Family times - Special lunches for my boys

There are some days in life that we all need a special lunch. I try very hard to make special treats for my boys though I don't know if they notice my efforts. This Valentine's Day I wanted to make sure all 4 boys had a special lunch treat to take to school.

For many years my boys had very limited diets due to their autism. One of my boys would only eat white food and he had the same things for lunch for years. Slowly over time, each child is trying new food. Recently they tried prawns and two of the boys are now hooked. 

I can never be lonely while peeling prawns as I suddenly have extra shadows putting their hands out. I did manage to peel these prawns in secret and wrap them in Cling Wrap. I then popped them in a cupcake patty and wrapped them in Cling Wrap again with a little bow. I heard no complaints about these additions in the lunchbox.  I should point out that there are fridges in each classroom that the boys can put their lunchboxes in. I couldn't imagine sending prawns if they were to sit in a school bag for several hours.

Then I went crazy with a biscuit cutter. I had a little heart shaped cutter and cut up various cold meats and cheeses. We don't usually eat processed meats but this was a special treat and I was hoping the youngest child might show an interest in them. Unfortunately he was more interested in saying "hearts, hearts, hearts" rather than eating them.

I made a massive batch of heart shaped biscuits. There is something very special about the smell of home baking and as a result there was no chance I could make these in secret. The boys kept popping their heads into the kitchen to claim some of these as they came out of the oven.

 Here are some of the finished lunchboxes that the boys took to school.

My attempts will never look as fancy as the photos that you find on Pinterest. Seriously how many hours must it take to create some of those masterpieces. I wish I had that much spare time. And even if I did, I think I would prefer to channel my time into making special meals we can share together. Because the one problem with sending them to school with special treats is that I never get to see the looks on their faces when they open their lunch boxes.

I am now thinking about making some 'green' treats for Saint Patrick's day lunches. I will have to hunt down some natural green food dye and start planning in secret.  I have a friend who also likes to make special school lunches for her boys. We often share photos and ideas so I'm putting out the 'Saint Patrick's Day' lunch challenge to her. Will she accept the challenge? We will have to wait and see.

Edit - My friend is all in for the Saint Patrick's Day lunch challenge. She has declared war. Stay tuned for photos in a future post.