Lunch Ideas: Bagel Faces

I don't know about you, but I am always on the lookout for new lunch ideas. As I have mentioned before, my kids would probably eat the same thing every day, but I prefer a little more variety.

On our last trip to the public library, we found this book, which I have been eyeing online for a while:

Before I really had a chance to look through it myself, however, N had swiped it. The next day, he came to me with a list of all the recipes in the book he thought worth trying, complete with a list of ingredients we would need for each one. (Ah, my list-maker! Don't know where he gets it . . . .)

One day last week, we decided to try something from his list--the Bagel Faces. We used mini bagels, with each person choosing a favorite spread (mayo, whipped cream cheese, and swiss cheese spread were the winners). For decorating the faces, we had grape tomatoes (whole and sliced), sliced cucumbers, sliced carrots, and cheddar cheese cut into "matchsticks". The possibilities for toppings, of course, are endless, but these are the faces we created with what we had:

So much fun! What an easy way to make lunch into a creative project instead of just another meal. I think next time, we'll try peanut butter as the spread with bananas, apples, raisins, and nuts as the toppings.

The rest of the book is delightful as well, with each recipe in both text and step-by-step picture format (for ease of use by children). The authors also include helpful tips for cooking with small children and quotes from the preschool "critics" they tested the recipes with. The book is illustrated in a simple, whimsical, hand-drawn style that is very appealing to both me and my children. Now that I've seen the book for myself, I may just add it to my wishlist!

For other tot-friendly projects and recipes, visit Delicious Ambiguity.