I am the first person to admit that I suck when it comes to making food pretty.  It’s sort of ironic, given that I teach kids how to play with their food (ie. cook).  It probably stems from the fact that I jump from one activity to the next, and can’t sit still long enough.  Plus, I do everything crooked, and would be hard pressed to decorate foods in any recognizable fashion.

Even though I haven’t been blessed with any artistic genes, I am blown away by the talent of others.  Yesterday, someone on Twitter posted a link to these amazing sandwiches on Funky Lunch.  I think you’d be hard pressed to find a kid that wasn’t excited to eat these.

And then, there is my good friend Matt.  He plays with food in a completely different way…

I am a little envious of Matt’s family – they are all creative artists.  He photographed his wife Jennifer’s book, The Toddler Cafe, that encourages families to have fun in the kitchen with their kids…and embrace the mess.

I am almost ashamed to show you what some of our school lunches look like in comparison.  While mine aren’t pretty, I am proud that I have used good ingredients and that I am using reusable containers.  I have to start somewhere, right?

Included in the lunches above:

• Salami slices cut into triangles, nestled into silicone food cups, along with mini toasts
• Sliced bell peppers next to black olives in silicone food cups
• Blueberries (skewered on a food pick) in a pig shaped silicone food cup along with black grapes