droolicious : food

Funky Monkey Freeze Dried Fruit Snacks

Lisa Estall — Sat, 30 May 2009 18:42:00 GMT

I recently got to test out Funky Monkey Snacks on my 3-year-old. These snacks are freeze dried fruit with no added sugar, preservatives, colors or flavors.

Since my son is a very picky eater I wasn’t sure if he would like them. It turned out that he ate the whole bag in one sitting! Dried fruit is always the...

healthier option than a bag of salty crackers so I was happy.

There are four flavors: Bananamon (banana and cinnamon), Carnaval Mix (banana, pineapple, apple, papaya and raisins), Jivealime (pineapple and lime juice) and Purple Funk (banana and acai berries).

You can buy them at amazon.com.

Mess-Free Peanut Butter & Jelly Pillow Set

Aaron Burgess — Fri, 08 May 2009 13:30:00 GMT

Food-allergy-proof and mess-free, this PB&J pillow set features our favorite sandwich toppings slathered over two soft, 16" tall x 15" wide "bread slices" made from eco-felt (i.e., 100% recycled plastic bottles). You can get either pillow embroidered with the kiddoes' names, too -- try doing that with the lunch you're packing this morning.

$60 per set from Diffraction Fiber.

5 Best International Food Play Sets

SunnyChanel — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 03:16:00 GMT

You can get your kid the burger & fries, plain produce or basic meat and potatoes play food sets, or you can introduce them to a more cultural array of tantalizing tastes and textures. Here are five diverse international play sets for your kid’s kitchen fantasies.

Wooden Sushi Set by Melissa & Doug (above)
Nigiri, Rolls, soy sauce, chopsticks and of course a sushi knife. $19.95 here

African Play Food By Mojo Education
Fish, okra, plantains and other tasty looking African staples for $16.99 here.

Hispanic Foods by Learning Resources
Includes Set includes tamale, enchilada, taco, quesadilla, empanada, rice, beans and flan. $17.95 here

Italian Food Set
This seven piece set includes lasagna, spaghetti, meat sauce, italian bread, two slices of pizza and salad. Manga! $14.95 here.

Good Fortune - Chinese Food Play Set by Small World Toys
Includes: chopsticks, soy sauce, rice, tea cup, shrimp, lettuce leaves, spring roll, dim sum holder. dim sum, dumpling, fortune cookie, Chinese take-out box $10.80 here.

ABC-Shaped Tater Tots From Ore-Ida

Chris Ford — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Getting kids to eat tater tots isn't exactly a chore, but these were such a big hit at dinner-time in my house last night I had to recommend them. Ore-Ida ABC Fun Shapes are exactly what you think they are - tater tots shaped like letters instead of the typical cylinders. And for the record, they taste exactly like regular tater tots.

They'll cost a little bit more than a bag of regular tater tots (actually, the cost is the same, but you get less in the bag) but they're fun for a change of pace around dinner.

You can't buy them at Amazon (probably because they're frozen), but check them out in your local grocery store for around $2.99.

The Chop Chop Chicken

SunnyChanel — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Do you have designs on raising your child to be butcher? Well if do, the Chop Chop Chicken by Viola is an ideal way to start them on their journey of dismembering carcasses. This wooden chicken comes with a pretend knife and sectioned legs and wings for pure chopping, cutting and disembodying joy. You can pick one up here for $15.96

Robots? No Lunchbots

JeanneSager — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 13:03:00 GMT

Green had to meet geeky some day, and fortunately for our kids' sakes it's in the form of little green containers for their munchables.

Lunchbots set of stainless steel containers for kids lunches takes plastic and all its worries (hello BPA) out of the picture. Available in its original form as a solo sandwich transporter or the duo - which is split across the middle for kids who prefer their courses remain in two parts- Lunchbots can be chucked in the dishwasher and pulled out again tomorrow for the ultimate in reusable.

Creator Jacqueline Linder started the company when she couldn't find non-plastic containers to pack her kids lunches and snacks. "Instead of worrying about which types of plastic are safe, I decided it was best to avoid plastic altogether," she said. Her kids love them for the bright colored tops, and your kids will love them for the robot-style name and robot look (see, I told you it was geeky).

Food safe and Earth friendly, get them at Lunchbots.

More Green Goodies:

Keeping Kids AND the Earth Well in One Fell Swoop

Eco for the Next Generation

Go Green for Lunch and We're Not Talking Lettuce

Etsy Alert: On Top of Spaghetti, All Covered with Felt

JeanneSager — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 20:02:00 GMT

What's better than a picture of your kid covered in spaghetti sauce to pull out when they bring home their first date? Spaghetti and sauce they can play with . . . that won't leave the teeniest drop behind.

Bug Bites promises little food for big imaginations, and their Spaghetti and Meatballs with Red Sauce has me imagining hiring a sitter so the husband and I can head out for a nice night at the local Italian joint. Or, you know, a night in with the kid, staring at each other over a plate of ecospun polyester noodles (they used to be plastic bottles!) with a swatch of red polyester on top. To each his own.

Where ever you're eating, you can guarantee your kid will be begging to leave the table and hit their play kitchen to boil up a pot of Bug Bites' thick spaghetti. The tightly woven meatballs stand up well to being smushed into a plastic pot and covered in real water - I can attest - because it's all made to be machine-washable for easy kitchen clean-up.

Fire Up the Grills!

Heather Kuldell — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 18:07:00 GMT

Time to move the cooking — even the imaginary kind — outside. While you fire up you grill, let the kids toss items from the snazzy Soft Grill Set onto theirs. This plush set includes an array of meat-eater options including three spooky white sausages (weisswursts, maybe?), a fish, a shish kabob and a decadent-looking, 1-inch thick steak. Each piece is made from poly-cotton and can be tossed into the washing machine should they get a little charred.

Available from Leaps and Bounds for $14.95.

Star Baby: Suri Watch – Suri & Katie Get a Tasty Treat

SunnyChanel — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 02:35:00 GMT

Apparently someone’s been a very good girl. Katie Holmes, while in Beverly Hills, took a Cinderella costumed Suri to Crumbs Bakery for an afternoon treat. The baked goods hotspot, who are known for their scrumptious cupcakes, just happens to deliver! Yup, from the comfort of your own home in Anytown, U.S.A, you can taste a little of the same magic that Katie and Suri enjoyed. One item from their site looks pert near irresistible, the Best Seller Collection – Taste Pack. This is a sampling of twelve of their most popular cupcakes and it goes for $18 for 12, which doesn’t include shipping (which is done via Fed Ex). Check out this tasty treat collection here.

New Lunch Bags By Jane Jenni Just In Time For Spring

Chris Ford — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 14:00:00 GMT

Winter weather got you and your kids down? Designer Jane Jenni has a new item that might bring the springtime just a little early. The Birdhouse Lunch Bag is colorful and cute and chances are your daughter probably will be the only one in school with one.

The lunch bag comes in two designs (the other is a little more autumnal actually) and is PVC, lead and phthalate free.

Jane Jenni Custom Fit Lunch Bags, $20 from Unicahome.com

Have an Answer for “What’s For Dinner?”

Heather Kuldell — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 17:34:00 GMT

Many days, I start thinking ahead to dinner while I’m taking my lunch break. When I know what the plan is, I have pleasant thoughts. When I don’t, I start trying to remember what I have in my fridge and begin to stress about it. That’s where the “What’s For Dinner?” pad comes in. One side of the pad features the the days of the week, and the other half is a grocery list. The idea is that you plan out the week, then make sure you actually remember to pick up all the ingredients at the store. That way you don’t get ham but no burger or mac and no cheese. And no, I don't think it's cheating to have a day or twoblank for take-out, delivery or leftovers.

Available at The Organized Parent for $22.95.

Bacon? That’s Mr. Bacon to You

Heather Kuldell — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 16:11:00 GMT

Carnivores vs. vegetarians. Bacon vs. tofu. Can’t we just all get along?

Meet Mr. Bacon and Monsieur Tofu, a pair of vinyl figures shaped like very different delicacies. With bendy arms, the duo could act out a battle or perhaps negotiate peaceful living between those with differing palates. Purchase the pair together for $9.95.

Skull and Jack-O-Lantern Pancakes

elizabeth leach — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 18:46:00 GMT

These skull and jack-o-lantern pancake molds are the good kind of scary. Start celebrating Halloween early and let it last all month with yummy breakfasts and sweet creative treats like these.

Buy The Make-A-Face Halloween Pancake Molds at Williams-Sonoma for $19.95.

ABC Kids Expo 2008: Dabba Walla Lunch Bags And Backpacks

Chris Ford — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 18:58:00 GMT

In India, the "dabbawalla" (Wikipedia entry) is the guy who collects the hot lunches of office workers from their home, brings them to the office, and then returns the empty boxes back. In America, Dabba Walla is a company that makes really cool neoprene lunch bags and backpacks.

What I liked best about Dabba Walla are the designs. Big and colorful, they're a lot cooler than the typical mass produced cartoon character stuff you'll get at a normal department store. And they had a stop light design, which I totally loved.

Dabba Walla bags, $38 for the luch bag and $48 for the backpack. Available at the end of October 2008. Check them out at DabbaWallaBags.com.

ProBugs Promises Up to 10X the Beneficial Creepy-Crawlies of Regular Yogurt

Aaron Burgess — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 18:04:00 GMT

Sure, Halloween is still over a month away, but depending on how progressive-minded your community is, you could stock up on Lifeway Foods' new ProBugs beneficial-bacteria-loaded drinkable yogurts for trick-or-treating and positively clobber all those moms and dads who still insist on giving out candy.

Loaded with 10 live and active kefir cultures (as opposed to most yogurts' paltry two or three), as well as 1.5 grams of fiber, each ProBug no-spill spout pouch is meant to help increase the level of good bacteria in kids' digestive systems while promoting overall healthy digestion. The company currently offers two flavors, "Sublime Slime Lime" (pictured) and "Orange Creamy Crawler," both of which are certified organic and also pack ample levels of protein, calcium, and added inulin to aid with calcium absorption.

For my money, though -- and keep in mind that my kids are usually averse to any dairy product with the word "lime" or "orange" in its name -- it's the gruesome characters on the pouches' packaging that makes ProBugs so easily digested.

ProBugs four-packs are available at Whole Foods and Target stores nationwide, but if you can't find them locally, check out the company's store locator for details on where to score a pack.

ABC Kids Expo 2008: Calla High Chair

Chris Ford — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 16:48:00 GMT

The Calla High Chair is kind of a puzzle for me, because while the shape of the chair really makes it stand out, even from all the other "modern" highchairs at ABC, it's still just a high chair. It's still just a piece of furniture with a very limited practical shelf-life that your kids are going to inevitably make very, very messy. But your kid has to sit somewhere and eat, right? More details after the jump.

The Calla highchair was designed by Yves Behar for Fleurville and has all of the normal high chair type stuff - a tray, a foot rest etc. It's also height-adjustable, raising all the way up to bar height (which is a nice feature). But what you're really purchasing is the look. It really was something to look at - I'm pretty sure there isn't a ninety degree angle on any part of it.. And although they didn't allow me to take a picture I still wanted to write about it.

The chair is a bright yellow and will undoubtedly stand out in your home, so it might be a hard fit with the rest of your decor. I suppose though that if you've got a room full of furniture already that the Calla would be at home in, then you probably aren't worrying about it standing out. And you probably aren't sweating the price either.

The Calla highchair will be available in the Spring of 2009 from Fleurville for a retail price of $580. Check it out at callachair.com.

ABC Kids Expo 2008: Snacker Catcher

Chris Ford — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 20:28:00 GMT

It was fun to check out all the new products from the brands that we all know, but it was also fun to find new products from people who had a good idea and are trying to make it happen. The Snacker Catcher, a "big snack" tether, is one of those products.

It basically looks like a pacifier tether - you clip one end to your child's clothes and you cinch the other to a large piece of food (like half a bagel or a cookie or something. Then when your child inevitably drops it, it won't fall on the ground.

Each Snacker Catcher is BPA free and has gone through the lengthy FDA approval process (which isn't something I've seen before in a product like this). There are four ribbon styles available and each should retail for around $9.99. Check them out at Bebalee.com.

ABC Kids Expo 2008: Mate Stay-Put Mat and Plate From Skip Hop

Chris Ford — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 00:02:00 GMT

Everyone knows and loves the diaper bags from Skip Hop, but it's the new things that aren't diaper bags that got me excited this year at ABC. The first really cool thing I saw was "Mate", the toddler plate, placemat, spoon and fork set.

The Mate has a skid resistant place mat that the plate and utensils snap into, but the best thing (other than it looks good) is that the plate is microwavable. All the parts are dishwasher safe and are BPA, PVC and Phthalate free.

Mate Stay-Put Mat & Plate will retail for around $20.00 and will be available October of 2008. It's not on the web site yet, but you can still check out SkipHop.com

ABC Kids Expo 2008: The Wean Machine Portable Baby Food Grinder

Chris Ford — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 16:03:00 GMT

Fortunately, everything I saw at the ABC Kids Expo wasn't fancy furniture and strollers. I also saw some interesting and innovative smaller products as well. At the top of the list for me was a little portable baby food grinder called the Wean Machine. Explanation and a better photo after the jump.

The Wean Machine is basically like an enormous garlic press that you use to make food mushy enough for your baby to eat. The best part about it though is that it's totally portable, small enough to fit in a handbag or diaper. And it's as simple as a garlic press too. You just put the food you want your baby to eat in the bottom, press it up through to the top and use the built in spoon for feeding. There's also a cover that goes over the whole contraption which is good for keeping the food fresh inside, or just for keeping the inside of your bag clean if you're not able to clean it up on the go. According to the inventor, it will handle just about all the types of foods you would feed a baby that's new to solid foods (bananas, strawberries, peas etc.). It's not going to handle a steak or a pork roast, but you're probably not going to be carrying that with you anyway.

The Wean Machine should be available in the US in early January but you can check it out now at JuvenileSolutions.com

Win a $500 Mealtime Prize Package! Get Discounts!

editors — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 19:33:00 GMT

Psst! Did you hear about the latest photo contest on The Babble Playground? We’re looking for your messiest faces and the reward for the winning photo includes some of the hottest mealtime accoutrements on the market. Click below to see what’s in this package worth over $500:

Much coveted Küster high end sustainable highchair!

Beautiful bib package from Kushies!

Fancy schmancy table set from Italian designers Trebimbi!

Comfortable and clever Grow Up! booster seat from Mutsy!

Perhaps you can’t wait for the contest to end to get your hands on these delightful dining accessories. Then head on over to BareBabies and Kushies where they’re offering special discount codes for Babble readers.- April Peveteaux

Get the Küster high chair at BareBabies for $250, use discount code bab10offkuster for 10% off of any Küster order.

Get your chic bibs at Kushies, use discount code babha08 for 10% off of any Kushies order.

Get the most stylish tableware Italy has to offer from Trebimbi at BareBabies, use discount code bab10offtre for 10% off of any Trebimbi order.

Get the Mutsy Grow Up! booster seat at BareBabies for $69, use discount code bab10offmutsy for 10% off off of any Mutsy order.

Hot S’More Action Minus the Campfire

SunnyChanel — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 15:42:00 GMT

Okay, this one goes more in the category of something I’d get more for me than my kid, you know why? ‘Cos I love me some hot S’More Action. Ever since I was seduced by their taste sensations while on a Camp Fire Girls retreat, I’ve had a little spot in my heart and place reserved on my field of taste buds for this gooey mixture. But how often do I find myself around an open flame with sticks, Graham Crackers, marshmallow and chocolate. Not that often. But I can avoid the stick splinters, the carcinogenic qualities of burnt marshmallow and well that whole camping thing with the Microwave S’More Maker. This cute creature will make a set of S’Mores in thirty seconds flat. Hello hips, meet your new little friend. ($7.98)

Put Your Own Photo on Candy with My M&M's

Chris Ford — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 15:20:00 GMT

Looking for a party favor or birth announcement gift that you've absolutely never seen before? The melt-in-your-mouth-not-in-your-hand candy M&M's has recently launched "My M&M's," the customizable, printable chocolate. And it just might be that perfect party favor.

The process itself is pretty simple. You upload a photo to the web site, enter a message (if you want one) and it gives you a rough approximation of what the candy will look like. Then apparently a "graphic specialist will work with the photo(s) you uploaded to provide the best reproduction quality possible." Which means that it's more than a computer that will decide how the candy will look, which makes me trust the whole process a lot more.

It's not cheap, but it's not incredibly expensive either. They have all sorts of packaging options from gift bags, glass boxes to teddy bears, but the minimum order seems to be three 7 oz. bags for $12.99 each ($38.97). You can also get a five pound box for $162.50 or a ten pound box for $312.50, which seems like a lot, but for something like a wedding might be one of the less expensive things in the party budget.

Check out all the options at MyMMs.com.

Cookies Take Off with Rocket Spatula

Heather Kuldell — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 20:31:00 GMT

If there’s one word that will rocket a kid’s afternoon into the stratosphere, it’s “cookies.” With this Rocket Spatula you can fuel even more fun by having your child play co-pilot to a delicious bond-building activity, even if you cut a few corners with the store-bought, pre-mixed cookie dough. On sale at Williams-Sonoma for $5.99, the spatula features a flexible nylon head, a brushed stainless steel handle, and measure 10 inches long.

(Photo credit: williams-sonoma.com.)

Japanese Food Containers Are a Lunch Box Alternative

Chris Ford — Mon, 12 May 2008 11:06:00 GMT

After finding the Japanese wooden toys made by Decole last week I've been checking out their other products, and I've found another good one. These plastic food containers are far from necessary, but they are cute and might be good enough to use as a lunch box.

Made in two different colors and designs, each container is 5.5" wide x 4" tall and are dishwasher and microwave safe. There's no handle to carry them around, but for young pre-schooler it could make a fun nursery school lunch alternative. And unlike the Pot-au-feu, these are available in the U.S.

Decole Food Containers, $13 each from SugarPineBeauty.com

Toy French Food from Japan

Chris Ford — Wed, 07 May 2008 11:06:00 GMT

Why is it that I love toys from Japan so much? This little happy wooden toy food set is everything you need to make imaginary pot-au-feu (basically French boiled dinner).

The set comes complete with a knife, spatula, cutting board, pot, salt and pepper, mushroom, carrot, onion and something that looks like a little happy sausage. The items can be cut in half too, making for a more realistic chef experience.

The bad news? It's not available in the U.S. (as far as I can tell) but you can get it from this Japanese web site (I think), provided you speak Japanese. But if you've got a friend or family member heading out to Japan any time soon, maybe you can get them to get you one.

Pot-au-feu by Decole, from Simplesize.com