Grilled Pesto Ham and Provolone Sandwiches

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Eckrich Deli Meat. All opinoins are 100% my own. Promise I wouldn't tell you about something I didn't love.
My husband {God bless him} is such a creature of habit. He's taken a ham and cheese sandwich, chips and a cookie to work with him nearly every single day of his employed life. Earlier this year, he switched jobs for the first time in nearly two decades and nearly every day since, I've heard about one of the guys in his group. I don't hear about his because he's a great engineer {though I'm sure he is}, or because he's been helpful to my husband in his new transition {though I'd venture a guess that he has}, nope, I hear about him because of his lunch. 
You see, my husband in all his years, has not grown tired of bringing a sandwich to work with him. In fact, he loves sandwiches. But I do think he's gotten tired of how boring his is because this guy at work is some kind of a sandwich genius and I've been hearing all about it! So I thought I'd help my husband come up with some new sandwich ideas to bring with him to work. That way, he doesn't just have to be jealous of the awesome sandwich co-worker guy and maybe, just maybe, when he brings along this grilled pesto ham and provolone sandwich, co-worker guy might just be a little jealous of him.

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Lunch box items that receive the Holy Craft seal of approval

By now, you are at least a few weeks into school. {can I get an Amen!} You have found that the blue water bottle you pack leaks, the container with the applesauce doesn't close again properly and spills and by the end of the day the lunch box you kid is using is all wet. Wet? Why?  Who knows!
After careful trial and error, {who am I kidding!} lots of failed lunches and years of experience,  I come to you like Good Housekeeping with their seal of approval and am giving you a run down of the lunch box items that get the Holy Craft seal of approval.

It all starts with the proper lunch bag.

Some are too small and you can't fit even a sandwich in, some are too big and the kids can't fit them in their backpacks.  I found the perfect size in these LL Bean lunch bags.

The insulated bag keeps things cool until lunch time

  {I put a small ice pack in the inside pouch}

 and is easy to clean.

I always pack water in my kids lunches.  We went through water bottle after water bottle trying to find one that could be store on it's side in a lunch bag for hours each day and not leak. We finally found one and I am happy to report that the camelback kids  water bottle not only doesn't leak, it has also lasted for several school years and is still going strong.

I don't buy a lot of pre-packaged lunch items for my kids.

It's just not economical.

It doesn't take me long to fill up a small Ziploc bowl of trail mix, crackers or fruit and pop it in the kids lunch.

I have even been known to make my own jello and pudding cups in these Ziploc containers.

A can of mixed fruit with the juice not drained and added to the cups before it is frozen is one of my kids favorites.  One can makes about five servings.  

It not only acts as an ice pack in their lunch, it also is a healthy slushy treat come lunch time.

These Ziploc bowls hold up well {I've been using the current bowls for the past two years}and they don't leak.  Don't be confused or tempted to buy the off brand.  

I have and it's a huge mess.

These work.

Promise!

Kids usually need a spoon in their lunch. 

I pack cheap spoons and then tell the kids not to throw them away.

Did you know you can put plastic utensils in the dishwasher?

You can.

They wash up well and you are saving the environment.

Win win.

Speaking of saving the environment, I try to cut the waste down that my kids have by sending reusable snack bags and sandwich wraps.

You can find the tutorial on how to make your own, here.

{it was one of my first tutorials, please don't judge me for my pictures.}

The final thing I slip in my kids lunch bag is a slim ice pack.

These are the ones my kids use. 

They don't sweat and stay cold for the whole day.

Those are my no fail lunch box items.

They have earned the Holy Craft seal of approval and I know you won't be disappointed if you try them as well.

I am not receiving any kick back from my recommendations, just a mom willing to help another mom out.  

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Lunch wraps and reusable storage bags

I have three kids in school full time.
All three kids bring their lunch to school nearly every day.

A few years ago, I realized how much waste we were making just with our lunches alone, so I made some reusable lunch wraps and storage bags for the kids.

This was one of those proud mom moments I felt like I was saving the world with. It was an easy substitution that made an impact on the amount of waste our family created.

It's an easy tutorial even a novice seamstress can whip up. I loved making them so much, I set up a booth at my local school craft bazaar one year and sold these. I hope you like them as much as I do!

DIY Reusable Lunch Wraps 

I'm amazed at how well they hold up after being used nearly.every.day.

The kids have never accidentally thrown the bags away and since the bags come home, I can see what they ate and what they didn't.

I also love that I am not running to the store as often to pick up Ziploc bags and baggies.

Know what my favorite part is?

The sandwich wrap also acts as a placemat on those dirty cafeteria tables.

We used these lunch wraps and snack bags for years! It was one of the very first sewing tutorials that I ever offered. It also comes with some of the absolute worst images. 

Did I mention it was one of my first tutorials? 

The sewing tutorial is relatively easy {painful on the eyes} but easy enough to sew if you can stitch a line. It's made easier if you have a serger. 

Want the tutorial?  Go here. I'm warning you though, the images are pretty horrible!

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