recipe

Name: Kids Bento Box - Sweet Potato + Salmon Bites
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 23 min
Total time: 33 min
Yield: 12
Ingredients: 7 oz fresh salmon fillets; 3.5 oz sweet potato; 1 small onion; 1/8 cup of ground almonds; 1 tablespoon of lemon juice; salt + pepper to taste; olive oil

Bento Box Sweet Potato + Salmon Bites

August 5, 2020 by Rachel 27 Comments

Yesterday I shared our plan to transition to homeschooling. It’s been a difficult year on everyone. Despite the challenges, I’m doing my best to make our transition to back-to-school (no matter what it looks like) consistent. One thing I know for sure is that kids love creative back-to-school lunchbox ideas. I, for one, still plan on making creative and fun lunches for my kids. Because, guess what? The more creative I get with lunches, the more my kids want to eat it! If you find yourself thinking that your kid would never eat bento box sweet potato salmon bites, let me tell you — even the pickiest of eaters will eat something when it’s pretty!

The Power of Snack Trays

Kids aren’t the only ones who are intrigued by bento box lunches. I mean, I could basically live on charcuterie boards and that’s practically the same thing. But why keep buying those Lunchables week after week when, with a tiny bit of prep, you can make your own!

I bought a few Bento Boxes off of Amazon so that I can prep a few days worth of meals at a time. And then I bought a few extra from the Target Dollar Spot so that I could duplicate these fun lunches for the little ones. Seriously, if you haven’t tried feeding your kids from a bento box or a muffin tin, TRY it. They, miraculously, will eat whatever is in there!

Sweet Potato + Salmon Bites!

In a house full of picky kids, we’re always trying to sneak foods in that are nutrient-rich. The good news is that they will never know that these Bento Box Sweet Potato Salmon Bites are full of the good stuff. They taste just that good!

The Recipe

Yield: 12 bites

Kids Bento Box - Sweet Potato + Salmon Bites

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 23 minutes

Total Time 33 minutes

Ingredients

7 oz fresh salmon fillets
3.5 oz sweet potato
1 small onion
1/8 cup of ground almonds
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
salt + pepper to taste
olive oil

Instructions

Peel the sweet potato and chop into large chunks. Microwave* or steam until soft and mashable. Let cool.
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Dice the onion.
Chop salmon fillets into chunks.
In the Vitamix or food processor, add all the ingredients except olive oil.
Blitz until everything is broken up and comes together. Don’t overblend, you still have some chunks.
Lay out a parchment paper onto an oven tray. Wet your hands. Shape the mixture into balls (about 1.5 inches in size)
Spray with olive oil.
Cook for 20 minutes.
ENJOY!

Notes

Notes on microwaving sweet potato: Place sweet potato chunks in a microwave-safe bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Poke 3-4 holes and microwave on high for 3 minutes, checking after 3 minutes to see if it is tender. If it's not, microwave in 30-second increments until it is.

Bites can be eaten hot or cold!

So tell me — what tricks are you planning on using for lunches this school year?

PIN FOR LATER

PIN ME - Kids Bento Box Lunch Ideas - Sweet Potato Bites Recipe

Salted Caramel Crumble Cheesecakes

July 30, 2020 by Rachel 28 Comments

The build up of anxiety over the last several months have been nothing but anxiety inducing. My anxiety baking has taken on a personality of its own, with its greatest feat being these Salted Caramel Crumble Cheesecakes. The recipe itself is of moderate difficulty. The cheesecake combines traditional baking and candy-making. But it’s not overly difficult!

Why have I been anxiety baking?

First, I need to vent about something. I’ve watched countless friends and acquaintances share their photos of parties and get togethers on social media. And it’s exhausting. For those of us who have stayed on the sidelines, distancing, taking every possible precaution? We’re utterly spent and emotionally drained.

I desperately want to see my friends and family. And I long for the days of going out for a drink or a cup of coffee. But the reality is that we are living in a pandemic. And those times should look very different than ‘normal’ life. And, for me and many others, it has. But that doesn’t change the fact that here in the United States, we cannot seem to get our Covid cases under control. The complete distrust in health officials and partisan politics have led us into a horrible place.

What our family life has looked like lately

For those who aren’t familiar with our day-to-day in this house, we have gone very few places since March. When schools shut down, I decided to do everything in my power to help flatten the curve. My kids and I spend most of our time doing arts and crafts, watching movies, playing games, cooking, baking, and playing in the yard. There have been no playdates. There have been no outdoor dinners. And they have only seen the inside of a store once (Target, with my two littlest in a wagon and my oldest walking beside me as I picked up a couple of ‘musts’).

So, for now, my reality looks like this: Expect a lot more anxiety baking. You can also expect to see us transitioning to full-time distance learning (perhaps even full-on homeschooling). We will continue to do our best to avoid being a statistic — for ours and your health.

But now, Salted Caramel Crumble Cheesecake!

My anxiety is your reward, friends! Here are my ‘tips’ for this delectable dessert: Instead of making your own caramel sauce, grab this one from Amazon.