Thanksgiving Cooking 2010



Mani didn't like these cookies.  We had fun making them though.  I hadn't planned on making these cookies but Mani was having so much fun helping me cook and he wanted to experiment with adding different ingredients but I told he couldn't just go adding things to the other items I was baking.  So I decided we could make these cookies and add whatever he wanted.  We used Skittles, marshmallows, Nerds, and raisins.



This is Whole Foods 365 corn bread mix, and we didn't think this was going to turn out tasting good.  Mani tasted the batter after we had everything mixed.  And I thought ok I'll taste it and boy let me tell you I have never tasted regular corn bread batter but this batter was one of the worst things I have ever tasted.  If it wasn't for the fact that I had tons more cooking to do, I would have went and laid down because I felt so sick after tasting this.  But when it was finished cooking Mani wasn't scared to taste it and he loved it.  He even requested it for breakfast on Thanksgiving morning and I was happy because it meant I could go right into cooking for the day.  So this will be a repeat purchase.

This is the second time we tried this mix but this time I replaced some the oil with applesauce and it turned out better.

73rd Day of School Lunch

73rd Day of School Lunch

Half a soy nut butter sandwich, carrots, turkey and baby spinach meat rollups, GoGo Squeeze, and grapes.

72nd Day of School Lunch

72nd Day of School Lunch

71st Day of School Lunch



71st Day of School Lunch

Today was the field trip to the movies to see Tangled in 3D.  He just had a sandwich, juice, chips, and a roll of Smarties.  And of course I sent enough money with him in case he changed his mind and wanted to buy lunch or if he lost his lunch.  But, his daddy made him put $10 in his sock just in case he lost his wallet so I don't feel so bad about over thinking and stressing.

When he came home he said he only spent $2 on the tea cup ride but he wanted to buy lunch but he didn't feel like going through the trouble of the teacher calling to make sure he could eat something.  Which he had just experienced the day before when the bus driver called to see if he could eat corn chips.

70th Day of School Lunch

70th Day of School Lunch

Leftover turkey with baby spinach, carrots, corn bread, and grapes.

69th Day of School Lunch



69th Day of School Lunch

I was sucked in by Facebook and texting my little sister this morning.  So before I knew it I only had a few minutes to make lunch.  I would have been late for work but there was no traffic today, everyone but me must have the day off.

It's a half day for Mani,  so this is really a mid morning snack for him.  I just threw in a half of soy nut butter and jelly sandwich, chips, and grapes. 

68th Day of School Lunch



68th Day of School Lunch

Turkey, bacon, and lettuce sandwich, carrots, Fritos, and grapes.

Mani's class is going to take a field trip to the movies and the letter said they should bring extra money to buy lunch in the mall.  No backpacks are allowed but they can take a bag lunch.  So me being who I am instantly envision about 5 bad scenarios in my head.  I have to consciously work on that a lot harder.  So I ask Mani what would he like to do.

Mani-  I'll take a bag lunch.
Me- But what if you lose it and you'll have to carry it around with you.
Mani-  It's cool I can eat some of it in the movies.
Me-  But what if we go to the mall before hand and I'll show you the places you can eat at and what you can have.  (And I start rambling about how we have to make sure he has some options because if the lines are long and blah blah blah  more bad scenarios ......)

He looks at me with this concerned look on his face.  So I stop rambling.
Mani- Mommy why are you going on like this?
Me-  Because I'm your mommy and I worry about you.
Mani- Mommy it's fine I want to take a bag lunch and besides who wants to spend money on lunch anyway, I can save that money or spend it on something else.

He is really into not wasting money lately. His school has days when the students can pay $3 to be out of uniform, but he doesn't feel he should waste $3 to be out of uniform.  The last time I even sent the $3 to school  just in case he changed his mind when he saw all of his friends paying to be out of uniform.  But he came home with the $3 and asked if he could add it to the other money he had in his wallet and wore his uniform that Friday with out any complaints after school.

Wednesday always seems to come so fast, I always have cute ideas planned in my head but they never seem to make it  in to the lunch box.  So this will be my  What's for Lunch Wednesday Week 26.

67th Day of School Lunch



67th Day of School Lunch

Corn fettuccine, left over broccoli, Wonder Ball, and watermelon.

Mani was so excited to see that I went to Lil's Dietary Specialty Shop on Saturday and purchased this pasta.  He must have asked me ten times to make him some, but I didn't because I was sticking to my monthly meal plan.  So when I asked him what he wanted for lunch of course he said fettuccine.

Gluten Free English Muffin Review

I tried these English muffins and Mani didn't like them. I didn't want to throw them away I thought maybe they would grow on him but no. I needed room in the freezer today, so in the trash they go. I think I'm going to start keeping track of all the money I spend on food that Mani doesn't like. But I don't blame him for these English muffins because they have a very bad after taste.

66th Day of School Lunch

This was the first box in a while that didn't come home empty. He left the apple,carrots,and one marshmallow.

65th Day of School Lunch

65th Day of School Lunch

Corn pasta, carrots, ants on a log, and GoGo Squeez.

Mani was in our bed again last night, but it was "only 2am" so this time I made him go get in his bed.  I have to remember to talk to him about this because the most he will ever do is ask me to come lay in his bed with him until he goes to sleep. And that's only when he has taken a nap and can't get to sleep.  That's one thing I wish I could change, all Mani needs is a 30 second nap and he's up all night.  But, I'll just be thankful that the preschool days of when they made him take a nap are over.

64th Day of School Lunch

64th Day of School Lunch

ay

63rd Day of School Lunch

63rd Day of School Lunch

Yesterday was the first time I sent a bagel in Mani's lunch, because they taste better warm.  But he enjoyed it and since we are out of bread he decided he would like another one today.

The morning was much better then yesterday.  However, some how Mani ended up in bed with us again last night.  So I went and got in his bed and this time I didn't turn off the alarm clock, but my husband must have woke up and turned it off because I didn't even hear it. But I woke up on time without the clock.

This is my post for What's for Lunch Wednesday Week 25

62nd Day of School Lunch



62nd Day of School Lunch



My lunch plans were foiled again by the wake up beyond late monster.  I woke up at 7am, I managed to make this lunch, breakfast, iron a uniform shirt that wasn't dry last night, and have Mani ready for the bus at 7:15am and I was only a half hour late for work.

Lucky for us the bus was late and Mani had more time to eat the breakfast I made him.  He fell asleep in my bed last night, while I was making a title card for his science project.  I was just going to go sleep in his bed and let him sleep in the bed with daddy.   But I decided to take him to his room, but at some point I guess Mani decided that he had fell asleep in the bed he wanted to be in, because at 4am I realize there is no room in the bed and it's not just because daddy is hogging the whole bed, but Mani is wedged up against me. 

So I just climb over Mani and go get in his bed, but I turn off the alarm clock before I leave out because I don't want to have to walk back to turn it off, needless to say big mistake.  But it was 4am so what do you expect.  Normally this would not have been a problem because I usually wake up without the clock but I had a pounding headache in my sleep and didn't want to wake up.

61st Day of School Lunch

61st Day of School Lunch

60th Day of School Lunch



60th Day of School Lunch

Mani came home the other day and complained that he wants lunch like the other kids. 

Me-What do you mean?(Instantly thinking he is upset about his allergies)
Mani- I'm just saying it would be nice to have junk, you know, like Doritos and stuff.
Me- Mani, you can't even eat Doritos.
Mani- I know but I would like chips and junk sometimes.

So we agreed he can have chips one day a week.  I think he threw the comment in about Doritos to soften me up.

59th Day of School Lunch

59th Day of School Lunch

58th Day of School Lunch

58th Day of School Lunch

I'm back to working 40 hours a week.  YAY, we can use the extra money, but I am sad I will not be taking Mani to school or picking him up.  So today was Mani's first day taking the "school van".  The mom of one of Mani's classmates has a transportation service and she gave me a great rate for round trip service.

We both thought that he would be nervous because it was his first day, but she said he hopped in the van and talked non stop. 

This is my post for What's for Lunch Wednesday Week 24.

57th Day of School Lunch



57th Day of School Lunch

Mani actually agreed to having left over chili for lunch.  However, he came home mad because he thought I didn't put a spoon in his lunch.  I'm appalled, because I'm way to anal to do something like that.  But I don't tell him this, I simply state, I would never do that and that I did send a white plastic spoon on top of a white napkin, that he obviously didn't see.

Often, my husband says I can find a way to blame him for any and everything and I say the same thing about him because it's true, really it is, trust me I'm always right lol.  So sometimes just for laughs we try to find ways to blame things on each other.

Well lets see how can Mani not seeing the spoon be daddy's fault?  Easy one, IF DADDY WOULD STOP THROWING THE UTENSILS IN THE TRASH, there would have been plenty of spoons in the draw when I was packing lunch and I wouldn't have sent a white plastic spoon.

56th Day of School Lunch

56th Day of School Lunch

Corn pasta, carrots, apple, and mango that didn't want to be shaped into stars.

The last time I sent pasta for Mani, he told me to stop mixing peas into his pasta. 

My response:  But you always eat them when I do put them in the pasta.

His response:  Yeah, but I don't like it, so please stop.

My thoughts: LOL, now is the time for pay back. Mani likes to try and push my buttons and if I'm not specific with the things I tell him.  He will say but you didn't say......  Well buddy, you didn't say anything about other vegetables.

Today, I was going to mix broccoli in with the pasta, but he had a bite of a bad day yesterday. Therefore, I didn't have the heart to do it, so in goes his favorite, raw carrots, on the side.

55th Day of School Lunch



55th Day of School Lunch

For the third day in a row a soy nut butter and jelly sandwich, carrots, grapes, and a vanilla cake muffin.

The sad thing about this is that I went to the store today and didn't even think to buy lunch meat.  I guess it's pasta for lunch tomorrow.

This is my post for What's for Lunch Wednesday.

54th Day of School Lunch

54th Day of School Lunch

Soy nut butter and jelly, apple, and marshmallows.

I woke up beyond late this day.  I was lucky I was even able to throw this together.

53rd Day of School Lunch

53rd Day of School Lunch

Soy nut butter and jelly, carrots , orange, vanilla cake muffin, and checkered apple. 

This is my first checkered apple that turned out pretty good.  I realize I need sharper knives.  But if I buy one I'll have to hide it from my husband.  He always throws the utensils in the trash, however at least now he admits that he does it, which was a HUGE step for him.  In fact yesterday, he even made sure we purchased new forks while we were in Target.  Of course I would prefer he pay more attention and not throw them away, but this is a battle not worth fighting.

51st and 52nd Day of School Lunch

I didn't complete my goal of Halloween lunches for a week.  Mani didn't go to school on the 51st day of school, so no lunch to photograph.

The 52nd day of school, Mani took a long nap in the car the night before and couldn't go to sleep.  I was suppose to fix his chart for his science research paper, change the printer cartridges, and print his report. But I decided that it was getting very late, so I went and laid in the bed with him and I put on a meditation CD, hoping he would fall asleep.  Well of course he didn't fall asleep but I did.  I vaguely remember him telling me that the CD was boring and could he turn it off.  So I woke up tried to fix the chart, then couldn't get the printer to work.  I looked at the clock and it was 7:30 am. I wake Mani up and he tells me that the teacher changed the due date and that the paper isn't due until Monday.  Gee thanks a bunch for telling me.

I didn't have a clean bento, so I just threw a sandwich in some foil and tossed in a bag of chips that were on the table.

50th Day of School Lunch

50th Day of School Lunch

I saw this Kiwistein on Another Lunch last night, and I actually had some kiwi, so I thought I would give it a try in my Halloween theme lunch.  Kiwistein, severed fingers still dripping with blood, and a pastrami sandwichstein.  The sandwich looks more like a cute robot, but hey it's still fun. 

For the kiwistein, I used candy corn for the eyes, and my bone picks made perfect ears.  The fingers are pie crust with strawberry jelly at the end.

This is my post for What for Lunch Wednesday, Week 22.

49th Day of School Lunch or Not?



49th Day of School Lunch

 I heard the news report this morning that it was very windy and that there was a tornado watch until 11:00 am.  The wind did this damage here and that damage there, yada yada.  Hello, we live in Chicago, so what it's windy.  And all this mess about a tornado watch, has nothing to do with me.  I got out of bed and proceeded to go about my morning routine.  When it was closer to the time for us to leave, daddy said that it was really raining out.  Yeah yeah, I heard the news.

We are running a little late, as usual, but prepare ourselves for the rain.  I pull out of the garage, and realize I still didn't buy new windshield wipers.  No worries, we're late but I'll go slow and we will arrive safe.  Half way to the school it starts raining cats and dogs.  So I ask Mani if he thinks anyone from the parent patrol will be outside directing traffic today.  He says no I don't think so, but wouldn't it be cool if there was no school today.  I say no it will be school today, there may not be many students there but school is open.  Remember, last year when it snowed really bad and school was still open and it was just a few students in your class.  He says yeah, but it would be nice if school was closed.

We pull up and to both our surprise there is the parent patrol.  I think , God bless these parents because even if I had time, it wouldn't be me out in this rain.  There are two cars in front of us, Mani gets out.  As Mani is getting out of the car I see a child going back to the first car, oh he must have forgot something.  Then Mani stops and comes back and opens the door.  What's wrong? You forget something?  He hops in the car and says the man said school is closed today.

We truck through the heavy rain and slightly flooded streets back home.  As I'm driving Mani starts making plans for our day,  I'm sorry honey I have to go to work. You see all these cars out here, work doesn't stop just because school is closed.  By the time I pull  in the driveway the rain has stopped.  I drop Mani off to daddy and proceed to work.  Although the rain has stopped traffic is unbelievable.  I live maybe three blocks from the expressway entrance ramp and it took me 20 minutes to make it on to the expressway.

At 8:36 a.m. my phone rings, I don't know the number.  I answer. Hello? Hello? "This is an automated message, due to a power outage there will be no school today.....".  Gee thanks, only 46 minutes after school was suppose to start, but nice to know why school was closed.

So Mani will enjoy this lunch at home today.  Grapes, an apple, pumpkin shaped pie crust (I thought I had some spray that would make him orange and most of  his stem broke off this morning), and cat and star shaped soy nut butter and jelly sandwiches.  I had planned to use the ghost cutter I found yesterday for a $1 but it was too big for Mani's bread : [

48th Day of School Lunch



48th Day of School Lunch

I decided that my goal this week is to make Halloween theme lunches, we'll see how it goes.

This lunch is all about the candy corn, corn beef sandwich with candy corn face, Chex, pretzels, and candy corn, grapes, and a Vanilla Cake muffin. 

47th Day of School Lunch

47th Day of School Lunch

Pastrami sandwich, strawberries, and two pieces of chocolate candy.

Yesterday was not a good day for my allergies, nothing seemed to help.  But I did survive my rush hour trip to Whole Foods.  I found a parking space right away and they had five loaves of bread like I wanted.  The hardest part of the trip was the downtown traffic of course, but once I finally made it to the expressway, the ride was only 15 minutes YAY.

46th Day of School Lunch

46th Day of School Lunch

Kiwi, caramel corn cake, and corn pasta with peas and butter.  I still haven't made the trip to Whole Foods.  I will go after work today, despite the fact that it will be extremely crowded because of rush hour.  However, I'm going to think positive.  I will find a parking space immediately and they will have five loaves of brown rice bread.

45th Day of School Lunch

45th Day of School Lunch

Turkey and lettuce meat rollups, half of a pastrami sandwich because this was the last piece of Mani's bread and I used all the turkey for the meat rollups, GoGo Squeez, and Chex and pretzels.

I didn't make the trip to Whole Foods this weekend because my cousins from Texas were in town.  I had a great time, lots of laughs and reminiscing, but now I'm forced to go to Whole Foods during rush hour.

This will be my post on What's for Lunch Wednesday,Week 21.

44th Day of School Lunch

44th Day of School Lunch

Soy nut butter and jelly, chips, and an orange.  This lunch represents what was on my kitchen counter at the time I made it.  I didn't feel like thinking or walking to the refrigerator.

43rd Day of School Lunch

43rd Day of School Lunch

Grapes, mini waffle sandwiches, meat rollups, pretzels and chex.

I had planned just to send meat rollups for lunch and I made the waffle for breakfast.  But, Mani decided he wanted the left over jerk chicken and peas and rice for breakfast.  I didn't mind him having that for breakfast because the last few days he really didn't eat his breakfast and I knew he would eat the leftovers.

42nd Day of School Lunch

42nd Day of School Lunch

Soy nut butter and jelly sandwich, chex and pretzels, GoGo Squeez, grapes.

I thought the hole in the bread would have been perfect for a one eye monster, but I didn't have any time to jazz it up.

41st Day of School Lunch

41st Day of School Lunch

Corn pasta with edamame, grapes, and a turkey and lettuce meat roll up.

40th Day of School Lunch

40th Day of School Lunch
"Rey Mysterio"

This lunch is in honor of my favorite wrestler, yes mine not Mani's, Rey Mysterio.  Rey Mysterio rocked SmackDown on Friday, and of course finished with his famous 619 move.

In this lunch we have a turkey and lettuce sandwich, an apple, grapes, and a  Vanilla Cake Muffin, from the freezer. 

I printed off the WWE logo from the internet to make the pick.  We didn't have any color ink, so Mani colored the logo and autographed it with his initials for me.  The mask is just turkey and lettuce, and I carved 619 in the apple.

I posted this lunch on What's for Lunch Wednesday, Week 20.

39th Day of School Lunch

39th Day of School Lunch

Turkey sandwich, celery with soy nut butter, chips, and half an orange. 

Mani went on a field trip today, and of course I didn't remember until he told me as we were walking out the door.  I would have sent him a brown bag lunch today, so he didn't have to carry the lunch box the entire time. 

38th Day of School Lunch

38th Day of School Lunch

Half an orange, pretzels and Corn Chex cereal, apple, and a turkey with jelly sandwich.

Cereal was always a go to snack when Mani was younger.  But then he grew tired of it and asked me not to buy cereal, so we rarely purchase cereal now.  However, I purchased the Corn Chexs because I wanted to encourage Mani to drink more soy milk.  But he tried them and said he didn't like them anymore. 

I didn't want them to go to waste, so I thought I would add them to lunch and see if  he would change his mind.  When I told him to bring his lunch box to the kitchen after school, he walks in and says mommy can you please fix me some more of the pretzels and cereal, it was so so good.  Yay, mommy scores.

37th Day of School Lunch



37th Day of School Lunch

 Today, Mani has celery with soy nut butter, a football pick with raisins, an Aussie Apple, marshmallows, and a soy nut butter and jelly sandwich.  I used a piece of bread for the football cutout and used the edges to make the laces. 

I noticed that when I put apples in Mani's lunch, he really only eats them if they are cut up.  So I thought I would give the Aussie Apple that I saw on Melissa's site Another Lunch a try.  I think the rubber band she used is thicker and stronger then the one I used. But I didn't have another one small enough for the apple.  Hopefully, it will be fine until lunch.

I had lettuce around the sandwich, however, Mani saw it and promptly took it out and asked for marshmallows.  I told him he was messing up my design and he said I only need the football field. 

When I ask him for input on his lunch, I usually get the same response, I don't care.  Now today he wants to provide unsolicited input. Hey buddy,who's lunch is this anyway? Oh that's right it's yours, lol.  But really I'm happy to see him take an interest in his lunch, I hope the trend continues.

I posted this lunch on   What's for Lunch Wednesday, week 19.

36th Day of School Lunch

36th Day of School Lunch

Today for lunch Mani has corn spaghetti and peas with dairy free butter for sauce, celery with soy nut butter, and an apple. 

I had big plans to make a checkerboard apple, hence the lovely line down the middle. Well, one of these days I will have the time and patience to make a checkerboard apple.  I admire the mothers who make lunch the night before, but mentally I don't fell his lunch is fresh unless I make it in the morning.  Besides its been part of my morning routine for the past 3 years.

35th Day of School Lunch



35th Day of School Lunch




My alarm clock was on the floor, I didn't think anything of it.  I just picked it up and made sure it was set.  Well, little did I know it was now set one hour earlier.  This turned out to be a good thing because when it first went off at  what I thought was 5:45, I just walked and turned it off and went right back to sleep.  When I woke up again the clock said 7:00 am.  I immediately thought I'm late, what a great start to the week. But it was still very dark outside, so I was quit dazed and confused for a minute.  My first thought was, oh wow, we are at that point already when it is totally dark in the morning.  But then I checked my cell phone and I was happy to see that I wasn't late at all. 

We made it out the door on time and as I'm getting in the car my cell phone rings.  It's Mani's teacher, his table was the best on Friday and she promised them a treat.  So of course she just goes to Dunkin Donuts and gets some with sprinkles, how fun.  She asked if Mani can eat them, umm NO.

Quick Quick think, I know I took out two of the Wonder Balls, so I can run back in and put some icing and sprinkles on the one I didn't put in his lunch.  I ask her if she wants me to send something and she say its ok, she will find something prepackaged for him. We hang up and I'm thinking if you didn't know he couldn't eat donuts, what are you going to buy him.

Do I go back inside and fix the Wonder Ball, just in case. If I do we will end  up being late on the only day, since I don't know when, that we are actually on time?  I ask Mani .  He says no mommy it's ok, lets just go.  So we have the talk, if you are not sure you can eat it, then don't. I told him he could eat the Wonder Ball in his lunch, if she got him something he couldn't eat.

I'm stressing, the whole ride to work.  We had two very bad episodes last year.  My poor baby was at school crying his head off because his class won a party and he couldn't eat anything they purchased. Both times they called me and there was no calming him down.  He was so upset and kept saying that he was tired of not being able to eat what the class eats.  They offered him candy and chips and he just turned them down and kept crying. 

The second time they had buttered popcorn at the party.  But luckily the school nurse felt so bad for him, she went to the store and had the lunch room make him some with no butter. I always tell his teachers if they know before hand to tell me.  That way I can send something for him, so he can be like the other kids.  But do they call NOOOOOOOOO, not until my baby is crying.

Thank you God, because I didn't get a call like that today.  She gave him a baseball themed wooden tic tac toe set.  I asked if he was upset he didn't have  a donut and he said he didn't care, YAY.

Ok I got all that out, now back to  lunch--Carrots, GoGo Squeez, Wonder Ball, and soy nut butter and jelly sandwich.

34th Day of School Lunch

34th Day of School Lunch

Carrots, cantaloupe, the last of our Ian's gluten free chicken nuggets, and marshmallows. I usually make Mani's lunches in the morning while he is still asleep,but he was woke today and requested this lunch. Everything was so orange, so I thought I would add animal picks. I was trying to count how many animal picks I had, so it turned into a bit of an animal yard, lol.  I'm going to buy a box one of these days to organize my picks.

33rd Day of School Lunch

33rd Day of School Lunch

Turkey with jelly sandwich, corn chips, apple, and cantaloupe. 

32nd Day of School Lunch

32nd Day of School Lunch

I wanted to make a light lunch for Mani today, since he was sick yesterday at school, so we have a piece of light brown rice bread, carrots, corn fettuccine pasta, and peas inside an elephant divider.

31st Day of School Lunch

31st Day of School Lunch

Ants on a log, an apple, turkey and spinach sandwich with a turkey crown cutout, and my version of a chocolate pretzel treat.  I take Glutino gluten free pretzel sticks and dip them in soy nut butter and then I roll them in sprinkles.  Although, now Mani likes the Enjoy Life Foods boom CHOCO boom crispy rice bar. I may try melting one to see if he actually likes pretzels with chocolate.

I posted this on "What's for Lunch" Wednesday, Week 18 and this week is really great because for every post a food item will be donated to a Texas food bank, how cool is that.

30th Day of School Lunch

30th Day of School Lunch

Simple lunch of soy butter and jelly, carrots, a plum.

29th Day of School Lunch

29th Day of School Lunch

I finally found this lunch on my husbands laptop.  He has over 1500 photos on his computer, it took forever just to find the picture and then it was another ordeal just to get it uploaded.  Ants on a log, ketchup in the container, Ian's gluten free chicken nuggets, and GoGo Squeeze apple apple flavor.

28th Day of School Lunch

No photo for the 28th Day of School Lunch.  My husband was actually trying to be helpful and reset my iphone.  He saved my photos to his laptop but didn't finish the reset so the next time he went to save the pics he thought all the pics were saved and cancelled the save. He was trying to fix my volume, which hasn't been working since the phone flew out of my hand when I almost fell down the stairs. I was rushing to be on time for a wedding, which started an hour and 45 minutes late.

27th Day of School Lunch

27th Day of School Lunch

It's Wendesday already.  I will post this lunch at What's for Lunch Wednesday Week 17.  Today is a half day for Mani, so I made a quick simple lunch.  I used some of the turkey bacon from breakfast and made a turkey and spinach sandwich on light brown rice bread, carrots, a plum, and celery with soy nut butter.

26th Day of School Lunch

26th Day of School Lunch

Vanilla cake muffin, orange with cherry on top, carrots and pastrami with spinach on light brown rice bread with turkey cut outs for the face.  I really just wanted to use the picks to hold the sandwich together, so all of the spinach wouldn't fall out, but I thought a face would look better.