Quiche #9 & Recipe

I was running low on fruits & veggies (have to make a trip to TJs tomorrow!) so a spinach & cheese quiche, whole wheat mini-blueberry muffin (recipe below), and some frozen veggies that will thaw by tomorrow. Our fridge is really bare! I don't feed him corn too often, but there's really only about a teaspoon there. He usually picks out the peas to eat first anyways, the corn ends up on the floor!


So, I LOVE feeding Jackson blueberries (they are one of THE powerhouse foods), but they're so dang expensive! I've tried buying frozen bags and he just won't touch them. I don't blame him, they do have a different taste. So, I modified this recipe so I could get rid of some of the freezer stash and now I'm sure he'll eat them!

Ingredients:
1 cups whole wheat flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 cup milk
4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 egg
1/2 cup blueberries (I think I used more like 3/4 cup)


Directions:
Preheat an oven to 400ºF. Grease or use 24 mini muffins cups.

In a bowl, stir and toss together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.

In another bowl, whisk together the milk, butter and eggs until smooth. Add the flour mixture and stir just until blended. Add the blueberries and stir just until evenly incorporated.

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each one about three-fourths full. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes, then remove the muffins from the pan. Makes about 24 mini muffins.

I found this recipe from Williams Sonoma, cut the recipe in half and used whole wheat flour instead of white. They do taste a tad *healthy*, but still perfectly yummy.

Bento #8

Cantaloupe (with a cute little bear from my cutters!), blueberries, string cheese, and butternut squash.

I've been trying to feed Jackson so well, lots of colors from the rainbow. It is hard, because until him, I didn't realize how much of it I don't eat myself on a daily basis. So, I'm trying new things while I try to feed him healthy.

The butternut squash was a test for me. I swear I used to gag on squash when I was fed it as a child. But, I just read an article about how you can peel it with a potato peeler, cut off the ends, scoop out the seeds, cut into little cubes, drizzle with olive oil and salt, bake it at 400 degrees for 20 minutes and it gets all caramelized like "candy". Sounded good to me, and surprise, we BOTH loved it! What an easy side-dish and great leftovers for lunches!

(I bake it a tad longer and it gets a tad more crispy, reminding me a little more of french fries!)

Bento #7 & Recipe

Mini quiche to thaw for tomorrow (I think this one is chicken and jack, hard to tell), blueberries, and more sweet potato fries.


The mini-quiche recipe is from Lunch at our House blog. I was introduced to her blog from ANOTHER blogger and once I saw her lunches, I was hooked! I searched her archives and found her mini-quiche recipe, which I've made and frozen a couple batches for my school lunch last year. They're fabulous,

Here you go!

Mini Quiches
1-2 cups diced ham or chicken or meat of your choice
8oz shredded cheese of your choice
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup Bisquick or similar baking mix

Spray a muffin pan with non-stick spray.
Cover the bottom of each cup with meat, then sprinkle cheese on top of that (maybe a couple of teaspoons of each).
In a separate bowl, combine eggs, milk and baking mix till the lumps are gone, you may want to use an electric mixer here.
Pour a little of the egg mixture over the meat/cheese mixtures till the muffin cup is filled almost to the top.
Bake 400 for 20-25 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

This also works with a regular pie pan for a whole quiche, but up the baking time to about 40-45 minutes.

I usually freeze them after cooling. I pack lunch at night, so I just pop one in the box at night, put it in the fridge, and out to school the next morning. They're perfectly thawed by lunchtime.

My favorites so far are, chicken with jack, chicken with pepper jack, bacon with cheddar, and ham and Swiss.

I was really excited to find her recipe because my mother and I used to get Quiche Muffins from Paradise Bakery in the mall, after my skating lessons when I was little. The quiche muffins seemed to be just cheese and spinach and look just like how this recipe turns out. I've tried the recipe with frozen/thawed spinach and they taste nothing like the bakery's. My mom and I are now thinking that they tasted so good because they were practically all cheese. So, I'm still fiddling with that recipe. I'll post it if I ever figure it out worthy enough to post. Jackson doesn't seem to mind my testers though. It's one way I've snuck some spinach in him willingly.

(We don't have a Paradise Bakery anywhere NEAR us now though, a lot have closed down. But, they won't give me the recipe. I've tried. If you do have one, I highly recommend their Quiche Muffins, Pumpkin Muffins, and Sugar Cookies.)

Bento #6 & Supplies

Okay, my last set of supplies came in the mail today. It's hard not to get carried away! I ordered a second box for Jackson and a couple very small cutters. One is a set of 4 and the other slices a piece of bread perfectly with little trucks, including a firetruck! With my previous purchases, I think I've spent around $20-25, which is about the same as a lunchbox, so I'm happy with these purchases since they'll get use for his lunches and beyond.

Of course I had to use it for tomorrow,

Tofu, cut with a star from the new set, sweet potato fries, and pears steamed with a sprinkle of cinnamon. I feel like I'm somewhat getting a hang of the whole bento look, as this one looks pretty bland and colorless to me.

Monday

Leftover pasta salad from yesterday (see below, but I forgot to put olives & onions in the salad, that's okay, he hasn't tried olives yet) and some melon & grapes! It's not really as much food as it looks, it amounts to maybe one baby carrot, 3 grapes, 1 slice zucchini, etc.!

Great Site

We're approaching on 12 months now, and sadly I thought my favorite babyfood website only goes to 12 months. Nope! I just found out they have a Toddler Site! Yeay, complete with weekly recipe suggestions and tons of cool new ideas. I might try this one today for some good leftovers this week.

PASTA SALAD

1 bag of tri-color pasta (shaped in wheels or another "fun" shape if possible)
1 C chopped fresh broccoli
1/4 C sliced black olives
1/2 C baby Carrots, julienne
1/2 C zucchini, sliced thin
1/2 red onion, sliced very thin
2 T olive oil
black pepper and lemon juice (low-fat salad dressing if your choose)

Boil pasta al dente. Sauté broccoli, carrots, zucchini in olive oil until crisp yet tender. Drain & rinse pasta. Combine pasta and vegetables in large bowl and add parmesan cheese to lightly coat. Add black pepper and lemon juice if you wish. Serve warm or cold

Bento #4

Friday's lunch, whole wheat cheese sandwich with strawberries. Although the boys ended up going to a late breakfast, so I got to give it to Jackson on Saturday!

Oh, and looking at other bento pics, I was thinking that *gasp* why do they all use white bread? And no I find out the pictures make them all look like white bread, even mine!

Bento #3 & New Box

Jackson's first official bento box is adorable! The playing outside part suits him to a T.

And his first bento in it for tomorrow. A Spinach & Cheese Mini-Quiche, which will thaw by tomorrow, and cut up nectarine.

Bento #2

More tofu, strawberries, and peas that will thaw before lunch. Put in a Wonderbread sandwich container, but not totally filled up (he is only 10 months).

Bento #1

Jackson's first bento!!

I'm unsure if I'm going to start making his bentos now or wait a little longer. But, I made teriyaki baked tofu tonight and had some leftover. Teriyaki tofu, seriously? Yep, I really wanted to try it and it was a hit! Jackson was picking them out to eat off his tray before ANY other food. I should have gotten that on video!

Adorable

Here are some picks I ordered for our upcoming bento adventures! Aren't they adorable? I've used them in my own lunch and they bring a smile when I open my tupperware. I can't wait until my little one has the same surprise!

~I just searched "bento" in etsy supplies to find these!

Hmmm...

I am considering starting this blog in addition to our family's blog. Right now I only make my own lunches, so they aren't as exciting as when I will be able to make my son's lunches. I really wanted to reserve the address/title though for the day that I will begin!