ShannonAlbert.com - June 2009

Blake is now starting summer day camp at the YMCA where he has to take a lot of stuff with him - swimsuit, towel, sunscreen, packed lunch, etc. We haven't had many reasons to do packed lunches in the past except for Payton's summer camps and it's an additional morning activity I don't really look forward to. I already pack my own lunch, have my gym bag, Blake's backpack, etc., so it's one more thing on the list. However, I know that when I can infuse a little creativity into something I dread, it makes it more enjoyable.

If you've eaten at a Japanese restaurant before, you may have seen a bento that looks like this:


Strictly speaking, bentos are partitioned boxes for food. Bento lunches take on additional characteristics in that they are usually focused on being healthy, don't contain anything disposable (such as Ziploc bags or plasticware) and have a bit of whimsy to them (food in the shapes of animals, jokes written on paper and put into the lunch, etc.). There are even many websites dedicated to the topic.

I decided to do my own version of a bento for Blake's lunches this summer. Instead of getting the fancy set or a traditional one, I'm just making my own up with foods that Blake likes (which are pretty much nothing like the foods they typically show in bentos). I will also include a freezer pack so it the food doesn't spoil (not typically included in traditional bentos).

Here's today's pseudo-bento made for Blake's lunch...

Fruit kabob, sandwiches in triangle shapes, trail mix, celery w/peanut butter in cupcake holders, joke written on index card ("Why was the nose sad? Because he didn't get picked." Blake will love it.). My presentation could use some work. I'm hoping to get some more stuff to make it better and more fun.