Monday, September 22, 2008

Return of the Lunch Box!

It's that time once again. In the evenings, just before M gets home and we start dinner, I have to decide what to have for lunch. No, no I don't eat lunch and dinner together, but I do pack my lunch for the following day. It turns out that if I try to make choices at 6am, I just stand there, eyes barely open, staring into the fridge/closet trying fruitlessly to force my brain to concentrate.

Thus the need for night-before decision making. What should I put in the yellow bag this time? I don't have any kids to pack for yet, but getting my own take-along lunch together is quite enough of a challenge. I make lunch by four important laws: Can I make it healthy? Can I make it inexpensive? Can I make it appealing? Can I make it in five minutes? Repetition is constantly a problem. Apple/lowfat cheese/soup or apple/pasta salad or apple/burrito/cheese. You get the idea. I really need to get more creative, but this is a challenge on busy weeks. At least I'm lucky in that I have access to a microwave.

I also miss the fun of picking out a new lunchbox every autumn. My mom used to take my brother and me, and we would spend forever choosing just the right one. My favorite was bright red with a panda on the side and a matching red thermos. Those were the days! I hate! hate! hate! even the idea of Lunchables or the grown up equivalent. They violate every lunch law ever made except the one about being ready in under five minutes. Ugh!

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