Lunch in a box: more bentos

If you're not really into the art of packing a beautiful lunch in
an Americanized Japanese-style lunchbox (but really, who isn't?!),
let me assure you that it is not as time-consuming as you probably
think. I make batches of cold salads and other nutritious things
that can be enjoyed cold or at room temperature (the containers
are microwavable, but we don't generally bother with that), and
just throw them into the bento boxes the night before. No big.
Oh, and I freeze a few cupcakes or cookies every time I bake;
those are perfect for lunch, and are always thawed and yummy
by lunchtime. Below, a few recent lunches.















Above: couscous-spinach salad, miniature chocolate cupcakes, half a kiwi, and Thai summer rolls with spicy peanut sauce. While preparing this lunch, I ate the other half of the fruit and discovered the hard way* that I am suddenly allergic to kiwi. Having eaten kiwi hundreds of times in my life, I was more than a little surprised when my throat began to constrict and I couldn't swallow without pain or, due to the sudden heaviness of my chest, lie down. Weird, right? And my mouth was painfully tingly, but that I could have lived with. People can suddenly develop allergies for no discernible reason; I'm just glad mine is not an allergy to, say, dark chocolate or mashed potatoes.

* and perhaps the only way.















Above: Couscous salad, pistachio cake, half a kiwi (this lunch was actually from before the awakening of the new allergy), and homemade orange hummus with carrot sticks.














Above: green salad with oil and vinegar, a chocolate chip muffin, oven-baked sweet potato fries, and couscous salad with green peas.















Above: fresh veggies, homemade hummus, a mini-cupcake, some walnuts, and pasta salad with red wine vinaigrette.

P.S. More bentos here and here, or click the blue "bento" label below for MORE BENTOS THAN YOU EVER NEED TO SEE!!!!!