Top 5 of 2014 -- Food Fun Round-Up!

In 2014, I prepared many bentos, muffin tin meals, and other food fun meals for T.  He enjoyed every single one!  :)

Here are the Top 5...
the five most-viewed food fun snacks and breakfast, lunch, and supper meals I created in 2014:

The top three are all Winnie-the-Pooh muffin tin meals.  I made all three of them the same week...after I read to T the book, Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne.  I guess there are a lot of silly old bear lovers out there...of which I am one!  ;-)

#1 — Winnie-the-Pooh Breakfast

#2 — Winnie-the-Pooh Lunch

#3 — Winnie-the-Pooh Supper

The top fourth is an Easter bento...full of bunnies!

#4 — Bountiful Bunnies

The top fifth is a springtime butterfly-themed muffin tin meal.

#5 — Butterflies Lunch

Many other meals received tons of views.  (Thank you!!)  I just love to make special meals for T...and it's quite rewarding that he loves them so!

In looking back through my 2014 food fun posts, I was surprised to find that I hadn't made more fun meals than I did.  I think "make more muffin tin meals and bentos" will have to be one of my New Year's resolutions!

Linked to:
   Eats Amazing

Xander's Panda Party

The Family Dinner Book Club selection for April is Xander's Panda Party by Linda Sue Park.

Xander's Panda Party
by Linda Sue Park

                             Xander planned a panda party.  Yes, a dandy whoop-de-do!

                             But Xander was the only panda.  Just one panda at the zoo.
                                       ~from Xander's Panda Party

Xander's Panda Party is such a lovely book.  I love the story line and the rhyming text.  (You can watch the book trailer here.)

However, I had to think twice about purchasing the book.  This is one conversation between two of the animals in the book:

          The crocodile asked Xander, "You've invited all the birds.  Birds and reptiles—long ago,
          we were related, don't you know?"

Evolution.  I will choose to omit that sentence when I read the book to T.  Regarding that portion of the book's content, the author noted in the back of the book:

        Most evolutionary biologists believe that some of the reptiles commonly known as
        dinosaurs evolved into birds during the Mesozoic era.  Today's reptiles and birds
        share common ancestors that lived more than one hundred million years ago.  The
        evolution of life on our planet continues to be a complex and wondrous mystery.

This is not what I (or we, as a family) believe.  That's why I had to think twice.

I am planning to do several fun activities with T, including the following:

• panda bear paper plate craft
• panda bear puzzle
• "P is for panda bear" magnet page
• bears 1:1 game

Although I have found a slew of ideas on the Internet for panda bear activities, crafts, and foods, I think I will start with these four!

Winnie-the-Pooh Supper

I made this Winnie-the-Pooh muffin tin meal for T's supper today.

• Baked Hunny Chicken
• green beans (from Rabbit's garden)
• hunny butter biscuit
• tossed salad (from Rabbit's garden)
• baby carrots (from Rabbit's garden) with ranch dressing
• mashed potatoes (from Rabbit's garden)
• Winnie-the-Pooh glass of milk

Wasn't that nice of Rabbit to provide so many wonderful veggies for T's meal?!  ;-)

The Baked Honey Chicken recipe is from Daisy at Home.  It's a food suggestion for the Family Dinner Book Club selection for January, Winnie-the-Pooh.

I made the Piglet, Winnie-the-Pooh, and Eeyore picks from a printable for pencil toppers.

Tomorrow is the big day for our Winnie-the-Pooh family dinner celebration...if I can finish getting it together!  :/

Linked to:
   I Heart Lunch

Winnie-the-Pooh Breakfast

I made this Winnie-the-Pooh muffin tin meal for T's breakfast today...for T to enjoy while he waits for our Family Dinner Book Club celebration tomorrow!  ;-)

• bear pancake with banana slices (ears and nose) and
  chocolate chips (eyes and nose)
• Hunnycomb cereal
• hunny butter biscuit with orange marmalade
• applesauce with bear sprinkles
• hunny Teddy (bear) Grahams with blue balloon pick
• Winnie-the-Pooh glass of milk

     "When you wake up in the morning, Pooh," said Piglet at last, "what's the first thing you say to yourself?"
     "What's for breakfast," said Pooh.  "What do you say, Piglet?"
     "I say, I wonder what's going to happen exciting today?" said Piglet.
     Pooh nodded thoughtfully.
     "It's the same thing," he said.
          ~from Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne

Inspiration for the bear pancake:
   spunkydiy
   minieco
   kidssoup

Linked to:
   I Heart Lunch
   What's for Lunch Wednesday

Winnie-the-Pooh Lunch

I made this Winnie-the-Pooh muffin tin meal for T's lunch today...for T to enjoy while he waits for our Family Dinner Book Club celebration later this week!  ;-)

• bear-shaped sandwich on hunny wheat bread with mini m&m's for the facial features
• pretzel sticks (to resemble a tree trunk) with a blue balloon pick
• baby carrots (from Rabbit's garden) with ranch dressing
• applesauce with bear sprinkles
• hunny roasted peanuts
• hunny Teddy (bear) Grahams

     "It's like this," [Winnie-the-Pooh] said.  "When you go after honey with a balloon, the great thing is not to let the bees know you're coming.  Now, if you have a green balloon, they might think you were only part of the tree, and not notice you, and if you have a blue balloon, they might think you were only part of the sky, and not notice you, and the question is:  Which is most likely?"
     "Wouldn't they notice you underneath the balloon?" [Christopher Robin] asked.
     "They might or they might not," said Winnie-the-Pooh.  "You never can tell with bees."  He thought for a moment and said:  "I shall try to look like a small black cloud.  That will deceive them."
     "Then you had better have the blue balloon," [Christopher Robin] said; and so it was decided.
          ~from Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne

Winnie-the-Pooh

We read the book, Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne last week.

Once upon a time, a very long time ago now,
about last Friday, Winnie-the-Pooh lived in a forest
all by himself under the name of Sanders.

~from Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne

The book has 10 chapters.  I started on Monday and read a chapter at breakfast and/or a chapter at lunch while T was eating each day.  We finished the book over the weekend.

Now...on to the special dinner celebration!  I'm planning it for one night this week...maybe Thursday or Friday?  (Stay tuned!)

Family Dinner Book Club

Jodie at Growing Book by Book has started a Family Dinner Book Club.  It debuted on January 1, 2014.

Each month this year, these three women:
     Jodie at Growing Book by Book,
     Jill at Enchanted Homeschooling Mom, and
     Sarah at Daisy at Home
will share a book to read, conversation starters, dinner menu ideas, and arts and crafts ideas.

On the 1st of each month, the title of the featured book is revealed.  On the 15th of each month, all of the details for the special dinner celebration is shared.

The selection for January is Winnie-the-Pooh by A. A. Milne.

Winnie-the-Pooh
A. A. Milne

You can view Jodie's conversation starters for the family dinner celebration here.
You can view Jill's arts and crafts ideas for decorating the dinner table here.
You can view Sarah's menu ideas to complement the book here.

I purchased this classic children's book last weekend, and we will be reading about this lovable bear all week.  :)

Snowbear Meal

I wasn't planning on preparing a coordinating meal for T, but then some ideas came into my head...and I couldn't resist!  :P

In the book, Snowbear's Christmas Countdown by Theresa Smythe, Snowbear counts down the days to Christmas...hence the placemat.

The date, December 25, is circled in red on Snowbear's wall calendar.  I intended to put the 25 (icing decorations) on a square Wheat Thins cracker (to resemble the date square on the calendar), but I discovered we didn't have any.  So, it is on a snowflake Ritz cracker (with additional crackers underneath).

On the 6th day, Snowbear shoveled snow.  Those mashed potatoes are really a big pile of shoveled snow.

Next up is applesauce with jumbo snowflake sprinkles...because it's a very snowy story!

Snowbear had his penguin friend over for lunch on the 19th day...and they ate fish, of course!  That's where the Goldfish crackers come in.

What would be a Snowbear meal without Snowbear?  He's a polar bear-shaped piece of toast with Swiss cheese on top (and a sprinkle eye).

Linked to:
   Muffin Tin Mom
   Read Explore Learn

Hungry Bear

The bear loved to eat fish, but even a good thing can get old after awhile.  Consequently, the bear hid in his cave and waited patiently for his prey....After the bear ate his lunch, there was nothing left of his meal except the bare bones!  :P

• cave - peanut butter and jelly sandwich
• bear - wheat bread with mini m&m's
• fish - Goldfish crackers
• bones - Scooby-Doo! graham cracker sticks
• applesauce with bear sprinkles

Check out some other bear-themed meals...



and some other muffin tin meals....