weening off dropper bottle

Hello. I'm new to the forum. I have an unusual predicament. About a year ago my male crestie (he's about 2 years of now) became ill, and the only way I could get him to eat was through a dropper bottle filled with crested gecko diet. Well, he's been healthy for quite some time now, but he's in the habit of sitting in my hand and drinking drops from his bottle (I supplement with dusted crickets).

Although I enjoy this little routine, I know it's not a good idea for him to be dependent on this. Any tips on transitioning him to eating normally --from a dish or other container? I'm going on a five day trip at the end of the month and I need to be able to leave him under someone else's care. Any help in breaking this funny habit would be greatly appreciated. PS--as you can imagine I worry about him getting dehydrated/hungry. Will misting his cage with water help or just "enable" him to get moisture this way instead of seeking out his crested gecko diet? Should I refrain from supplementing with crickets during this transition? Thanks!