The Lunch Idea:

With no advance planning, I am just trying at the last minute to throw a little last bit of Halloween into the lunches.  Pumpkin shaped sandwiches with my pumpkin cookie cutter and a few picks for eyes. The little oranges that look like little pumpkins. And the Halloween wrappers on the cheese make it easy.  

Have you ever seen me put a chocolate chip cookie in a lunch? I think this is a first.  They'll be shocked! I thought a little treat was in order.

This lunch has it all: dairy, gluten, nuts, chocolate.  Sorry. 

What's in the lunch: 

• Sandwiches: three are peanut butter and homemade grape jam.  One child lately has decided that she hates peanut butter and jelly, so she has ham and cheese. 
• A little orange
• Almonds and dried apricots
• Cheese
• Chocolate chip cookie

Tips:

• When you are cutting a sandwich in a shape, try cutting the pieces separately and then putting the sandwich together.  It's much less messy this way, and your bread doesn't get torn apart. 
• A little napkin on the bottom just helps add color, and make keeps things in place a little. 
• Whenever I cut anything in shapes, people ask what I do with the scraps!  Often, I eat the scraps, or one of the kids does.  When it's just bread, like today because I cut the bread first, then I save it to make bread crumbs.  I have a bag in my freezer of bread scraps.  I just toss them in there, and next time I need bread crumbs for a recipe I just throw a handful of scraps in the food processor.  Homemade breadcrumbs are so easy, and so much better than store bought.