feeling a little trashy

Ahhh....the disposable lunch. What a dilemma. For those of you who pack lunches trash free, you'll understand the issue. For those who don't, you may not. In our house we have all the reusable packaging you can think of...fabric snack bags, lunch boxes, little dip cups, drink bottles, cooler bags, freezer packs...everything we need for an eco-friendly, nothing-gets-thrown-away meal. Honestly, I have no plastic baggies...no paper lunch sacs.

The note came home last week asking if we would be sending a completely disposable lunch or buying a bag lunch from the school for a field trip tomorrow. I checked the disposable lunch box...not thinking that I have no supplies for said lunch on hand. So, it was either go out and buy plastic baggies and a brown paper bag or use what I have on hand. I opted for the latter. And then wigged out a little. Dammit. I should have just let the school make her lunch!

Fortunately, the hubs bought a little individual pie yesterday, so I kept the container for that. I always keep the small handled bags from work in the cupboard...I had exactly one left. Then I bought a Horizon organic chocolate milk from Starbucks (since I work there, it was convenient and 30% off), and I had the foresight to buy some individual Trader Joes kettle corn specifically for this lunch. Usually I buy bigger bags and divide it up into our fabric snack bags.

Then came the ice pack dilemma. My girl was concerned about how to keep her lunch cold. She fears bacteria. (I do too). I asked my bento friends what to do...the ideas came streaming through Facebook! So fast I couldn't decide what I was going to do.

-freeze the water bottle or drink (loved this idea, but dang it...I bought a milk box)

-bag up a sponge and freeze it

-freeze some yogurt

-freeze gelatin and water in a baggie

-freeze some paper towels folded into a brick, place in a baggie and freeze

-simply dish soap double bag it and freeze.
-just freeze some water in a double baggie

I'm going to try the last one. Why over think it? Since she is having milk and I don't want to freeze that. Now off to beg some baggies from the neighbors...

I had some help in the idea department for this lunch. Thanks to What's for Lunch at Our House? and BentOnBetterLunches, Biting the Hand that Feeds You, One Cool Lunch, Blame It On The Bento, and Keeley McGuire Blog

What would I do without my BBFs?

Lunch is a simple bologna and cheese sammy on whole wheat Arnold Sandwich Thins bread, grapes, Trader Joes Kettle Corn, and a Horizon chocolate milk box.

@$!$@!! After all that...she was eating her lunch on a rock and some kid knocked it over. She ate three grapes and a handful of popcorn all day. Oh well...

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