During summer, perhaps more than any time of year, moms appreciate short cuts in their workload.
Wanting to enjoy the longer, warmer days with our family, we strive to manage our time, energy and money more efficiently. One way to carve out more sun soaked moments is by making quicker and easier meals.
A sign that the time-saving pendulum has swung from practical to pathetic, however, is the Smucker’s Uncrustables. Seriously, when did cutting the crusts off bread become a revolutionary food product? Moms have been cutting off crusts since the Babylonian captivity.Crusts have been found fossilized in tar pits.
In 2000, Smucker’s unveiled its carnation of the timeless crustless sandwich, individually wrapped in a fancy little box – Uncrustables. That same year, I was the mother of a newborn and a three year old, just beginning my journey as a member of the Uncrustables target market group for these past 13 years.
Have I succumbed to this embarrassing level of laziness? Yes. There have been times. I have in fact done worse than feed them to my children. I have eaten a couple too.
Today, Uncrustables have their own Facebook page with more than 172,000 likes.
Recent postings include:
“LIKE if Uncrustables Sandwiches are your go-to lunch for on-the-go summers!” It spurred 180 likes.
“Are the kids enrolled in summer day camp? Uncrustables Sandwiches make the perfect summertime lunch.”
There’ve been Uncrustables posts for Flag Day and Father’s Day, and suggestions that they are the perfect road trip food and summer movie blockbuster food.
What is more fascinating than the person who actually receives a paycheck for thinking of cute and creative ideas and photos to post on the Uncrustables Facebook page are the consumers who are visiting the page, hitting the like button, or groveling for coupons. My favorite was the guy who asked why Uncrustables cost more than beer.
It’s true, these cute little filled sandwiches may save 23 seconds, but at over three dollars for a box of four, they’re no bargain. Pampered Chef sells a Cut-N-Seal for $10, a DIY metal tool for perfect sealed crustless sandwiches every time. The Wonder Sandwich Seal N Decruster and the Krustbuster are even more economical plastic versions which do the same thing.
My summer time and money saving tip? Use the lid of the peanut butter jar to cut out perfectly round sandwiches, put the crusts in a bag, have a picnic at Tewinkle Park, and let the kids feed the crusts to the ducks.
