Mhays wrote:I discovered that cooking rice is possible in the morning, provided I don't have to do much with it: I started out trying Onigiri, but haven't found a filling that Sparky likes, (avocado, tuna, and olives have been dismissed) and need a strategy to keep the Nori from getting soggy.

Maybe Japanese salted salmon (see link below) would work as a filling. It would be something else to make but you could have it for dinner the night before. Or maybe smoked salmon, or cut up some of the inari as a filling, or tamago. Would bonito be too much? I would guess there's some place to buy those wrappers that are used for convenience store onigiri. Maybe Mitsuwa? Also see other link for saran wrapped onigiri, so you can pack the nori separately.

http://justbento.com/handbook/johbisai/ ... n-shiozake
http://www.justhungry.com/2007/01/onigi ... tml?page=1

Thanks! I've found the pre-wrapped nori for onigiri at both Mitsuwa and H-Mart, have some in the pantry (I have to say, I am pretty darn impressed with the technology!) I bet Sparky would like salted salmon - he loves Ikura beyond all reason (which I suppose I could pack, but I'm struggling a bit with the idea of sending a seven-year-old to school with caviar in his lunch .) The first onigiri we tried was at Mitsuwa, and was labeled "bonito skin" but I'm guessing it was fried salmon skin, and he liked that.

I did try bonito flakes, and they didn't go over well, either - possibly because I didn't treat them appropriately, as it's a little out of my depth.

Mhays wrote:I bet Sparky would like salted salmon - he loves Ikura beyond all reason (which I suppose I could pack, but I'm struggling a bit with the idea of sending a seven-year-old to school with caviar in his lunch .)

I'm remembering my nephews at that age. The mind boggles at what they might have looked like confronted with miniature orange eyeballs as a foodstuff.

Salted plums or plum paste are nice in onigiri. If the school doesn't ban it, you could also try peanut butter.

The Daily Tiffin is another source for lunchbox ideas; one of the posters is from the aforementioned Lunch In A Box

If you ever need to bring milk or yogurt w/your cereal, this is the best container ever! You freeze the bottom overnight, and the next morning you fill it w/milk or yogurt. In the top half you put your cereal, and it even comes w/a foldable spoon. I've had it for over a month now, and LOVE IT. I only wish I had invented it as I have always struggled with transporting my dairy to work w/o spilling everywhere.

I am currently going through the kindergarten lunch rotation blues now. My daughters school has a daily hot lunch and the option to pack from home. My 5 year old is stubborn and picky and will only eat a handful of things. My three year old will eat most anything that she comes across.

This thread it full of wonderful ideas, and I wish my child would try more of them. We're currently waiting to hear the debates from the school board, they are considering banning peanut butter in it's entirety from school - not just for snack time. If they do that I'm going to be really pressed for lunches.

Not to fear, Erzsi - if peanut butter is banned, you can do what our district did for the "I forgot" lunch, and switch to soy butter. Soy allergies don't seem to be so extreme, at least. Or you could try cream cheese and jelly. I also found pretty good hummous at Cost Plus in little single-serve packs that I plan to send with pita; I got him the little teeny scissors from an old pocket sewing kit to help open.

I do have a couple of things to add - Sparky's in love with Miso soup, and having the Japanese spoon meant a lot to him, so his inarizushi is now accompanied by instant Miso, premade in a thermos - all gone when he got home. We're also going to keep working with his love of tofu and send him with tofu egg salad, as soon as I find a recipe I like.

I also thought of sending him with Italian Beef and its accompanying peppers in a thermos and a sandwich roll separately, but he doesn't like "messy food" at school. I made sliders recently, and will see if those work in a thermos.

Another site that's interesting: Wholesome Lunchbox

My goal this year is to pack a lunch for myself 4/5 days. I work in a school, so I count in this thread, right? Here's the list my DH and I made to keep me on track:

leftovers (which I am really picky about and am trying to just suck it up and eat)
tuna - on crackers, in avocado, rolled in red peppers a la Lidia Bastianich, in lettuce cups
nuts + cheese + fruit
PBJ
roasted red peppers + feta + olives + bread
swiss chard and beans also a la Lidia
Spanakopita
Tyropita
Eggplant parmesan - homemade or Trader Joe's
potstickers
salads - Mela Verde, pecan/craisin/mandarin orange, spinach, grilled portobello, Greek peasant (tomatoes and cukes)
hummus and pita
soups - Italian wedding, squash, chicken tortilla, minestrone
BLT's - assembled at school

and for breakfasts:
muffins
yogurt - plain, with fruit, nuts+honey, jam, etc.
oatmeal - going to try baked oatmeal if you have a recipe to recommend
homemade English muffin + sausage sandwiches
fruit crisp a la smittenkitchen.com
pancakes - blueberry, made ahead and frozen. Reheat well in micro.

and for breakfasts:
muffins
yogurt - plain, with fruit, nuts+honey, jam, etc.
oatmeal - going to try baked oatmeal if you have a recipe to recommend

The September/October issue of Midwest Living has a recipe for "Baked Oatmeal, Wisconsin Style". I've never had baked oatmeal -- what's the texture like? I'm thinking of making it for a brunch.

I couldn't find the recipe online, but the ingredients are:

1 3/4 cups water
1 cup rolled oats
2/3 cup milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt

Basically it looks like you cook the oats in the water until water is mostly absorbed, and then mix everything up and put it in a buttered casserole to bake for about 30-40 minutes. (Note this is not the technique as precisely described in the magazine, so I'd check it out if you're going to make it).

tcdup wrote:

and for breakfasts:
muffins
yogurt - plain, with fruit, nuts+honey, jam, etc.
oatmeal - going to try baked oatmeal if you have a recipe to recommend

The September/October issue of Midwest Living has a recipe for "Baked Oatmeal, Wisconsin Style". I've never had baked oatmeal -- what's the texture like? I'm thinking of making it for a brunch.

I couldn't find the recipe online, but the ingredients are:

1 3/4 cups water
1 cup rolled oats
2/3 cup milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt

Basically it looks like you cook the oats in the water until water is mostly absorbed, and then mix everything up and put it in a buttered casserole to bake for about 30-40 minutes. (Note this is not the technique as precisely described in the magazine, so I'd check it out if you're going to make it).

I don't know. Never had it, but saw a recipe on recipezaar.com the other day. I thought maybe it would be easy to make ahead. I sometimes make a pot of Irish Steelcut oats and put them in jelly jars in the fridge. Each day I add milk and whatever else, close it up, then microwave it at school.