Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Egg Mold Egg-stravanganza! Featuring new CuteZcute Animal Palz!

Preschooler Birdie is loving hard-cooked eggs lately, and since she's pretty anti - meat these days, I've been making sure to include a protein-rich "eggie" in every lunch, & keep some ready-made to offer as quick healthy snacks. I use egg molds to make them fun shapes!


Egg molds are pretty easy to use: 
  1. Hard-cook your eggs. I bring mine to a boil in salted water, then turn off the burner, put the lid on the pot, and let sit for 15 minutes.
  2.  Peel while still warm. I peel mine under running water, I find it helps the the shell come off more easily.
  3. Pop the warm egg into a mold. Sometimes you may need to do a little squishing, sometimes it may close easily - it's trial & error :)
  4. Chill in the fridge, in the molds. I put mine in a bowl of ice water as soon as they're in the mold, to completely stop the cooking process so the yolks don't get a grayish ring, and speed up the cooling, in case I want to make more than one of the same shape. 
  5. Once cooled, pop them out of the mold! Easy-peasy. Well, okay, they don't always come out perfect; I've made plenty of messy ones. Birdie doesn't care, and if it's really bad, egg salad is good too :)


I've learned that larger eggs work best, but since they vary in size, so do my results :) If the egg is too big for the mold, I'll trim a bit off the pointier end, or if it's on the small side, add a bit of paper towel underneath it to fill the gap. Or I don't worry about it - the sproutlets aren't harsh critics, and sometimes the results can be fun anyways!  I discovered by trial & error that a smaller egg in the star mold makes a blossom shape!


I hard-cook 4-6 eggs at a time and immediately mold them so I have a bunch in the fridge to choose from when I pack lunch in the morning, or for her to choose a snack after preschool.  Birdie can't read the words imprinted on the cubed eggs but she likes the square shape, and they are handy for when a monkey or a car won't fit my theme ;)


Sometimes I mangle the eggs while peeling them. If they are too messed up, they become a snack for me, or egg salad for the hubby. But if they're just gouged a bit, I pop them in a mold anyways, see what happens - they often come out cute anyhow. Like the lamb in the yellow cup below. That egg was a mess. But it came out of the mold looking all right!


As you can see, I've got a lot of different egg molds to choose from:


My newest egg mold, & my new favourite bento tool, is the CuteZcute Animal Palz that I used to make the panda, monkey, & lamb. It also makes an adorable bat! It's not only an egg mold, it's also a pocket sandwich press! So versatile, & simple to use, I love it. See how cute:

 

And the bat! Eek! I love the bat ♥ 


The CuteZcute Animal Palz set comes with all the pieces shown below. You can flip the base piece over if you don't want the CuteZcute name imprinted on your egg, then you have a flat surface on which you could even use food markers to draw your own creature or character!

 

Egg molds are not limited to eggs, either. Most of the egg molds shown can also be used to mold cute sandwich balls or rice balls (onigiri). And the monbento square molds double as treat boxes :)

      

More egg molds added to my collection!

 Spring Bug & Blossom Egg Molds

       

The giveaway has ended.

I'm so excited about this new CuteZcute Animal Palz set that I want to share it with everyone! And BentoUSA has generously offered to help me out by allowing me to give away a set to one lucky reader ♥ 


And, 3 more lucky second chance winners will each get a set of either the heart & starbear & rabbit, or fish & car egg molds!  It's an egg mold giveaway egg-stravaganza!

Thank you BentoUSA for sponsoring this giveaway & CuteZcute for an awesome product!

110 comments:

  1. Laurie P10/08/2013

    I like the fish & car set!

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  2. The sheep is my favorite. And I'd like the heart and star for 2nd place.

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  3. The Fish & the Bears so Cute!

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  4. I'm loving the monkey with a tie... too cute! We have the bear and bunny set and my kids love them! we'd love the fish and car set too.

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  5. I love the bat the most - all are cute, and the heart/star would be my first choice of egg mold sets. Thank you for the giveaway!

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  6. It may be the season, but I'm crushin' on the bat the most right now. The bear and bunny are my faves from the second group. What an egg-celent post!

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  7. I like the car and fish but the bat is my favorite!

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  8. Anonymous10/08/2013

    I love the Panda one!

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  9. I love the monkey in his cute "monkey suit." Which is what I feel like when I go to work. I also would love the car and fish egg molds!

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  10. I love the bat with the monkey a close second! For second or so place I would love the fish and car. Or the star and heart. I can't decide! I don't have any egg molds so any would be fabulous!

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  11. Kimberly Walker10/08/2013

    I like the panda, and the heart and star!

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  12. I like the bat and the sheep :)
    Heart and star set too!!!

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  13. the monkey is so cute! bear and bunny from second group

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  14. I looooooove the bat! And the heart and star molds are my fave!

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  15. Bat is too cute! And LOVE the animal palz!

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  16. My kids would love the bat!

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  17. That bat is so adorable! Cutest bat ever! The heart and star molds are great. (boy friendly shapes)

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  18. Monkey...Heart/Star

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  19. I'm liking the bat for Halloween, but would enjoy the lamb year round. My other choice is the heart/star set. A person can never have enough heart to share with others. The star reminds me to wish upon them. Thanks for cool giveaway! =)

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  20. Anonymous10/08/2013

    I love the panda, that's a classic! Second chance - the heart and star set.

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  21. The bat would be fun during October.

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    1. And for second place I'd have to go with the one with Hello Kitty. :-)

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  22. Love, love, LOVE the BAT!! I collect bats, and I may have to get one even if I don't win!! My kids would like the bear and rabbit best for second place.

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  23. I love the panda one. It is definitely my favorite. The fish and car set would be a great second place though. This is a really cool thing! I'd love to win :]

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  24. Love your updates! I just purchased 2 yumbox's for my kids! I am so excited to look back at your page and get ideas to fill them :-)

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  25. Fantastic giveaway! I love all the cutezcute animals how can I choose? Ok top are the bat/vampire and the panda with a baby. Second place egg molds are the star and heart set.

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  26. I like the monkey and the set of 2 I like best is the bear and rabbit. Thanks for explaining how to use the egg molds since I have no experience and wondered if it was hard to do. I would love to try rice balls as well. Paws crossed for this great giveaway, yay!

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  27. I love the bat one as this is my favorite time of year but for second place I would get the most use out of the star and heart.

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  28. The sheep is super cute! I'd go the fish & car for second place. For some reason fish & eggs just go together for me :-)

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  29. My son would love love love the bat one!

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  30. Tha Bat from the Palz is cute and cool at the same time! And 2nd prize choice would be the fish and car! thanks for all your great posts!

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  31. My favorite animal is the bat - too cute! If I won one of the other molds I would love the heart and star one!

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  32. I love the monkey! cute! If I won a different prize I would like star/heart egg mold set.

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  33. This is so much fun - a lunch inspiration! :) I love the bat! ..and the panda! ...and the lamb! (they are all so cute!) I think the star & heart pairing are perfect! Thanks for this giveaway opportunity!

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  34. Amber Hernandez10/09/2013

    I love the bat! For my second choice I would probably have to choose the fish and car molds. Thanks for the opportunity!

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  35. The bat and the bear! though, they are all cute...

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  36. Love the panda. And it is so hard to decide....I think the star and heart, with the car and fish a very very close 2nd.

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  37. I love the panda especially the cute tiny panda! For 2nd choice would love to have the Egg & Bon Appetit Squares ^_^

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  38. I love that cheeky bat the most.. and for 2nd choice, i would love to have fish & car.. they would be great (^_^)v

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  39. Bear and rabbit here -my kiddies would love these!!

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  40. My favourite CuteZCute one is the bat. It's just so adorable! My second choice would be the bear and rabbit ones.

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  41. my daughter does not like eggs, but ate one that was star shaped...would love to have the bunny or the bear!

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  42. The monkey made me laugh! Would you laugh at me if I said i would by
    pass the kiddies lunch and make them for myself!!

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  43. Hud Hud10/10/2013

    the monkey's kinda cute... My second choice would be bunny and bear!

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  44. I LOVE the Panda and the Bat the whole CutezCute set is ADORABLE! But I have one on the way ^^
    I want to win the Star and Heart set.
    I own the fish and car set, but they are the only ones I have and they're in storage. Meaning it may be a while yet before I can get to them because they are lost in the box mess from my destroyed home.

    I almost bought the star and heart last time I went to AllThingsForSale.com but had to cull a few things (as usual) to stay within budget. I would love to win those two. ^^

    I have never won anything in my life so I figure some day I have to win one of these thingies eh? ^^

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  45. I love the Bon Appetite and star shape egg molds. Bento lunches are so fun!

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  46. Aww, I think the bear is the mst adorable one! I'd love to win the heart and star. The animal ones are super cute, but my oldest might think they are a bit too "babyish".

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  47. What great lunches you made! I think I absolutely love the bat one. So cute! I would love to win the bear & rabbit set - my youngest would love them! Thanks for running the contest.

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  48. Awww, I love the hearts & stars! What kid wouldn't like that...or what adult, for that matter?!

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  49. I am looking for ways to expand what my daughter eats and this is a great way to encourage her to eat eggs.

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  50. My favorite is the heart and the star. Thanks for the ideas!

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  51. The panda is cute, I would love to win the heart and star!

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  52. The panda and monkey is adorbz. I love the heart and star.

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  53. Jane O.10/13/2013

    I love the monkey... it's too cute! I love the fish and car set too.

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  54. Anonymous10/13/2013

    Love this idea!! The monkey is cute...
    The star and heart would be my son and daughter's faves!!

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  55. bat, bunny and bear set.

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  56. I love the panda. The bat is cute too.

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  57. Anonymous10/15/2013

    These are cute. My kids would love them.

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  58. Bat...(and Panda). Bear and Bunny. These are so cute!

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  59. Panda would look good in my bento :)
    And i rather like bear and bunny (bunny~!)

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  60. I like the monkey and would love the car and fish set.

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  61. Anonymous10/15/2013

    Panda and car and fish and heart and star =)

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  62. OMGOSH! Never seen the HK one before. I love egg molds so much. I have the bunny and bear. My kids beg me to make them every day. Need more so I can make more then two at a time!

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  63. the monkey is adorable!! maybe my daughter will eat her lunch with these cute shapes!

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  64. I love the bat, it's soooo cute! I love all things Halloween.
    But if I had to choose, the bear and rabbit are adorable!

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  65. Anonymous10/15/2013

    Panda, Please!:D

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  66. Fav animal: lamb, fav egg mold set: heart & star. Thanks!

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  67. star and heart are adorable.

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  68. I really like the panda, monkey, bat, & lamb set.

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  69. Cutest in the CuteZCute Animal Palz Set is I cant choose they are all unique. The panda with the baby panda is too cute! the sheep, bat and who doesnt love a moneky with a tie. If I won the egg molds I would want the heart and star

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  70. Pandas and Kitties!

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  71. I love the bat, the bunny and the bear. I forgot the last two in my previous comment. Oops!

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  72. Love the BAT. I would also love to have Hello Kitty or Egg & Bon Appetit Squares

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  73. Fish& car so cute

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  74. that bat is just too darn cute.. and I love the fish and car set.

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  75. oh, i love the monkey <3
    and the fish & car set ^^
    greetings
    sandra

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  76. The bat
    Star and heart please

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  77. I Like the monkey! The star and heart :-)

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  78. Anonymous10/15/2013

    I like them all, but my favorites are the car, the bear and Hello Kitty.

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  79. The monkey is my favorite Animal Palz, and the fish and car egg molds!

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  80. i LOVE THESE! The panda is my favorite. I'd go with the heart and star molds--how much fun would it be to make deviled eggs shaped like hearts and stars?????

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  81. Tineka H.10/15/2013

    The bat is just the cutest!

    If I had to choose, I would have to say that the heart and star set would be a hit in my house.

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  82. I love the little lamb! :)

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  83. Tracy Peterman10/15/2013

    Love the bear, so bunny and bear set you be my choice.

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  84. Anonymous10/15/2013

    So cute! ^o^ I want to win it!

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  85. I love the koala in the Animal Palz set, and love the heart/star shapes! Please pick me!

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  86. Panda and the car/fish egg molds

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  87. The fish, star and heart are really cute! If I won any prize would be great!

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  88. I think the bat is really cute! The bunny and bear are really cute as well!

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  89. That panda has a baby panda...hello adorable! Love it! We would adore the bear and rabbit egg mold :-)

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  90. love these! they are so cute!

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  91. Anonymous10/15/2013

    i love the panda and would love the heart/star as well :)

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  92. I think the bat is my favorite. I would probably want the car/fish set the most but they are all cute.

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  93. I love the monkey and his little neck tie!

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  94. Love the bunny! He's our favorite!

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  95. oh ive been dying for these cutters. I love ALL of them! I also like the heart and star molds.

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  96. I've been trying to get cutezcute to donate these to my preschool!!! I hope I win!!

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  97. keri s.10/15/2013

    love the bat and star mold :) thanks for sharing!

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  98. keri s.10/15/2013

    love the bat and star mold. thanks for sharing!

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  99. wow, cute egg mold.. please pick me, ^_^

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  100. I like the lamb in the Animal Palz, and the fish/car!

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  101. I like the Animal Palz lamb, and the fish/car!

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  102. wow so cute... i like to use this for my baby fun eating activity.. please pick me

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  103. Loved cutezcute animal: lamb,
    Loved egg mold set: heart & star.

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  104. I love the lamb! And I like the bear and rabbit best of the 2nd chance choices!

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