Archive for the ‘gluten free’ Category
Gluten Free Pasta bentos
Posted on: January 31, 2013
- In: allergy friendly | bento | casein free | dairy free | eating local | eco-friendly | egg free | engine 2 diet | gluten free | kids | lunchbox | meatless | no waste lunch | nut free | obento | organic | plant based | plant strong | school lunch | snacks | toddler food | toddler lunch | Vegan | Vegetarian | whole food | winter | yum
- 3 Comments
My favorite pasta place in town, Peperonata Pasta in Sarasota, FL has started making gluten free, egg free, soy based pasta, and we love the fun shapes! I buy it at the Saturday Farmer’s Market fresh. These creste shapes are made to look like a rooster’s comb, and my kids love them!
I cooked the pasta and then stirred in some seasoned black beans, steamed broccoli and topped with black olives. Included are honeydew melon and cantaloupe balls and a silicone cup of red grape tomatoes in my 4 year old’s Easy LunchBoxes container.
A simple fruity snack box went off with Miss G today too. In her LunchBots Uno, she has watermelon, strawberries, pineapple and kiwi slices.
Little Miss just turned 3 has a smaller version of the same gluten free pasta with black beans and broccoli with black olives and a rainbow of fresh fruit in her LunchBots Duo with sliced kiwi, pineapple and watermelon pieces. Both girls have ice water daily with their lunches.
Just read a great quote that I loved so I’m sharing it below. Happy Thursday!
PLEASE CLICK BELOW TO VOTE FOR ME ONCE A DAY FROM EACH IP ADDRESS! CONTEST GOES UNTIL FEBRUARY 7TH! THANK YOU!
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Leftovers. It’s what’s for lunch. It’s not exciting sometimes, but it sure is a timesaver for whoever is packing lunch!
I have gotten in the habit in the past few weeks of doubling my dinner recipes. I am always grabbing lunch on the go, and it’s nice to have something I can just reheat. Plus it makes for simple lunches the next day. In this case, I had been browsing through Christy Morgan’s Blissful Bites cookbook while meal planning. She suggested a grain called hato mugi. In all my years of cooking I hadn’t ever heard of it. It’s also called Job’s tears. It’s a barley like grain that is actually the seed of an Asian grass that has a higher quantity of protein, fat, calcium, iron, B vitamins and more amino acids than most grains. It also helps with the stomach and cleansing the blood. I decided to order some for fun. It’s a wonderful, gluten-free grain. My best description of it would be a heavy, more textured barley and with a more distinct taste. I cooked the hato mugi first. While it was simmering, I cooked cannellini and pinto beans separately with lemon juice, garlic rosemary, salt and a bit of tahini. When it was done, I arranged it over the grain.
And above is the same dish packed in an Easy LunchBoxes container for lunch the next day. The beans got a bit smooshed when I stored it overnight, but I just added fresh fruit in the morning (honeydew melon balls and mango slices). Lunch is served.
Miss G wanted bears today so I obliged. She has mini sandwiches in the bottom left with bear faces stamped on them. Above are cashews, a date, almond and raisin ball rolled in coconut and grape tomatoes on bear picks. In the top right are fresh mango slices with more little bears, and in the bottom right are strawberry hearts and a silicone bear cup with honeydew melon balls packed in her Planetbox stainless lunchbox.
I am also in the running again this year for the Circle of Moms. This time I’m trying to make it to the Top 25 Vegetarian and Vegan blogs in the country. You can vote once a day from each IP address. All you do it click vote. I appreciate your support! Click here to vote for me!
Shiny new lunchbox
Posted on: January 24, 2013
- In: allergy friendly | bento | casein free | dairy free | eco-friendly | egg free | engine 2 diet | Foods | gluten free | kids | lunchbox | meatless | no waste lunch | obento | organic | plant based | plant strong | school lunch | snacks | soy free | toddler food | toddler lunch | Vegan | Vegetarian | whole food
- 6 Comments
I ordered a new Planetbox lunchbox for Miss G. She is over the moon about her new box and owl carrying bag, and she’s anxious to pack her lunch in it again all by herself. Today’s lunches are vegan, gluten free and soy free (except the pretzels which contain wheat).
I packed the first lunch for her in it. Clockwise from the top are slices of blood orange, Go Raw Pizza flax snacks, cashews, dried aprictos and dried cranberries. In the round stainless container is gluten free, vegan pesto macaroni in it with black olives and heirloom tomato slices. The bottom left compartment has sliced kiwi and in the middle is a coconut covered date and raisin “snow ball”.
For her preschool snack today, Miss G has two small bento boxes. The top contains mini cucumbers from a local farm, and Trader Joe’s brand marcona almonds with rosemary. The bottom container has a Wholly Guacamole 100 calorie snack pack of guac with peace pretzel chips for dipping. At the bottom are dried mango slices.
For Miss A’s toddler lunch, she has a LunchBots Quad stainless container. From the top left are dried cherries, rosemary roasted marcona almonds, kiwi and watermelon slices, quinoa topped with black beans, peas, carrots and shallots, and in the bottom left are carambola (star fruit) and sugar snap peas.
Happy Lunch Packing!
Things I used to make this lunch:
Birdies and stars lunches
Posted on: January 23, 2013
- In: allergy friendly | bento | casein free | dairy free | eating local | eco-friendly | egg free | engine 2 diet | Foods | gluten free | kids | lunchbox | meatless | no waste lunch | obento | organic | plant based | plant strong | raw food | salad | school lunch | snacks | soy free | toddler food | toddler lunch | Vegan | Vegetarian | whole food
- 4 Comments
Birds make me happy. I don’t have a specific reason. They just cheer me up so I’m hoping that my kids find the same joy in them that I do. All the lunches today are vegan (meatless and dairy free), soy-free, gluten-free and all ingredients are organic.
Miss G’s lunch (4 years old) is spinach rice noodles with a small bit of Earth Balance coconut spread mixed in and Field Roast sundried tomato (meatless) deli slices on top shaped into stars and a bird. In her Easy Lunchboxes container at the top are heart shaped strawberries and watermelon birds.
Along with lunch is her preschool snack in a LunchBots Duo stainless container. In the left compartment are carrot sticks, blueberries and dried apricot stars, and in the right are sugar snap peas, a Crimson Gold apple and a “snow ball” made of dates and raisins rolled in coconut.
In our fancy matryoshka bento box is little sister’s lunch. On the left side she has raisins in the flower cup with star shaped dried apricots. Below that is jasmine rice with carrot mini stars and sugar snap peas. On the right side are watermelon stars and below are bird-shaped sundried tomato deli slices and cucumbers.
Above is the elusive mom lunch. I am usually on the run, but decided to make a salad today. I had a giant pile of organic spinach, about a cup of black beans, bird shaped cucumbers and some daikon I found at my local Whole Foods. I have to say that the daikon wasn’t a good match with the salad. I read later that its taste softens with cooking which is what I’ll do with the rest. It was a little bitter to eat raw. On the sides are avocado slices. For my dressing I topped with a bit of red wine vinegar.
Things I used to make this lunch:
Mini BLTs and a car bento
Posted on: January 17, 2013
- In: allergy friendly | bento | casein free | dairy free | eating local | eco-friendly | egg free | engine 2 diet | Foods | gluten free | kids | lunchbox | meatless | no waste lunch | obento | organic | plant based | plant strong | raw food | school lunch | snacks | soy free | toddler food | toddler lunch | Vegan | Vegetarian | whole food | yum
- 6 Comments
It’s a rainy, cooler day here in Florida today so there’s some sunshine inside the lunchbox. I made Miss G some vegan BLTs for lunch. I found these mini slider buns at Whole Foods in the bread section, and they’re they perfect size for preschool lunches. I cooked some vegan tempeh (fermented soy) bacon. I use a tiny bit of Earth Balance vegan mayo on the bun, then romaine leaves and sliced tomatoes. Above the mini sandwiches are grape tomatoes and pineapple pieces. In the top left of her Easy Lunchboxes container are honeydew melon pieces and in the top right is a sunshiny face clementine.
My girls also love sliced avocado or guacamole on their BLTs.
Miss G’s snack today is freeze dried mango pieces, a Crimson Gold organic apple and roasted cashews in her Happy Tiffin stainless bento box.
Vroom! Miss A is off with her LunchBots Quad filled with cars. From the top left are pineapple pieces with 2 honeydew melon cars on top. In the top right is chickpea hummus with a pita bread car on top. In the bottom right corner are honeydew melon pieces with dried apricot cars on top, and in the bottom left are Laurel Hill brand peace sign pretzels for dipping and mini carrots.
Happy Lunch Packing!
Christmas trees and snowmen
Posted on: December 19, 2012
- In: allergy friendly | Autumn | bento | casein free | Christmas | dairy free | eating local | eco-friendly | egg free | engine 2 diet | food blog | Foods | gluten free | Holidays | kids | lunchbox | meatless | no waste lunch | obento | organic | plant based | plant strong | school lunch | snacks | toddler food | toddler lunch | Vegan | Vegetarian | whole food | yum
- 2 Comments
Miss G (4) has an Easy Lunchboxes container full of goodies today. Her entree is separate. We are loving the mini Crimson Gold organic apples this year. They’re a bit tart and quite crunchy. Best of all they are preschooler sized and fit into any lunchbox. Nothing goes to waste since even a 2 year old can finish one of these. I made gingerbread men and Christmas tree pumpkin muffins this week. In the top is a Christmas tree pumpkin muffin I made in a smaller silicone muffin tray. The gingerbread men came out without limbs (can’t say I recommend the silicone mold on those). They were all delicious but not too pretty for pictures. In the bottom compartment are a peeled clementine orange, grape tomatoes with a candy cane food pick, mini carrots and a mixture of cashews, almonds and pistachios for munching.
This LunchBots Insulated stainless container is filled with homemade vegan chili for Miss G’s main dish for lunch today. The recipe for the chili can be found here and modified depending on how you like it. Vegan Chili Recipe I fill the container with boiling water and let it sit for about 10 minutes with the lid on. I heat the chili during that time, dump the water after 10 minutes and fill the container with chili. She says it’s still warm at lunchtime 5 hours after packing it. The best part about these containers is the wide mouth opening. She can eat out of it just like a bowl without fumbling to get to the bottom or dumping things over.
My 2 year old daughter took a LunchBots Quad for lunch today. From the top left she has a dairy free pumpkin muffin in a Christmas tree shape, a peeled clementine with snowman ring, small mini snowmen sandwiches on Rudi’s organic whole wheat bread made with a small pastry cookie cutter stamp, and pineapple pieces. Both girls always have ice water with their lunches.
Happy lunch packing!
Pasta with stars
Posted on: December 11, 2012
- In: allergy friendly | Autumn | bento | casein free | dairy free | eating local | eco-friendly | egg free | engine 2 diet | food blog | gluten free | Holidays | kids | lunchbox | meatless | no waste lunch | obento | organic | plant based | plant strong | school lunch | snacks | soy free | toddler food | toddler lunch | Vegan | Vegetarian | whole food | winter | yum
- 4 Comments
We’re sharing a bit of the winter bugs going around so it’s only my 4 year old at school today. Hope everyone is staying healthy!
She’s having soba noodle pasta with Italian seasoned tofu stars and red pepper stars mixed in for color. In the top left compartment of the Easy Lunchboxes container is a seckel pear and mini carrots in the top right.
Snack in her Happy Tiffin stainless bento box includes organic raspberries, a crimson gold organic apple and cashews and pistachios in the round container.
Things I used to make this lunch:
Black Rice Pasta bentos
Posted on: November 20, 2012
- In: allergy friendly | Autumn | bento | casein free | dairy free | eating local | eco-friendly | egg free | engine 2 diet | food blog | Foods | gluten free | kids | lunchbox | meatless | no waste lunch | obento | organic | plant based | plant strong | school lunch | snacks | toddler food | toddler lunch | Vegan | Vegetarian | whole food | yum
- 1 Comment
One of my favorite things to do when I have a moment of spare time is to find local grocers with imported foods and dive in. I have found some tiny grocers in my town hidden in small strip plazas and off the beaten path. One of my favorites is a small Asian grocer. I’ve discovered vegetable and fruits I’ve never seen, foods that aren’t normally available here and more importantly some inspiration to look at food a little differently. A few weeks ago we tried Forbidden Rice which has a heavier feel to it and is black in color. This time I found black rice pasta. It looks jet black before it’s cooked and then it takes on a purplish hue once it’s cooked. It’s gluten free, allergy friendly and makes the same old dishes more interesting.
Miss G has black rice pasta mixed with a bit of Earth Balance coconut spread. I sauteed some Field Grain vegetable sausages to go with the pasta and made a face of it. The “hair” is vegan parmesan, eyes and nose are roma and grape tomatoes and the sausage pieces are the mouth. In the top left compartment are dried cherries and cashews and at the top right are black seedless grapes packed in her Easy LunchBoxes container.
In her Happy Tiffin stainless bento are purple sweet potato chips, pear slices, clementine orange sections and sliced kiwi for her preschool snack.
And my little Miss 2 year old has a LunchBots Quad. From the top left are black seedless grapes, black rice pasta and Field Grain sausage, pear and clementine pieces and raspberries for lunch.
Ravioli and Wholly Guacamole
Posted on: November 16, 2012
- In: Autumn | bento | casein free | dairy free | eating local | eco-friendly | egg free | engine 2 diet | food blog | Foods | gluten free | kids | leaf | lunchbox | meatless | no waste lunch | obento | organic | plant based | plant strong | school lunch | snacks | toddler food | toddler lunch | Vegan | Vegetarian | whole food | yum
- 4 Comments
Aloha and Happy Friday!
Little Miss 4 year old has a simple lunch. In her Sistema sandwich sized bento box, she has pineapple pieces, Soy Boy brand dairy free ravioli, hibiscus shaped watermelon pieces and sliced mini carrots.
For her preschool snack, she has a Wholly Guacamole brand 100 calorie snack pack of guacamole, Trader Joe’s edamame crackers for dipping, and 2 Crimson Gold apples. Below is a small container of Marcona almonds.
Wishing everyone has a great weekend ahead. I’ll be doing a giveaway next week like I promised a while back. I am thankful for so many people who read and appreciate me sharing lunches so stay tuned!
Polenta heart bento lunches
Posted on: November 15, 2012
- In: allergy friendly | Autumn | bento | casein free | dairy free | eating local | eco-friendly | egg free | engine 2 diet | food blog | Foods | gluten free | Halloween | Holidays | kids | leaf | lunchbox | meatless | no waste lunch | obento | organic | plant based | school lunch | snacks | soy free | toddler food | toddler lunch | Vegan | Vegetarian | whole food | winter | yum
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The Quinoa Corporation makes packages of premade polenta. They’re perfect for a last minute dinner or snack. The polenta they make is USDA certified organic, kosher, gluten free and fat free with no funky additives. It comes in all different types, plain, flavored with garlic.
They also make yummy pastas with corn and quinoa and fun shapes for kids. For today’s lunches I used their blend of corn and quinoa for added protein. I like to cut shapes for the kids out of 1/2″ slices. I also cook the leftover scraps for me to eat. I either bake or grill the polenta on the stove top. It’s pre-cooked so there’s no worry about it not being cooked long. I cook it long enough for it to be firm and picked up by little fingers without falling apart. Below are quinoa polenta hearts baked in a skillet on the stovetop over medium heat for about 10 minutes on each side. In her mini dippers container is barbeque sauce for dipping. next to the polenta hearts are a cup of raspberries and a pick of yellow grape tomatoes. At the top left are heart shaped watermelon pieces and at the top right are cantaloupe hearts packed in her Easy LunchBoxes container.
For her snack today, Miss G has a LunchBots Uno with a sweet potato pumpkin shaped muffin at the top left, 2 Crimson Gold mini apples, slices of local Florida oranges with a lion pick and snow peas.
Miss A has mini leaves in her LunchBots Quad. From the top left are watermelon leaves, cantaloupe leaves, quinoa polenta leaves and a peeled clementine surrounded by dried apricots.
Things I used to make this lunch:
