Eating out, lunch boxes, and recipes ...

Sometimes, I envy the people who pack their own lunch . They are eating healthy, know the ingredients, and are saving money. It seems easy enough. Cook larger portions, and pack leftovers. However, I am convinced, after years of trying, that the people who pack lunches are super-heroes. The must have 10 hands, two brains, and the ability to hold time still.

In spite of many resolutions to pack lunch, Patidev and I invariably end up eating at the cafe at work.

I think some of it has to do with the lack of a convenient, sexy, lunch box. The kids have this beautiful lunch box called the Laptop Lunch Bento Box (http://www.laptoplunches.com/). We are able to pack a lunch for them that is easy, attractive, balanced, and good for the environment. I think, Patidev and I need an adult version of this lunch box, so we don't end up going to the same salad and soup counter day after day. However, that is only part of it. Even for the kids, I am not able to pack lunch any earlier than the morning, without the food looking stale and unappetizing. It is a chore to wake up in the morning and get breakfast on the table and lunch packed for the kids. Adding our own lunches to the mix will make me a mad woman.

That said, there is a silver lining to not having 10 hands and 2 brains. I have found a few new dishes that I am going to try to replicate: Carrot orange cilantro soup (http://www.recipezaar.com/Creamy-Carrot-Orange-Soup-12357) , roasted fig fennel walnut salad (no recipe yet), cantaloupe gazpacho (http://hubpages.com/hub/How-About-A-Unusual-Cantaloupe-Soup-Recipe). I would not have considered these dishes if I had not chanced upon them at our cafe.