Cute as a Button and Fun Bento Boxes

I have twin 6 year old girls who share a room as well as a four year old who has her own room. I am ALWAYS looking for fun ways to decorate their rooms. I especially like looking for shared space ideas for my twin girls. As they get older, privacy will become more and more of an issue. I really love these shared spaces!!

As you know I am all about colour too. I love it anywhere in my home. Look at this cute teen room! Actually, I could live in this room and I am thirty-something or other-ish.... : )

More cute rooms...

Take a look at these cool rooms! What boy wouldn't love this one!

I really like this one too, how fun!

Are you cuted out yet? How about a cute snack to go with your cute room?! A great way to exercise portion control and make food look appealing to your child is to use Japanese-style bento boxes.
Really, you can use any divided container you have in your cupboard. I like this super-cute colorful one...

How adorable is this bunny box? This one doesn't even have dividers, they just put the food in it in a cute way!

You could put absolutely anything in a bento box. Any type of sliced fruit or vegetable with some dip. Maybe a sandwich - use your cookie cutters to make them extra cute and appealing. Veggie chips with some hummus, the sky's the limit and it's so much fun. Let your child pack their own bento box and they are more likely to eat what they packed! Let them take their box up to their cute rooms with their best buddies and let the healthy snacking begin. So fun!

~ Kids room photos from HGTV.com

Tomato Basil Tarts

I have been neglecting you...so sorry! Here is a recipe I am trying today. I'll let you know how it turns out! I thought this would be great for hubby and I. I really don't think my kids will eat it. I'm making them something else.

Wouldn't this be pretty for a ladies lunch outside in the yard? I think so. Enjoy!

Yields 4 tarts

~ 3 cups halved grape tomatoes
~ 3 tbsp finely diced red onion
~ 1 tsp minced garlic
~ 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
~ 2 tbsp Balsamic vinegar
~ 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
~ salt and pepper
~ 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, OR ½ pkg block puff pastry,
~ 1 x egg whisked with 2 tbsp cold water for brushing
~ 2 ounces fresh goat cheese (I might try feta because I have that on hand)

Toss tomatoes with red onion, garlic, olive oil and vinegar and let sit, covered, for 30 minutes (or up to 3 hours in the fridge). Strain tomato mixture, saving juices. Bring reserved juices up to a simmer and reduce to just 1 to 2 tbsp, then pour over tomatoes and toss (this concentrates the flavours). Stir in basil and season to taste.

Preheat oven to 375 F and line a baking tray with parchment paper. Unfold puff pastry on a lightly floured surface (or if using a block, roll out to a square 8-x-8-inches and ¼-inch thick). Cut puff pastry into 4 squares. Cut an L-shape on opposite corners of each square (creating a frame-like shape). Lift one side of the cut and place it on the opposite side, and repeat with the other side (this creates a diamond-shaped shell that holds in the tomato filling).

Place on prepared baking tray. Spoon tomato filling into each tart shell and brush edges of pastry with egg mixture. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until pastry is a rich golden brown colour. Crumble goat cheese over tarts and return to oven for 5 minutes.
Serves tarts warm or at room temperature.

**Update ~ Success!! This was yummy and hubby loved it too. He said I did an excellent job. It looked pretty too. I am not a huge fan of cooked tomatoes so I let this cool off a bit before I ate it. Yum!

~ Recipe courtesy of 'Fresh' with Anna Olsen

Paninis

Have you ever tried making a panini for lunch? Or for dinner with a nice bowl of soup on the side? They are delicious grilled sandwiches that are filled with whatever your heart desires.


Perfect for a cool day or evening at home.

If you don't have a panini press, a George Foreman grill also works great - that's what I use! Alternatively, you could also substitute a couple of heavy cast-iron skillets, one to grill the sandwich and the other to press it. I have also heard using a foil-covered brick works for the press part of it.

Here are a couple of my favourite paninis! Enjoy!

Proscuitto and Brie

Use sourdough bread, or a baguette (or even a croissant), slice, brush with a bit of olive oil

Place a couple of thin slices of proscuitto or any other meat you may have on hand on the bread.


Thinly slice some brie (or other soft cheese you may have) and red onion, add to sandwich


I also like to put baby spinach or arugula on mine


Top with pepper (I don't add salt since proscuitto is quite salty on its own)



Place sandwich on grill, set the top of press down on top of sandwich. Grill for a few minutes until cheese is melted and bread is toasted.





Strawberry Chocolate Panini



Slice baguette, coat one side of each slice with olive oil


Spread other side of each slice with Nutella (hazelnut chocolate found in any grocery store!)


Thinly slice strawberries and put on top of chocolate covered side of one slice of bread. Put second slice of bread on top.


Put sandwich on press, grill for a few minutes til golden and chocolate is warm and gooey.


Deeeelicious!