Sparkle Kitchen: Teeny the Toadlet Sandwich Stacker
In the Sparkle Sleepytime story, “Teeny the Toadlet”, Teeny is a little toadlet who is about to go to school for the very first time. When he realizes that going to Toad School includes leaving some of his friends from the pond and making new friends on land, he grows nervous. His mother reassures him that toads are lucky because they can make new friends at Toad School while keeping their old friends from the pond.
This year, for the first time ever, my little “toadlet” is going to a new school where he can bring lunch from home. While it's not in my gift to make lunch box works of art every single day, I am trying to think of a few special lunches for at least the first couple of weeks. In the midst of new faces and rules and routines, I hope that it will be a midday reminder that he's loved and maybe even a conversation starter to ease the way to making some new friends.
If you're looking for similar ideas to help make those starting-a-new-school-year transitions easier, give this “Teeny” sandwich stacker a try. A spinach tortilla wrap does most of the work for you—just by being green—and you can customize the filling to suit your child's favorites.
With just a little imagination, you could also add sides to match the theme. How about some “swamp water” dipping sauce with “logs”? (Green goddess dressing and carrots.) Or some “pond mud” and “sticks”? (Hummus and celery.)
Here's wishing you an easy “hop” into this new school year!
Teeny the Toadlet Sandwich Stacker
Ingredients
1 extra large (wrap size) green tortilla
a few slices of lunchmeat (ham, turkey, roast beef, etc.)
a few slices of cheese
1 baby dill pickle
1 olive
Directions
Begin by using a biscuit cutter or similarly shaped round object to cut 4 small circles out of the tortilla.
Next, use scissors to cut a pair of froggy webbed feet out of the tortilla scraps. You'll also need to cut out two small tortilla circles (just a bit wider than the circumference of your pickle) to form the base of the eyes.
To make the eyes, slice the pickle into rounds and cut the olive in half. Then, make two little stacks—tortilla, pickle, olive—to complete them.
Now, pull out your child's lunch container. Put the two feet in the bottom corners, and gently place the sandwich stack on top. Put the eyes on top of the sandwich stack, and use a knife to cut a small slit for the mouth. If you have a little extra lunch meat leftover, you can slip it into the mouth to make a tongue. Depending on the size of the lunch container you're using, you may need to use a few toothpicks to secure your masterpiece.
Once your toadlet is all secure and snug, pop him into a lunch box and send him off to school!
If you liked this recipe, here are others you might enjoy:
- Campfire Raspberry Basil Grilled Cheese Sandwich
- Apple Sandwich Stackers
- Smokey Mountian Chicken Sandwiches
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About the Author
Meryl Carver-Allmond
The Sparkle Kitchen Series is created by Meryl Carver-Allmond.
Meryl lives in a hundred-year-old house near the prairie with her sweet husband, two preschoolers, one puppy, one gecko, and about ten chickens. While she's been writing since she could pick up a pen, in recent years she's discovered the joy of photography, too. She feels lucky to be able to combine those skills, along with a third passion — showing people that cooking for themselves can be healthy and fun — in her Sparkle Kitchen posts.
