Quirky Lunch Boxes–Brownbagging shouldn’t be boring either

bento, lunch, products, school lunches | December 27, 2013 | By

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Even as an adult, taking your lunch to work doesn’t have to be boring. And being quirky, doesn’t mean it should be impractical either.
 
Of the 18 amazing lunch boxes that Emily (hi Emily! I didn’t forget…I’m just slow!) pointed out to me a couple months ago, I think the above might be my favorite. I’m pretty sure it even trumps the NES box below.
 
It’s not because it’s that strange…or even that it’s the most practical. Realistically, it’s only good for sandwiches and I have no idea how it’s supposed to be cleaned regularly. I think it’s cool that I wouldn’t have to try to find the right size ziplock bag to squish my sandwich into and then later, try to wiggle it back out of without losing all my fillings. If it actually holds it in place like it appears to, then it’s perfect for tossing a sandwich in your bag and not wondering if it’ll still look like a sandwich by lunchtime, ha!
 
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This one is also a mix of quirky but practical. I’m a little concerned about using those utensils and how that outside would get cleaned easily after using it as a tray every day, but that’s probably because I’m a messy either and others wouldn’t have to worry about it.
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I’m not nearly as eco-friendly as I probably should be, but I fully support others who take the time, energy, and money to clean up their footprint. I’ve seen these metal cases a few times already now and the reviews are great. You skip the plastic and the pieces stack nicely without being overly inconvenient. I don’t think any kid is going to get teased for taking these to school either, which is a nice bonus for most school-aged kids. And the different sizes makes them easy to work with for bento boxes, too.
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And then of course this one is going to get a few points from me, just because I’m still a bit nostalgic for my old NESes. The only thing it’s missing is the butterknife sticking out of the front to make sure the game (or lunch?) stays in place.

Blue pork sushi – When toothpicks go bad

bento, lunch, pork, sushi | May 28, 2013 | By

I first posted about these delicious little pork rolls more than 2 years ago and since then, I’ve made them several times. They’re quick, taste good, and are great for using in lunches the next day.

It’s not uncommon for me to use colored toothpicks and you can see that all of them here even have multicolored sticks:

It wasn’t until the last time I made them, though, with a different brand of toothpicks, that I ran into issues. Check out these:

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Oops!
 
So if you’re the type that’s worried about the chemicals and dyes in our food, beware that some of those toothpicks will bleed colors. I doubt the tiny amount is harmful, but it’s still worth noting, especially if the kids have any sensitivities. 

Top 15 Edible Snowmen

Tuesday’s post about snowman earmuffs got me to thinking about other snowmen you can eat. We’re smack dab in the middle of winter, but beyond the Christmas Santas and Rudolphs, so how about some snowy-looking treats instead?

Snowman cookie pops made with white frosting, m&m candies, and jelly beans or jelly bellies

1. Snowman Cookie Pops – I prefer them with the M&M nose at the end, I think, but the other candies were a good attempt at carrots.

Snowman drawn on with sharpies on gum packets

2. Snowman Gum – I originally posted about this as a stocking stuffer. I still think it’s cute for that, but you could potentially put it in a gift basket at other parts of the year, too.

Three white doughnuts stacked on a popsicle stick to be made to look like snowmen

3. Doughnut Snowmen on a Stick – This one actually has a real carrot nose, but I’m not sure anyone is going to want to eat that in combination with doughnuts and candies. I do love the coal eyes and mouth, though. They’re made out of grape Nerds, so they aren’t all uniform in shape.

Oreos dipped in white chocolate to look like snowmen

4. Oreo Cookie Snowmen – Aww. The middle one has earmuffs. I believe those are mini M&Ms instead of full sized ones, too, because otherwise they would be too big on Oreos.

Happy New Year snowmen pancakes 

5. Snowman Pancakes – Man, snowmen and M&Ms go hand in hand, huh? At least we have some candy corn going on for a nose for this one. 

Marshmallow snowmen and cupcakes 

6 & 7. Marshmallow Snowmen and Cupcakes with Earmuffs – At first I figured the cupcakes would be made with coconut, but nope! Those are white sugar sprinkles. I would totally eat those now that I know that, hehe.

Marshmallows stacked on toothpicks with strawberry hats
 
8. Strawberry marshmallow pops – Here’s another set that uses the obvious choice of marshmallows. I liked that this on added a strawberry hat, though.

Bento box - Ham and cheese sandwich snowman with pretzel and carrots on teh side

 
9. Ham and Cheese Bento – I’m thrilled that I could find some that were savory. Often times when people play with food, they go straight to the desserts. I like having fun with lunches and dinners, though, too. And if you follow the link, she has some other Christmas bentos that are really fun.

Onigiri rice balls in bento box for Christmas snowmen

 
10. Snowman ornament onigiri – The description from number 9 applies here, too. Both savory and a link that takes you to lots of other Christmas bentos. Awesome. <3

Do it yourself snowmen cookiesCookie kit with sugar cookie pieces to make your own snowmen

 
11. Assemble Your Own Cookie Snowmen – These are just too cute. I love the idea of putting together kits like this and gifting them to kids to put together their own cookies.

Snowman cheeseball that melts into fondue

 
12. Melting Frosty the Cheeseball Fondue – There’s a video of this one, too. It starts as just a snowman cheesball and then they melt him in a sauté pan. Poor Frosty!

Miniature snowmen made out of fondant
 
13. Miniature snowmen fondant – They’re so teenie tiny!! You can buy them on Etsy to then use them for cupcakes or cake pops, etc.

Draw on a fish bowl to make it festive for holidays

 
14. Snowman punch bowl – Actually, it’s more likely to be milk or eggnog. If you look in the back, there are also matching glasses. Unfortunately, the link for it is partially broken, but there are several other great ideas with full info still listed.

Cauliflower casserole with olives and carrots

 
15. Cauliflower Cheese Man – Hehe, this looks like something I would end up making. It’s not as professional as other pictures, but it’s “real,” if that makes sense. This is what most people at home would end up with and it’d taste delicious. Love it.