I'm Biggie: avid cook, speedy lunch packer, mom in San Francisco, & former expat fluent in Japanese.
Somen: mother and son bentos
An outing to the children’s museum called for bentos for me and my toddler. Hot weather means cold noodles! I curled the somen into bite-sized nests before packing, making them very easy to grab and dip into the sauce. I poured the somen tsuyu into the upper left container in my box, added the green onions and karashi, and dipped the noodles into that. Very convenient to eat!
- cold somen noodles curled into bite-sized nests, with kizami nori and karashi (hot mustard)
- somen tsuyu (bottled dipping sauce for speed)
- green onions for the dipping sauce
- pan-fried shrimp and chive dumplings
- cherry tomatoes
- homemade Cajun creamed spinach (my son’s favorite)
- snack bento of blueberries and cherries
READ MORE:
- Need for speed: A mommy’s lunch manifesto
- Food safety for packed lunches
- How to pack a bento lunch and use “gap fillersâ€
- Choosing the right size bento box
- Biggie’s list of top speed tips, tutorials and equipment reviews
July 12th, 2006 | Categories: bento, dumplings or buns, pasta or noodles, tips | 
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Lavash wraps and enoki bacon
- Greek yogurt with Greek thyme honey and blueberries
- cherries
- enoki mushrooms wrapped in bacon, with pepper (extra bacon underneath)
- lavash wraps with chicken strips, homemade hummus, sundried tomatoes, feta, and cilantro
(EDIT on Food Safety: I packed the yogurt in the Laptop Lunchbox in its insulated carrying case with a frozen gel pack so the yogurt stayed cool until eating.)
READ MORE:
- Need for speed: A mommy’s lunch manifesto
- Food safety for packed lunches
- How to pack a bento lunch and use “gap fillersâ€
- Choosing the right size bento box
- Biggie’s list of top speed tips, tutorials and equipment reviews
July 12th, 2006 | Categories: Laptop Lunchbox, meat, poultry, sandwich or wrap | Print This Post
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Salmon & green beans
The second appearance of delicious, delicious Lizano sauce…
- deconstructed side dish of green beans, red onions and potatoes with balsamic vinegar and cilantro
- Lizano sauce!!! The national condiment of Costa Rica.
- cherries
- grilled salmon
- fresh pita bread with homemade hummus and Urfa pepper
READ MORE:
- Need for speed: A mommy’s lunch manifesto
- Food safety for packed lunches
- How to pack a bento lunch and use “gap fillersâ€
- Choosing the right size bento box
- Biggie’s list of top speed tips, tutorials and equipment reviews
July 11th, 2006 | Categories: bento, fish or seafood, lactose free, potatoes, sandwich or wrap | Print This Post
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Spinach egg ball and kumquats
Leftover Cajun creamed spinach got a new look as a spinach egg ball. 
- steamed Chinese pork bun
- kumquats
- California roll
- cherry tomatoes
- homemade ma po tofu with orange bell peppers
- spinach/egg ball: egg mixed with Cajun creamed spinach, scrambled and wrapped/shaped in plastic wrap
- dipping sauce for pork buns
READ MORE:
- Need for speed: A mommy’s lunch manifesto
- Food safety for packed lunches
- How to pack a bento lunch and use “gap fillersâ€
- Choosing the right size bento box
- Biggie’s list of top speed tips, tutorials and equipment reviews
July 10th, 2006 | Categories: bento, dumplings or buns, eggs, leftover remake, meat, onigiri or sushi, tofu | Print This Post
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Speed bento: zarusoba and chicken
Made this lunch in a total of 10 minutes — barely had time to snap a quick photo before my husband ran out the door with it! Put everything together while the noodles cooked, and used bottled soba tsuyu. FAST FAST FAST!!!
- soba tsuyu (regular dipping sauce for the zarusoba) — bottled Shirakiku brand for super speed!
- cold buckwheat zarusoba noodles with kizami nori (seaweed) and wasabi to add to the dipping sauce
- mini banana, raspberries and blueberries
- green onions to add to the soba dipping sauce
- roast chicken thighs with fresh bay leaf garnish (picked yesterday!)
All packed in my Nissan Stainless thermal lunch tote to keep the dipping sauce totally contained.
READ MORE:
- Need for speed: A mommy’s lunch manifesto
- Food safety for packed lunches
- How to pack a bento lunch and use “gap fillersâ€
- Choosing the right size bento box
- Biggie’s list of top speed tips, tutorials and equipment reviews
