A year or so ago, after a long time working at home, I got a job that required monthly attendance at lunchtime staff meetings. Inevitably I would fail to plan ahead, and wind up rushing into McDonald’s to grab lunch for the meeting.
I wasn’t fond of this situation. And I had always wanted a bento box, especially as I started reading the Lunch in a Box site. So I decided I would treat myself to one, and putting lunch together would be fun. I’d even look forward to it!
It’s worked so far. You might look at these and think, “What’s unfussy about THAT?” But really, they are just cleverly arranged boxes of leftovers. And it’s fun, sometimes, to fiddle a little.
My bento gear consists of (clockwise from bottom right): a two-tiered bento box with elastic closing strap; small silicone cups; a drawstring carrying bag; three ridiculously cute soy sauce containers with a filling base and funnel; and two apple-shaped shaker containers for condiments.
The bento box says, next to the happy giraffes, “Around the year when we would like to stand on tiptoe.”
The top box of this bento lunch contains squares of tortilla pizza, bread-and-butter pickles, salami slices, peanuts, and two cubes of Parrano cheese. The bottom box contains sweet potato wrapped in prosciutto, lentils with feta cheese, and sliced beets.
The bento lunch at the top of the page contains Thai mango salad (top box), as well as prepared onigiri rice balls from Trader Joe’s, cream cheese wrapped in smoked salmon, pineapple, cherry tomatoes, pickled ginger, and a dab of wasabi.
Talk to me!