Trail Mix Cornucopia and Lunchbox Love 10

Welcome to our weekly Friday feature, Allergy Friendly Lunchbox Love!  This link party is specifically for your dishes that will travel well in a lunchbox, and if they're free of some (or all) of the top eight food allergens, that's even better :)

Just a few days left until Thanksgiving, and I'm still having fun playing with my food!  Holidays are a great excuse to turn something ordinary into something special, and food is no exception.  Why have a plain ol' Tupperware container of trail mix, when you can have a Thanksgiving Cornucopia instead?  Yes, I know, this can hardly be considered a recipe, but when you think about how happy your little guys will be when they find these in their lunchboxes, how can you not try it?

Last week we stumbled upon gluten-free ice cream cones at our local Whole Foods (brand: Edward and Sons), and we've been thinking up weird ways to use them ever since.  A traditional, pointy-ended cone would look more authentic as a cornucopia holder, but so far we haven't found those with allergy-free ingredients.

For our trail mix, we used hazelnuts, pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries, and Enjoy Life Double Chocolate Crunch Granola (which we recently received a sample of from the company).  Shanon from Food Farm Health linked up a more elaborate Cranberry Pumpkin Seed Granola recipe last week which is similar, but better, if you'd like to have a look.

 You can certainly create your own trail mix using any items to which you are not allergic, but do consider including the Enjoy Life granola -- it's very good.  We've found all the Enjoy Life products we've tried to be very sweet, which works well to hide any off-flavors from any allergen substitutes.  The Bear Naked granola, for example, tastes very sawdusty and a little cardboard-y in comparison.

Now, have a look at our two features from last week's link party.  I'm a sucker for adorable Bento boxes, and Diana Rambles posted a charming one featuring "onigiri" rice people.  I love that this lunch is rice-based so it's automatically gluten-free, and it's so cute that your child will be the envy of all of his friends at the lunch table... rather than the outcast who "can't eat sandwiches."  (Plus, this lunch is winking at me.  I'm easily charmed!)

Classic Onigiri Bento

from Diana Rambles

I've also featured a clever recipe from Penniless Parenting for a gluten-free, dairy-free cornbread that would be yummy with a little coconut spread in a lunchbox, or even some pumpkin butter.  Most cornbread combines cornmeal with wheat flour, but PP uses a mix of rice and teff flour along with her cornmeal, plus coconut oil and non-dairy milk to complete the package.

GF, CF Cornbread

from Penniless Parenting

I'd also like to mention a great trick from Gluten Free A to Z for keeping your cut apples from browning in a lunchbox.  Check it out here.

And now it's time for this week's link party!  What did you pack for lunch this week?

Shared with Weekend Bloggy Reading at Serenity Now and Creative Genius at The Creative Paige and Shine On Friday at One Artsy Mama and Friday Free For All at Cooking at Cafe D and Inspiration Friday at At The Picket Fence and Friday Food at MomTrends and Foodie Friday at Not Your Ordinary Recipes and Show Off Your Stuff at Fireflies and Jellybeans and Pennywise Platter at The Nourishing Gourmet and What's For Lunch Wednesday at What's For Lunch at  Our House and Success U at The Stuff of Success and the Homemaking Link Up at Raising Homemakers and Show and Tell Saturday at Be Different Act Normal and Show Off Your Stuff at Six Sisters' Stuff and Weekend Wrap UP at Tatertots and Jello and Seasonal Inspiration at Crumbs and Chaos and Once Upon a Weekend at Family Ever After and Nifty Thrifty Sunday at Nifty Thrifty Things and Sundae Scoop at I Heart Naptime and Family Time Tuesday at Celebrating Family and Stitch Stir and Straighten at Not Your Ordinary Recipes.