Lunch Made Easy: Michigan ~ Smitten with the Mitten!

For those of you that don't know the phenomenon that is "America's High Five", this great state of Michigan is shaped like a mitten. Go ahead, look, it's true! There are companies, books, and even campaigns across the state playing up the silly shape.

 

One of the first things I was taught when I moved here was that Michiganders use their hands as maps. At first I thought it was strange, but it's actually quite helpful (lol). Hold up your hand and point to what city you're from, or talking about in a conversation, and it allllllllllll makes sense.

 

So, of course, now Little Miss has been taught about the "hand map" and even knows all about the "Michigan Mitten". Naturally, we had to make a school lunch about it! 

 

Little Miss has her Michigan Mitten shaped SunButter & Jelly sandwiches on gluten free bread. They're laid out in our EasyLunchbox like this, because the "left mitten" represents the upper peninsula. (See example HERE.)

 

Surrounding the mittens are cheese snowflakes, decorated with food safe markers. One on the upper right indicating our Advent Lunches, Christmas Countdown of "20 Days Left until Christmas"!

In the upper left she has a veggie mix of baby carrots, celery, and sweet red pepper slices.

In the upper right I included the State Fruit of Michigan which are cherries. She has a small silicone cup of whipped cream cheese. She likes to dip her cherries in it because it reminds her of cheesecake. Hey, whatever works! :)

 

Allergy Friendly Notes:

• This lunch is gluten, peanut, and tree nut free.
• Depending on the brand of bread you purchase, it can also be made entirely egg free. 
• Use vegan cream cheese and soy or rice cheese for the snowflakes to make it dairy free.