Summer is approaching!

Hey there - we are still here! Promise! There has been a lot of personal "stuff" happening for all the goodbyn girlies recently (you know how it is with family and things) and lunchtime has just fallen into the bog standard routine with us all forgetting to take photos and share! :) We hope you don't mind waiting. 

With summer on the way, Goodbyn's everywhere will start to get filled with delicious salads and fresh fruit. It's a great time of year - especially when you open your box to so much colour!  You might remember Nena's post recently about how to build your own salad but here are a few more salad links you might enjoy....

Jamie Oliver Salads
Salad Recipes
Salads for any occassion
Killer Salad

10 lunchbox ideas

Hi all, just a quick update with a fun link for everyone.

10 Lunchbox Extras That Go Beyond Yogurt Tubes and Fishy Crackers

I've used many of these myself, and the Annie's snacks are a HUGE hit with my picky two-year-old.

Have a great week!

Taco Salad

Today's lunch consists of a simple taco salad with veggies/fruit and dip. 

I used some leftover taco meat with romaine lettuce, grated cheddar cheese, diced tomatoes, onions and orange peppers, crushed tortilla chips and I used DH's drink container to keep some Catalina dressing in so that the chips didn't get soggy.

It's easy to give leftovers a makeover with a little creativity and a Goodbyn!

Thanks for stopping by!

Mini Quiche

Just a quick recipe share today folks.  This is a delicious little recipe that my family enjoyed every Christmas morning when I was a kid.  Well, when I got married I decided that it is way too delicious to just eat once a year, and started making it more often.  These are great for Goodbyns because they are almost better cold than they are hot, and they are cute and fun.

Mini Quiche:

You will need:

• 2 dozen tart shells
• 8 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 1 cup of swiss cheese, grated
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cup 18% coffee creamer
• 2 tsp dry onion flakes
• 1/ tsp pepper
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• dash of sea salt

Preheat oven to 350*
Beat eggs until frothy; add cream and spices and mix well.  Set aside.
Line a cookie sheet with foil, and arrange tart shells on it.  Divide cheese and bacon among tart shells.
Pour egg mixture into shells over cheese & bacon until they are approximately 3/4 full.
Bake in oven at 350* for approximately 30 minutes, until tops are golden brown and puffed slightly.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my family does!  It's always a big treat when I make these, and the prep work is very minimal.  I love how easy they are to make, and the generous amount it makes.  They also freeze extremely well (if you manage to have a few leftover, that is).

And don't forget there is still a little time left to enter to win your very own Bynto!  Check out our give-a-way here.
Happy lunching,

Happy St Patricks Day!

Hows this for some green inspiration! Looks apetizing huh! LOL This goodbyn has avacado dip, cucumbers, spring onions and tortillas to dip. Kiwi and grapes, key lime cheesecake and some green candy melts. Yum!

You still have time to share your green lunches with us and be in with the chance of winning a bynto of your very own!

Build Your Own Salad

Within the last few months my darling little boy who previously would eat just about anything you put in front of him has turned into the dreaded Picky Eater!  I have found that one of the ways I can get him to eat things he might not otherwise eat is to let him "make it himself."  Now, as you can imagine with a two-year-old this can get quite messy.  But from what I have gathered from fellow Moms with darling little boys, no matter what age they are, there is something about making it yourself that makes their meal far more appealing.  And trust me, this doesn't change even when they get to be husbands with kids of their own.

So for today's lunch I sent my hubby to work with a build your own chef salad (you should have seen the delight on his face when he saw the contents of his Goodbyn).  This is definitely one of his favorites to eat, and my favorites to make (because it is SO EASY!)
I started with spinach.  I am sure if you look at some of my other posts you will see that my family eats a lot of spinach.  But it is a super food!  Chalk full of vitamins, minerals and antioxidents it is an excellent choice for the base of a salad.  If your kiddos don't like spinach, try slipping it in among their other greens.  You'd be surprised what they will eat when it is mixed up with some of their other favorites.
I cut up some mushrooms, cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots and threw in some sun-dried tomatoes. in the middle compartment.  Along with some lightly seasoned chicken breast (I cook up a big batch of this and separate them into smaller containers in my freezer so I can just take out a new container each week.  It's a great thing to have on hand for salads, wraps and quick stirfrys); sliced ham, and a hard boiled egg in the bottom compartment.  A little light mozzarella cheese and some sweet vinaigrette completes this lunch.
It's fun because it allows for some choice.  My DH can put on as much or as little of anything as he wants, and I feel good because he is eating a healthy, filling lunch.
If you are worried for younger children and their ability to "toss a salad" together inside their bento, go ahead and send a plastic bowl with them.  This way they can take things out of their Goodbyn and mix it up without making a big mess.
I am hoping you enjoyed my post today.  Be sure to check out Georgina's awesome St. Patty's Day Post tomorrow; and if you haven't already, stop by our new Giveaway to see how you can win one of the brand new Byntos!  Happy lunching!    
Thinking outside of the bag,

Grow Your Own

I love this time of year! You can normally find me, quite literally - full of the joys of Spring and as such I am often found in my garden, growing my own fruits and vegetables. I'm excited to see some of my chilli peppers starting to grow already!

Freshly home grown fruits and veggies are absolutely perfect for your lunchboxes and if, like me you are "into" long term food storage then a garden is a wonderful extention to your supply.

I'm not here to preach to you about the benefits of fresh food you have grown yourself - you already know about the food crisis in the world right now, the increase in food costs, the health benefits to you and your family, the taste of fresh food picked and eaten straight away, the impact on your families carbon footprint, the destressing an evening in your garden can give you..... A garden is a very personal thing - you either get passionate about it or you run for the hills when someone even mentions growing your own!  I just want to remind you that now spring is on it's way, you couldn't find a better time to start a garden!

I appreciate that not everyone has acres of land in which to grow enough food to sustain their family, however there are many ways in which you can make the most of what space you do have. I love to square foot garden and all of my plants are in pots so I can move them around the garden as I need to. Others like to go the full hog and dedicate a larger space. Whatever you choose - think about this Summer when you will be able to add delicious homegrown food to your Goodbyn's! Yum

Here are a few websites you might find useful if you were thinking of starting your own garden up:

My Square Foot Garden
How to start a vegetable garden
Planning a vegetable garden
Organic Gardening
Vegetable container Gardening

I hope that some of these links will help and inspire you! Good luck!

Ohh and don't forget - whilst you are thinking of green fingered gardening tips, why not take part in our green themed bynto giveaway by sharing your green themed boxes with us!