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Bento Lunchbox Menu November 1-3

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Here is what we packed for school lunch this week. Most of the lunches packed are straight forward and made cute with some food picks and separators. My kids now know that all the food decorations must come back home with them and if a friend asks they need to ask Mama first.

weekly lunchbox menu

Tuesday – November 1: My kids are crazy over dimsum’s – siomai in particular. I try my best to re-create wantons and siomai at home but both kids would also comment that it does not look or taste the same. Even though they would reassure me that the ones I prepare are better, I know that they would always prefer store/restaurant dimsum.

siomai bento lunchbox

 

Wednesday – November 2: We have dinner leftovers for Vierte’s school lunch and Chloe asked for sandwich.

lunchbox chicken kebab

How cute are these animal food separators! Adding them sure did make the lunch box happy.

turkey sandwich bento lunchbox

Thursday – November 3: One of the easiest pack lunch to date is making use of leftover food, which seems to be the theme this week. Chloe asked for chicken nuggets today, she wanted easy food to eat for school field trip.

shawarma lunchbox

Spreading Healthy Lunchbox Fun with Al Islami

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We had a fun filled and exciting weekend at the Al Islami Kids Club mall invasion held at Arabian Center last Friday.

The event I was most excited about that day was the Lunchbox Competition. We had more than ten participants who prepared healthy and creative lunchboxes.

al islami kids club lunchbox competition

A lot of the participants had a clear game plan on how to present Al Islami protein products the star of their lunchboxes. It seems like the parents were more tensed during the competition (I would be too), I could hear them giving instruction to their kids and making sure that they don’t forget important components like fruits and vegetables.

al islami kids club lunchbox competition

I joined Alisha Haque of SCAFA and teen Chef Bella on stage as one of the judge for the competition.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BMJgTFLjxAF/

 

Before the competition, I was in the meet and greet booth talking about the three bento lunch boxes I prepared showcasing six Al Islami Food products.

Inside our first lunchbox we have a grilled Al Islami Chicken Sheesh Kebab on top of a whole wheat, Al Islami Cheese Samosa, lettuce, grapes and kiwi.

chicken sheeh kebab lunchbox al islami

Our second lunchbox is similar to what the kids had for school lunch last week. Use Alladin Chicken Popcorn as pizza toppings with some vegetables, Al Islami sweet corn kernels, Al Islami Tuna Spring Rolls and kiwi.

chicken popcorn lunchbox al islami bento

Finally for the third lunchbox we use Al Islami’s Beef Kibbeh and Alladin Chicken Nuggets packed with panda shaped rice, grapes and cherry tomatoes.

beef kibbeh lunchbox al islami

Here’s the rest of the lunchbox I prepared for the kids to bring at school last week.

Chicken franks turned to octopus and crab on top of pasta with marinara sauce.

Al Islami Chicken Franks Bento Lunchbox

Chicken popcorn as pizza toppings similar to the one I presented on the day of the mall invasion.

Al Islami Chicken Popcorn Bento Lunchbox

Fellow mommy blogger, Sheila of AB and Me and I got a chance to show and talk to families on how to make healthier and fun lunch boxes for their kids.

Al Islami Kids Club Mommy Blogger

It was such a fulfilling experience sharing all the fun ideas with the parents who like us also struggle to keep their kids interested in eating their food at home and school.

al islami kids club bento lunchbox

I think that we have at least encouraged few parents who visited our booth to take that extra step to pack a fun and healthier lunch boxes for the kids.

Thank you Al Islami Food for giving me the opportunity to join your campaign to inspire happier and healthier kids.

 

Make sure you follow our accounts on Instagram, @cuddlesandcrumbs for more lunchbox ideas and use #LetsMakeLunchFun hashtag on all your pack lunchboxes.

Bento Lunchbox Menu October 16-20

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Here is what I packed for the kids last week. You will notice that some days are empty, reason is I was in a rush that morning and did not get a chance to snap a photo of the lunch box.

School Lunch Box menu for October 16-20:

weekly school lunch menu planner

Sunday – October 16: No lunch box photo

Monday – October 17: Our first lunchbox to support Al Islami Kids Club campaign of healthy eating. Made use of Al Islami Foods chicken thighs for our honey soy chicken.

al islami chicken recipe bento lunchbox

 

Tuesday – October 18: Chloe had cream cheese sandwich and Vierte went to school with money to buy food at the canteen.  *no photo

Wednesday – October 19: Celebrating Halloween with a pumpkin shaped puff pastry filled with minced chicken from Al Islami Foods.

al islami minced chicken recipe puff pastry

 

Thursday – October 20: Two versions of burger to make both kids happy. A strawberry-eyed burger for Chloe and spooky one for Vierte.

burger bento lunchbox art

monster burger bento lunchbox

 

#LetsMakeLunchFun and Healthy for our family.

Join in the fun of lunch box packing and use #LetsMakeLunchFun tag on your IG posts.

We are @cuddlesandcrumbs on Instagram. Follow us for more bento lunchbox ideas.

 

Getting Creative with 3Doodler Pen

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We first saw and got a to try a 3D pen during the innovation week held at one of the malls here in Dubai. Vierte spent most of his time trying out the pen but he needed an adult supervision since the device tip is hot and not safe for kids.

Last week, I received an email from the representatives of Precise Group to try out a child friendly 3D printing pen, the 3Doodler Start. Precise Group are the sole distributors in the Middle East.

Out of more than 30 things he listed for Christmas, one wish was to own a 3D pen.  I knew that he would be delighted to be amongst the first kid in Dubai to get his hands on this amazing tool.

3doodler 3d pen review Why we like the 3Doodler Start

  • No Hot Parts. Pen makes use of a special eco-plastic stick which melts at a lower temperature. The pen itself does not get hot and a kid can touch the melted plastic as it is not hot.
  • The 3Doodler pen is lightweight and easy for the small hands to grip.
  • Easy to use too. All you need to do insert stick, turn it on, press orange button and start creating.

Vierte is so excited and happy to show his friends that he created a short video to show them (and their parents) why the 3Doodler Start is a good investment for kids like him to get creative.

Visit 3Doodler website for more information.

3Doodler Start is now available in all Virgin Megastore in the Middle East.

Speedo Splash Session

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One word that would get my kids excited and ready within minutes is “swimming”

We were invited to the Speedo Splash Session event that was held at The Palace Downtown.

“Oh Mama, I feel like we are inside one of the castles in my fairytale books.”

Stepping outside the pool area was just as beautiful with a view of the tall buildings and Dubai water fountain.

speedo swim squad event

They promised a fun morning of swimming led by qualified instructors from the Speedo Swim Squad. I could not help but instantly say YES! because I knew my water babies will have fun.

Daddy C and I are firm believers that kids should know how to swim. It is one life skill that they will have in them always.

speedo swim squad class

Kuya V had swimming lessons in his kindergarten years but this was no longer available when he transferred school so we made sure that he continue learning with him in our building pool and with a certified instructor. Chloe started swim lessons when she began Foundation Stage 1  and still continue to do so now since it is part of their sports curriculum in school.

Speedo team welcomed with new swimsuits and a chat of what will happen that morning. Yes, Mama got a new swimwear too from the recently launched Speedo Sculpture collection. It has been designed to shape, support and flatter a woman’s body – I definitely felt comfortable and beautiful. Speedo Sculpture is available on all Stadium and leading sports stores in the Middle East.

Each session was grouped by age – baby ducklings, ducklings and teaching levels. Chloe was under the ducklings and although it was a short session, she was very shy at first but wanted to do more when all the sessions were done. Lauren one of the certified Speedo Instructor incorporated play and fun in all the instructions given to them.

speedo swim class dubaiphoto credit: Speedo Swim Squad

speedo the palace

photo credit: Speedo Swim Squad

It was difficult to get the kids out of the pool, I could not even bribe them with the yummy breakfast spread prepared for us by The Palace Downtown team. They only agreed to finally leave when I promised them we would schedule another pool day.

It is fun, a good exercise, a sport where one can excel individually or as part of a team  but the most important is that swimming can one day save a life.

Speedo Swim Squads conducts swimming classes for all ages across 7 venues in Dubai, visit their facebook and website for more details.

Bento Lunchbox Menu October 9-13

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I was reviewing my posts this morning and realized that I missed posting two weeks worth of  our lunchbox menu. Totally blaming my multiple dose of anesthesia and lazy bug.

School Lunch menu for October 9-13 below

weekly-bento-lunch-box-menu-october-9-13

Sunday – October 9: BBQ Chicken Drumsticks with”puppy” shaped rice because Vierte was missing his dogs in the Philippines

1009-bbqchicken-puppy-rice-bento-lunch

Monday – October 10: Quinoa Beef Meatballs with rice and biscuits.

1010-quinoa-meatballs-chloe

1010-quinoa-meatballs

Tuesday – October 11: Beef tapa with rice, tomatoes and carrots. A hearty protein meal because V has try-outs for sports day.

1011-beef-tapa

Wednesday – October 12: Chicken dumplings with carrots

1012-dumplings

Thursday – October 13: Quinoa beef meatballs makes a repeat because Mama woke up late.

1013-beef-meatballs

 

#LetsMakeLunchFun and Healthy for our family.

Join in the fun of lunch box packing and use #LetsMakeLunchFun tag on your IG posts.

 

Inspiring Happier and Healthier Kids with Al Islami Kids Club

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I am so happy and honored to be part of Al Islami Kid’s Club campaign to inspire kids and their families to make healthier food choices.

Who would have thought that from the first project I worked with them which was to showcase simple and fun bento box, it has now become a social awareness. Al Islami’s very own teen Chef Bella has been busy visiting schools in the UAE to inspire kids to live a happy, healthy and active lifestyle. As of the moment they have reached out to more than 3000 students across the United Arab Emirates.

Al Islami Kid’s Club will be officially launched on October 28 at Arabian Centre. Kids participating in the competition will have a chance to win 10,000 AED, an iPad and be featured in the next campaign.

It will be a whole day of fun and learning on how to make healthier choices. Entrance is free and you will get a chance to participate in a kids cooking class hosted by SCAFA, arts and crafts activities, a photo and selfie booth and a talk to Chef Bella at the nutrition hub.

Al Islami Kids Club Mall InvasionFor those joining the Lunchbox Making Competition you are in for a treat! I will be posting some lunchbox inspiration like the one below to give you ideas how to prepare one.  Make sure you follow our accounts on Instagram – @cuddlesandcrumbs and @alislamikidsclub for more ideas.

Better yet post your packed lunch box with the hashtag #LetsMakeLunchFun

Honey Soy Chicken Bento

See you on October 28 at Arabian Centre. Program starts from 10 am until 10 pm.

Visit Al Islami Kids Club website and page for more details.

Family Friday Brunch at Sufra (Hyatt Regency Dubai Creek Heights)

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I was hinting the night before that I want to go to a Friday brunch, found myself searching for Entertainer deals and was happy to see that Sufra of Hyatt Regency Dubai Creek Heights was on the list.

The first time we had brunch at Sufra was during the media lunch of their Family Friday Brunch. It was our first time in the hotel then and I fell in love with the relaxing ambience as you enter the lobby and all that natural light was just so beautiful. My husband and I agreed that we should go back and try out their brunch without strings attached.

sufra brunch dubai
sufra brunch hyatt regency dubai
sufra brunch hyatt regency dubai

Sufra’s Friday Brunch serve different cuisines from the Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, Indian and Western specialties, wide range of seafood options and specials from the in house La Tablita Mexican restaurant.

One of the memorable dishes during our first visit was served by La Tablita – I can’t get enough of their empenadas even the kids enjoy them. The tamarind drink was also soo good. We are planning to dine at the Mexican restaurant soon.

sufra brunch hyatt regency dubai
sufra brunch hyatt regency dubai
sufra brunch hyatt regency dubai

They also have something to cater seafood lovers – oysters, lobster, shrimps and salmon to name a few. My boys kept going back to get perfectly grilled lamb chops and Peking duck wraps.

Sufra Friday Brunch Desserts SpreadAnd much to my children’s delight a wide selection of dessert to satisfy their sweet tooth. Can you see how relaxing the natural lights is in the lobby?

Sufra Friday Brunch Dessert SpreadOne dish that I miss in the dessert section is kunafa, they served fresh kunafa for the guest’s to enjoy. I spoke to one of the chef’s to express my disappointment (hehehe). They also offer a variety of fruits for those who want to cut a high sugar intake.

Sufra Friday Brunch Kids ActivityBoth kids kept themselves busy making crafts at the kids area. This is located outside the restaurants main seating area, so if you have kids you might want to request a table close where you can have a glimpse of the little ones. During our visit one lady was assisting kids with crafts and making sure they were nice to each other.

We highly recommend Sufra’s Friday brunch if you are looking to spend a relaxing weekend brunch for your family. Menu change every week so you will surely have something new to enjoy each visit. Good food and beautiful ambience.

Sufra Restaurant is located at the lobby area of Hyatt Regency Dubai Creek Heights (Dubai Healthcare City). Friday brunch costs 189 AED per person that includes soft beverages, runs from 12:30 pm to 4:00 pm.

*This is not a sponsored post.