Another Painted Lunch

Thanks to an extra crazy schedule this fall, and the 6yo's love of hawaiian rolls with PB&Honey I simply have not had time or the need to make any elaborate painted lunches. This week the 3yo had extended day at preschool and needed launch. To welcome our first week with rain and cooler weather I went with a fall theme. The sandwich was filled with the peanut butter and honey mix I make each monday and I used a rolling pin on the bread before I put any spread on it so that it would be easier to cut and also take the paint better.

This is about 1/2 of a sandwich. If you are using cookie cutters,  especially if you want the details to show up, be sure to press or use a roller the bread. 

detail of the painting process

Little owl, leaves, and acorn. Hand painted with food coloring. 

Final product with sides. 

It's A Bird... It's A Plane...

The following is a true story. It happened to me.

Yesterday I needed to send off some documents for work. I love my local post office. The people who work there are so friendly and helpful.

Anyway, I had completed my transactions and I was headed to the front door to leave when I saw that I was about to meet up with an older man (somewhere between 75-100) walking the same direction.  He was hunched, and thin, and walking slowly. So I dropped back and let him go through the door first. 

Beyond the door parked at the front curb was a late model Saturn. In the passenger seat was a woman who looked like she had been cast as the grandma for a Normal Rockwell painting. The only thing she was missing was a high necked shirt with a cameo broach, her silver hair was packed neatly into a bun and everything about her suggested softness and fresh cookies.

As we exited the building "Grandma" looked up at the man in front of me and I heard her exclaim "There's my Superman!" and my heart swelled thinking about these two people, their entwined lives and their love.

In a flash I was stopped dead in my tracks as Grandma with pure venom in her voice said "Fly shit-head, fly like superman you stupid SHIT-HEAD!"  

Good Lookin' Out?

So last night my husband decided we should go out for tacos. He had just read an article from an LA based food critic who finds amazing hole in the wall places an added bonus is that we are already familiar with the Chef because he owns a restaurant in the next city. So we had to give it a try.  
It had already been a long hot day and although I agreed I was tired and could have just as easily gone to bed at 5pm. Bed was not an option. The family across the street, who my kids adore, was having a birthday party so first we were going there to give the father a card they made and wish him a happy birthday.
Hubby took the kids across the street while I put on some makeup and changed my shirt. That entire process took maybe 10 minutes max. I joined my family at the party. Said hello and visited for maybe 15 minutes before it was time to head out to dinner. Back across the road we all piled in the car and took off. We ate at this new taco place (fantastic food, but that's another story.) Thanks to the afore mentioned article from the LA based food critic, the other occupied tables had Silver-lake style hipsters.
ANYWAY, as we were sitting at our table recuperating from eating far too many amazing tacos the 6yo turned to me and said "Oh! Mommy I forgot to tell you!" Me, "what?" 6yo, "You have your shirt on inside out"

Henry Ford of Bento Lunches

We all live busy lives and I am no exception. As the school year really kicks into gear for my kids and my own work schedule picks up with travel around the Southwest my time to do the things I love, and my children expect becomes more precious. This week my husband is traveling for work so even though I'm more or less home its going to be a bumpy week. My 6yo daughter has been fixated on PB&H sandwiches made on Kings Hawaiian rolls since April. The week after Easter I used the left overs from our family dinner for her lunch. The rest is history.

Anyway, this actually makes my life much easier and I can now plan much of her lunches for the week ahead of time. Depending on how many side items I have to send I will either send her one or two of the sandwiches. 

It's too late to make this long story short, but my point with writing this post is to say, hey! I make things ahead and that's A-Ok. 

So here is my sandwich assembly line. 

I make the peanut butter and honey mixture in a glass bowl with a lid so I can grab it as needed. This size typically lasts two weeks.

The rolls are best cut with a serrated knife. Then it's simple! Spread the goodness and put them in the fridge for the week. 

Ta-da! And I'm that much closer to having lunch made!

 

First Day of School 2013- Teachers Gifts

This is an update to the Teacher's Gift from last year. The big jar was very popular so I thought I would do it again. This year both girls started school the same week so I made one for each teacher.
For F's preschool teacher

Here are the contents- pocket sized tissues, some post it notes, a packet of Airborne, a small box of Cepacol, hand sanitizer, a coffee cozy, a cooling scarf for hot days and a stripped scarf for the fall. 

For L's First grade teacher we made this one

So the girls loaded the jar with the goodies. They loved being part of the process.
Another first day of school is done!

And now we can see the start of the sequester's impact

The thing about early education is that it's impact is like an iceberg. You may see the smallest bit of it at the start but the true impact will go on and on.

Today on the radio I heard about all the children who will no longer have access to Head Start. It broke my heart. A generation of children are suffering from the unwillingness to compromise, our greed and need to war, and the mismanagement of our state and federal finances.

This breaks my heart. If we can not look after the least among us, our babies and youngest children, our elderly, those that are ill either physically or mentally, those that are hungry physically or mentally, what sort of society are we?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/head-start-eliminated-services-to-57000-children-in-us-as-a-result-of-sequester/2013/08/18/e1181810-06d9-11e3-9259-e2aafe5a5f84_story.html

FIrst Day of School

Well, the new clothes are all washed and dried.
The backpack filled with the "donations" listed for 1st grade.
Lunch is made and waiting in the fridge.
Now my job is to be driver and cheerleader until 4:00 when I become tutor and coach.
Here is to the first day of school!