8 Best Insulated Lunch Containers

08.05.2019 by awellpacedlife // Leave a Comment

Since school is right around the corner, as well as cooler weather(hopefully), choosing a good insulated container for your kid’s school lunch is important! There’s so many things to take into consideration when choosing the right one. First and foremost, how easy is it for my child to open at school, by him/herself? Does it keep the food warm? Or is it too large for my child’s lunch box? Here are 8 of the best insulated containers to choose from.

8 Best Insulated Containers for your kid’s school lunch

Thermos Funtainer

THERMOS vacuum insulation technology for maximum temperature retention, hot or cold
Durable stainless steel interior and exterior
Wide mouth is easy to fill, serve from and clean
Keeps cold for 7 hours and hot for 5 hours; stay cool exterior
10 ounce capacity; hand washing is recommended

Thermos Foogoo

THERMOS FOOGO double wall stainless steel food jar features THERMOS vacuum insulation technology that keeps contents cold for up to 7 hours or warm for up to 5 hours; Vacuum insulation maintains temperature of the contents longer, which inhibits bacteria growth and spoiling
The FOOGO food jar was designed with kids in mind: the stainless steel interior and exterior is durable and withstands the demands of daily use; The double wall design allows this food jar to stay cool to the touch with warm foods and sweat-proof with cold foods
Food jar is compact and portable and features a 10-ounce capacity – perfect for toddlers on the go; The food jar’s ergonomically-designed lid has a rubber grip for easy handling; The base of the jar is non-slip and scratch

Zojirushi Stainless steel lunch jar-

Eliminates the use of wasteful disposable containers, or the use of a microwave or refrigerator
Dimples on the lid make it easier to grab and open
Clear-coated finish reduces fingerprints and makes cleanup easy
BPA free container
Good for hot meals, soups, oatmeal, cold desserts and beverages and more

Hydroflask double wall vaccum insulated food flask

INSULATION INNOVATION: The double-walled, vacuum insulated TempShield Insulation, the same technology used in all Hydro Flask products, will ensure that your meal of choice maintains its temperature for many hours to come. The Food Flask will keep contents hot or cold up to 3 hours. It will even keep your food at temperature if stored inside a box-style cooler with other food or drink items.
JUST THE RIGHT SIZE: The newly designed Food Flask is just the right size for snacks and in-between meal temptations. Also great for kids’ lunches at school & summer camp or ready-to-go office lunch (Say goodbye to that gross office microwave!) The Food Flask is like a mini-fridge that you can actually carry, small enough to easily throw into a backpack, book bag, or purse.
BUILT TOUGH: These Food Flasks are engineered to last, and are made from 18/8 food-grade stainless steel. Now you can finally enjoy your hot soup or chilled fruit on the trail or at work. (Note: The Hydro Flask Food Flask is NOT microwaveable safe)
SAVOR THE FLAVORS: Take your time and enjoy the rich flavors and aromas of your favorite gumbo or stew. Keep your food hot or cold for longer so you don’t have to feel rushed when eating. Eat at your convenience knowing that your Food Flask will be waiting for you.
BE PREPARED: With the excellent insulative qualities of the Food Flask, you will be able to fill your flask with hot soup before heading out the door, and by lunch you can enjoy your still-hot soup or stew. In addition, once you realize how great it is to have a flask that keeps your food hot, you will be less tempted to eat out for meals.

Lunchbot thermal stainless steel food container

UNIQUE BOWL SHAPE: Insulated thermal food containers may keep meals warm, but their tall, narrow dimensions make lunchtime a little awkward. Our 16oz Thermal was specially designed to mimic a bowl shape, making it easy to eat from and convenient to fill! It stays warm for 4 to 5 hours, but it’s also great for cold salads and fruit.
ALL STAINLESS STEEL INTERIOR: Enjoy a warm bowl of soup without your food touching plastic! The Thermal’s interior, including the lid, is made of durable 18/8 stainless steel. Hand wash only for a no-hassle cleanup.
HOLDS A FULL MEAL: At a convenient 2-cup size, the Thermal serves up a perfectly portioned serving of soup! Its 4.5″ diameter is ideal for chunky stews or fruit salad, and it makes it easy to fill with your lunchtime favorites. At 3.5″ high, it goes great with the LunchBots Uno, Duo, Trio, Quad, Cinco and Pico containers and fits in our Duplex thermal lunch bag.
LEAK PROOF DESIGN: When you have a hectic schedule, you need a food jar that can keep up! Completely leak proof, the Thermal is a must-have for grab-and-go mornings. You can drop it in your purse, briefcase or backpack without the worry of accidental spills or messes.
TRUSTED BRAND: With our expertly crafted boxes, bags and containers, the LunchBots team takes the hassle out of mealtime! We know you’ll love our Thermals for adults and kids, but if you have any questions, let our customer service team know.

Ukonserve Stainless Insulated food jar

12-ounce jar keeps soup, cocoa, and other ingredients hot for hours
Corrosion-resistant stainless-steel construction; insulated interior
Screw-on lid retains heat and moisture; stay-cool plastic base and rim,Our food jar keeps pre-heated food hot up to 5 hours, and pre-chilled food cold up to 8 hours (and often longer depending on the starting temperature and outside temperature).
Compact and portable; BPA-, lead- and phthalate-free; hand-wash
Measures 3-1/2 by 3-1/2 by 5-1/4 inches

Zell Lunch Food Jar

Stainless Steel Insulated Thermos – High-quality insulated lunch container keeps your healthy, homemade and delicious lunches and snacks hot for up to 5 hours or cold for up to 10 hours in this double wall stainless steel vacuum jar. Perfect for kids and adults alike for hot lunches or cold snacks.
Large Capacity Food Container – This stainless steel lunch jar has a 13.5 oz (400 ml) capacity. The right size for a child lunch or a side to an adult meal. Our stainless steel food containers are BPA, phthalates, lead and PVC free.
Premium Grade Materials – This reusable jar is BPA free and has a premium grade 18/8 stainless steel interior. Durable double wall vacuum insulated construction for superior insulation.
Reusable, Versatile – Eco-friendly, reusable, easy-to-fill wide mouth is also easy to clean. Excellent choice for taking soups, pasta, fresh fruit and much more to school or to work.
Satisfaction Guarantee – Buy with confidence! We have great confidence in the quality of our products, which is why we are offering you a risk-free purchase. In the unlikely event our product fails to meet or exceed your expectations, you may return our product within the first 30 days post-purchase to receive a FULL refund.

Thrive Stainless Steel Insulated Thermos

IMPROVED COLD/HEAT RETENTION – Made with insulating double walled stainless steel, keep your soups and coffee warm for up to five hours, or your milk or water cold for up to 10 hours; all for a fresher, more delicious taste at home, work or school.
AIRTIGHT, LEAK PROOF DESIGN – Great for lunch boxes or your backpack, our premium travel thermos is leak proof, stain resistant and odor resistant to make taking all your favorite foods and beverages with you without causing a mess.
ACCESSIBLE WIDE-MOUTH OPENING – Easy to fill, pour and clean, our food container is ideal for hot soups in the winter, cold ice water during the summer, and some spicy chili when fall sets in. Remember, hand wash only with hot, soapy water.
BONUS RECIPE E BOOK COLLECTION – Every order of our premium double-walled insulated thermos comes with a free eBook packed with easy to make, healthy recipes that can go right inside your new food and beverage container!
SATISFACTION GUARANTEE – Every thermos is carefully crafted with premium materials backed by superior customer service and a 30-day money back guarantee. If you have any issues, contact us and we’ll be happy to make it right.

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How I organized my pantry in 10 steps

02.15.2018 by awellpacedlife // Leave a Comment

Having an unorganized pantry was causing me stress. Every time I opened it, it bothered me. Which, if you’re like my household, the door to the pantry gets opened A LOT, everyday! There was no better time than after the holidays and the start of a new year. I was going to get it organized, no matter what! Read on to find out how I organized my pantry in 10 steps.

How I organized my pantry in 10 steps

I assessed the project for quite some time, researching, and shopping, but I didn’t want it to look mismatched and like I had just thrown things together. I wanted it legit, organized like a pro! When I have an organized house, it equals a happy mommy & wife! We don’t have a very large pantry, so the most important thing was to utilize the space we were given. Here are the steps I took:

Throw out items that havent been used in a LONG time(I saw things I hadn’t used for over a year) and decide which containers you can re-use and keep in there. Let me just take a second to talk about my banana hanger that I already had, its flat-out awesome! It folds up when not in use and really does keep bananas fresh, longer! I also had the 3 bottle wine rack, and it is such a space saver, It’s one of my favorite items!!!
Remove any extra lids/small cooking appliances/water bottles etc. and see if you can find a great spot elsewhere in your kitchen(or basement if you don’t use the item(s) often at all. I took out the small white plastic baskets I had in there because I preferred everything to match and wanted something different.
Write down what sizes of containers/styles would be best for your space and how many you’ll need(you may not get it right the first time, but thank goodness for Amazon Prime) so you can order more or a different size and get it in 2 days! I was aware of the wasted space I’d have in the center corners, so I decided lazy susans would utilize that area best, for vitamins, spices & items that we use a lot like the large coconut oil container, & kids lunch containers. I also knew I wanted see thru containers so I could tell how much of each item I had left and when I was getting low on an ingredient. I already owned the wine rack, banana hanger & the magnetic spice holder on the wall. So, Anything that can be stacked, do it!
Get some chalkboard stickers & a chalkboard pen(I used fine point) to label your containers
Hug the UPS man when he delivers your boxes of items
Take everything out of the pantry and wipe the shelves down(this is a great time to install a liner for your shelves if you choose) This is the one I have and have had tons of compliments on it.
Pour everything into your washed containers, put smaller cooking items in a basket of their own. I use a basket for baking/cookie decorating items/tuna packets, etc. I also use a separate basket for snacks, and a small rectangle wicker basket solely for my coffee pods.
Put taller containers on the top shelf, items you use most frequently at eye level or the third shelf, and appliances such as the Instant Pot/Slow Cooker/Kitchenaid Mixer down below(shop here for my kitchenaid mixer cover, which keeps my mixer free from dust, etc). I use these items weekly and didn’t have room anywhere else in the kitchen. I’m the type of person who can’t stand things left out on the counter, it looks cluttered, to me! If things are free from clutter, it actually brings a visual peace to the brain! I also knew I needed a place to store my onions on one side and fruit on the other, so the wire baskets would stack great on top of one another. (You do have to be aware of what’s placed next to fruit/vegetables because of the gases that are emitted from each could ruin one another)I didn’t know this for the longest time!
Rearrange things a 2nd/3rd time because you wont get it the way you want it the first time.
Stand back and revel in your clean and organized pantry(threaten the kids if they mess it up)jk…..

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Chunky Beef and Mushroom Pie

11.16.2017 by awellpacedlife // Leave a Comment

I recently made this mouth watering recipe for my family. It’s hearty, and a perfect dish for when you have company over, because it makes a lot! I love leftovers for my family because that means, I dont have to cook the next day and if I’m lucky, we can eat it for dinner the next night as well! This chunky beef and mushroom pie recipe was just what our taste buds needed!

I used my Le Creuset dutch oven, which holds a ton of food, and is my all time favorite pot. If you dont have Le Creuset in your kitchen, make sure you get some, one way or the other. They’re one of the highest quality cast iron I have ever used. They are an investment but will last you a lifetime! Their website offers free shipping and you can get the in just about any color you wish! I, personally am obsessed with the white!

Chunky Beef and Mushroom Pie

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

2 hr 30 mins

Total Time

2 hr 45 mins

Tender, fall apart chunks of beef with mushrooms in the most incredible gravy ever. The secret ingredient – Dried Porcini Mushrooms! They add a savoury earthiness that can’t be replicated and takes this pie to the next level.

Course: Main

Servings: 6

Calories: 578 kcal

Author: Nagi

Ingredients

20 g / 0.7 oz dried porcini mushrooms (slices, whole or chopped) (Note 1)
1 ¼ cups / 312 ml boiled water
1 kg / 2 lb chuck beef , cut into 2.5cm/1” cubes (Note 2)
1 – 2 tbsp vegetable oil (or I used coconut oil)
2 garlic cloves , minced
1 onion , finely chopped
1 celery , finely chopped
1 carrot , finely chopped
3 carrots , halved lengthwise then cut into 1.5cm/ 3/5” chunks
1/3 cup flour (any)
300 ml / 10 oz dark ale (or substitute with red wine, Guinness or more beef stock)
2 cups / 500 ml beef stock
3 sprigs thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme leaves
2 bay leaves , fresh or dried
200 g / 7 oz bacon , diced
300 – 400g / 10 – 13 oz Swiss brown mushrooms , larger ones halved
1 – 2 sheets puff pastry (enough to cover pie)
1 egg yolk

Instructions

Place porcini in a bowl and add hot water. Leave to soak for at least 30 minutes. Strain mushrooms and reserve soaking liquid. Roughly chop porcini.
Sprinkle beef with salt and pepper.
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large heavy based pot. Add half the beef and brown all over, then remove and repeat with remaining beef. Set beef aside.
Turn stove down to medium low. If the pot is looking dry, add more oil. Add onion and garlic, cook for 2 minutes. Add finely chopped carrots and celery, cook for 6 minutes or until softened and sweet (taste test!). Add carrot chunks and cook for 2 minutes.
Add flour and stir through.
Add ale, beef stock, and stir to dissolve the flour.
Add thyme, bay leaves, porcini, reserved porcini soaking liquid (don’t tip in gritty bits settled at bottom) and cooked beef. Turn heat up slightly, mix, bring to simmer, then cover. Adjust heat so it is simmering gently, not energetically.
Cook for 1 hr 45 minutes or until beef is tender. (See video)
Meanwhile, cook bacon in a skillet over high heat until golden. Remove and reserve bacon drippings in pan. Add mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes until golden all over. Return bacon into skillet, toss to coat mushrooms, then stir through stew.
Simmer stew, uncovered, for 15 minutes until mushrooms are tender. Then remove from stove and cool.

To cook:

Preheat oven to 200C/390F.
Pour stew into a pie dish, even out surface. Pictured pie dish is 24 x 20 x 4.5 cm / 10 x 8 x 1.8″ (1.5L / 1.5 Qt) – see Notes for more conversions.
Top with puff pastry (if too big, just fold the ends in), brush with egg yolk. Cut a few slits in the surface then bake for 30 – 35 minutes until deep golden and the filling is piping hot in the middle (stick a knife in to check).
Rest for 5 minutes before serving!

Recipe Notes

1. Dried porcini mushrooms add a savoury earthiness to the gravy. In nerdy food terms, it’s called “umami” and it really takes this pie to the next level. However, even if you can’t get a hold of it, it is still very much worth making this pie. Or try using other dried mushrooms!

Dried porcini mushrooms will be available at ALDI Australia on Wednesday 28 June 2017 as part of their Special Buys for this week. Only available until sold out! And you can find all the other ingredients used in this recipe at ALDI too.

2. Any slow cooking cut of beef is ideal for this recipe. Chuck beef and gravy beef are my favourites, brisket is also good. I would not recommend using bolar blade roast or other lean cuts of beef as they will dry out.

3. SLOW COOKER: Skip the beef broth and use 2 x crumbled beef stock cubes instead. Follow recipe up to step 7 then transfer everything into a slow cooker (liquid might not cover everything, that’s ok). Slow cook for 6 hours on low, or 3 hours on high. Then add cooked bacon and mushrooms, slow cook for another 45 minutes or do this step on the stove. If the liquid did not thicken to a thin gravy, simmer it uncovered on the stove. When it cools, the sauce thickens more.

PRESSURE COOKER: As with slow cooker directions but pressure cook on high for 25 minutes.

4. Pie Dish: It’s ideal to have a pie dish where the filling comes up to the top or even protrudes slightly (though liquid should be at or just below rim) so the puff pastry sits nicely on top. However, it’s not the end of the world if your dish is not the right size! Pictured pie dish is 24 x 20 x 4.5 cm / 10 x 8 x 1.8″ (1.5L / 1.5 Qt). A 20cm/8″ square pan is also a good size, as would be a large or deep pie dish around 23 cm / 9.5″ x 4cm / 1.8″ high. Also, this is fantastic to make in individual ramekins (that’s what I do if I have a bit left over, using puff pastry scraps).

5. STORAGE: As with most slow cooked things, tastes even better the next day so in my perfect world, I make the filling the day before then cool overnight. To prepare ahead for fridge, thaw then top with puff pastry, keep in the fridge for up to 2 days. Technically, thawed puff pastry kept in the fridge for a while puffs a wee bit less but it’s not noticeable to me unless lined up side by side. The filling freezes great as does the filling with raw puff pastry on top (thawed then refrozen puff pastry also puffs a teeny bit less, but does not stop me). Always thaw before baking. For all make ahead scenarios, brush with egg just before baking.

6. Nutrition per serving, assuming 6 servings