LUNCHBOX HEROES REVISITED ~ starring YOU!

Back in August, my friend Jill inspired me to put together an article taking on the issue of picky eaters vs. school lunch. It's an issue I can relate to. Packing a healthy lunch for my eight year old daughter is a daily challenge. It's involved much trial and error and a lot of uneaten food. I think I have it figured out for now, but my formula alone was not enough to solve the woes of all the other parents out there. So, I consulted the EXPERTS: my dream team of amazing mom friends. Thanks ladies!

I started off the discussion with one of my daughter's lunchbox favorites:

HOMEMADE TRAIL MIX: What's great about this is that it's a fun activity as well. We start out by picking healthy items from the grocery store ~ nuts, dried fruits, seeds, whole grain cereals, etc... Have the kids pour all the ingredients into a large zip-loc bag and shake to combine. Instead of buying all of those prepackaged snacks that are loaded with preservatives and sugar, you have a fun and delicious snack that will last for weeks, is packed with protein, omega 3s, and whole grains.

The next great idea came from one of the hippest mommies I know ~ Ahnalisa, who said:

"My kids love soup of any kind. Noodles, vegtable, bean you name it. It is quick to heat on the stove in the morning and we pack them in a stainless steel thermos we picked up at Rite aid. Trader Joes has great soup selections. I have them pick a fruit and this usually does it."

Fellow foodie, Iris offered:

"For easy stuff I don't have to make, my kids LOVE Hummus with pita and veggies. Also, grilled cheese with tomato and black forest ham."

School chum Jacqueline (now an elementary school teacher herself) took the hummus concept in a fun new direction:

"Big pretzels and hummus!"

Emily, a very creative and crafty Mompreneur, added:

"black olives and dill pickles-not together but they are a great "something else" when I feel like the lunch is lacking."

Geri, who never fails to put a smile on my face said:

"Wraps! When I feel like it's time for a little change in the ol' lunch pail, I use whole wheat flatbread instead of whole grain bread. You can spread all kinds of things (cream cheese, mustard, hummus, you name it!) then add whatever kind of meat you like (or not), then lettuce, dill pickle, the possibilities are endless, then roll it up, press down to flatten just a bit and cut in a diagonal and presto...a really cool sandwich!"
Jill, the gal who started it all, chimed in with:

"We like to make our own version of healthy lunchables. I put my own spread with a kid friendly knife (p.b, cream cheese, whatever) and then cut out our own shapes of cheese, nitrate free turkey and whole grain crackers"
It was my friend Catherine, however, that had me wishing that she was packing my lunch!

"Sliced cucumbers with a dash of rice vinegar. Rice & black beans with corn, shredded cheese, tbl spoon of salsa verde. Dried fruit & nut mixtures. Whole wheat naan bread & hummus or edamame dip. Almond butter-honey sandwiches. Frozen mango chunks mixed with berries. Whole Wheat pasta w/ Parm cheese. Salmon salad sandwiches. Ham or turkey roll-ups. Small, whole apples. Melon slices. Oatmeal-raisin-walnut cookies."

Kristen, another childhood pal offered several delicious ideas:

"My son LOVES strawberries or bannana slices with vanilla yogurt to dip them in. Plus celery with cream cheese, cinnomon & sugar. He also loves pita bread with cream cheese & ham slices..Then I cut in funny shapes"

Sarah Henry of "Lettuce Eat Kale" did a wonderful feature on "Beating the Brown Bag Blues a.k.a. Taking the Stress Out of School Lunch". Check out her article HERE.

She included a great list of online school-lunch resources :Epicurious: Back-to-school round-up includes lunch recipes, tips, and daily nutritional needs for kids
Ann Cooper: Healthy suggestions for school eats from the Renegade Lunch Lady
Vegan LunchBox: Inspired offerings from bento blogger Jennifer McCann
The Tiffin Tin: Lunchtime advice with a healthy dollop of humor from Lily Hamrick
What’s Cooking: Satisfying school lunch options from kids cooking instructor Michelle Stern
HealthNews: Loads of practical ideas — and a recipe for granola bars — from self-described suburban soccer mom Susan Brady

HAVE SOME GREAT TIPS OR LUNCHBOX TRICKS OF YOUR OWN?

PLEASE SHARE BY LEAVING A COMMENT BELOW.

WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU POLLY POCKETS...MAKE CAKE!

A CREATIVE SOLUTION TO "THE POLLY POCKET PROBLEM"

(cake model courtesy of Mackenzie Erickson, age 3)

Rook No. 17 friend Gina H. from Oklahoma City recently posted a comment on Facebook that struck a chord, "We have entered the Barbie and Polly Pockets era of parenting." Anyone else been there? Are ya there now?

It was just a few years ago when the Pollys invaded my home en masse. Their teeny tiny shoes and micro mini skirts were scattered everywhere and I'm absolutely certain that if our civilization were to vanish, Polly Pocket shoes would be one of the few things that archaeologists would be able to find. I'm getting a disturbing visual of cockroaches skittering across an Armageddon landscape in little pink rubber shoes, but I digress.

It got to the point where I would vacuum even more than usual, in the hopes that I'd suck up half a dozen Polly pieces in the process, but this tactic was futile. Polly apparel is apparently the only thing that multiplies faster than dust bunnies.

So, I got to thinking, "How can I rid myself of these blasted toys once and for all and give the impression (to my children) of a loving and creative mom all at once?" The answer: The Polly Party. Yes, the Polly Party. All it took was an inexpensive pan, a box of cake mix, a box of instant pudding, some frosting and sprinkles, a gaggle of little girls, and all the flippin' Pollys in the house. Can you make the cake from scratch? Sure. Will the kids know the difference? No. I'm not always an advocate of cake mixes, but in this instance we're focusing on decorating and having fun, not a gourmet experience.

The inspiration for this idea was the classic "Barbie Cake" (aka the cake decorators' nemesis). You know the one: it's a big mound o' cake decorated to look like a ballgown. You stick a Barbie doll in the top and voila! Edible couture! In this case, you use the Wilton Mini Wonder Mold Pan (you can find it local craft stores for around $12) to make four mini "gowns" at a time.

Bake your "gown" cakes, set out some frosting and sprinkles, and let the kids go to work decorating! When they're finished simply insert a Polly in the top. Your child gets a fun and memorable party; your child's friends get a party favor; and your Polly Problem is gone!

Here are some links to get you started if you want to throw your own (Farewell to) Polly Party:

Wilton Mini Wonder Mold: http://www.wilton.com/store/site/product.cfm?sku=2105-3020

Excellent Selection of fancy sprinkles and decorations at Fancy Flours: http://www.fancyflours.com/cgi-bin/fancyflours/index.html

Easy Cake Recipe:

1 box cake mix
1 small box instant pudding mix
4 large eggs
1/3 cup oil
1 cup water

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour your pan. Mix all ingredients on medium speed for 2 minutes. Fill each cavity in the mini wonder pan 3/4 full. Bake for approx. 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Allow cakes to cool.

DON'T MISS THIS GIVEAWAY FOR YOUR LITTLE SPROUT!

Our friends Jaime and Lisa at Sprout Boutique have generously given us three fabulous gifts for this week's SWEET SUNDAY giveaway (formerly Sweet Monday Giveaways, but we felt disingenuous calling Monday "sweet").

One lucky winner, drawn at random will receive all of the following (a $50+ retail value)

1) Long sleeve cotton thermal shirt with in the "Give Peas A Chance" motif (size 6).
2) One pair of b&w polkadot certified organic legwarmers from BABEROO
3) One slate gray, supersoft cotton "Chalk It Up" t-shirt with the apple motif. (size 8) unisex

(If you're the winner and need other sizes, the gals at Sprout have assured us that they'll accommodate)

ENTERING IS AS EASY AS 1-2-3:

HERE'S HOW TO ENTER:

1. Visit the Sprout Boutique page on Facebook and join the group. -- AND --
2. Visit the Rook No. 17 discussion board on Facebook and post your answer to the baby related question
3. Leave a comment at the end of this post to let us know that you've stopped by and have done the above.
   

If you're not a member of Facebook, here's an alternative:

1. Visit the Sprout Boutique website and take a look at the Chalkboard Tees section. Then,
2. Post a comment on this post and tell us which Chalkboard Tee design you like best.
   
   One lucky winner will be drawn at random and announced next Sunday, October 4.

We simply love the "Chalk It Up" tees from Sprout Boutique. They're made from the softest cotton and come in lots of different colors and sizes from 4-10. Motifs include apple, butterfly, heart, skyline, and our favorite ~ a tie!

For more info just click the pic!

TIRAMISU FOR DOTTIE & YOU!

I was nudged out of retirement this week for an opportunity to make some of my favorite little chocolate towers (I call them Parapets) for a very special birthday celebration. The inspiration for the flavor was the classic Italian dessert Tiramisu. I started with a little round of lady-finger cake, soaked with Italian espresso; banded it in a collar of white chocolate with a cocoa butter transfer in a black floral scroll pattern (making me nostalgic for my mom's old calico dishes from when I was a child). Once the chocolate had set, the "Parapets" were filled with a dark rum laced mascarpone cream, and topped with a light dusting of cocoa powder. To commemorate the special occasion, I made chocolate letters that sat atop each Parapet to spell out "HAPPY BIRTHDAY DOTTIE". I made some extras so I could share the love around the neighborhood, and am posting a modified version of my recipes below so that you can make some for your friends and family too!

TIRAMISU PARFAITS

6 large egg yolks
2/3 cup sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
16 oz. mascarpone cheese
8 oz. cream cheese
1/3 cup heavy cream (for adding to yolks)
¾ cup cold heavy cream, for whipping

1 lady finger cake, cut into 1x1 squares (recipe below)
cocoa powder for dusting
whipped cream, to top the parfaits

In bowl of standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat yolks at low speed until just combined. Add sugar and salt and beat at medium-high speed until pale yellow, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, scraping down bowl with rubber spatula once or twice. Add 1/3 cup cream to yolks and beat at medium speed until just combined, 20 to 30 seconds; scrape bowl. Set bowl with yolks over medium saucepan containing 1 inch gently simmering water; cook, constantly scraping along bottom and sides of bowl with heatproof rubber spatula, until mixture coats back of spoon and registers 160 degrees on instant-read thermometer, 4 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat and stir vigorously to cool slightly, then set aside to cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes. Whisk in rum until combined. Transfer mixture to the bowl of a large food processor, add mascarpone and cream cheese, and pulse until smooth. Transfer mixture to large bowl set aside.

In now-empty mixer bowl (no need to clean bowl), beat the 3/4 cup cream at medium speed until frothy, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Increase speed to high and continue to beat until cream holds stiff peaks, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes longer. Using rubber spatula, fold one-third of whipped cream into mascarpone mixture to lighten, then gently fold in remaining whipped cream until no white streaks remain. Refrigerate for at least an hour.

TO ASSEMBLE PARFAITS

IN A GLASS ICE CREAM DISH OR GOBLET, start with a layer of mascarpone cream. Next, make a generous layer of cake. Sprinkle approx. 1 TB espresso or dark coffee over the cake. Add another layer of mascarpone cream. Add a dollop of whipped cream and refrigerate until ready to serve. Just before serving, dust with cocoa powder. A chocolate covered espresso bean makes a nice little garnish on top.

AN EASY RECIPE for LADY FINGER CAKE

1 Box white cake mix
1 small box vanilla instant pudding mix
4 large eggs
1/3 cup oil
1 cup water

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 12 x9 baking pan and dust with flour to prevent sticking. Mix all ingredients on medium speed for 2 minutes. Pour batter into pan and bake for approx. 30 minutes, or until a toothpick insterted in center comes out clean. Allow cake to cool and cut into 1x1 cubes.

GIVEAWAYS ~ THE WAY TO GO...

We absolutely fell in love with this adorable backpack from Made by Rae, and offered as a Guest Giveaway at Grosgrain Fabulous!

Made by Rae Jackpack Backpack GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

Giveaways a a wonderful way for new companies, artists, crafters and bloggers to get international exposure and gain a fan following. If you have a product that you would like to promote through Rook No. 17, please contact us.

HERE WE'VE HIGHLIGHTED SOME OF OUR FAVORITE GIVEAWAYS IN THE BLOGOSPHERE THIS WEEK:

• 250 Greeting Cards from "Stay At Home Mom": ENTER HERE
• A pair of SEE KAI RUN shoes ~ your choice: ENTER HERE
• Honey Mommy is having a great toy giveaway sponsored by AllChildrensFurniture.com, who sells everything from kid's chairs to toys. ENTER HERE
• Visit Otherhood for a chance to win a $50 Gift Certificate to Curly Cue Wall Graphics ("Want to spice up your walls or put some spunk in your room? Curly Cue offers really cute and unique wall graphics".) ENTER HERE
• Dolce Mia is offering one lucky reader a bar of soap, a liquid pump bottle of soap, a pump bottle of lotion and lotion tin in one scent of the winner's choosing. Visit Passionately Curious to ENTER HERE.
• "Now your little one can have his or her very own pair of Beibi shoes by Wee Squeak. The makers of these yummy little shoes are offering one lucky Bullfrogs & Butterflies Baby reader their choice of style and size from the Beibi line!" ENTER HERE.

Entering these giveaways is easy and free, and you'll always come out a winner because chances are you'll find a blog that you connect with, that speaks to your style and humor, and that you'll enjoy.

HALLOWEEN SCAVENGER HUNT ~ Free PDF!

Last year for my daughter's 7th birthday she requested that her party include a scavenger hunt. My husband and I had a lot of fun just putting the list of items together. We combed the internet, drove around town seeking inspiration, and went into a few local stores and public buildings making arrangements with the people who worked there. What resulted was an outrageously fun time for about twenty of my daughter's friends, plus their parents, siblings, and even some grandparents.

What I loved about this party was that it got everyone outdoors in the fresh air, moving around, seeing our hometown from a new perspective. It required teamwork and strategy, creative thinking and a good sense of humor. We live in the small Victorian town of Pacific Grove, California. Folks that know ol' "PG" will know right away that I likely reside in a "cottage", "bungalow", or "Victorian Charmer", all euphamisms for teeny-tiny-house-on-a-postage-stamp-lot. So, it's especially nice that with this type of party, you don't have to worry about paring down your guest list since most of the activities take place around town. Everyone convened back at our place after about an hour; lists were reviewed; prizes handed out; and then we enjoyed some of my husband's I-think-I-might-have-died-and-gone-to-hick'ry-pit-heaven BBQ.

If you're not off daydreaming about good BBQ, you're probably wondering what this has to do with Halloween. Okay, here's the deal: The birthday party Scavenger Hunt was such a success (based on feedback from all participants) that we decided to do it again for Halloween. The Halloween Scavenger Hunt turned out to be such a blast, that we decided to make it an annual event.

With candy corn & costume time just around the corner, I figured I'd post a free PDF of our Halloween Scavenger Hunt list for anyone out there who might be interested in rounding up a few friends, getting a little extra mileage out of those Halloween costumes, and starting a tradition of their own.

Here are some tips/guidelines:

1) Teams: you can either create teams based on your RSVP list or let your guests form their own teams.

2) Ask each team to bring a digital camera.

3) You can give bonus points to teams that come in costume.

4) We give each team an identical bag of "tricks" which includes their scavenger lists, pens & pencils, and some props. One of our favorite props is a roll of toilet paper. One of the scavenger hunt items involves wrapping a team member in the entire roll like a mummy, standing in front of a local museum.

5) Take a walking or driving tour around your town to get ideas to add some local flavor to your hunt.

6) Depending on your neighborhood, you may want to give your teams the option of using their car.

7) Send all the teams out at the same time and give them a return time. We typically give the teams an hour.

We'd love to hear your original ideas for Halloween Scavenger Hunt items in the "Comment" section below.

Thanks for sharing!

*photos appear courtesy of Holly at 504 Main, who participated in last year's hunt

Visit her own creative lifestyle blog at www.504main.blogspot.com

Halloween Scavenger Hunt

THE BEES KNEES

We think Sarah at Bit of Whimsy Dolls is simply "the bees knees"! In fact, the girls and I have Sarah to thank for keeping us "busy as bees" last week when we were home sick. The girls and I were getting cabin fever, and had the itch to be creative, so we shut off the tube, jumped online, purchased one of Sarah's PDF patterns for her original Baby Bumblee, and went to work. Our baby bees turned out absolutely adorable and are being snuggled by two very happy, and now healthy little girls. Thanks Sarah!

To purchase patterns from Bit of Whimsy Dolls, visit
http://www.bitofwhimsydolls.com/pdf-epatterns/

Check out Sarah's blog:

http://www.bitofwhimsydolls.com/blog/

You can even try out a pattern, for "Eddie Earthworm" FREE here:

http://www.bitofwhimsydolls.com/eddie-earthworm/

ROOK NO. 17 SAY'S "I DO" TO:

If there's a wedding in your future, or if, like me you're happily married but still enchanted by the dresses, the cakes, the whimsy and drama of weddingdom, you won't want to miss a new blog from author, wedding planner, style maven, and our very good friend, Holly Lefevre. HIP, STYLISH, AND TOTALLY COOL WEDDINGS is the ultimate "glam guide for the savvy bride." Holly describes this latest creative endeavor as, "Hip, stylish, & totally cool weddings for the budget savvy bride with above-average style, a fabulous and fun sense of herself, and distinctive ideas about her wedding. It speaks to the hip bride who knows the importance and impact smart spending and savvy thinking can have on her life and her wedding style."

We especially enjoyed the first installment of her feature tackling "WEDDING MYTHS".

We're looking forward to an interview with Holly precluding the release of her latest book, "The Everything Wedding Etiquette Book", and will be including a giveaway.

The resources available to brides have certainly expanded since I was married almost ten years ago, which prompts the question to my married readers, "if you could do it all over again, what would you do differently?" Hopefully, the groom would remain the same!

FREE FLOWER FAIRY TUTORIAL

By popular request, we've put together a free PDF tutorial so you can make some of these enchanting little flower fairies at home. Please share and enjoy.

If you'd like to enter for a chance to win a Flower Fairy Kit (includes everything you need to make three flower fairies, except the glue and wire cutters), please leave a comment below. Be sure to note an email address where we can reach you if you're the lucky winner of the October 1 drawing. Two winners will be chosen at random.

Flower Fairy Tutorial

IT'S APPLE PICKING TIME!

With the crisp, cozy, cinnamon-spiced season of Fall just around the corner, what better way to usher in the season than with a day of apple picking at a local farm? This month, farms all over the country open up their orchards to give us cityfolk the opportunity to stroll beneath their leafy canopies, heavy with crimson and golden fruits; to fill our bushels and baskets to the brim; to share the bounty with our friends and neighbors, the smell of flaky pies and tender dumplings wafting from our kitchen windows...

For those on the Monterey Peninsula, the place to visit is Gizdich Ranch located at 55 Peckham Road in Watsonville. From 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily you can pick Golden Delicious, Red Delicious and Pippin apples for just $1.35/pound. Bring your own boxes or baskets, a picnic lunch and enjoy a memorable day with the family.

Try one of our favorite family apple recipes

ALL DAY APPLE BUTTER

(it's absolutely divine over vanilla ice-cream ~ like a warm apple pie sundae!)

• 5 1/2 POUNDS APPLES, PEELED, CORED, AND FINELY CHOPPED
• 4 CUPS GRANULATED SUGAR
• 2 TEASPOONS GROUND CINNAMON
• 1/4 TEASPOON GROUND CLOVES
• 1/4 TEASPOON SALT

1. Place apples in a crock-pot.

2. In a medium bowl, mix the sugar, cinnamon, cloves and salt.

3. Pour mixture over the apples in the crock-pot and mix well.

4. Cover and cook on high for 1 hour.

5. Reduce heat to low and cook 9-11 hours, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thickened and dark brown.

6. Uncover and continue cooking on low for an additional hour. Stir with a whisk, if desired, to increase smoothness.

7. Spoon mixture into sterile jars, cover and refrigerate or freeze.

CARAMEL APPLES ANYONE? FIND THE PERFECT RECIPE HERE.