Fun Lunches With UpChefs Sandwich Cutters

Recently I was very pleased to received a set of very cute cutters from UpChefs, which I was happy to put to good use straight away.

First, however, while I am not one who attaches labels to others or would illogically categorize them, I have discovered that some "picky" eaters, which Nikolai can be at times, will eat better when the lunch is presented in a fun or cute style. Sometimes these little things can make a big difference!

UpChefs have come to the market with a set of cutters that can make cuteness easy and quickly attainable. Their cutter set includes nine sandwich bread or cookie cutters, which offer a great variety of options, and also two additional smaller cutters that can be used for fruits or vegetables. These will make a most welcome addition to my collection.

The lunch shown below is just one example of the many ways these cutters can quickly make an otherwise unremarkable sandwich into a fun meal for your children.

In this lunch is a sandwich cut into a heart and pair of dolphins using one of the cutters from UpChefs, strawberry and orange slices with a dolphin pick, Babybel cheese with a dolphin cut into the wax covering, and a granola bar. I used the small heart shape veggie cutter for the center cheese heart and added candy eyes for the dolphins.
This lunch was packed in his Planetbox rover.

Here is a picture of their set of cutters from which you can make sandwiches or cookies shaped like hearts, butterflies, dolphins, dinosaurs, elephants, puzzle pieces, a star, transportation vehicles, and a dog with his house. It even includes the small cutters which can make little hearts and flowers.

( photo courtesy of UpChefs )

Here is another lunch for which I used the transportation cutter from the UpChefs set to cut the sandwich into shapes, added cheese rectangles for windows for the boat, and made imprints with the bigger end of a chopstick to make portholes for that extra touch, added a string cheese along side and used the other sections of our Easylunchboxes container for carrots, apple wedges with a traffic light pick in a square silicone cup.

As some of you might have discovered, it is more rewarding to discover and implement a helpful solution than to worry over a problem, and if getting your child interested in eating his or her lunch is one of yours, then this cutter collection from UpChefs might be a great help.

A discount of 10% is available by using the code JMP5EDRG  at checkout.

Let me add that while those with a "picky" eater might benefit most, just about everybody enjoys a bit of fun with their lunch!

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4 Cute Animal Themed Lunches

One idea I truly love is that of getting, and keeping ready at hand, one set of cutters from which I'm able to create several different and fun lunches. They are especially convenient for those times when I feel like packing something cute, but just seem to have momentarily run out of ideas. These critter cutters from the lunch punch set are absolutely adorable and as always, you can go with or without the accents and your lunches will still turn out cute. All of the cutters I used to create these lunches came in the one set, which for those who have multiple lunches to make every day, might provide an easy way to keep them organized. It surely is crazy fun being a parent!

These lunches were enjoyed by Nikolai a few months ago and it's about time that I post them.

Bento lunch 1: Butterfly themed in which I used the butterfly cutter from our lunch punch set, added a few cheddar cheese accents on the sandwich and used honey as glue. The adorable eyes pick completed the look. Sides are cheese crackers, Babybel cheese which I used a small butterfly cutter for the cut-out, sugar snap peas, choc covered sunflower seeds and seedless red grapes. This lunch is pack in a Planetbox rover.

Bento lunch 2: Dog in doghouse cute lunch. I used the bread end for the dog and cheddar cheese for his collar, a dot of food safe marker for the eye. Alongside are pineapple chunks, strawberries, fruit snack, organic celery sticks and ranch dip in the small container. This lunch is packed in a leak proof Yumbox panino.

Bento lunch 3: A couple of dolphin shaped sandwiches with candy eyes, organic granola bar, Babybel cheese with a small dolphin cut-out, watermelon chunks with a cute pick, organic baby carrots with dip in the small container, far right is Clif Kid berry fruit stick. This lunch is packed in a Bentology living bento box.

Bento lunch 4: Elephant with baby elephant sandwich with Colby cheese ears Mozzarella cheese tusks and candy eye. The baby's eyes are food save marker. Sides are strawberries with an elephant pick, seedless grapes, choc covered sunflower seeds, cheese sandwich crackers, ranch dip in the small elephant container and cucumber slices. Packed in Planetbox.

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Under The Sea Bento

Next week is the last week of school for us before our long summer holiday, for which we are so excited and we can't wait for all the adventures and travel. I have a journal just for summer break in which I record every single fun activity, all of our trips and how we spent each day so that we can look back later and see all the fun we had. Of course it also serves as inspiration for the next year and refreshes the memory of places seen that could be revisited.

I have a huge back log of lunches which I've been packing for Nikolai daily, and those will have to wait till next school year or maybe I'll schedule some posts for summer. I'm not sure for now as blogging is at my back burner, but I'll try to post at least once more next week.

Here are a couple of under the sea themed lunches which he enjoyed a while back. The first lunch was fish shaped nuggets which I purchased from the freezer section at our grocery store. I baked them in the morning while cooking his couscous on the stove. I always let his hot foods cool down several minutes before transferring them to his lunch box. He had octo-cheese cut out of string cheese and I poked the facial accents with a toothpick. He also had fish shaped cheddar crackers, apple slices and a yogurt covered star. This lunch was packed in a Planetbox rover.
 

The next lunch was easy. Free hand cut nori above whole wheat bread topped with fish and star shaped mild cheddar cheese and a star cupcake pick. His sides were crinkle cut cucumber with a crab shaped cupcake pick, Swedish fish and strawberries. This lunch was packed in a leak-proof Yumbox panino.

This lunch was linked to:

Here are the supplies that I used to create and pack these lunches.

 

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3 Fish Bentos

How was your weekend? Ours went by like a flash as always. These past few months, Nikolai refused to eat school lunch even when the days they had his favorite pizza. He told us that the portions are too small and he disliked the side dishes. We asked him, "How about those who have to eat school lunch?" He told us that his friends, having no choice, ate the main meal and then complained of still being hungry or said the food was just not tasty. That being discussed, my husband and I joined him at school several times to check things out. True enough, the kids who ate school lunch had just had the main meal which was a grilled cheese sandwich, nuggets, taco or pizza (different days), some took the side dish but did not touch it, most just took the main portion.

So now I have to pack lunches for him five days a week.  At times they are simple lunches, some of which I've posted previously. There are some days that he packed his own lunches which are simple sandwiches or leftovers which he prefers over school lunch. Here are three fish themed lunches which Nikolai enjoyed sometime back.    

The fist lunch was a pita for which I used a paring knife to remove a section to relocate forming the mouth and tail. I used a heart shape cutter to make the side fin of Mozzarella cheese and a candy eye. His sides were fish shaped watermelon slices cut with a small fish shaped cookie cutter in a silicone cup, tiny fish shaped cucumber above organic baby carrots, packed in an Easylunchboxes container. I also included a Lunchbox Love note with his lunchbox.

The second lunch was a fish created with circle and heart shaped cookie cutters; a larger heart cutter for the tail and a small heart to make the accents, Swedish fish and cheddar fish crackers are also in the main compartment. The sides were crinkle cut cucumber slices, organic baby carrots, seedless red grapes and orange slices. This lunch was packed in a Fit & Fresh container.
I love crinkle cut veggies and I have recently purchase a new crinkle cut knife although I already own several. This one is small in size and it's also ideal for Nikolai to use.

The third and last lunch was quite easy. The main compartment contains a pita cut into quarters (stacked) and topped with fish shaped cheddar cheese, organic granola bar cut into half and cheddar goldfish crackers in silicone cups. The sides were organic baby carrots, broccoli florets, Annie's organic fruit snacks, pineapple and watermelon pieces.
This lunch was packed in a leakproof Yumbox Panino.

Here are the supplies or similar that I used to create and pack these lunches.

 

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Shark Bento and Matkins Review

The nice people over at Matkins kindly sent me one of their innovative Matkin which is a handy combination of a personal portable placemat with a pocket for a napkin or utensils. The idea of sending along a placemat is cool enough all by itself, but what they have accomplished with these Matkins goes well beyond that. With a fun collection to select from, the placemat side resistance to stains is amazing.

We like to travel and are out and about most weekends, so whether it is at a park, at a beach, or where ever you want a clean surface, these are great to have along.

I made this shark themed bento to complement the Shark Attack Matkin.

In this bento lunch:

• Shark shaped sandwich with a candy eye above sugar snap peas and carrot coins.
• Above the shark are Cheese crackers, pearl tomatoes and watermelon which was cut to shark shape.
• Far right is a mozzarella string cheese.
• Packed into our Laptop Lunches
• Including the handy Matkin. Linked to BentoLunch.net

Matkin stain resistant side

Matkin patterned side

Matkin rolled up and 'ready to roll'!

Here are the supplies or similar that I used to create and pack this lunch.

Disclosure: Matkins generously provided me with the items for review without cost to me. Other than receiving the items, I have not received any compensation to write this review. 

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Fish Nuggets Bento

Some of the frozen foods that we always have on hand are nuggets, both chicken and fish. It's easy to pack or serve as the oven does most of the job.:) The first thing I did as soon as I woke up was to pre-heat the oven and then continued with my morning routine. It required 15-20 minutes to cook and a few more for the nuggets to cool down before transferring them to his lunchbox.

 In this bento lunch:

• Earth's best all natural fish nuggets. I added nori eyes and cucumber sticks.
• Seedless black grapes with a fish cupcake pick.
• Granola bar and graham fishes.
• This lunch is packed in our Easylunchboxes.

Here are the supplies that I used to create and pack this lunch.

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Whale Bento

I was shopping at our local Target the other day and came across some whale shaped cheddar crackers and that inspired this easy to make bento.

In this bento lunch:

• Whale shaped sandwiches made with cutter, Provolone cheese coming from blow-hole and for eyes, and nori for mouth and eye.
• Upper left: Baby carrots and seedless red grapes.
• Upper right: Whale shaped cheddar crackers.
• Far right: Cloth napkin. This lunch is packed in his Laptop Lunches.

Here are the supplies that I used to make and pack this lunch.

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Fishes Bento

Happy Friday! We will be going on a short trip this weekend since Monday is a public holiday here. It's always nice to get out of town even to somewhere nearby. We just love to travel and our son loves to explore and review different hotels like his grandpa, my dad. :)
Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

In this bento lunch:

• Raspberries with a choc chip for eyes.
• Broccoli florets.
• Fish shaped sandwiches (stacked) with icing eye and cheddar cheese accents.
• Seedless grapes.
• Goldfish crackers in small bucket container. I included a LunchBox Love note and this lunch is packed in our EcoLunchbox Solo Rectangle.

Here are the supplies or similar that I used to make and pack this lunch.

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Homemade Banana Muffin bento snack and Dolphin bento (2)

First of all I'll like to mention that I am not good with baking at all and have only baked a hand full of times. My hubby and Nikolai of course are very supportive so that I would bake more often! I do bake foods for dinner though and I am trying to get into baking bread, muffins, cakes etc. I found this recipe online among many mouth watering recipes out  there. Most of my friends are great bakers and some of them have awesome recipes on their blog. They are a great inspiration to me. I am happy to say that the muffin below turned out quite yummy. It was my first attempt at banana muffins :)

In this bento snack:

• Homemade banana muffin with choc chip eyes and nose and crackers for ears. Nikolai added those.:)
• Blueberries, colby jack cheese and cucumber slices.Packed in Lock & Lock container.

Here is another lunch packed in PlanetBox Shuttle.

In this bento lunch:

• Dolphin shaped sandwiches with icing eyes and blueberries sea.
• Greek yogurt with fruit leather cut to fish shape and cucumber slices.

Here are the supplies or similar that I used to make and pack this lunch and snack.

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Bento Lunch #257: Fish Onigiri

N liked the rose shaped strawberries and asked me to cut them the same way today. I am happy to oblige as long as he eats them! Besides, I get to practice carving them.
Packed in our LunchBots duo.

• Left- Earth's best all natural fish nuggets, fish shaped onigiri with nori accent and icing eye.
• Right- Strawberry roses, edamame, seedless black grapes
• Snack box- Blueberry muffin and cheddar goldfish
• Linking this lunch to BentoLunch.net

Here are the items or similar that I used to make this lunch.

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Fishies, Bento Lunch #229

Mommy, can I have a fish pet and an aquarium?@-@ I told N that I have to think about it and discuss with Daddy but could make him a fish shaped sandwich for today.

• Fish shaped turkey and cheese sandwich with Colby fins and candy eye. Seaweed(nori) cut on the bottom.
• Fish shaped mozzarella cheese,stacked
• Strawberry and blueberries with fish shaped picks
• Fish shaped pretzels in fish shaped snack box

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Bento Lunch: Fish & Cheese 10-7

Happy Friday!

• Fish nuggets(The Wild Alaskan fish nuggets are all natural, GMO free and processed without chemicals)
• Colby Jack fish shaped cheese
• Seedless black grapes
• Cheddar goldfish crackers
• Snack-Homemade blueberry muffin,veggie straws,Panda cookies

Here are the items or similar that I used to make this lunch.

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