BENTO boxes and great ideas for kid's lunches!

I am super excited - getting stuff ready for school for the kids and since you all know I love anything about food or health-eating, I found these  bento box containers that I am SO pumped about! I also got Levi an ORANGE lunch box cooler

AND I got these cute fruit/veggie/cheese cutters to make lunches super cute and kid-appealing lunchbox options.











Since I really believe that the lunches at the schools are pretty nasty (anybody with me?), we allow Levi to pick out one lunch per week at school and the rest of the days he gets packed a lunch. If you are anything like me things get a little boring after a while and I hope these will help liven things up a bit!!!

I also found some really fun ideas HERE and HERE for ideas for making bento lunches for kids. I didn't get the little muffin things, but I might get those at some point to hold little snacks, etc, in the boxes! Do any of you use these cute boxes (or similar ones) for your kid's lunches???

Coconut Oil!!!

I am curious how many of my blog readers use Coconut Oil on a regular basis? If not, you should definitely start! It does amazing things and is considered a "healthy" oil.  The website www.coconutoil.com has some great info. Here is some more:

HEALTH BENEFITS

From his extensive research of the medical literature, Dr. Fife has come up with a slew of health benefits associated with coconut oil. Some of them are:
.. Reduces risk of atherosclerosis and heart disease
.. Reduces risk of cancer and other degenerative conditions
.. Helps prevent bacterial, viral and fungal (including yeast) infections
.. Supports immune system function
.. Helps control diabetes
.. Provides an immediate source of energy
.. Supports healthy metabolic function
.. Promotes weight loss
.. Supplies fewer calories than other fats
.. Improves digestion and nutrient absorption
.. Helps prevent osteoporosis
.. Helps keep skin soft and smooth

- I sometimes will take just a 'ole big spoonful of it!

- It is the ONLY oil I use to do high-heat cooking/sauteing, as it does not oxidize at high temps!

- It is AMAZING to use to make homemade popcorn! YUM!! I also stir a little into my oatmeal in the mornings, along with some rapadura and raisins!

- Honestly, it has really seemed to give me more energy and have found that when using it regularly, it helps me stay healthy!

Shop at this link for a great coconut oil in a 32oz size - enough for you to get to try for a month or more: COCONUT OIL. It is actually on sale right now, so a great time to give it a try! Tropical Traditions also has some other great products that you can take a look at as well! I have used their COCONUT FLOUR as well. It is YUMMY - and gluten free if you or anyone in your family is concerned about that!!

Give coconut oil a try! You might like it - if nothing else, at least your body will love it!

Egg/sausage Casserole - this time without the sausage!

This recipe actually calls for sausage, but I was out.....so instead we substituted some fresh basil and tomatoes from our garden!!!

Here's the original recipe:
6 slices bread, cubed
1 lb sausage, browned and drained
1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese
8 eggs, beaten
2 cups milk
1 tsp salt
pepper to taste

Start with a greased 9x13 pan and tear/cube 6 slices of bread and layer in the bottom. Then sprinkle evenly with sausage and then 1 1/2 cups of shredded cheese. Next, mix together the eggs, milk and salt/pepper and pour over other ingredients.

Next, bake for 45 minutes at 325 degrees. YUM!

Since I had no sausage, this is what I did to mine (before egg mixture was poured on - and notice I left the "funny business" to half of it so my kids would eat the rest):

Then I added egg mixture and baked for 45 minutes:

And the finished product!

YUM!!