favor- “ette” friday: bento boxes and blove

Yes, you read correctly – I wrote “blove”. I’ll get to that shortly.

But first, my new favorite thing ……………

As I’ve written before, Noah is not the greatest eater. But a few months ago we discovered that meals go a little more smoothly when he has an array of foods in front of him. Now, I was schooled in the philosophy  that you serve a young child 1 item at a time, let them finish, and move on to the next. I was also taught that you NEVER offer dessert before the main course is finished.

Well, any of you out there who experience meal time challenges know that both of those ideals – actually ALL ideals – fly right out the window when you are desperate for your child to eat. Noah likes to “graze”  – going around from item to item and back again. He will even have his “dessert” and then go back for more pasta/fruit/cheese. So I’ve learned to relax (a little) and let him navigate his meals much more than I used to.

The problem is that it’s virtually impossible to fit all the little bowls, cups and plates that comprise a typical “meal” on his booster tray. He likes EVERYTHING on the tray all at once (in fact, one of the first words he clearly pronounced was “fit” – as in, “I want everything to FIT on the tray!).

Enter “Laptop Lunches” – a genius system consisting of a hard outer shell and 5 inner containers (2 with lids). There’s even a tiny one for dips. The box fits perfectly on Noah’s booster tray and travels beautifully too. This is obviously a great solution for kids who take lunch to school, as well as for  “big kids” who pack lunch for work.

We now have a perfect “fit”.

How did I discover today’s find?  A few months ago my friend Cindy sent me the link to a blog she thought I’d enjoy. It’s called “Little Ladies Who Lunch” (how cute is that?). It is written by a woman named Susan who, along with her 2 young daughters, was diagnosed with a condition that necessitated a radical change in their diets.

Or, as she writes, “The panic that ensued quickly gave way to “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade.”  And preserved lemons.  And lemon roasted chicken.  And low-fat lemon yogurt cake.  You get the picture.”

She posts – almost daily – the healthy meals and snacks she prepares for her family. Her photos are great and her meals are pretty to look at and creatively presented – and almost always in these bento boxes.

And the “blove”? My VERY clever friend Meredith was recently referring to a blog she loved. It may have been mine. I can’t be sure. She called it “blove” and I am officially co-opting it here.

As in, I “blove” Little Ladies Who Lunch.

Thanks Mer.

Happy Friday!

Wondering what favor-”ette” means? Click here!

http://www.laptoplunches.com/

http://littleladieswholunch.com/

Related posts:

favor-“ette”: apple to go favor-“ette”: conversation heart frame favor- “ette” friday: apple chips and food blove