Tutorial: Heart-shaped strawberry makes a lunchtime treat

So aside from renewing my commitment to my personal blog, another one of my New Year's resolutions was to fix healthier lunches for Liv. But healthy food is not enough, the child has to actually EAT it. And when all the other kids at school are opening brightly colored packages of sugar-packed chips, cookies, etc., plain-jane healthy food just doesn't compete.

Starting this week, I've started packing her lunch in a bento box with food cut into small bits and arranged prettily. So far, it's gone well. The healthy food is getting eaten, and she reported back how cool her friends thought her lunch was. Yay!

This morning I packed a trio of strawberries in her lunch, and cut them into pretty heart shapes. I'm sure I'm not the first person to happen upon this presentation idea, but thought I'd give a quick little how-to just in case you haven't seen this before. It only takes a few cuts to go from whole strawberry to pretty little heart.

Want to know how?

First, start with a whole strawberry.

Second, cap it. (That sounds awfully violent, doesn't it?)


Now, cut a small V out of the center.

Next, shave a tiny bit off each outer side to create a more rounded edge.

Now shave a little off of the inner sides (the top of the V) to smooth those edges.

Voila! A heart-shaped strawberry. Easy peasy, lemon squeezey.

I arranged three of these strawberry hearts into the corner of her lunch box, along with a small container (REALLY small) of sugar for her to dip them in. I know, I know. Sugar doesn't make a healthy lunch, but she won't eat tart berries. And still better than the pre-packaged, artificially flavored alternatives.

These really are easy to make - and quick, too!

Toodles,