Lunchbox Kabobs

Back when I was working on my review for the Easy Lunchbox System (while simultaneously trying to recreate an “authentic looking” GF Lunchable), I really started to ponder how most kids perceive foods just by how they look and how they are packaged, you saw my “McCarrot Experiment,” right?.  I have also been trying to come up with simple ideas for adding “bling” to the everyday lunchbox.  My kiddos take their lunch to school every day because of their dietary restrictions, so adding a little something “extra” here and there breaks up the monotony, especially when the Yogos have suddenly “disappeared” from the lunchbox lineup! 😉 Lastly, I have been taking cake decorating classes and have begun to accumulate cupcake picks galore! So why not “merge” all of the above together? Cupcake picks are really just blinged out toothpicks, so why not make lunchbox kabobs?

Kabobs are a fun way to mix up the “ordinary” carrots, grapes, apples, pineapple, strawberries, pears, olives, Glutino pretzel twists, cheese cubes and turkey deli meat that I usually send in their lunches. I have even cut up small pieces of Crave Bakery’s Gluten-Free Brownies and stuck those on there as well… perfect “little bites.”

Luke had a lot of fun yesterday when I made up a few so I could take pictures…

He kept saying, “The baseball is gooood!”

You’d think he was looking at the latest “it” toy! It doesn’t take much at this age, does it?

Note to self: smaller strawberries next time!

I could just gaze into their eyes all day.

So, here is how it is done… very simple!

I have been collecting cupcake picks from my local specialty cake store, but you can also find them online. Ebay has a lot of neat looking picks.

Cheese cubes are great, especially if you put them on the bottom of the kabob because they will “stand up.” For the turkey, we love Boars Head Low-Sodium Turkey (it’s awesome!). To reduce our risk of cross contamination, we do not have the delicatessen slice our turkey for us. Instead, they will take a clean knife and cut off a large piece for us and we slice it ourselves at home. I figure this way, our biggest risk for cross-contamination is just on the two end pieces and not on each slice that has come into contact with the store’s deli slicer. Yes, I realize I might be a GF wackadoodle, BUT, I can also cut the turkey into various sizes and shapes by doing it this way! 😉

On a recent trip to the store I found Kraft 100-calorie pack Cheese Bites:

Click here for Kraft’s Gluten-Free Labeling Information.

I bought these because I thought the boys would like to have the “packaging” but I have to say that the cost for 5 little packs of cubed cheese (that the boys didn’t even care for) was not worth the convenience and it didn’t rank well in the “normal looking pre-packaged food” category with Sam! The ingredient label is not all that impressive to me either. You can easily make your own cubed cheese for less money and fewer “ingredients!”

I usually buy organic cheese but I thought I would show a non-organic version because I cannot tell you how many people I come into contact with that think “Organic” is synonymous with “Gluten-Free,” or vice versa. Have you ever had one of “those” experiences?

6 ingredients.

Slice off a small chunk…

Cut in half lengthwise…

Cut into smaller cubes…

Ta-Da! And it took all of 5 minutes. 🙂

You could even cross over to the “wackadoodle” side with me and…

Make Cheese Shapes! 🙂

I made bunny cheese snacks around Easter.

Sam made the 6 for his age!

I think I see a new version of my O.G.C.D. coming on, LOL! 🙂