Cute containers

Back to school is fast approaching, which means, in this house, back to packing a daily lunch-or two.  My youngest goes to a Charter School, there is no cafeteria.  My high schooler, well, let's just say he'd prefer to bring his lunch from home.  The impending return of lunch packing makes me wake in a cold sweat at 3 am with visions of boring turkey sandwiches or sunbutter and jelly dancing before my eyes....mocking me....I can only pack so many carrot sticks before I myself start to go insane, I can only imagine how my children feel!

So I'm trying to psyche myself up for the coming school year.  To that end, there is a blog that I visit daily, the link is to the right.  It's all about these adorable bento lunches this creative Mom packs for her two little kids.  They are stinking cute!  Sandwiches cut into bears.  Hard boiled eggs with faces.  They are really cute.  I'm not that cute, or creative, and when I visit her site I feel slightly less competent in the kitchen but I go for inspiration and I have received tons.  If you haven't yet, check it out, it's called What's for Lunch in our house, again the links on the right side of this blog. 

I found this little cutie pie in the dollar bin at Target and immediately thought of the bento lunch Mom.  It has definite bento lunch potential.  I have been packing a daily snack for Paulo this week because he's in a morning soccer camp.  This was yesterday's snack.  Nothing too elaborate, just some fresh fruit.  But what's in the middle??

It has a great covered middle container molded in for whatever ooey gooey thing you want to add to the lunch.  In this case it is soy blueberry yogurt for dipping his fruit in.  The day before the dish was filled with just apple slices and I used the center for nut butter to dip in.  The possibilities are endless.  It's not a huge container but it could easily hold some smaller veggies, like cucumber slices or snow peas.  Then you could use the center for a ranch dip.  If Paulo weren't on a no dairy diet I would add cheese cubes and apples with nut butter in the middle.  You could do chunks of meat and cheese with a sauce in the middle. 

I wasn't sure I would like it so I only bought one, but I will definitely be stopping back by Target's dollar aisle and getting a couple more.  The middle lid stays put, no leaking, the top lid snaps on firmly-but not so firmly that Paulo can't get it off.  And, best of all, it was $1.  That way when, I mean if, it gets lost or damaged I'm not going to stress about it. 

In the meantime, I need to build up my supply of lunch containers for both boys-somehow I doubt my oldest wants to take any part of his lunch to school in a purple container-and start compiling non sandwich ideas for lunch.  This Momma can only build so many sandwiches before she starts to feel.....a little nutty.