A Success And A Fail

Last night I made a Chipotle Black Bean soup and I actually followed the recipe <gasp!>.  After the mandatory hour of cooking, the beans were rock hard. So, after we picked up some food from a restaurant, carved the pumpkins, and went trick or treating, I set about doing something for the soup. I refused to throw it out. First thing was to just throw it into the crockpot and set it on low. I left it overnight and the beans were soft this morning. The soup was still blah, though. Boo. Last night I had baked a bunch of sweet potatoes and, since we got take out, I had them sitting in the fridge. I put the soup into my vitamix in batches and added a sweet potato to each one. Once it was all blended I threw it back in the crockpot with the scallions and cilantro that were supposed to be a finishing step of the soup. I added some more salt and am letting it sit on low for a bit. You know what? It's creamy, spicy and delicious!  So don't give up on those failed attempts, you never know what you may end up with.

The final product

One thing I made to go with the soup that we did manage to eat while we were waiting on other food, was the lightly steamed carrots and broccoli with a peanut dipping sauce. The sauce was something I made up so take the measurements with a grain of salt <snort...ok, that was bad...I apologize>

1/2 C smooth peanut butter

1/4-1/2 C lite coconut milk- the amount will depend upon how thick your peanut butter is

2 tsp fresh ginger, minced

1 TBL tamari

2 TBL cilantro, diced

Sriracha hot sauce to taste.

Mix the milk into the peanut butter until it's the consistency you want. Mix in the rest and enjoy!

Honey Gobblers

Today I introduced my kids to a treat that I used to have as a kid. I remember one of my sisters and I making them and enjoying them with with enthusiasm. They couldn't be simpler to make and a great way to get some great protein and some great vitamins, including vitamin E. I don't have exact measurements and I don't even know if we used any as kids.

Mix together peanut butter, honey and wheat germ. Taking a little (I find the amount to be bigger than a grape but smaller than a ping pong ball to be nice sized), roll it in the palm of your hands until you have a ball. If it sticks to your hand too much, add more wheat germ.

You can keep them in the fridge for quick addition to their snack or for a little treat.

Day 4: The Only Thing Better Than Making Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup...

...is feeding it to your family and having them ask for second and thirds and gobble, gobble, gobble it all up! In fact, the leftovers were supposed to be for lunch today but there were none. They got pb&j instead. LOL!  I used the leftover juices and bones from the crockpot chicken on Tuesday to create the broth. I put it in a pan with regular organic chicken broth and simmered them for a while and then strained the broth into another pot. Then I added the noodles (I did gluten free although the recipe calls for whole wheat) and added more than was in the recipe. The end result was that there was more noodles than broth but it worked out great for the kids who aren't huge soup fans. The chicken was also leftover from Tuesday night's dinner. To go with the soup I made some whole wheat biscuits and I was told those were pretty good, too.

Chicken Noodle Soup

Whole Wheat Biscuits

Being the end of the week we are low on food. Without the soup and biscuits for lunch as planned, I did a little scrambling this morning. I could have fancied it up with my punches and what not but, honestly, I didn't have time since I had to do Halloween make up and all that before school.  Here it is, nothing special but it works and it's healthy!

Peanut Butter* and Plum Jam (made by a neighbor) on Honey Whole Wheat (Great Harvest),  peaches*, apples*, carrots*

Day 3: Dinner Makes a great Lunch

Last night for dinner we had quesadillas on homemade corn tortillas* and crockpot refried beans*. The kids ate everything on their plate and then some. Since it was such a hit I decided to make some more fresh tortillas this morning and use some leftover beans and cheese for the main entree of their lunch.

The tortillas were crazy simple to make. It was my first time and I had no idea! 2C of Masa Harina and 1 1/2 cups hot water (this could vary depending upon which brand you have), and a big ole pinch of salt. Mix it all well, kneed it, let it sit for a few minutes and then take out about a golf ball sized piece. Then roll it into a ball and place it between 2 sheets of wax paper on your tortilla press, peel off the paper and toss it into a dry frying pan to cook. It's about 30seconds-1 minute on each side. I preferred the tortillas to be a little thicker so they took a little longer to cook but they peeled off the wax paper in one piece easier. It took me about half a batch to get the hang of it but now it's easy.

Lunch: fresh corn tortillas* rolled up with refried beans* and cheese* (in the tin foil),  leftover zucchini muffin*, apples, carrots* and cucumbers*

For Breakfast today the kids had Honey Whole Wheat toast (from Great Harvest) w/ peanut butter* and a smoothie made with milk*, banana*, cocoa*, maple syrup and ice. 

Dinner tonight will be homemade chicken noodle soup* w/ whole wheat biscuits*

Here are some recipes from yesterday and today:

Crockpot Refried Beans

Chicken Noodle Soup

Happy Eating!

Kim

*organic

Day 2: Leftover Creations

We woke up to snow this morning. The kids were so excited that the 2 year old had her boots, jacket, hat and mittens on and was out in the snow just after 6am. Her brothers joined her shortly after.

In between "fix my glove" "my hands are cold" and "my neck is wet" I managed to make their lunch and breakfast. Breakfast was Oatmeal* with peaches*.  For the main lunch entree I took leftover chicken and quinoa from dinner last night and added some peas and carrots as well as some shredded veggies (that I had leftover from making the pancakes last night) and sauteed it all together with some Bragg's Amino Acids. If you've never had Bragg's, it is a lot like soy sauce but 1/3 the sodium and has the added benefit of amino acids. The kids love it and even put it on their popcorn. 

Fried Quinoa w/ veggies and chicken*, edamame*, whole wheat zucchini muffins*, walnuts, apples and a date*

Dinner tonight will be refried beans in the crock pot and veggie quesadillas on homemade tortillas. I've never made tortillas so wish me luck!

*organic (I got tired of typing it each time!)

Hmm? I'm sorry, I couldn't hear you over all the face-stuffing.

Dinner was pretty darn tasty and it will go in the "make again" file for sure. I thought I'd stick with recipes for the beginning of the challenge even though I often go without. First up was a chicken in the crockpot. Seeing as this 4.5lb bird was more expensive than my diet coke habit from McD's I was a little nervous about flubbing it. Need not have worried. The recipe couldn't have been easier and the meat was fall off the bone tender. I even have enough left over for some fried rice for tomorrow's lunch and for some homemade chicken noodle soup later this week. Along with the Chicken (organic) we had Vegetable Pancakes (organic) . I would probably call them a fritter but, whatever they are called, they were g.o.o.d!  I ran out of time for the brown rice so I made up some quinoa (organic) in some chicken broth (organic).

The recipes are from 100 Days Of Real Food

Crockpot Whole Chicken

Vegetable Pancakes

I wish I had a photo for you but it was crazy before dinner and then all the veggie pancakes got eaten!

P.S. I've given up the McD's Diet Coke habit as of today. Be nice to me or you might inadvertently get hurt.

Gluten Free and/or Whole Wheat Zucchini Bread Muffins

I didn't want to be left out of the muffins today so I made a batch of gluten free muffins and a batch of whole wheat ones for the kids. The recipe I got from 100 Days Of Real Food and I just made a minor adjustment.

Ingredients:
3 Cups Whole Wheat flour (for GF I used Bob's Redmill all purpose baking mix)
1 TBL cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
3 eggs
3/4 cup oil (she used coconut, I used canola)
3/4 cup honey (I ran out so for the WW ones I used half honey and half maple syrup and for the GF ones I used all maple syrup)
1 tsp vanilla
3 Cups grated zucchini
1 Cup chopped nuts (optional...I left these out since my kids aren't huge fans)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees  for small loaf pans or 325 degrees for large loaf pan or muffins.
2. Blend dry ingredients.
3. Make a hole in the center and pour in the eggs, oil, honey and vanilla. Stir just until mixed- do not overmix.
4. Fold in the grated zucchini and chopped nuts if using. Pour batter into greased loaf pan(s) or muffin holders and bake until a toothpick comes clean in the top/center of the loaf or muffin.

*If using smaller pans bake for 30-40 minutes.
*For one larger loaf pan bake for 50-60 minutes.
*For muffins bake for 15-20 minutes.

Clean Eating Challenge

Years ago we learned how dye affects our eldest kiddo and eliminated it from his diet. Since then we have also seen it affect our middle child as well. We are well aware of how food effect our kids behavior so it was only natural that when our oldest started having behavioral issues again we take a look at our diet. In doing some research, I came across a fabulous blog called "100 Days Of Real Food".  Looking at this blog, and knowing what I do about the effects of food, I decided to put our family on a diet of "real food" for 2 weeks to see what would happen. Will A's behavior be better? Will N sleep better? Will Z's cradle cap clear up? Will I lose weight? Ok, that last one wasn't really one of the reasons but it would be awesome anyway!

So what is the challenge? To eat only fresh and natural food. Anything that may come in a package should be in it's natural state (like dried beans or oats) or have fewer than 5 natural ingredients (and no artificial ones).  I made my menu for the week and my shopping list and hit Vitamin Cottage, a local natural store.  I got organic for most things and, surprisingly, my total was WAY less than my usual shopping trip. I'm sure I will have to go to the store for fruit and a couple of other things partway through the week but it is certainly still less than I was spending.

I will try and keep up with our daily menu, with recipes and how things are going.

This morning for breakfast the kids had smoothies (organic milk, organic frozen peaches, banana, a couple of dates for sweetening), honey whole wheat toast from Great Harvest Bread Co. w/ fresh peanut butter made from organic peanuts.  The bread is thinner than usual sandwich bread but it is so much more dense. The boys were fine with just one piece and the peanut butter. They had a little of the smoothie but weren't overly thrilled with this one as much as they have been with others.

Lunch for the boys at school was supposed to be egg salad sandwiches but I ran out of time. Instead it's more finger food; hard boiled eggs (organic), walnuts, Babybell cheese (using up what I had), cucumbers (organic), carrots (organic), hummus, strawberries (organic) and an organic Halawi Date as a sweet treat. Snack at school was sliced apple and after school will be popcorn w/ Bragg's Amino Acids and Olive Oil.

Dinner tonight is crockpot chicken (organic fed...most expensive thing I bought!), veggie pancakes, and brown rice.

Munch Munch

I haven't been updating because I keep having things scheduled first thing in the morning and that seems to be my main time to post. Busy busy me also means a certain lack of creativity in the lunch department. I did, however, feed my children (most of the time) so here's a glimpse at lunches past;

Octodogs w/ ketchup for dipping, Mac 'n Cheese, sauteed purple cabbage, mango applesauce squeezer, red licorice for a treat. 

Tuna salad on hot dog bun, multigrain crackers, grapes, celery w/ cream cheese, homemade snack bars, mini chocolate chips.

Yogurt with blueberries, peanut butter and jelly roll-ups, cucumbers and red peppers, grapes and more blueberries, fruit ''nuggets' as a treat.

Not a school lunch but a picnic lunch for our day at the Botanical Gardens; pizza w/ dipping sauce,  hot dogs, cheese sticks, crackers and almonds, sour cream and onion goldfish, watermelon, pear and raisins. 

Yogurt w/ raspberries (frozen to keep the yogurt cold longer), almonds, cream cheese and peach jam roll ups, grapes, carrots, goldfish, and fruit nuggets.

Watch Out... Them Some Angry Birds

Yeah, I know the title is grammatically incorrect, so sue me, okay?

The boys LOVE Angry Birds and have gotten to levels I can only hope (or not) to reach some day. In honor of their accomplishments, I put together an Angry Bird themed lunch today.

Ham sandwich on whole wheat bagel, Asian pear & blueberries, carrots, Angry Bird babybell, graham crackers, Pig cucumber, and mini chocolate chips.

The bird is made out of babybel cheese with the red wax cut away, hard boiled egg whites for the eyes, carrot for the nose, nori for all the eyebrows and pupils and a little cream cheese to hold it all together. The pig is made from cucumber with egg white for eyes and nori for the pupils and nostrils.

The Gateway Sport

You have this little baby (ok, so he was 10lbs and not so little but ya know...) and you swear to protect him from everything you can that may hurt him. You do your best for 5 years. You keep him relatively whole and unbroken and you pat yourself on the back for doing such a good job. Then, one day, your neighbor is out shooting hockey pucks with his kid and lets your son have a go at it. Dually impressed he tells your sweet baby that he's a natural. As much as you want your son to develop his own interests from his older brother you were kind of thinking maybe he'd get into erector sets instead of legos. Instead, he's decided it's ice hockey. Yup, that's what it is. Thinking that he'll get on ice skates and fall a few times and truly hate it, you go ahead and sign him up for beginning ice skating.  And then...he loves it. I mean, really, really, REALLY loves it.  So it begins....

Ice skating....the gateway sport...

Snips and Snails

Yesterday my oldest, Alex (7), decided that he didn't like what was on the menu for that evening. Apparently, pancakes and eggs were not to his liking. So he decided to share his commentary in a place that was sure to be noticed.

Needless to say, I stuck with the original plan for dinner.

I'm hoping he's a little more pleased with today's lunch, to say the least. 

Snails, watermelon balls, mini pepperoni, pizza sauce for dipping the snails, red ants on a log, mini chocolate chips.

The snails are made with Pilsbury breadstick dough. Just pull them apart (after that dreaded POP!) and roll up one end and tuck the other end under for the head. Brush with melted butter and bake according to the package. Things not to do: turn your back on your puppy so he eats 1 or 2 of them off the stove, get sidetracked making your husband's lunch and overcook the snails.

Snips and snails and puppy dog tails; that's what little boys are made of!


It is Wednesday so pop on over to see Shannon!!

Ole!

I woke this morning wishing I were in laying on the beach in Mexico. Just me, the warm sand, blue water, a trashy novel and Raul the cabana boy. Alas, back to life, back to reality (tell me you don't have that song in your head now...liar!).  With Mexico on the mind I made lunch for the boys;

Quesadillas and beef taquitos with guacamole, carrot sticks, watermelon stars, mini chocolate chips.

The Insanity Goes Beyond Lunches

I'm a list person. I LOVE lists. I will make lists of the lists I need to make. I also love organizational things; boxes, files, white boards, calendars...you name it!  Now, this doesn't actually mean I'm really truly organized but it sure gives that impression.

How to appear organized:

1. Get a dry erase calendar and put on it your activities, lunches (in red) and dinners (in green).
2. Get a giant erase board and divide into sections for each person
3. Write down routines/chores for morning, afternoon, and evening
4. Don't actually use them so they look nice and pretty for as long as possible.

For today's lunches I tried out my new sandwich cutter. It worked pretty good and really only took off just the crusts so I was impressed.  Oh, and yes, then I washed it and put it back in one of my organizational boxes. The one that holds all my cutters and molds specifically for lunches. 

PB&J heart sandwiches surrounded by craisins, salsa sun chips, cucumbers and sweet snacking tomatoes, 1/2 banana w/ almonds and mini chocolate chips. 

I'm off to make my lists for the day....

It's a Two-fer

What a hectic and crazy morning I had! Got up extra early to get their lunches ready and still have enough time to take a shower, find someone to watch little Miss and rush off to take my oldest to the dentist even earlier than we normally leave for school. Lack of sleep, caffeine, and brain cells leave me with nothing witty or pithy to say so enjoy the 2 days of grub....

Corn-dog muffins, cheese stick, cucumber flowers and carrot sticks, watermelon balls and mini chocolate chips.

PB&J star sandwich surrounded by bunny grahams, 1/2 banana and almonds, celery and cream cheese, cantelope stars and craisins, mini chocolate chips.

Apples, Pears, and .....oh my!

So my Mother in-law is visiting and she has been teaching me to crochet. I don't know if I will ever be a professional but, hey, I just may be able to make a banana hammock. Wait...wha?  Crocheted (that word looks so wrong) banana hammocks?!?!

So this crochet project is actually for an apple cozy. Yes, an apple cozy. Think of it as a cozy warm sweater for your poor little apple who needs a hug. Stay with me now....I'm not ADD, your brain just doesn't work as fast as mine. So this is the apple cozy project I found online.

 There are several sites but I have to give kudos to Crafty Anna since I'm able to follow her pattern and I think it's super cute. Now looking at other pattern sites I found, well, look for yourself...

Apples, Pears and...oh my!


Oh, that's not a banana hammock?  My bad...


P.S. In case you really are moving slow this morning, this was not about a bento lunch. I'll try and get to that when I stop laughing.

Monster Nom Nom

Since I quit drinking caffeine first thing in the morning on a regular basis, I find I'm much more even keel in the mornings and less of a giant biznitch waiting for the Bialetti to brew my morning espresso. While I'm not little Miss Molly Sunshine that everybody hates to see before noon, I can manage a smile and some pleasantries most mornings within a few minutes of my feet hitting the floor. Some days, like those days when some little fingered troll has been messing with my alarm clock,  I'm a little frazzled when I get up late and the mommy monster does show her not-so-pretty little face. With that being said, I'll leave you to deduce my morning mood....

Bagel and cream cheese with cheesy teeth and olive and craisin eyeballs, carrots and broccoli with ranch for dipping in the little container, roasted peanuts, grapes and blueberries and mini chocolate chips.

....and now I'm going to go get another cup of coffee.


Happy Wednesday!

P.S. Head on on over to BentoLunch.net  and see Shannon for What's For Lunch Wednesday!

This Is What Happens When Your 2 Year-Old Wakes You Up At 5am

You have time to bake. Yes, seriously. Now, I'm not a baker. AT.ALL. In fact, most everything I bake turns out rock hard or explodes in some way. I don't know why, exactly, but I blame it on the altitude. Never mind that thousands of people bake at high altitude with no problem every day. I am simply not one of those people.  I do, however, like to APPEAR like I can bake so some times I call it in. Today was one of those days. So, after you oooh and aaah over my baked creation for the boys' lunches, I'll tell you how I did it.

Pepperoni pizza roll ups, black olives, cheese stick, julienned carrots, Asian pear and blueberries,  and fruit nuggets as a treat. The little container has a little more pizza sauce for dipping.

Mmm mmm....that homemade pizza goodness...doesn't it look tasty? Frankly, I wouldn't know, it's not gluten free (yes, I sent my kids to school with untested/untasted food don't judge me), but it sure LOOKS tasty.  I used Pilsbury pizza dough in those tubes that pop open when you start to peel them. Ok, side note; does it freak anybody else out when it does that, or is it just me? I also have a problem with champagne corks and refuse to open anything like that. So, this dough...yeah...roll that baby out. It's stickier than my kid's hair after an ice cream cone so be sure to use lots of flour on the counter and on the rolling pin. Squeeze some pizza sauce on it, not as much as you would a normal pizza because then it's too goopy, sprinkle a little cheese and any toppings you want. I discovered mini pepperoni. No joke...little disks of nitrates! Roll up that bad boy so it's a log and slice it up; I think the smaller slices 1/2"-3/4" worked better than the bigger ones. Bake at 425 until mostly done; maybe 10 minutes, and then take them out, add a little spot of sauce, sprinkle of cheese and a couple nitrate disks and put back in to finish it off. 

I don't have exact measurements or times because that's just not how I (pizza) roll. 

Learn To Pick Your Battles

Today is pizza day at school and the boys begged me to let them get hot lunch. It's not even "good" pizza from a restaurant but that cardboard nastiness that schools slop some tasteless tomato sauce and generic government cheese on and call it pizza. Part of me wants to scream "My food is SO much better than that!!!!!"  but then I remember what it's like to be in elementary school and how exciting it was to get that little tray and pick out my milk and then wait with anticipation for whatever slop they called lunch that day.

I relented and the sheer excitement coming from both boys did help alleviate the pure horror that they would want that over my lunches.

So, in honor of learning to pick my battles, I'm sharing one of my favorite blogs and blog posts of all time. I'm sure a number of you have seen this before but I think it bears repeating on this Friday.

Knock Knock Mother F*****

Oh, and I seriously need a 6' metal chicken. Just sayin.

The Best Laid Plans

I had this great plan to make these fabulous Mac-N-Cheese muffins for the kids lunches. I even got up early to do it (seeing as I passed out last night before cooking the pasta as I'd planned).  You know, sometimes things just don't work out. This was certainly one of those times. Well, I think it was. I wasn't thrilled with how the 'muffins' turned out but Noah really liked them and Alex found them ok; although he would have preferred them without the ham. Now, that was this morning after I pulled them out of the oven so I have no idea how they faired come lunchtime. Just to be safe, I made some PB&J flowers and then added a hard boiled egg, brocoli (w/ ranch to dip in the covered container), fresh peaches and craisins and some fruit 'nuggets' for a treat. It was a fairly diverse lunch so I felt ok sending the questionable muffins as I figured they'd get enough to eat otherwise.  That's about as exciting as it gets today, folks. Some days you just have to go with the flow, or the funky mac-n-cheese muffins as the case may be.

Beyond The Sandwich

My kids get tired of sandwiches day after day and I really can't blame them.  It's too hot for something in the thermos so I thought I'd try some kabobs. Food is always better on a stick, eh?  There really is no theme for this box but I thought it turned out colorful and fun nonetheless!

Ham and pineapple kabobs, Vanilla yogurt with strawberries, cucumber flowers and orange bell pepper strips with hummus for dipping, and a sesame stick for a treat. The containers with the hummus and the yogurt both have lids and they fit snug in the box.

Now it's time to start thinking outside the sandwich box. My kids don't really like mixed up things like casseroles so I think it will be a challenge but stay tuned to see what I can come up with!

Make sure you pay a visit over to Shannon over at "What's For Lunch At Our House" aka http://www.bentolunch.net/  for great ideas and be sure to check out her Wednesday posts ever week!

Happy Wednesday everybody! Eat well and be happy :)

Can't Box Me In!

Ok, I admit it. I have a thing for containers, boxes and organizational do-dads. Big ones, little ones, partitioned ones, metal ones, cute ones, transparent ones...they ALL have a purpose in my house.

(There....I've said it now maybe my husband will leave me alone about it...although I doubt it!)

With one kiddo going back to school and one starting school, it was the perfect time to pick up some new boxes for lunches. I had been coveting the boxes from Planetbox.com and finally broke down and ordered a couple. I don't regret it one bit, because I absolutely LOVE them, but my husband about had a heart attack when he saw the price. Just remember, it's easier to ask for forgiveness than for permission ;) (ok, not good marital advice and if you ever send your significant other over to my blog I will deny I ever wrote that!).

I do have other containers but these are my go-to ones right now. I can fit the perfect amount of food in them for my 5 and 7 year old and it makes packing a healthy, well-rounded, lunch a snap. Even if you don't do the cut outs/themes/embellishments, these are still a great option. The fact that they are stainless steel make them even better in my opinion; there is no leaching or staining and I can toss them in the dishwasher each night and they are perfect and ready to go first thing in the morning. The little containers that come with them are fantastic for dips or other softer items like yogurt. My boys have an easy time opening and closing them and seem happy with them and it presents the food in such an appealing way that their boxes come home completely empty each day.

Today's lunch wasn't much in the creative department but I think they will still be happy with it.

Whole wheat bagel with cream cheese and ham, brocoli florets and carrot sticks with ranch dressing in the little container for dipping. Grapes and blueberries and a few Bunny Grahams as a treat. The red bag at the top of the picture is a Re-Pac bag with salsa Sun Chips.

The Re-Pac (Re-PacBags.com) bags are also fantastic! They are reusable zip bags that are lined so that you can even put things like peach slices in them and they won't leak. I just turn them inside out, hand wash them, and leave them out to dry with the dishes, although you can supposedly machine wash or put them in the dishwasher. The fabric and colors are awesome and the zippers super easy for little hands. The amount of Ziploc bags that I no longer use is outrageous!

I'll share more about boxes and other options over the next week or two. If you put your questions in the comments I'll try and answer them!

Alright, I can take a hint

So I'm not really a blogger, although I do like to talk and ramble and...stutter post....quite a bit, but it's been suggested on numerous occasions that I blog about my kids' lunches. I'll sure give it a shot but, to be honest, I'm not that original and I get most my ideas from fabulous other blogs out there. I'll try and keep those links handy for my posts in any case.

Since I'm not really a blogger, just who or what am I? Well, I'm a Domestic Goddess and Chief Boo-Boo Kisser to 3 of the most amazing, challenging, smart, and crazy little devils;  aka Alex (7), Noah (5) and Zoe (2).  Alex and Noah just started school a week ago so I've been trying out new things for their lunches.

Today was one of those "new" things. I wanted an under the sea type theme so I decided to try something a friend had done for her son's birthday; Octodogs!  I needed small ones to fit into the lunchbox so I used the ends for the octopi and then the middles I made crabs. They turned out cute but...will they eat them? I don't know how room temp hot dogs are going to go over with my little culinary cuties but it was worth a shot.

For the Octodogs I cut off the ends and then cut slits to create the legs. The crabs were the middles of the hot dogs sliced lengthwise and then the legs cut into them. Once they were all sliced and formed, I dropped them into a boiling pot of water to curl the legs. It didn't take long, maybe a minute tops.

To round out the lunch we have sour cream and onion Goldfish crackers, cucumber rings, strawberries and blueberries, a little container of ketchup for the octodogs/crabs and a little bit of mini chocolate chips as a treat.