Late last night I wrote an entry about my puzzlement over bento. I still don't get it, but I do get something that might be an advantage of "packing" my lunch in the morning even though I'm home: planning my lunch instead of grazing when I'm hungry. It might even help me eat at a regular time each day.

Really, working at home makes it so easy to just grab any old thing to eat, and, when I'm focused, I tend to grab whatever is easiest. This doesn't necessarily get me healthy food. Making my lunch in the morning will actually make me think a bit more about what I'm eating and, hopefully, improve the healthiness of my lunches here at home. Since I am at home, I have everything I need to make the lunch work when it's time to eat (microwave, stove, condiments, etc) and a fridge to store it in during the morning. And I do have a space of time when I can actually make my lunch since I get the kids up an hour before they have to leave for buses.

When I started to think about it, I remembered that I actually DO have a partitioned, double decker container. It's a simple square box, the partitions are molded in instead of containers that fit inside it, it kind of folds instead of stacks (which can be problematic with some foods), and the divider between the two sides isn't particularly airtight (also problematic--nothing with any kind of liquid will work), but it does help with the portions thing and doesn't take up much space in the fridge. One day I may want to pick up an actual bento box so I can expand a little on the foods I can include in my lunch, but this will do in a pinch.

So, today I can tell you what will be in today's lunch! If this works out (the biggest problem will be the food itself since we really have limits on what we can afford and I'll usually be eating leftovers--and why pack leftovers in a lunch box? Yes, yes, I'll do it, but I'll feel silly), anyone who wants to can critique my lunch choices in advance, maybe help me create a better lunch next time. ;)

As another "plus" to packing lunch even though I'm home--today I woke up way groggy and was seriously considering just going back to bed when the kids were gone. Making lunch has helped wake me up and put me in the mindset for exercise! Wonder if that will happen every day too?


Accomplishments
2 sessions of stretch.


Lunch Yesterday
2 slices of REALLY good, buttered sour dough
1/2 an avocado
Tea

Yes, that really was it. Told you packing a lunch might help. :P

Dinner Yesterday
Stoufer's Mac 'n Cheese
A simple salad
Sourdough bread w/butter
Tea

Breakfast
Sourdough English Muffin w/butter & honey
Milk

Lunch Today
Salad with tuna, cheese crumbles, & tuna
Creamy Cucumber dressing
Fruit cup (drained of the syrup)
Carrot sticks
Honey rice ball (not really in the shape of a ball)


I made the rice ball last night. I used my steamcooker and made the rice with less butter than we usually do. I have these little Glad containers that work for things like dressing and butter when taking a packed lunch--they're really small. I put a little honey on the bottom, packed them about halfway with rice, drizzled a little honey in, filled them the rest of the way (packing it down really hard), then drizzled a little more honey on top. I let them cool a bit, then popped them in the fridge. I had to use a knife around the edges to get today's out of the container, but it actually came out nice. Can't wait to taste it. Nope, never had a honey rice ball before. lol

As for the rest, I tried to make it interesting: salad in the big compartment with the tuna piled in the middle, sliced egg on one side, and the cheese sprinkles on the other. Couldn't do much with the rest: one compartment has the rice ball, another the carrot sticks, and the third has the fruit layered on the bottom. Maybe some cottage cheese would be nice for that next time...assuming we buy cottage cheese.

The cats were all over the kitchen when I was making the lunch, the buggers. ;) If I had a working camera, I would have taken pictures of them begging and the lunch.

Okay, time for that exercise, shower, and then to get to work.