Week 27: UP, Featuring Russell and Dug with the Cone of Shame

Week 27: UP.  Don't worry no actual dogs were forced to wear the cone of shame during the making of this lunch. SQUIRREL!  Alright, so our family loves watching UP and my favorite character is Dug the dog, so I had to include him. Plus, I just got in this lunch box from Easy Lunch Boxes, and this worked perfectly for it.  I will post my full review of the lunch boxes in a week or two.  This lunch took a number of ingredients, but stick with it, especially if your kids love the movie Up.  You can find the silicone cups and similar dog shaped food toothpick that were used at any Daiso store, bentousa.com, or on amazon.com, just search for "silicone cups".  You can also use whatever you have in your kitchen in their place.

Ingredients

2 slices frozen whole wheat bread

1 slice of cheese

1 slice of lunch meat

1 pouch organic round fruit snacks

4-5 blackberries

1 sliced strawberry

1 piece of dried mango

3-4 pieces of dried green mango

1 Babybel round cheese

1 piece of nori (dried seaweed)

   Black and blue food coloring 

Directions

1. Cut 2 slices of bread into the shape of a house as shown in picture (use cookie cutter if possible).  Draw details on house using black food coloring.  Mix together equal parts red, blue, and yellow food coloring to get the black color.  Cut slices of cheese and meat to fit inside.  Make a sandwich out of the bread, cheese, and meat.
2. Cut egg sheet which has been tinted blue (or other blue background) to fit in your container.  Place in the bottom of container. Set house sandwich on top of egg sheet.  Cut dried green mango (its actually white!) or substitute string cheese to look like clouds and balloon strings.  Arrange clouds, balloon strings, and round fruit snacks around the house as shown in the picture.  If you cannot find round fruit snacks, trim some to look round.  I recommend organic fruit snacks because they do not have any artificial colors or flavors.
3. Place berries in silicone cup.  Cut white paper or small silicone cup, make it into a round shape, and place dog “food pick” (as shown)  or picture of "Dug" the dog in the center.  You can secure it together by poking the toothpick through the silicone.  Use the toothpick to hold strawberry or other fruit.  Place this on top of the berries and set silicone cup in container.
4. Peel off the red wax of a Babybel round cheese and set aside.  Trim cheese to look like Russell's head and draw on facial details using black food coloring as shown in picture.  Trim dried mango to look like the brim of his hat and uniform.  Cut his spiky hair out of nori as shown.  Use leftover red wax and cut two pieces to form the handkerchief around his neck.  Put the cheese in a silicone cup. Place mango slightly behind the cheese and his hair on top of the cheese.  Finish by arranging red handkerchief around his neck.

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