Not long ago, I saw a photo on Facebook showing a compartmentalized plastic box being used as a ‘traveling’ charcuterie assortment to take on a boat…cleverly dubbed the “Snacklebox”. I loved the concept and decided to do my own version.
Going back in time, when I was quite young, one of my Aunts and her family used to make a box of goodies for our family to take with us on vacation. They either hand drew things or cut and glued travel-related photos that they found in magazines onto the lid of a large dress box. They filled it with all sorts of fun snacks to eat in the car. I remember clearly how excited we were when time came to look inside the box. My all-time favorite thing was a small jar of pimento cheese spread. In turn, we also had fun making one for their family when they went on vacation.
Fast forward to now, after raising our own kids on fun road trips, our four grandsons are following in tradition and loving to do the same thing. I decided to make them…the entire family…a couple of modern-day vacation boxes. From cardboard dress box to plastic boxes with two layers and snap on lids (10”x14”x 3.5”)……one for savories and one for sweets. Tongue in cheek humor and certain names and references that only our family will ‘get’ are on them. I found a map with only the borders of the states I wanted to include, overlaid it onto a map with place names and marked all the places that the boys have gone so far. Had a couple sheets of veneer that I think I first got six years ago and engraved everything on those. There’s never been a project where I haven’t made a mistake or overlooked something, and this is certainly no exception, but over all I am very pleased with them.
There are printed pictures of suggested foods they can put inside, but they will also be accompanied by a small box of certain (non perishable) real food items and candies as a ‘starter’ box….plus, a short paper about Road Trip Rules. There are four freezer packs in the bottom of the road trip version.
That is so creative. I put together a ‘bag’ for my granddaughters this year to take on vacation with them. They pulled out one thing every hour. Our whole family once went skiing to Colorado when our kids were teenagers. Most of them rode in one vehicle and i had ‘prizes’ for them every 2 hundred miles. They had a ball…but…one of them got a flying alarm clock and let’s just say a car is a small place to fly a clock I’m sure they will love this!
That is so nice! One of my strongest childhood memories is a trip to Disney World. Not the destination – I don’t think I cared for the place very much – but the road trip from NY to Florida. In particular, the ham and cheese sandwiches my mom packed. We all used to talk about that for years afterward. For some reason, those sandwiches were just so much better in the car, and the smell of ham and cheese on a roll still takes me back there.
I’m sure your snack box will help to create lasting family memories.
Those are great! And some pics of my favorite candies! I haven’t thought about the tri-color coconut or nougat kind in years, but I still love them! Your family will really enjoy these boxes.
I get you. I think I read somewhere that smell, more than any other of our senses, provokes the strongest memories. I can believe that…it’s instantaneous
I’m sure they will love this!