I packed two lunches today so I could eat with the shmoo after helping out at school. I roasted potatoes and carrots and tucked them between layers of barley poppyseed pastry to make these little "hand pies" (mine are the flowers). I also packed us each some organic apple slices and "Tuscan Bean Medley" (chestnut limas and cannellini beans), a gift from my lucky aunt who lives near a Trader Joe's. For a treat I threw in spelt pretzels mixed with one of shmoo's all-time favorite snacks: Tofurky Jerky.Verdict: He ate his entire lunch (loved the beans!) and then ate my jerky, too. I'm surprised that he likes things like jerky and vegan salami -- they're too spicy for me. 5 stars.
Will you be my mother?
ReplyDeleteSuper-cute pastries. Can you tell me if you made the pastries (looks like cookie cutters) or if you bought them and then cut them. Did you put spices in the roasted veggie mix?
ReplyDeleteWhat is your secret for roasting the potatoes and carrots? Do you use water or vegetable broth?
ReplyDeletedoing my daily check of the lunchbox..yummy as always..btw..i live for trader joes..there are two within five minutes of where i live..which is always good
ReplyDeleteTwo within five minutes?? Ooh, I have Trader Joe's Envy.
ReplyDeleteHi, Leslie -- Yes, I made the pastry dough myself and cut them out using cookie cutters. The recipe will be in my cookbook -- it's the same one I used to make the leaf pies for the Fall Equinox lunch back in September.
Your lunches are such cute little things! Do you and Shmoo really eat that little? My little one could eat BOTH those lunches and would be RAVENOUS by the time she got home!
ReplyDeleteThanks Jennifer. I remember the Fall pastries, thanks! There's a TJ's one mile away from me (rubbin' it in...).
ReplyDelete>Do you and Shmoo really eat that little?
ReplyDeleteHa! Just last week someone posted "are you sure you child isnt eating too much? though all is healthy, you meals are big for a child in jk-grade1." So you really can't win!
I think it all depends on the size and appetite of the individual. I could easily fit more food in the containers, but we were both very full after eating what was there.
Thank you for all your great suggestions, I have been veg since 1998, and am raising a veg toddler. But like you I have a carnivore husband. :-( so we have lots in common.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I just heard of your site last week, and can't wait to get started making new things for my little tot. Thank you again for sharing.
By the way - I've never been to or seen a Trader Joes.
do you make all the lunch dishes the night before....like the roasted veggies and pastry....or do you do all this bright and early in the morning?
ReplyDeleteI have a laptop lunchbox and I find that the smaller portions actually make me slow down, chew more thoroughly and enjoy my lunch more. Of course, being a stay at home mom I have more time. My daughter only has 25 minutes for lunch (only because she brings her lunch does she get more time! Go figure!) so I usually pack a little extra in her containers. She eats at 11:30 and doesn't get home til 4:45 so she's starving.
ReplyDeleteForgot to ask what was to drink?
ReplyDeleteOh, yeah! The thermos was filled with water for us to share.
ReplyDeleteHi, April! I like to do what I can the night before; for this one I assembled the pastries the night before and refrigerated them, then pulled them out and baked them in the morning. But sometimes I do get up early and do something more elaborate in the morning (I'm kind of a morning person anyway!).
WOW Jennifer!! a friend in Taiwan sent me the link to your wonderful lunchbox. I'm in Australia ;)
ReplyDeleteI love how you take the time to answer everyone and offer inspiration. I do hope you get that cookbook out there soon because I'd love a copy!
I am sure you answered this before, but I have spent so much time already looking at everything, I'd rather not have to look at ALL the comments :) there's too many! LOL!
Here's my question:
do you put orange juice or lemon juice on your cut fruit (apples for instance) to prevent them from browning?
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You're lucky to have such a cute schmoo who enjoys eating all those foods!
Definitely inspiring for me, I'm hoping to get more creative with lunches for our (omni) daughters from now on... I think I might have to get that waffle iron I've been eyeing!!! ;o)
:) thanks!!!
Hi Jennifer,
ReplyDeleteI think most of us are already "sold" on your upcoming book. Perhaps you should do "pre-sales" so we can reserve a copy!
THEN, our T-shirts could read, "I've Ordered My VEGAN LUNCH BOX Cookbook, Have You?"
Cheers! Arline
Hi there!
ReplyDeleteLove the site, wonderful healthy ideas, and I'm not even vegan!
Just a question though, how on earth did you get your son to eat cold vegetables - I've noticed you often pack things like peas and green beans, or corn - surely these taste bad eaten cold! I would love to eat more veg with my lunch, but the thought of cold veg is rather off putting!
Cold corn on the cob straight from the frig is actually really good.
ReplyDeleteI like Arlene's idea!
ReplyDeleteNeato! Wish I had a Trader Joe's near by or even within an hour or two. Nothing.
ReplyDeleteI need to look up things to do with Cannelli Beans. Any other suggestions?
I think every city should have a Trader Joes, I wish Dallas had one!
ReplyDeleteYummy lunch as always........
Dallas has Whole Foods and Central Market, though!
ReplyDeleteI'm in Austin and we have lots of great stores with tons of yummy vegan stuff!
Hi, Jen! One thing that being around kids has taught me is that many of them actually prefer room temp or cool foods. A lot of the foods we're used to eating piping hot can also be eaten cold (think of the peas and beans served at salad bars).
ReplyDeleteWhen veggies are cold he likes to pick them up and eats them as finger food (not the daintiest thing to do, I know, but hey, he's eating them!). He can also grab them and snack on them right from the fridge.
Hi, France -- thanks & welcome! Yes, I toss the apple slices with orange juice. Shmoo found lemon juice "too sour". Natural citrus soda also works.
Hi, Harmonia -- I love cannellini beans! I like them as a hummus-like puree for dipping, or made into bean burger patties, or (my fav) cooked with fresh rosemary and lots of garlic and served with crusty french bread. Mmm.
LOVE Tofurky Jerky!!! sorry, its not an exciting comment, but i had to endorse that product that eats away at my tiny wallet.
ReplyDeleteI miss Trader Joes! I never saw the Tuscan Bean Medly though. My kids would love that. I like TOfurky Jerky...but it is hard for me to chew with my sensitive teeth. So, I tend to lean towards BBQ Primal Strips instead.
ReplyDeleteI just wanted to thank you for your wonderful website! I'm so glad that I found it. I've really been struggling with what to eat for lunch and your website has given me so many great ideas! With that, I'm off to the grocery store! :)
ReplyDeletewhat IS Trader Joes? I'm from Canada... so I'm totally clueless.
ReplyDeletei'd like the recipe for the roasted veggie hand pies? could you post it or have you already? thanks.
ReplyDelete