be nice to your neighborhood geek, she works hard for you

Meetings right from the start this morning, almost to noon, and I have about 20 minutes to bolt down my lunch before the Corporate IT guys arrive for the weekend's Technological Extravaganza. On top of working this weekend AND the projected 80 degree weather we're supposed to have Saturday and Sunday, I think I'm coming down with the bug that went through our office like a bad wind. I had the scratchy throat thing yesterday that never went away, and the scratch is now firmly lodged in my throat today. Joy. It's going to be a loooong night, and a loooong weekend, y'all. Which is why my Big Box O'Fruit is making me inordinately happy today.

pink Natural Lunch box:

• banana
• Pink Lady apple slices
• nectarine quarters
• blueberries for gap fillers

black strawberry box:

• Thai peanut chicken
• hard boiled egg (LOVE those farm fresh eggs every week!)
• dill & vinegar potato salad
• nectarine slices
• strawberry slices
• yogurt raisins

lots of food for a long day

Today is the start of the Massive Technological Project that will consume my evening, will require going into the office tomorrow and working until late, working all day Saturday (on what will be our first 80 degree day of the year ::sadface::), and possibly part or all of the day Sunday. I expect to be eating dinner late tonight, hence the larger box for lunch and the large snack/breakfast box.

pink "Natural Lunch" box:

• half of a banana (still in the peel to keep it from browning)
• an orange
• most of a Pink Lady apple
• blueberries as gap fillers

bunny & moon box:

• black forest ham, colby slices, and green leaf lettuce in a spinach wrap, with a spinach leaf tucked around to add to the wrap
• dill & vinegar potato salad
• celery sticks
• honey glazed sweet potatoes
• honey peanut butter dip
• dark chocolate and yogurt covered raisins <--(I should just create a macro for this phrase to save myself some typing)

travel bento

Took the train to Seattle this AM to visit Cat!!!!!!!!!!! We're doing a hardcore shut-in weekend of working on the final edit of my manuscript, because she is awesome. I've been looking forward to this for weeks and weeks, amen. Every aspect of it. Including the train trip. And the chance to pack a travel bento for the morning ride, all packed and ready to go.

pink "Natural Lunch" box:

• kiwi slices
• pixie tangerines
• molded egg
• yogurt and dark chocolate covered raisins

breakfast, lunch, and dinner

I cooked last night! Like, a lot, actually. I had stuff to use up so I ended up making two separate entrees, which meant something heftier for breakfast than my usual. Hence two of the smaller boxes for a full day of meals instead of a larger box for lunch and a sidecar for breakfast.

Paris slimline box:

• bottom tier is a breakfast scramble made with cheese and some spinach and leek that needed to be used up in the crisper
• top tier (to go with lunch) is kiwi slices with orange sections underneath, and on the other side, rainbow carrots and a teensy handful of dark chocolate covered raisins

I actually made a HUGE scramble in order to use up all the spinach and the leek, which worked out well because A) the aforementioned hefty breakfast and B) breakfast for Sal, who had to go in earlier than usual today, OR C) leftovers for my dinner tonight, if he decided not to eat them for breakfast. I am so clearly awesome.

pink "Natural Lunch" box:

• pork chop, cut into strips for easy eating with chopsticks -- this ain't no puny 1/4" thick cut that I used to think is what a pork chop is (in my pre-New Seasons days), this is a nice 1" thick center cut that was done in a good, hot pan with a bit of sea salt and ground peppercorns and is therefore yummy
• green beans sauteed with onions (I made these after the chops and deglazed the pan in order to get some good flavor and color on the beans and onions)
• honey-glazed roasted sweet potatoes (OMG I COULD EAT THESE AS A SNACK SO GOOD)

I brought my camera today in order to do better justice to this lunch than the cameraphone would. Because it's kind of stupendously tasty, if I do say so myself, and I knew that it wasn't going to look nearly as great as it actually tastes, and that wouldn't really be fair to the food. YES I PONDER THE PHOTOGENIC QUALITIES OF MY FOOD AND HOW THAT MIGHT AFFECT ITS SELF-ESTEEM DON'T JUDGE ME.

An American in Paris with a Japanese lunch

We made sushi last night. Well, Sal has experience making it, but I don't so it was a learning experience for me. Turns out, it's pretty easy, actually. We're thinking we'll do it more often, because it's simple and quick and healthy, and we can use up things from the fridge. And of course, works great for bento. ;)

The last of the new boxes today, the Paris slimline box and the plain Natural Lunch. And since they're both pink, I'm doing a pink theme, using the pink sidecar, pink mini spoon, and pink silicone cup. So cute it kind of makes you want to barf, huh?

pink Natural Lunch box:

• plain yogurt in the pink sidecar with a dollop of blackberry jam to mix in
• Fremont tangerine
• wee sandwiches of peanut butter & honey on 9-grain bread
• soy sauce (for lunch)

Paris box:

• top tier: sushi rolls (includes cucumber, carrot, asparagus, and cream cheese) in one half, steamed broccoli and asparagus in the other with shrimp (sauteed in a bit of butter and garlic and a dash of lemon juice and a few sesame seeds sprinkled in at the end to toast) on top
• bottom tier: repeat of the fruit tier from last week -- no need to fix what ain't broken: pineapple, raspberries, green grapes, dark chocolate covered raisins

bento glee, baby!

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA YOU GUYS YOU ARE SO GOING TO HATE ME LIKE FOR REALS OMG.

GUESS WHAT CAME IN THE MAIL TODAY HMMM I WONDER WHAT IT COULD POSSIBLY BE??????

I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS DAY FOR TWO WEEKS BUT ALSO FOR MONTHS AND MONTHS IT IS LIKE BEING SEVEN YEARS OLD ALL OVER AGAIN I AM PROBABLY GOING TO BREAK MY CAPSLOCK KEY JUST FYI.

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