Cuteness Rules the Kitchen!

Meet Mr. Bento: our new lunch carrier. I decided that I wanted one for work (hopefully it will make the vending machines less tempting). I couldn't see lavishing a bunch of attention on my lunches and not doing the same for Adam, so I got one for him too. Basically it is a thermos.



However, it is no ordinary thermos. The magic is in the individual containers inside. I have been having a blast packing lunches for the past week or so. Trying to fill the containers with tasty treats has made the whole idea more interesting. It doesn't hurt that I also purchased some ridiculously cute little accessories: divider cups (with animal pictures), tiny containers for sauces and salt, and so on. Adam has been quite nice about my flights of fancy. I don't think he has been teased at work either...so bonus there.

Here is an example of one Mr. Bento day.


In case the *ahem* lovely photograph isn't clear, we have 1) shrimp fried rice 2) PB & J 3) Babybel cheese, pistachios, and rice crackers and 4) Grapes and pluots. It was mostly successful. The rice was quite filling so neither Adam nor I got to the top layer (nuts, crackers, cheese). Placing the fruit on top of the rice wasn't such a good idea either, at least as far as the pluots were concerned. The grapes shrugged off the heat and were just fine. Did I mention that Mr. Bento does indeed retain heat and cold even hours later? You can pack both hot and cold items, but it is best to have a "neutral" container between them. Sure, that is common sense, but I have never really been accused of having an abundance of it.

The real test, of course, will be when I return to work in a week or two. It is fine to putz around when you are going to be home all day; it is a whole other matter when you have places to be and other things to do. I am hoping that I will be able to effectively plan ahead and get the assembly time down.

There are a number of cool websites devoted to bento delights. That should keep me inspired for a while. I am looking forward to making many more sassy little lunches. Never underestimate the power of the cute.

Cuteness and a love of corn meet in my next new acquisition: the Corn Zipper.



Okay, so it was the smile that ultimately persuaded me to hunt it down at Williams Sonoma. It has proven to be a handy little device. It makes cutting kernels off a corn cob an easy job. Yes, I know you can just use a knife, but I always made a huge mess and often leave some of the kernel goodness on the cob.

Instead of risking injury (cuts, kernel shots to the eye, angry cob-fu, etc.) you grip the corn cob, take the zipper and pull it down a row. Very easy. I made less mess, got more corn (and yummy milk), and did a happy victory dance. My creamed corn was a success. A few days later I tried it on some corn I had already roasted and it worked just as well.

Verdict: Mr. Bento and the Zipper are rockin' my kitchen.