Candy Cane Lunch

Wow, Christmastime has snuck up on me once again. How is that even possible? I mean, it happens the same time EVERY YEAR! But here it is again. Although I am prepared with the purchasing of gifts & mailing of packages, I forgot about making a Christmas-themed bento lunch. A few days ago, while I was trying not to panic about coming up with an idea, I glanced over at my kids who were cutting out sugar cookie dough with cookie cutters, and an idea struck me. A simple, red and green themed bento.

The main centerpiece of this festive lunch is the two candy cane-shaped, peanut butter-filled sandwiches. I used a Wilton FoodWriter Edible Color Marker to create the red stripes on the candy canes.

In the middle of the candy canes, I placed a silicone heart cup of shelled edamame. The heart signifies the Love that came at Christmastime, and the green of the edamame adds to the cheer of this seasonal lunch.

To further complement the colors of Christmas, I placed baby spinach around the sandwiches and edamame. The little blue container holds a creamy caesar dressing, in which to dip the spinach leaves.

Rounding out the lunch, I added raisins and apricots, not because it is Christmasy at all. It's because that is what I had in the pantry. :)

I wasn't sure if the small candy cane-shaped sandwiches would fill up my kids' tummies, so I threw in some sesame-and-wheat crackers.

Lastly, what's a Candy Cane Lunch without a cookie to go with it? Hence, the candy cane cookie lovingly decorated by my daughter, LoveBug.