Well, this was not my original idea.  Usually on Tuesday I like to do some kind of lunchable or snack box.  But I went to make lunches last night and found myself without crackers.  I'm not sure how that happened, because I'm usually pretty on top of my inventory, but oh well. Sandwiches are always an easy backup. I got out some of my fun sandwich cutters to make them into fun shapes - so there really is never just an 'ordinary' sandwich around here.

I am constantly trying to think of new and different ways to present the same foods.  If you look at my lunches closely, you'll see that the foods are repeated a lot.  But even so, the lunch basically never looks exactly the same twice. Taking an ordinary food and just presenting it differently can make it seem like something totally new. 

This is just leftover cheese pizza.  I cut it in bite size pieces and put them on little skewers. It was quick and easy and I think makes it fun.

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.  

I'm trying to get my Halloween on!  This is actually the first time this year that I've broken out any of my cutters. I got a big pumpkin shaped cookie cutter at the grocery store last month, and it's the perfect size for the lunch box. That, along with a few letter cutters just pressed part way into the quesadilla, and I had a Halloween lunch done in about 5 minutes.

ou know, breakfast for lunch.  It's Wednesday of course.  I have a schedule to follow. Bagels are always a favorite, and they're easy and quick to put together. Today I just cut them a little different and stuck the pieces on a skewer. The mini bagels are a perfect size for lunches. Add a little protein and a little fruit, and I'm just about good to go. I got a big bag of the little oranges at Costco last week, they are really juicy and sweet.

I like routine, and for me that includes following a meal plan.  For lunch I just follow a schedule that helps keep me on track.  And according to that schedule, Tuesday is "lunchables" day, or what I loosely define as just a snack box - crackers and other little things to nibble one. I usually just start by filling the box with little containers, and filling the containers until I've got what I think is a balanced meal.  This week I went with a gluten free cracker, not because I had to, but because we love these crackers.  They are made by Milton's and we get them at Costco.  They are crunchy and salty - just what crackers should be. 

This is a Monday lunch, which sometimes ends up being a little of this and a little of that.  Monday is a good time to clean out the fridge a little. One child didn't eat her grilled cheese sandwich from a Saturday restaurant outing, so I cut it in pieces and stuck on skewers for two to share.  The other two were just as easy - pizza rolls pulled from the freezer.

One day a week I like to do something like a "lunchable". To me, this term has come to be a generic sort of description for a snack box with lots of little bites of things. It sort of starts with a cheese & cracker type of idea, but evolves from there.  Basically, I fill my EasyLunchboxes with these square silicone muffin cups to divide the big section into four small sections, and then I just look around and start filling.  A little protein, a little carb, a little fruit, a little veggie, and before we know it, we have a lunch.  

Leftover pizza hardly needs a reason.  When we make or order pizza, we always get extra.  I think leftover pizza should be its own food group. Having leftover pizza just makes Monday seem so much better. Well, for me anyway.  It's the easiest lunch to pack.