And we're back! Heirloom Tomato Bruschetta!

Heirloom, Tomato Bruschetta, Blueberries, Hard Boiled Egg

.....aaaaaaand we're back after a much longer hiatus than I had anticipated.  I'm going to be honest, I was a little glad to take a break from having picture perfect lunches every single day...there may have even been a few days when I just threw a Lean Cuisine in my purse and pretended like I wasn't a slacker.

Anyway, I've decided to try to make it to at least 365 lunches - also known as a year's worth!  After that, we'll see.  I definitely won't be updating every day, but I'll try to update at least once a week.  I may also lean more on showing you recipes that would provide great leftover lunches rather than just showing you lunchboxes.  In other words, lots of ideas!

Now, this lunch I'm showing you is from over a month ago.  At the height of tomato season, I visited my mom and we got some heirloom tomatoes from Reyer Farms in Lena, Mississippi (thanks, mom!).  If you're anywhere near the area, you should go visit the Reyers (they also frequent the Jackson and Livingston Farmers' Markets).  We went to their farm and picked out a whole bunch of tomatoes.

Aren't they beautiful?!

When I mentioned that I liked to cook, and particularly loved caprese salad and bruschetta, they cut some fresh basil for me and let me take it home for free.  (Really, you should go visit them.  They are super nice.  And no, they're not paying me for this review.  In fact, I don't think they even know I have a blog to review them in!  They're just nice, and sell tasty vegetables).  Anyway, mom and I divided up the tomatoes.  I brought a bag full home and made caprese salad, spaghetti sauce, and some bruschetta for lunch.  It. Was. Delicious.

I packed the bruschetta for lunch with some fresh local blueberries, and a hard boiled egg for protein.  If you pack this for lunch, you've really got two options.  I like it when the tomatoey goodness soaks through my bread and I have to eat it with a fork, so I packed it as pictured above.  If you like your crostini to be actually, you know, crisp (like it's supposed to be outside of my crazy world), then I recommend packing the bread and tomato mixture separately and assembling at lunch. 

Now, go buy some fresh tomatoes before they're all out for the summer!

Heirloom Tomato Bruschetta

1/2  cup chopped heirloom tomato (about 1/2 large tomato, or 1 roma tomato)
2-3 leaves fresh basil, chopped
1 T chopped red onion
1 T crumbled feta cheese
1 T red wine vinegar
1-2 t olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
dash of salt and pepper
dash of red pepper flakes, optional
2 slices Italian style bread (I used day old homemade rosemary focaccia - use whatever you have on hand)

Toast your bread until just golden on the edges, and let cool completely.  You may sprinkle on a little olive oil or butter if you like, but I find it unnecessary.

In a small bowl, combine remaining ingredients and stir well.  Let sit for at least 10 minutes to allow the flavors to mingle.  You may store this in an airtight container in the fridge for a couple of days, realizing that the tomatoes will get softer and the flavors stronger the longer you store them (not necessarily a bad thing, just a matter of taste).  When ready to eat, spoon tomato mixture onto toast and eat like an open faced sandwich with your fingers.  Enjoy as a snack, appetizer, or light meal. Pin It Now!

Day 203 - Tarte aux Champignons

Tarte aux Champignons, Spinach Salad

 Today, we have another treat from the Trader Joe's freezer section.  This Tarte aux Champignons is very similar to the Tarte d'Alsace that I love so much, just with different toppings.  This one has mushrooms, emmental, and some other cheeses - still the tasty pastry crust, still a tasty bechamel base.  Y'all, these things bake in 10 minutes!  That's it!  Just enough time to get your plates, drinks, and salad ready!  I paired the leftovers today with a plain spinach salad (I threw some vinaigrette in the lunch box, not pictured), and it was a very tasty, quick lunch!  Pin It Now!

Days 201 & 202 - One Ingredient, Two Lunches - Trader Joe's Style!

Salad and Stir Fry, both made with mixed Asian Vegetables from Trader Joe's.

I went a little crazy at Trader Joe's this weekend.  I do that, from time to time.  It's far enough away from me that I don't get weekly groceries there, so I tend to just buy large quantities of wine and frozen food at once. 

For the next two lunches, I took advantage of the produce section!  They apparently sell a pound of mix, pre-cut Asian Vegetables in the produce section - red and green bell pepper, red onion, broccoli, carrots, mushrooms, watercress, and pickled corn.  So, what did I do?  Bought it, and used it for lots of meals this week, inlcuding two lunches! 

The first lunch is a tasty, French inspired salad with mixed greens, bell pepper, mushrooms, corn, broccoli, and carrots with a tangy honey mustard dressing that I made at home, along with a leftover dinner roll.

The second lunch is Trader Joe's Mandarin Chicken, amped up with all of the delicious veggies, over jasmine rice with orange sections and broccoli from the veggie mix.

And I still have some vegetables leftover - I'm going to use the peppers and onions in a pasta later this week (unlikely to show up for lunch), and then just snack on the carrots for the rest of the week! Pin It Now!

Day 166 - Wasa and Toppings

Wasa Crispbread, goat cheese, pepperoni, strawberries, blackberries.

 I really like Wasa Crispbreads.  My parents always talked about them like they're the worst diet food in the world, but I find them to be an excellent vehicle for cheese, vegetables, and fruit.  I usually keep a pack or two around the house, and top them with goat cheese and apples when I need a quick, healthy snack.  Today for lunch, I packed sesame Wasa and goat cheese, as well as other things randomly selected from my fridge - blackberries, strawberries, and pepperoni.  Both the berries and the pepperoni were great toppings with the Wasa and goat cheese, so I got to have several little creative moments at lunch!

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Day 137 - Chicken and Salad with a New Product!

Salad with Baked Chicken, Red Plum, Dried Apricots

I decided that I needed a salad with some chicken for dinner last night.  I also decided to be lazy and get some bottled dressing, for both dressing the salad and marinating the chicken.  I usually make my own, but every once in a while I just say "what the heck, dressing is on sale and I want to be lazy."  So, I turned down the dressing aisle and encountered one of the most brilliant marketing ploys I have ever seen.

Enter Kraft Sizzling Salads.  As best I can tell, this is a box of two 6 ounce bottles of complementary flavored dressing, one marked for cooking, the other marked for salad.  The intent is that you use one bottle for cooking your chicken, the second for dressing a side salad.  They come in four flavors - Tuscan, Caesar, Asian, and Southwest.  For the one package, you pay the same amount that you would for a 16 ounce bottle of dressing.  So, you're paying a little more, but you get two flavors.  I played around with them, and you could use either dressing in the package for cooking, salads, marinating, all sorts of things.  And each bottle could be used for at least two salads.

Are bottled dressings overpriced and full of chemicals?  Yep.  Do most of us use them anyway?  Yeah, on occasion.  So, which I wouldn't necessarily use these as directed, this is a great little package to inspire your creativity.

I bought then Tuscan package.  I used the peso flavor to marinate the chicken, which I baked and chopped up.  Dressed the whole salad in the balsamic dressing.  Not a bad deal, in all honesty.  Try it and let me know what you think. Pin It Now!

Day 136 - Chicken "Burger"

Chicken "Burger," Clementine, Potato Cracker Chips

I'm calling this a "burger" because it may look like a burger, but it's really just a small piece of pan cooked chicken.  You can get ground chicken and make a burger, but for whatever reason I just don't love the taste of chicken burgers.  However, I love a grilled chicken sandwich...but I killed my George Foreman Grill.   So, I took this piece of chicken and sauteed it in a pan with some balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and sherry.  Put it on a whole wheat bun with lettuce, mayo, dijon, and a slice of havarti.  Added a clementine and a handful of Special K Cracker Crisps, and there was lunch!

Have you tried Cracker Crisps?  They're not bad.  Looks like their half potato, half rice cracker.  A little better for you than regular chips, and satisfy much of the same cravings.

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Day 124 - The Lunch I Forgot to Plan

Muller Greek Corner with Berries, Lara Bar, Carrots, Nut Thins

 Some weeks, you just can't plan out every meal.  And so you come to Friday morning and you just throw things in your lunch box.  This morning, I found a Muller Greek Corner, Lara Bar, carrots, and almond Nut Thins crackers.  Pretty healthy for a lunch on the fly, if I do say so myself.

Have you tried Muller Corners?  Muller is a European brand that Quaker has brought to the US, and it's to die for!  Unfortunately, the Muller Rice pudding snacks haven't made the transatlantic journey, but someday, I hope...

Strawberry Muller Corner

Anyway, as they appear now they come in Greek and traditional yogurt varieties, and the corners have delicious little additions, like fruit preserves or chocolate or granola.  You should try them if you haven't!  They fit great in your Easy Lunch Boxes, too! Pin It Now!

Day 119 - Not-Really-Homemade Spaghetti

Spaghetti, roasted chicken, sugar snap peas.

I love homemade spaghetti sauce from scratch.  Love it.  I love all the chopping, the simmering all day, the rewarding slurping at the end of the night.  Buuuuut, some days you get home late from work, have bills to pay, emails to answer, clothes to launder, groceries to buy...and all you really want to do is catch up on TV.  That, my friends, is time for spaghetti sauce from a jar.

Jarred sauce is always on sale, there's always a coupon, and you can heat it up faster than pasta.  You can jazz it up, too...I usually add a can of diced tomatoes, a little minced garlic, and some chopped onion or mushrooms if I've got them.  And the good news is, if there are leftovers, I just pour them back in the jar and use them over the next couple of weeks.  Opened, a jar of sauce usually stays good for a week or two.

So, leftover pasta with jarred sauce starred at lunch today, with some leftover roasted chicken and sugar snap peas.  I added just a teaspoon or so of water to the peas so that they steamed when I microwaved this for lunch.  Very tasty! Pin It Now!

Day 115 - I Love Dried Fruit

Leftover cheese pizza, broccoli, dried strawberries.

I love dried fruit.  I do.  I love fruit, and I love crunchy things.  Dried fruit is an obvious win for me!

Packed some leftover  pizza, broccoli, and dried strawberries for lunch today.  I bought them in a weak moment when I decided to go to Whole Foods and spend eleventy thousand dollars on five items.  But man were these good!  Tart, sweet, crunchy, light!  Mmmm...

Don't they look like plump little rose petals?!

In other news, I figured out a great way to pack pizza for lunch.  This was a pre-made pizza from the farmer's market that I baked at home.  I got a piece of aluminum foil and folded it so that it fit perfectly in the bottom of my largest container.  When the pizza was ready, I just used the foil as a template for how to cut the pizza perfectly for the container.  I estimated that I could get four perfect slices, plus scraps, per 12 inch pizza.  I actually just cut out two slices and split the leftover "scraps" (which were pretty big) between two people.  Two dinners and two lunches.  Oh, who am I kidding, two dinners, one lunch, and one snack!  But seriously, how cool is that? Pin It Now!

Day 104 - Chili Lime Chicken

Chili Lime Chicken, Sauteed Peppers and Onions, Rice, Blue Corn Chips, Wholly Guacamole, and Strawberries.

 
So, if it hasn't been apparent thus far, I've been in a mood for spicy food lately.  And today, I seemed to cram in as much pre-packaged stuff as possible...because it's just the end of the week and sometimes that's how that goes.  Last night I had chicken breasts baked with Chili Lime Fresh Takes, which is one of the pre-packaged foods I truly love, and a baked potato.  I cooked one extra chicken breast, so for lunch today I had chicken, leftover sauteed vegetables from fajita night, Uncle Ben's Spanish Rice, Wholly Guacamole 100 Calorie packs of guacamole, blue corn chips, and strawberries.

I ended up slicing up the chicken and peppers and eating it over the rice.  It was delightful!  Not as healthy as I would have liked, though.  I should have left out the rice, but it was so good.  Next lunch will be full of vegetables and fruit, promise!   Pin It Now!

Day 98 - Salad with Dijon Vinaigrette

Started off 2013 with a big delicious salad yesterday, and packed the leftovers for lunch today!  Salad greens (yeah, I know they're not dark green, but they were on sale for a dollar.  A DOLLAR), carrots, radishes, red bell pepper, tomato, almonds, and feta cheese are all mixed together in the main compartment, accompanied by two medium sized boiled eggs and Nut-Thins.

Have you had Nut-Thins?  They're basically rice crackers with a little nut flour, and they come in a variety of flavors.  They're not flaking or crumbly like flour crackers, and they're super crunchy...almost like a compact rice cake.  Not too much healthier than a cracker, but they pack a lot more flavor and have a little more protein.

What made the salad today was just a little bit of homemade dressing.  This one is an old faithful for me, and you probably have all of the ingredients at home!

Dijon Vinaigrette

4 T Olive Oil
2 T Dijon Mustard
2 T Apple Cider Vinegar
1 t dried parsley
1/2 t sugar

Blend all ingredients together with an immersion blender.  If you don't have one, then just whisk or shake the ingredients together in a jar with a closed lid.  The blender makes it look creamy, as above, but it tastes just as good whisked or shaken!  Makes about 1/3 cup of dressing. 

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Day 92 - Leftover Subway

Leftover Subway sandwich, sunchips, and a pear.

Today's lunch is brought to you by...more coupons!  Had a coupon for buy one 6 inch sub at Subway, get another 6 inch sub for free!  So, I had Subway last night and today!  I added today some of my leftover sunchips and a pear.   A tiny pear, whose name I can't remember, but it was tiny and cute so I bought it.  Yummmm leftovers! Pin It Now!

Day 82 - Pretzel Crisps

Frozen Pizza, Clementine, Pretzel Crisps

Alright, regular leftover lunch today.  Leftover California Pizza Kitchen frozen pizza, a clementine, and pretzel crisps.  I'd totally send this to school with a third grader...and I enjoyed the heck out of it myself.

If you've never tried Pretzel Crisps, you need to go get a bag.  Now.  Unless of course you have a Publix close to you, in which case you should wait until the crisps go half off as they do so regularly.  Anyway, pretzel crisps will totally change your hummus and pimento cheese experiences.  Just trust me.  You're mouth will thank me later. Pin It Now!

Day 77 - Morningstar Chik'n Nuggets

Grapes, celery, Morningstar Chik'n Nuggets, honey mustard, mini rice cakes.

For lunch today, I had one of my favorite frozen meals.  Morningstar Chik'n Nuggets with homemade honey mustard, celery sticks, red grapes, and rice snacks.

I'm a big fan of the Morningstar Chik'n Nuggets, even though I'm not a vegetarian.  When they're straight out of the oven they taste just like any other chicken nugget, and they're pretty easy and cheap to keep around.

I highly recommend keeping these around the house to eat for dinner.  I'll be real, though, when I ate them cold for lunch they just tasted like rubbery pucks of tofu...which is kinda what they are.  Next time, I'll microwave them! Pin It Now!

Day 73 - Crispy Oven Chicken with Fresh Takes

Oven Fried Chicken, green beans, hash brown casserole, grapes.

 
Alright, friends, product review!

So, Kraft has come out with these fancy things called Fresh Takes.  Basically, they're Shake and Bake with cheese.  I was suspicious, but I had a coupon, so I tried them.  Honestly, I was skeptical because I hate pre-made flavor things.  But y'all, these things are good.  They don't taste overly fake, they get crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside, and they are super easy. 

I've tried several of the flavors and intend to try more.  Last night I dredged some chicken in the rosemary flavored mix, and had it with some potatoes and green beans.

And so today for lunch, dear reader, I had oven fried chicken, green beans, hash brown casserole, and grapes for lunch.

Hash brown casserole recipe to come tomorrow! Pin It Now!

Day 39 - Trader Joe's Kung Pao Chicken

TJ's Kung Pao Chicken over steamed jasmine rice, shelled edamame, mandarin oranges.

Another Trader Joe's frozen dinner.  Trader Joe's Kung Pao Chicken served over jasmine rice, with shelled edamame and a mandarin orange cup.  Yes, a fruit cup.  Like a little kid.  It was delicious.  But seriously, about the chicken...

The Kung Pao chicken is good, but not nearly as good as TJ's Mandarin chicken.  It could use a few more vegetables, too...I'd recommend adding a cup of chopped bell pepper, onion, snow peas, or something similar to add some more flavor.  Regardless, I'll be buying it again.  Like all the TJ frozen meals I've had so far, it was easy to make and good.  That's all I want out of my frozen meals. :)

It also looks better in real life than in the picture...promise! Pin It Now!

Day 32 - And Ode to Soft Pretzels

Soft Pretzel, strawberries, broccoli, creamy tomato soup.

 
Are soft pretzels healthy?  Probably not.  But dang I love them!  They're so salty and chewy and good.  They're my favorite guilty late nigh snack (I know, carbs after dinner, I  know).  I tend to buy the Super Pretzel brand when it goes on sale and keep it in the freezer for carb emergencies..or unexpected company!

This morning, I just didn't feel  like putting out much effort.  It's rainy and dreary outside (I believe the Scots refer to days like this as "dreek,") and I was just too tired to put forth much food effort.  So, after prepping the crock pot for tonight's dinner, I was done cooking.  I threw in a Super Pretzel, and pulled broccoli and strawberries, and grabbed a microwavable soup from the back of the pantry.  Honestly, for as little effort as I put forth, this was a good comforting meal, with some healthy elements that gave me lots of energy.  Not bad at all! Pin It Now!

Day 29 - More Trader Joe's Goodness

Trader Joe's Tarte d'Alsace, cucumbers, orange slices.

Woohoo, in the office for Labor Day!  Anyone else working today?  Anyone?  Bueller?  Bueller?

At least I get an extra day off for working today. :)

Anyway, lunch was leftovers from last night - probably my all time favorite product from Trader Joe's.  It's called a Tarte d'Alsace, and it's the most delicious frozen thing I've ever had.  It's raw pastry with what I *think* is bechemel sauce, Gruyere, ham, and caramelized onions.  You bake it for 10 measly minutes and it's awesome.  It's crispy and sweet and salty and just a little chewy.

I didn't quite make a full grocery trip this weekend, so I just pulled this out of the freezer and enjoyed the heck out of it with a mixed green salad.  Had it with some cucumbers and oranges for lunch today, and it was super easy and delightful.

For those of you who don't have a Trader Joe's in town, I'm so sorry.  It's worth a trip when you're in a larger city.  For  me, though, I enjoy it every time I'm too lazy to cook something on my own. :)  I should cook something good tonight...

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Day 25 - Trader Joe's Mandarin Chicken

Mandarin Orange Chicken on jasmine rice, steamed broccoli, orange  slices.

I tend to make food from fresh ingredients.  Sometimes I will freeze those fresh ingredients myself, but then I know how long they've been in the freezer.  I don't often have frozen dinners.

Trader Joe's Mandarin Orange Chicken is a definite exception.  The only Mandarin Chicken I've had better than this was in Chinatown in San Francisco, and this one goes from freezer to plate in about 15 minutes.  I love it.  Frozen precooked chicken and sauce cook for about 10 minutes in a skillet with a little sesame oil.  I often throw in broccoli or asparagus, and serve it over rice.

Mmmm...tasty goodness.

For lunch today I had last night's leftovers over jasmine rice, with steamed broccoli and cara cara oranges on the side.

Yes.

Look  how beautiful!

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Day 20 - Spicing Things Up with Hotlanta Sauce

Chicken Tenders with honey mustard and Hotlanta Hot Sauce, dried green beans, black grapes.

Last night was one of those nights where I just threw some frozen chicken tenders in the oven.  It happens.

So I threw in a couple of extra for lunch today and included some TJ's dried green beans and black grapes.  Extremely enjoyable but not at all interesting.

The most interesting thing about this lunch is the orange silicone cup with honey mustard and a healthy dash of Hotlanta Hot Sauce.

Hotlanta Hot Sauce - pic from company website

I'm not a fan of hot sauces at all, but I really like this one.  It's made with peaches which gives it a rounded BBQ kind of flavor.  It's got a little kick, but it's not much hotter than bottled mild salsa.  It makes chicken tenders, seafood dip, sandwiches, and all sorts of other things super tasty!  I've never seen it for sale outside of the Atlanta area, but look around.  I recommend picking up a bottle when  you're in town.

Again, I'm receiving no financial benefit for telling you about this - if that ever happens (yeah, right) - I will say so explicitly.  It's just good stuff, and you should know about it. :) Pin It Now!