I'm Biggie: avid cook, speedy lunch packer, mom in San Francisco, & former expat fluent in Japanese. 
Ice blanket and inari sushi lunch
Morning prep time: 12 minutes. Everything was leftovers today except the fruit and inarizushi stuffed rice pockets. We had rice with dinner last night, so I let it sit in the rice cooker overnight and made the inarizushi pockets fresh this morning (using a refrigerated kit of triangular preseasoned wrappers and flavorings by the Korean Assi brand). It took a little longer than usual but was worth it to see Bug and his American friends tear into them at playgroup today (Bug’s lunch and mine are identical, so no duplicate photo).
- inarizushi: sushi rice stuffed into seasoned fried tofu (abura-age) — a popular kids’ finger food bento item
- sauteed onions and yellow/red bell peppers
- Indian-spiced grilled chicken
- watermelon and kiwi
- white grape & cherry juice cut with 75% water
When I was in Target the other week I picked up a Rubbermaid flexible ice blanket for US$2.50. Essentially a quilt of tiny ice packs, it can be cut apart to produce tiny reusable ice packs for packed lunches, or kept whole to wrap food in a cooler or wrap your arm/leg when hurt. Especially convenient for throwing into tight insulated lunch bags or small spaces; a similar product sells here. I threw a few of the little packs into a new insulated lunch set that holds today’s lunch.
Inarizushi are ideal for freezing, according to Ohayo Okusan’s book on freezing. Just tightly wrap one or two together in plastic wrap and freeze. When ready to eat, it instructs you to heat them in the microwave (still wrapped in plastic wrap) until warm. If you’re concerned about heating food in plastic wrap, unwrap the frozen inarizushi, place in a small microwave-safe container with a cover, and then microwave. I didn’t wind up freezing any because my family scarfs these down as quickly as I can make them!
Last week I picked up a new Lock & Lock insulated lunch set that’s similar to a non-insulated one I already have. Excellent for packed lunch food safety, it held today’s lunch (click photo for box details). Shout out to Beth for the heads up!
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READ MORE:
- Need for speed: A mommy’s lunch manifesto
- Food safety for packed lunches
- How to pack a bento lunch and use “gap fillers”
- Choosing the right size bento box
- Biggie’s list of top speed tips, tutorials and equipment reviews
May 2nd, 2007 | Categories: bento, equipment, for kids, freezing, lactose free, onigiri or sushi, poultry, rice, tips, tofu | 
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May 3rd, 2007 at 10:21 am
Hey Biggie:
Did you get the Lock & Lock kit at Target? I keep haunting mine in hopes there is one similar to this — I know there is a two-deck lunch kit that company makes — on the shelves. No such luck.
Thanks for the tips on inari making. I love ‘em. Never tried making them.
ldp
May 3rd, 2007 at 2:03 pm
Ooh, I just love the Lock & Lock products. The drink container looks like what I’ve been trying to find: A simple juice container that’s easy to clean and seals well. I’ll keep my eyes out for those.
May 3rd, 2007 at 7:25 pm
I will run to Target and get the one you introduced in your picture…thanks! I have been looking but those I saw at hardware stores in the city were bulky and heavy -not ideal for kids’ lunch box. This one I could cut out as the way I want!
May 4th, 2007 at 12:41 am
That’s right, you were looking for small reusable ice packs locally! They worked out great — I recommend them for your kids’ lunches.
May 4th, 2007 at 11:34 am
No, I got it at a local Asian kitchen & housewares store in San Francisco (Kamei) — I don’t think they’re sold more widely at stores like Target or Walmart. The inari was good — I really like the seasonings in the Korean kit.
May 4th, 2007 at 11:35 am
Good luck! Let me know if you can’t find it and I’ll see if the store I got mine from has more sets.
May 4th, 2007 at 8:21 pm
You might have said before, but I’m afraid I don’t remember - have you taken a look at the ‘Fit & Fresh’ line of containers? They’re a little task-specific, but nicely designed. I like the fact that they have coldpacks built into items like their salad container (for instance).
BTW, thinking of ‘cold’ - I have acquired decorative ice cubes, and am also still working on the Cubie-covers your commenter suggested to me (no machine, slow and clumsy hand-sewer).
May 4th, 2007 at 9:17 pm
You know, I have the Fit & Fresh salad container, as well as their soup & salad container. Dude, whatever you do, DON’T BUY the soup and salad container (red thing that looks like a weird Mr. Bento) — the ice ring on the inside burst open the second I froze it, and others on Amazon report having had the same problem. Unless they fixed the ice ring, it’s a total waste of money despite an ingenious design. The salad container is good, but bulky. I put all of them up in my Amazon store (except the soup/salad container) in the Lunch Container section: http://astore.amazon.com/lunch-20
May 4th, 2007 at 10:02 pm
[magpie] Oooo, a store! [/magpie]
May 4th, 2007 at 10:07 pm
Interesting, you have the Gourmac jars on there (I have been soooo redundant, :facepalm:). The manufacturer price is $7.49 (or so) for a set of three sets, as opposed to Amazon’s $9.99/4; I found if you order two sets, you’ll get all the colours!
May 4th, 2007 at 11:05 pm
No, NOT redundant!!! I put the Gourmac jars on there *because* of your tip — it was a good one! Hmm, maybe I should redo links to actually mention the store…
May 4th, 2007 at 11:22 pm
[perks] Oh yeah?
Y’know, I never even thought about looking at Amazon, once I found the source. My order from them just got here a couple days ago.
The lids are translucent, white, red, green (sort of an odd, wishy-washy not-quite-opaque green), navy and plastic-silver. They came shrinkwrapped on a little cardboard tray that fit 6 exactly, so I suspect they might be packaged that way at the factory.
May 5th, 2007 at 2:41 am
Any idea if the lock & lock set is available by mail/internet order to the UK? I’ve been hoping one would pop up on ebay but so far nothing, and I’d kill for one… such a smart way to transport lunch (beats my carrier bag any day of the week)
May 6th, 2007 at 1:12 am
I’ve never seen these anywhere online, sorry. Just sent you e-mail off board.
May 7th, 2007 at 10:27 am
I’m glad you brought it up on you great site, Biggie. I like them also for certain things. I mentioned it on a different Bento group about a month ago in a ice/gel packs discussion there. I bought mine at REI but have heard Costco sells them and have seen another brand in local drugstore. I only bought one sheet which I cut in half. It doesn’t keep frozen as long as the hard sided blue ice does but is adequate for many things. I use in combo with the hard sided often.
May 7th, 2007 at 10:31 am
Sorry. That “Anonymous” post was me. It’s hard for my pea brain to remember to log in to every place.
May 7th, 2007 at 10:33 am
I think it’s great you’ve put that together. You go girl!
May 7th, 2007 at 12:05 pm
I only really need one sheet too — Target had the one big sheet that I could then cut some off of and still have a pretty good sized sheet left. Good tips about getting them from REI, Costco and drugstores — thanks!
Which bento group, BTW? Something other than Flickr or LJ’s bentolunch?
May 7th, 2007 at 12:08 pm
Thanks mlouise! It’s still a work in progress — feel free to suggest products or criticize anything that needs it.
May 7th, 2007 at 12:33 pm
Hi! I found your page off of cookingcute’s. She’s been down for a while, so I’ve been looking for bento inspiration elsewhere. I found it! I love that yours is much more everyday, since I make my husband’s lunch everyday and he doesn’t do “cute” like my daughter. I love the lock and lock lunch set, and I’ve seen you’ve helped some others get one. Any chance for me? I’d love two! felixandme at cox dot net! I have a LJ, but can’t remember it! Do you get profit when we order from amazon through your site? I’m eyeing that toddler lunch set! Thanks so much.
May 7th, 2007 at 12:40 pm
I hear you on the “cute” aspect — my husband is allergic to cute too. In Japan, most of the men get regular-looking bentos from their wives anyway, not cute ones — that’s seen as being more for children’s bentos.
I’ll stop by the Asian store and see if I can get any more of the Lock & Lock sets — all the ones I initially picked up are now spoken for. I do get a few cents on the dollar for Amazon purchases made through my store (or even on other Amazon purchases if you follow my links to get to Amazon) — thanks for supporting Lunch in a Box!! (commerce stuff over now!)
May 25th, 2007 at 11:38 am
Posted it under “ice/gel packs” topic in Laptop.
I sent a message to my roomie to take it with her, and hope she did. Add to the ditz list- I picked up what I thought was similar yesterday, Thermos 36 Cube Ice Mat, while roaming International Blvd for the Lizano Sauce. Turns out these are filled with water not the blue ice gel stuff. I cut the sheet in half, and one half in half again to get size I’d been using with the Rubbermaid cut in half. Overnight in the door of freezer the pillows furthest in the door did not freeze at all. Will get the Rubbermaid again when I find it.
Well, mush-for-brains that I am I left mine in the fridge at the hotel at Camp Bread along with a pound of fancy French butter
May 25th, 2007 at 5:05 pm
Argh!!! The loss of fancy French butter is just insult to injury! Oh well, at least the Rubbermaid one is only like $2.50 at Target. Good tip on avoiding the Thermos ice mat, too — thanks.
October 3rd, 2007 at 5:01 am
Do you know if there is any way to get the Lock & Lock set shown here internationally? I have been looking for it like mad and I can’t find it!
October 3rd, 2007 at 12:43 pm
@24 from Elena: Reader Jakkerak found a site in Australia that ships them internationally:
http://www.foodnut.com.au/www/330/1001127/displayproduct/1001551__.html
http://www.foodnut.com.au/www/330/1001127/displayproduct/1001552__.html
October 3rd, 2007 at 11:22 pm
OMG, this is AWSOME!!! Thanks a lot, I’m right there buying one!
Btw, love love love this site, Biggie. I am learning a lot from it, and I am already doing quite a few things that I have read here and I have to say, it’s really saving time in the morning! I couldn’t be happier, since my lunches are getting better and healthier. Thanks!
March 8th, 2008 at 1:11 pm
Here is another bento website, I can’t remember if you already knew about it, called All My Bento Are Belong To Me
http://feistybento.blogspot.com/2008/01/feisty-bento-102-new-lock-lock-set.html
In this post they also show the Lock and Lock lunch set impossible to find! I will persevere.
March 8th, 2008 at 2:48 pm
@27 from Yvette: Ah yes, Yvo from All My Bento Are Belong to Me is a regular reader and commenter here — I try to pop in and check out her blog regularly. Good luck finding the Lock & Lock sets!
May 4th, 2008 at 4:25 pm
Hey, I’ve visited your site occasionally and I also just happen to read Yvo’s xanga (occasionally view her bento site), too. I checked the link posted by 27and this was posted:
Silly me forgot to take pictures of the entire set- the lids are orange, and there’s an included matching drink container! Pictures of the same set with details can be found here - the set cost me $13 at the store. I’ve managed to find a person who will ship them to me for $23 from Hawaii- she also has larger blue ones, same set up, same price. Let me know if you want her contact info, I know I just bought the last one, but she gets them in occasionally…
May 5th, 2008 at 9:08 pm
@29 from Laura: Thanks for the excerpt from Yvo’s blog about the Lock & Lock bento sets, Laura!
March 11th, 2009 at 9:54 am
If people are still interested in the lock & lock lunch sets we need to e-mail the company to have them available for sale on their website http://www.elocknlock.com.
Contact information is http://us.locknlock.com/contact_customer.asp
Just scroll down to usa and send an email.
September 11th, 2009 at 12:17 pm
[...] have any today, so I had to come up with another way to keep the lunch cold. I remembered seeing a tutorial on Lunch in a Box a few years ago where Biggie cut up an ice blanket and used the individual sections as tiny ice [...]