2 Bento #238 - Cucumber-Bacon Sandwiches & Cherries

This idea was WAY cuter in my head!  I had envisioned thin slices of cucumber with a strip of bacon and topped with spinach artichoke cream cheese and rolled up and secured with a pick.  Unfortunately, my hand-slicing wasn't quite thin enough.  I really needed to bust out my mandolin.  In any case, we have cucumber sandwiches instead of rolls.

Fresh cherries, and a side of almond-raisin granola and Goldfish crackers.

Bento #238 - Cucumber, bacon and spinach-artichoke cream cheese sandwiches, cherries, granola and Goldfish crackers.  Snack - Clementine and roasted peanuts.

0 Bento #152 - Crackers & Cucumber Spears

SNOW DAY!  We had about 6 inches of snow dumped on us last night, which is crazy unusual for the Atlanta area.  We had no school, but this was the bento I made.  I spread a little cream cheese on the crackers and some sliced ham "sticks", as well as a sliced baby cucumber.

Bento #152 - Triscut crackers, provolone cheese, cream cheese, ham, cucumber spears, dried cherries and blueberries.

5 Scrambled Eggs & Cream Cheese

I find that there are two kinds of people:  Those who love scrambled eggs with cream cheese, and those who go "huh?"  If you like scrambled eggs, and you like cream cheese, you must try them together.  Really, it's one of life's great, simple pleasures.

You'll need:

Butter
Eggs
Cream Cheese
S&P to taste

I told you it was simple!

Melt some butter in a non-stick pan over medium heat.

Meanwhile, crack your eggs into a bowl.  I use 3 for me.

Beat eggs with a a fork and a little salt and pepper.  I usually beat for about 20 seconds.

Next, add a hunk of cream cheese.  If you're like me, you'll add about 1/3 umm...a 1/4 of the package.  Or however much looks good to you.  I mean, if you wanted to add a 1/3, that's fine by me!  Cut it up into smaller chunks and add with your beaten egg.

Now, dump the bowl into your skillet.  I like to let it sit there without stirring for several seconds until the edges start to firm up.

Now, take the flat of a spatula and start smooshing the cream cheese, and of course folding and stirring occasionally.

When the scrambled eggs are creamy, but not runny, they are done.  I hate dry eggs, so I'm really careful not to overcook.  The cream cheese adds this amazing velvety texture.

Plate, sprinkle with some fresh cracked pepper and see if your kids don't come begging for a taste!

The cream cheese adds this really good tangy note, along with the aforementioned velvety, creamy texture.  I also like to add chopped up baked ham to this whenever I make one.  Good.  Eats.

0 Bento #36 - Nuggets & Tomatoes

Miss E must have been really hungry at lunch today, because although I worried I was sending too much food, she came back with her entire bento empty, except perplexingly enough the strawberry cream cheese, which she didn't touch.

Bento #36 - CFA chicken nuggets on skewers, grape tomatoes, cheese crackers (Trader Joe's), apple & strawberry cream cheese.

I was on an apple roll today - for dessert I made baked apples, sans sugar (not allowed on my diet.)  I peeled and sliced one Honeycrisp apple per person and squeezed the juice of 1/2 a lemon, some apple cider vinegar (1 tsp), cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and allspice in a casserole dish, along with about 1/2 cup water.  Popped it in the oven covered, and baked at 400 for 30 minutes.  They were beautifully tart, and naturally sweet, but I imagine it would be amazing with a little maple syrup or honey drizzled on top.

1 Bento #10 - Spinach Ravioli

Bento #10 - Spinach ravioli, ants on a log (celery with strawberry cream cheese and craisins), and more craisins. Boy, will she be surprised by the cream cheese! Hope she eats it.

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This was the first lunchbox that came back totally empty - she ate all of it.  I think I need to be packing her less like this, since the class gets a nice snack from a different child every day, which is usually crackers & cheese, yogurt or muffins, so she's probably not terribly hungry when lunchtime rolls around.