4th of July Lunch Box

It's Indepen- dence Day here in the United States, time for parades, picnics, barbecues, and shmoo's favorite -- fireworks!

Here's a special 4th of July- themed lunch in our new Laptop Bento 2.0. I packed the bottom left container with fresh corn topped with radish stars and green onion "fireworks".

In the top left lidded container, a serving of Red, White & Blueberry Fruit Salad: strawberries, blueberries, apples, and lime juice. I substituted agave for the honey in the recipe and left out the mint.

I'm still so delighted that one of the smaller containers now has a lid! Here it is packed with Ethiopian Lentil Salad with Crushed Mustard Seeds, my favorite cold lentil salad from Madhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian.

Finally, for a picnic treat, ruffled potato chips and a bottle of lemonade that didn't make it into the picture.

Happy 4th, everyone! We're off to enjoy a relaxing afternoon and then watch things go boom!

Road Trip with a Pitted Prune

We’ve been stuck under gray skies so long, I can hardly remember what the sun looks like. It sure feels melancholy around here towards the end of winter. Time to get out of town and take a road trip! Yesterday we packed lunches and rode along with my dad and his sweet dog Libby, up into the pretty foothills of the Blue Mountains.

For shmoo’s lunch I packed a veggie dog in a whole wheat bun, two corn-on-the-cobs, and a Sunsweet Ones. What clever marketing is that? They’ve packaged individual pitted prunes in little wrappers to look like candy!! I saw these at the store and just had to give them a try. It seems like they would make the perfect, healthy treat to tuck into the corner of a kid's lunchbox.

For myself I made a hummus, sprout, tomato, and lettuce sandwich on sprouted wheat bread packed in our Lunch Skin bag. I also packed a tiffin container of mini cucumber slices, baby carrots, celery, and green grapes, and two Golden Delicious apples.

We started out worried about the weather; the car was wrapped in dense fog and the cold was bitter. We guessed we wouldn’t be able to get too far into the hills and would probably have to turn back. But as the car headed up into Dayton we climbed out of the cloud cover and suddenly, there it was! The sun was shining down on us from a blue sky! We had a wonderful, warm tramp about in the hills. The snow was mostly melted away. The ground was mucky but mostly clear.

Verdict: Shmoo wolfed down the hot dog and an apple but wouldn’t eat the corn ("too mushy" – it was cooked frozen corn), then said "This is my treat? Nice try!" and handed me the prune. Oh well, I still think it's a great idea. Maybe it will work better with younger children?

We nibbled on the veggies and grapes together on the drive back. I discovered that I love popping a slice of mini cucumber and a green grape into my mouth at the same time. Nice flavor combo!

Nacho Cheese for Everyone!

Enough of the serious stuff for a moment -- time for some fun! Shmoo and I meet our homeschool friends each week at the community center for games and fun and momma chats. This week I wanted to pack something fun for shmoo and I to share with our friends.

I made a batch of Nacho Cheese Dip and packed it in a warm thermos along with a big bag of organic corn chips for shmoo and his friends. I also packed a big batch of veggies for me (the kids were welcome to eat the veggies, too...but they didn't): lightly steamed cauliflower, baby carrots, jicama, celery, cherry tomatoes, and radishes.

I packed the veggies in a three-tier tiffin and left the third container empty. At lunchtime I poured the warm dip into the empty container to make it easier for dipping. I also packed some little fondue forks to make dipping the vegetables more fun.

Verdict: Everything tastes so good with this dip! I've been experimenting with the recipe and have discovered I can substitute canned white beans for the cashews to make the dish nut-free. I also like to add a bit of fresh salsa to the mix before I blend it, to add more flavor and a nice orange color. (Follow the link to the recipe and you'll see other people's variations, too.) James' best friend was hesitant to try the dip at first, but ended up coming back for more and then more. Can you believe I ate that much cauliflower?? 5 stars.

Smart Bacon Sandwich

Shmoo picked and packed his own lunch again today. My little boy is growing up! He even went with me to the store and hand-picked the Brussels sprouts, so today this was all him.

First, he fried some Smart Bacon and made a BL without the T (he still doesn't care much for fresh tomatoes, but lettuce is now okay). We packed it in a Lunch Skin from 3greenmoms. These washable bags are made to take the place of disposable bags in the lunch box. Shmoo complained that the pattern was "too girly", but it's the only one they sell right now.

Next, I helped him cook some Brussels sprouts and pack them in a little Gel-Cool Bento Box. (Brussels sprouts are still his favorite vegetable.)

Finally, although he thought that was enough, I insisted on some fresh fruit, so he added two darlin' clementines for dessert.

Here's the Lunch Skin folded up and ready to go. Look, it even has a place to write your name -- handy when you have a kind who tends to misplace things at school.

Verdict: He ate it all up and (what a relief!) remembered to bring the bag home. The bag was easy to turn inside-out and wash; now it's hanging on my plastic bag drier, waiting to be used again. 4 stars.

Shmoo's New Lunch Box

Well, is everyone enjoying being back to school and work after the holidays? Shmoo went off to his partnership school today (he attends a once-a-week school for home-schoolers), and was excited to finally be packing a lunch in his new Red Kitty Bento Set from I Love Obento. His favorite animals are cats and tigers, so he loves the cat on the outside of the box.

He packs his own lunches now, with a little prep help from mom. Today he chose vegan chik'n nuggets, potato salad balls filled with mixed veggies, baby carrots, and edamame. In the top tier he packed strawberries and kiwi. I had mixed the fruits together, but he insisted on separating them and placing a plastic divder in between (and that's why we were late to school, honest...)

Here's the bento all put together and nestled into its matching bento bag. It turned out that the top tier sits farther down into the bottom container than we thought, so we had to take out some of the baby carrots and rearrange things.

Verdict: I was worried; would that little bento box really hold enough food for a 10 year old? Shmoo reassures me that it was more than enough to make him full; he couldn't even finish the last potato salad ball. But still, the first thing he said when I went to pick him up was, "I'm hungry!" 5 meows.

Rice Burger

Here's another recipe courtesy of The Manga Cookbook:Rice Burgers! The top and bottom "bun" are made from leftover Japanese sticky rice, pressed together and cooked until firm.

I'll let the cookbook explain:

"Like the bread on a sandwich, rice patties can hold just about anything in between. For vegetarians, rice burgers are a godsend, since fast-food chains in Japan often serve them with only sautéed veggies in between."

We filled this burger with Tofurkey slices and topped it with two vegan cheese "sunshines".

Next to the rice burger are Eco-Planet Non-Dairy Organic Cheese Crackers. That's right -- VEGAN CHEESE CRACKERS, people!! Woo hoo! Now I won't have to make my own all the time.

In the top row are blueberries, carrots and Yumm sauce, and dried apple slices.

Verdict: I couldn't wait for shmoo to get home today so I could find out how his lunch was, because I must admit I was picturing the rice bun falling apart as he tried to eat it. "Did it work?" I asked him. "Were you able to pick it up and eat it just like bread?"

"YES!" he replied. "The rice held together good. Although I did eat the tofurkey first and then the buns." So there you have it, the perfect sandwich for all you gluten-freers! And the crackers are AWESOME; you would never guess you weren't eating a regular cheese cracker. 4 stars.

Well, everyone, have a great weekend! I hope you enjoyed this special summer camp week filled with new vegan lunches from the shmoo and me!

Japanese Curry

Two lunches again today, one for my son and one for my husband. This time, surprisingly, they both chose the same thing.

Japanese Curry is a dish my aunt introduced me to and I haven't been able to stop dreaming about it ever since. She cooks potatoes and carrots in water until tender (I added peas at the end) then throws in a bar of S&B Golden Curry. The warm, rich curry is served over white sticky rice, making it something of a Japanese Comfort Food.

My aunt mentioned that she usually has to add a lot more water than the package calls for, and I agree. I started with about 2 cups of water and still had to add more. This curry gets very thick very fast!

I wanted to make sure my husband had enough to eat, so I packed his rice and curry in separate containers in our 2-tier To-Go Ware. An orange in one of my fruit cozies is alongside.

I packed shmoo's curry and rice together in a smaller Thermos, and he chose an apple instead of an orange.

Verdict: From hubby: "Lunch was excellent. There was more than I could eat so I will save the leftovers for later. The curry was drier than I usually like it but the flavor was very good. The orange looked very cozy wrapped up in its little comforter. All it needed to be perfect was a piece of fresh-baked naan. Four stars." Hmm, Japanese naan?

From shmoo: "That curry was good! Is there any more?" Four stars.

Naruto Roll and Jyagatama

Two dishes today from The Manga Cookbook,a cute cookbook inspired by Japanese comic books and animation. If you like manga, anime, and bento boxes (and who doesn't?), this is the cookbook for you! The book is filled with cute manga-style drawings illustrating each recipe step-by-step. Even better, there are little notes on the history of these traditional Japanese dishes, how and when they are eaten, and even references to the manga where these foods appear.

The first recipe we have here is Naruto Roll: nori, tofurkey, and vegan cheese rolled together and cut into bite-sized pieces. Unfortunately, the vegan cheese I had (Tofutti slices) would not roll like the soft, creamy cheese pictured in the cookbook (looks like Velveeta to me). The vegan cheese crumbled and ripped, ruining the pretty roll effect. After throwing two rolls away and gritting my teeth in disgust, I finally figured out what to do: layer the nori, tofurkey, and cheese together on a cutting board with the cheese on top, then set the board under the broiler for just a few seconds, just long enough for the cheese to get soft. Roll away!

Next to the Naruto are Jyagatama -- potato salad balls. I had never in my life imagined making mashed potatoes mixed with cooked peas, corn, and carrots, seasoning it like a potato salad (Vegenaise, lemon juice, etc.) then rolling it into little balls. Could this possibly be good?

Next to the main dishes are steamed broccoli and green beans, with a happy apple food pick and a little soy sauce fish. And for dessert, a container of red watermelon and two Oreos.

Verdict: Potato salad balls? Phenomenally brilliant. Seriously, they were sooo good, all creamy and tangy and you can just pick them up and pop them in your mouth. Who knew?

The Naruto, on the other hand, was not such a hit. Shmoo ate one and then decided that as of today he no longer likes Tofutti. That was the only storebought vegan cheese he ever did like, so now we're down to none. Hey, it's okay by me -- I don't like it either!

He has fun squirting the soy sauce fish on his vegetables. "Oh no, the fish is going to throw up! [then in a fishy voice] 'It must be some bad shrimp I ate. Blecccgh!' " 4 stars.

Sandwiches and Filo Tarts

Shmoo didn't want a thing to do with all the icky stuff I put in his dad's lunch today, so as you can see his lunch looks a lot different!

For starters, instead of salads and spinach I made him two sandwiches filled with Chickpea Salad (recipe from Vegan Lunch Box). This is our answer to tuna or chicken salad, and pressing the sandwiches kept all the filling in and eliminated that nasty crust. I pressed the sandwiches closed using a dough press(aka dumpling maker). I discovered that only our smooshy white bread took to pressing; the whole wheat ripped at the fold.

Shmoo did like the lemony potatoes I made for Dad, so I tucked in a few with his Brussels sprouts and topped them with a lemon to avoid any Brassica odors (this is a new concern for shmoo -- he doesn't want his lunch to "smell like anything", so I'm topping things with lemon slices and wrapping each container in plastic wrap).

For dessert I packed shmoo a donut peach, and used the same frozen filo cups as in my husband's lunch, this time filled with chocolate pudding topped with raspberries.

Verdict: It was all good but the dessert. The filo cups held up well with the drier spinach-mushroom mixture in my husband's lunch, but the pudding turned them to a soggy, unidentifiable mush. Note to self: stick with dry ingredients or use pie dough pastry next time. Not to worry, though: shmoo still got to eat a pudding when he got home. By the way, this was our first time trying storebought vegan pudding -- very, very yummy! 2 stars.

All Star Corn

Hey, you lucky vegheads! Shmoo is at Adventure Day Camp all this week, and I'll be posting his lunches every day!

For his first day of camp I packed shmoo six Nate's Meatless Meatballs, with catcher's mitt-baseball picks for eating.

Next to the meatballs are some "All Star Corn": fresh corn-on-the-cob, cooked and cut into rounds, topped with cucumber and carrot stars. I filled in the open spaces between the corn with blanched green beans.

Above the corn is my son's new favorite: yellow watermelon from the farmer's market. I think he could eat an entire melon by himself if I didn't make him share. Because he loves it so much I used the container as a guide when I cut the melon into chunks, trying to get as much in there as possible.

For dessert? Oreos, three this time instead of his regular two. Oh, and that's a bottle of water next to the lunch.

Verdict: When I look back at his lunches in first grade most of them seem so small now, with tiny servings in half-full containers. Right now I'm packing his lunch box to the brim! To give you an idea of why, today at camp they went swimming and rock climbing, played tennis, and went to the park. I picked him up a bit early to take him to his first football practice. The boy is active. And he likes to eat -- today, he finished everything but a few of the green beans. 4 stars.

Clowning Around

Shmoo recently hosted a clown workshop for his friends, where they tried their hands at juggling, tumbling, acting in skits, plate spinning, and more.

Here's my shmoo in his graduation nose, hair still a bit damp from the pie fight. He took to clowning like a natural, who would have guessed? Actually, I've been calling him a clown most of his life.

I packed shmoo a lunch box to run off and join the circus with ("Now be sure to do what the carnies tell you, and don't forget to eat all your deep-fried vegetables-
on-a-stick"). A veggie dog clown (Yves) in a whole wheat bun has a lettuce ruffle and sugar snap buttons. The face is a mix of Vegenaise and ketchup. Cantaloupe and honeydew are decorated with two clown picks which can also be used for eating. Vegan animal crackers and in-shell peanuts complete the circus theme.

Verdict: Clowns -- cute or creepy? Whatever you decide, keep in mind that circuses with animals suck, so it's a good idea to get your clown kicks at animal-free circuses. Shmoo ate everything but the lettuce and the peanuts, which he wants to keep to feed to the squirrels. 3 rings.

Worms

Shmoo has been begging for a peanut butter gummy worm sandwich ever since reading the Captain Underpants series.Now, on his second-to-last day of homeschool partnership school, I am finally able to oblige this repulsive whim thanks to vegan sour gummy worms, the first vegan gummy worm ever!

He also asked for potato chips with whipped cream, another gem from the Captain, but I drew the line and merely surrounded his wormwich with Pringles Minis.

On the side are two of his favorite fruit and vegetable combinations: blueberries and kiwi fruit, and corn and lima beans.

Verdict: A disgusting, revolting, worm-ridden lunch box. In other words, it was perfect! Shmoo reports that the gummy worms were very good, and "not actually sour". 5 stars if you have a 9 to 10-year-old boy or for Halloween.

Rocking Rainbow PB & J

Remember the Jif Most Creative Peanut Butter Sandwich Contest? Back in February shmoo and I sampled the Texas Roll 'Em Up, and today I finally got around to making my second favorite entry: the Rocking Rainbow PB & J. Although neither of my vegan-friendly favorites won the contest, they both made Runner Up.

Half a whole wheat pita is filled with (organic, all natural) peanut butter and grandma's homemade jam, and the outside is spread with more peanut butter and decorated with fruit.

Two daikon butterflies are flitting about the rainbow. (Please don't ask me how I did it. I found instructions in an old library book on garnishes, and I went through an entire daikon to get these two good ones!) Baby carrots with vegan ranch dip, a small container of sesame sticks and a cup of shmoo's favorite oat milk complete the meal.

Verdict: The biggest question I had about the Rocking Rainbow was, how do you pick it up and eat it without all the fruit falling all over the place? Well, shmoo solved the problem in his own simple way: he picked all the fruit off and ate it first with his fingers, then picked up the pita and ate the sandwich. The butterflies got their little wings nibbled off, and everything else was devoured. 4 stars.

P.S. Speaking of pb & j, isn't it amazing what a simple peanut butter sandwich can do?

Wild Garden Hummus

Those of you who read my picnic posts last summer might remember my love for Wild Garden Hummus. It's my favorite hummus for camping, traveling, and picnics; the flavor is mild and not too garlicky for kids, it's oil-free, and best of all the jars are shelf-stable and don't need refrigeration. Yes, I've packed many a glass jar of Wild Garden for lunch on a long train or car trip.

So imagine how excited I was to find out that Wild Garden now comes in single-serving "Hummus To Go" packs! Hey, no more heavy glass jars or leftovers going to waste! I plan to pack some of these with us on our outings all summer long.

Today I packed the hummus with some Wild Garden Roasted Garlic Pita Chips, baby carrots, sugar snap peas, and cucumber, and a fresh mandarin orange cut into wedges.

Next to the hummus a bite of Equal Exchange Dark Chocolate is peeking out. One of shmoo's friends was selling these fair trade chocolates and coffee as a student fundraiser. How cool is that? Most of the kids' group fundraisers I've seen have involved chemical-laden cookie dough, microwave popcorn, or cheap chocolate at a high price. It's great to discover that there are positive, vegan- and eco-friendly alternatives.

Verdict: Certainly this is one of the easiest lunches I've ever packed! Shmoo tore off a corner of the hummus pack and squeezed ribbons of hummus onto his pita chips, reminding me of the Cheez Whiz of my youth. 5 stars.

Road's End Shells & Chreese

Here's another new vegan product I picked up while on vacation: Road's End Shells & Chreese. I bought a box of their Cheddar Style Shells & Chreese to see how it would compare to my regular homemade version from Ultimate Uncheese (a perennial shmoo favorite).

It was so easy to make! I boiled the noodles, tossing in some frozen peas and corn at the end, drained it, then added some plain nondairy milk and the flavor packet. Just like a conventional box of mac & cheese! The instructions called for just 1/4 cup of nondairy milk, but the pasta still seemed too dry. I added at least an extra 1/4 cup before getting a nice, smooth consistency.

On the side are baby carrots with Vegenaise and dill for dipping, fruit salad, and three Mi-Del Ginger Snaps for dessert.

Verdict: Whipping this up took no time at all, but how would the flavor compare? "Hey, this tastes just like the macaroni and cheese that you make, Mom!" shmoo said. High praise for Road's End, from both the cook and the consumer. 5 stars.

Follow Your Heart Pizza

On a recent trip out of town I was finally able to pick up some Follow Your Heart Vegan Gourmet Cheese. I've been hearing about this stuff for years and couldn't wait to try it for myself. Today I took a bit of the mozzarella-style cheese and turned it into a lunch box pizza with tomato sauce, broccoli, and capers.

On the side is, yes, another Applesauce Fruit Squeezie and a bite of fair trade dark chocolate.

Verdict: I really, really wanted to like Follow Your Heart. It's more local than Sheese and isn't made with transfats like Tofutti slices. Perhaps it's a case of having inordinately high expectations, but I was disappointed. None of us liked the taste or texture of any of the Follow Your Heart cheeses. We found them gritty, soft, and watery. But still, I felt worlds better giving this to my son versus giving him Tofutti, and cooked on top of pizza shmoo said the mozzarella tasted "not bad". At lunchtime shmoo picked the broccoli off the pizza first and gobbled it up (dang, I should have put more on!), then ate every last bite of the pizza -- even the crusts! 3 stars for Follow Your Heart.

Wrap-N-Mat and Celebration Roast

Here's another new lunch toy! I came across Wrap-N-Mats a few months ago and was interested in trying one out. Wrap-N-Mats are a reusable plastic bag alternative that fold around a sandwich and close with velcro. The PEVA or PVC lining keeps the sandwich fresh, then at lunchtime the mat unfolds into a placemat. Nifty!

After we got over the fact that the brand new mat smelled like a stinky shower curtain, we decided to wipe it down and stick a sandwich in it.

I filled two slices of sprouted barley bread with Vegenaise, ketchup, lettuce, spinach, and cold slices of Celebration Roast. I bought the roast recently on a good friend's recommendation, and oh, I'm so glad I did! Even the meat-eater among us agreed that the roast was some of the best-tasting veggie meat we've had. Tasty hot or cold, Field and Celebration Roast are made from wheat gluten, pea flour, and lentils -- no soy, so they're a great veggie meat for those with soy allergies. The Celebration Roast includes a stuffing made from butternut squash, apples, mushrooms, and carrots -- more sneaky vegetables for the shmoo.

I know the whole point of the Wrap-N-Mat is to reduce waste, so it's ironic that the other treat I scored for the shmoo this week was an Applesauce Fruit Squeezie.That's right, shmoo can finally squeeze goo out of a plastic tube just like his friends! I packed the tube-o-mush alongside a fresh orange and some dairy-free Fig Newmans.

Here's the mat all folded and ready to go. Since we're on the subject of bags, I packed shmoo's fig bars in another plastic bag alternative: Natural Waxed Paper Bags. I like to fold the bag and use a hole punch to make two holes through the fold, then tie the bag shut with raffia or twine. (I'm sure I got that idea from Martha...)

Verdict: The Wrap-N-Mat worked nicely, but I must say I still prefer packing lunch in a lunch box. There's something so satisfying about how everything fits together inside a box, and since I tend to pack more fruit and vegetable salads, wet foods, noodles, rice, etc., a lunch box suits my style. But if you are a sandwich-a-day person, a Wrap-N-Mat would sure beat throw-away baggies. Shmoo was utterly delighted with his applesauce tube and wants to know if he can have one in his lunch every week from now on. 4 stars.

Monkey Chow

We've gone BANANAS! First I went ape for this monkey bento container from Japan. Then when Mr. Monkey arrived he needed his very own banana napkin. You can see how things went from there...

The top container holds two Tofu Lettuce Cups -- gingery tofu, peanuts, coconut and lime juice wrapped in buttercrunch lettuce leaves.

The monkey container holds some mango chutney to add to the tofu before eating. Please note adorable banana-handled spoon.

In the other large container tropical party picks hold two miniature hazelnut butter and banana sandwiches next to a small cup of "Monkey Chow" (fruit-shaped cereal).

Finally, every monkey loves to eat his vegetables, so I packed cooked carrots and peas above a trio of corn tires.

Verdict: Oops, I forgot to pack a spoon, but shmoo didn't care. He picked up the container and shook all the peas and carrots into his mouth like the wild, crazy primate he is. Then he devoured the corn tires, flinging the empty cobs around the room and screeching. Just kidding. The little sandwiches and cereal went next, followed by the tofu...without the lettuce. 4 stars.

Musubi Easter Eggs

Yes, yes, I know Easter is still a week away, but I've been looking forward to this lunch box for months, and besides, next week is Spring Break. Anyway, maybe this advance posting will give some of you time to join me in making adorable Musubi Eggs this Easter!

To make these eggless eggs I followed the recipe for Musubi in Vegan Lunch Box. (Also known as onigiri, musubi are Japanese sticky rice balls.) I pressed the sticky rice into a plastic Easter egg sprayed with nonstick spray to start forming the egg, then used my hands to solidify and finish the shaping. I pushed the filling in where an egg yolk would be. These are filled with cashew butter but tart, salty umeboshi plum is traditional.


To decorate the eggs I used mamenori -- thin, vegetable-dyed sheets of edible soybean paper (please note that the pink sheets are colored with cochineal and are therefore not vegan). I cut the sheets with scissors, pinking sheers, and paper punches, then set them in place with a dab of water. The mamenori tended to curl when wet but wouldn't stick without a bit of water, which was a big pain. In the end, though, I was happy with our little eggs and loved the pastel colors.

As you may have noticed if you followed the mamenori link above, these sheets cost a pretty penny, especially if you want to use an assortment of colors. I was lucky enough to work out a trade with Cooking Cute for a few sheets -- thanks, Ngoc! If mamenori is out of your price range, other options include using nori or dyeing the rice itself with natural food coloring. I even think those thin "fruit by the foot" fruit leathers I've seen at the grocery store would work.

I was also inspired recently by the fruit-filled bouquets over at Edible Arrangements, and decided try my hand at making my own tiny arrangement for Easter. I cut out a pineapple flower with a cookie cutter, used an apple corer to remove the center, then wedged a cantaloupe ball in the middle and surrounded the flower with honeydew leaves.

On the side is Sprout Salad with Mandarin Orange Dressing (also from Vegan Lunch Box). The dressing is hiding in a little plastic carrot down below, nestled next to a happy warren of jicama bunnies. A small container of sunflower seeds can be eaten as is or sprinkled on the sprouts.

Verdict: The first thing shmoo said upon seeing this lunch? "Oooh, honeydew!" Yes, melon is exciting when it's out of season! The eggs were a hit, too. Shmoo was tickled that he could actually eat the colored paper. He loves squeezing his dressings out of all these little plastic squeeze bottles, but still doesn't seem too keen on actually eating his salads. 5 stars. Happy Easter!

Now THAT'S a Lunch Box!

Although I dearly love the kid-friendly Laptop Lunch System I use for shmoo, I still like to keep my eye out for larger, plastic-free lunch boxes that fit us big people and our big, plant-based appetites. Yes, sometimes even my To Go Ware doesn't hold enough salad to satisfy my veggie-lovin' tummy. It's time to Super Size It!

My latest is this 3-tier Food Carrier. It stands about 10 inches high including the handle, which means I can fit it into my insulated cooler for longer trips. With three containers I should be able to pack a nice variety of foods or a set of matching snacks for the three of us. (And hey, if that's still not big enough for you, how about this 4-tier version?)

For its maiden voyage I packed my new food carrier with a hearty lunch for two for shmoo and his Dad, who took off together on a day-long Field Trip of Science. Two white bean hummus and grated carrot sandwiches are packed in the first tier alongside a few radishes. I jammed as many fresh tangerine segments as I could into the second container (shmoo has been known to eat that many all by himself, so I hope he remembers to share!) In the bottom tier are tortilla chips and salsa and a few "seedy fudge balls" made from ground sesame, sunflower, and flax seeds mashed together with tahini, cashew butter, dates, raisins, and a splash of tangerine juice. I rolled them in cocoa so they look like little truffles.

Verdict: Shmoo is quite taken with these stainless steel containers, and is getting old enough to take them apart and put them together by himself. But is he old enough to carry one to school without swinging and denting it, and possibly someone's head in the process? I don't think so. He's sticking with the plastic lunch box.

Shmoo enjoyed the fruit and the fudge balls and ate all but the crusts of his sandwich. My husband took one small bite of his sandwich and ate all the chips and salsa. Guess who's the picky eater in this family? 4 stars.