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4.29.2013

Sandwiches

I was never a lover of sandwiches. I love heroes, cheesesteaks, muffalettas and two slices of bread with so much stuff inside that it can't be handled with one bite. Sandwich sounds so weak. A slice of ham here and a nibble of cheese there, with cucumbers? Blech.

Now, with a toddler and constant traveling, mainly by car and within borders anyway, I realize the necessity of sandwiches. They are comparatively neat and efficient. I can cover all the food groups in 5 bites. Clean up is a relative breeze, dust some hands and send them on their way. Here's the current list of favorites:

All made with frozen commercial multigrain bread, Arnold's Oatnut or 12-Grain:

Tips-
1. Cut into fours prior to packing into a glass container, the hard container makes sure that the sandwich isn't crushed.
2. Make sure to give sandwiches an extra press at the end so the whole thing stays together
3. Frozen bread will defrost by the time your child eats the sandwich thus ensuring extra freshness and chill while in lunchbox
4. Always include a spread, it's such a great way to include nutrients and taste but more importantly, it 'glues' the sandwich together. Cream Cheese means Whipped Cream Cheese, which is lighter-tasting, easier to spread and sticks better.
5. I leave the crusts on. I don't have the time nor the money to waste on cutting those crusts off!
6. On pancake days, freeze extra pancakes and substitute for bread in 'Sweet' sandwiches on special lunch days
7. Make what you would eat, toddler food should also be 'adult-friendly', especially if you only have time to feed the kids, at least you get to eat their leftovers and be happy about it!

Savoury:
1. Cream Cheese and Ham- Line with spinach leaves, sliced cheese, sliced roasted peppers.
2. Hummus and Cucumbers- I had to squeeze the cukes in there somewhere! Add sliced tomatoes or some grilled chicken/poultry. If your child isn't like mine, some sprouts or watercress would be awesome in this. Hint: try Trader Joe's Edamame Hummus.
3. Roasted Red Pepper Spread and Mozzarella- Just slice string cheese in half, dust with some fresh basil. Add some 'slices' of grilled corn or baby corn, if you have the time...

Sweet:
1. Cream Cheese and Strawberries- Strawberry cream cheese is such a popular item, why not just add fresh sliced strawberries to cream cheese? T loves this one and this was how he started his sandwich phase.
2. PB&J- Good old classic but use fresh ground PB and some imported Jelly (my favorite is Bonne Maman)! Toddler tastebuds are super influential, use the good stuff if you can! Plus, the flavors are better, you can use less (just a smatter of jam, you shouldn't even see it) and overall healthier. I sometimes replace the jelly with apple slices, whichever I have on hand. I'd imagine Granny Smith would taste pretty good.
3. PB&N&B- N is for Nutella and B is for Banana. On days that I make this one, I also wish that T doesn't finish it. Even the crusts taste awesome! You can also switch the banana for apples and it tastes just as good with an added crunch.

Open rice!