat biscuits into 2-1/2 in. circles. Place on greased baking sheet or non-stick sheet. I love our baking sheet which has wide handles! Add pasta sauce on top of biscuits. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned and ..read more

Every year, the Thanksgiving holiday brings with it a whirlwind of festivities and celebrations, but for our family, it holds a double significance. That's because Thanksgiving Day marks the birthday of our son, Nikolai, who was born almost nineteen years ago. While our Thanksgiving is always a time of joyful gatherings and party preparations, creating a festive turkey-themed school lunch has often taken a backseat in the midst of all the excitement. Unable to find a turkey shaped cookie cutter? No problem! I fortunately remembered an idea I had seen on Pinterest using a hand shaped cookie cu ..read more

Hello there, I truly hope all of you are doing well and remain so. For us, it is again back to school with Nikolai already in college. Normally he would be a high school junior this fall, but during the past year he completed his virtual high school classes, and this year expects to complete the requirements to graduate with his Associates degree (he is 16 years old). Of course we are very proud of the way he adapted to all the recent changes with a positive goal and a usable plan.  Early in the spring each year we begin thinking about summer holiday. Almost always we entertain ..read more

As you may already know, fall is my favorite time of year. I love the striking colors of the leaves and the cooler temperatures. Of course, it is also the season of pumpkin. We found some pumpkin pancake and waffle mix during a recent visit to our grocery store and my wonderful hubby made some pancakes with it for breakfast the other day. I used the same mix and made some of our favorite pancake muffins! These bite-sized pancake muffins are not only delicious but also quick and easy to prepare. I love the idea of baking several batches at a time and freezing the extras for those super b ..read more

Halloween is just around the corner and what better way to celebrate than by adding some spooky flair to your kids lunchbox? In this post I will share several Halloween themed lunches that I've created with cookie cutters. Here is a link to many more Halloween themed lunches. Here are some supplies that you may need: Cookie cutters in various Halloween shapes (bats, ghosts, pumpkins, cats, and witches, to name a few). Fresh ingredients for your desired lunch, such as sandwiches, fruits, vegetables, and cheeses. Condiments and spreads (cream cheese, ketchup, honey, etc.). We usually use honey ..read more

Happy New Year 2020! It has been a couple of weeks of back to school action since the holidays. We enjoyed them and I hope you did also. Nikolai has requested some warm, comforting lunches especially this time of year, thus, leftovers in a thermos is the ticket. Here is how I prep in the mornings when I need to send him a hot meal: First I fill his thermos with boiling water, close the lid, place it on the counter with the lid on and let it sit for 5 minutes or more while I'm assembling his side dishes such as fruits, veggies and a little snack. Heat the hot portion of the meal to piping hot ..read more

We are back and it's almost October which is my favorite month of the year. This will be a short post, but I'll have another longer post coming up soon. We are doing well and I hope the same for you :-) It's "College Time" for Nikolai and many others. We are naturally very proud of our son's achievements as he goes off for his junior year. I've created several ghost themed lunches over the years that are very easy and great fun. Cutting the string cheese to look like ghosts is my favorite part. I'll be sharing with you the method I used for the string cheese. You can make some cute ghosts sim ..read more

This school year I've been packing muffins quite often for Nikolai's school lunch. I'm definitely not a morning person, and we have to wake up way earlier since school starts earlier. You'll never find me waking up earlier than I have to, standing in the kitchen baking or cooking in the wee hours of the morning. Most days I'll pack his lunches the night before or he has to pack them in the mornings. We usually make a batch of muffins during the weekend ( sometimes from scratch and sometimes from the box), eat some and freeze the remaining. They are super portable and will last in the fridge f ..read more