Thus ends my first week at work. With me starting work and all, I figured it would be good to have packed lunches (read: bento) for my hubby when he is at work. After all, I wouldn’t have that much time to cook lunch, whether I am onsite in the office or working from home. So I modified my cooking patterns and decided to cook in the evenings for dinner and have some leftovers for lunch the next day. It required some planning of course, and also, I had to wake up a little bit early every morning to prepare the food, but I know the sacrifice would be worth the while. Besides, I try to prepare whatever I can the night before, just so I could sleep in a little bit longer.
In the US, it really makes sense to bring a bento in for lunch because if we eat in the cafeteria, the prices are pretty steep, and on top of that, you have to pay sales tax too! There is no such thing as an employee rebate here as well. So bringing a lunch box into the office is a sensible thing to do, PLUS you get to enjoy homecooked food. And of course, I get to do some bento-ing too!
My hubby and I are not into the TOO cutesy stuff of bento, rather we just prefer the simple meals that work to fill our tummies. Besides, I don’t have to pack bentos for Ethan just yet, because his daycare takes care of all his meals. On the other hand, even if I did have to pack Ethan a bento, he is not one to care too much for cutely shaped stuff. Trust me, I have tried and they don’t work. The most would be a nice adorable food pick or two, but that’s about it.
Anyway, so here’s my bento story for the week:
Monday
This is hubby’s bento for Monday, consisting of steamed rice with chicken stew, garnished with blanched broccoli and baby carrots. I threw in some juicy seedless grapes too.
Monday was my first day at work too, so I had a simple bento made for myself as well. It’s the same as what hubbs had but in a smaller portion. And I used two of the bento boxes I bought during my Daiso outing the other day for both hubby’s and my bento.
Later that evening however, hubbs complained his lunch was not enough as he was already hungry at 2:30p.m.! That means I need to get one of those two-tier men’s bento boxes for him…you know those that come in black or greyish hues and cost a fortune on ebay?
Tuesday
This is what hubby brought for lunch on Tuesday. It’s his favorite homecooked Hainanese Chicken Rice on a bed of lettuce with some chopped cili padi in a small container and of course, some soy sauce to go with it. I placed a banana in his lunch bag too in the hope that it would be more substantial.
Wednesday
My hubby’s lunch for Wednesday was a very simple meal: steamed rice with two side dishes: tau-ewe-bak (soy sauce pork stew) and stir-fried pumpkin with dried shrimp and minced turkey meat. Tau-ewe-bak goes really well with sambal belacan, so yeah, that’s what’s in the little orange container in the corner right there. And of course, I added the obligatory banana.
There wasn’t any more tau-ewe-bak left for me, so I only put its gravy on my rice. Of course, I packed a little bit more pumpkin for myself and added a cup of fruit jelly too. Oh yeah, and mine, I brought to the office in a little warmer bag, like so:
Didn’t really keep the stuff warm as it promised, but still a very handy little thing to carry around.
Thursday
I had an early meeting on Thursday and I was gonna attend the conference from home, so I made sure I got lunch packed and ready early too for hubby to bring to work. This is claypot chicken rice, garnished with spring onions and cilantro. And how can we not have claypot chicken rice without cili padi? The steamed baby carrots are added for color. And isn’t it obvious that I am trying to finish off the bananas in my house? 😛
Friday
The cook is on official rest today because hubby has a team lunch every Friday, so I didn’t cook. I went out for Indian food with my colleagues today for lunch too, in fact.
Here’s to more bento adventures in the weeks to come!
Little Miracles
Our Journey of Love
i used to pack lunch but then i got a bit too lazy so in the end, i never have lunch and even if i do, its sandwich, different pasta, fried rice. lol.
The Giddy Tigress says: I admit it takes a lot of work being NOT lazy to pack lunch. I’ve had those days too. hehe.
I like Monday’s bento the best, cos its the most colourful ! haha.
Joyce, on your Wednesday’s bento, I was thinking that since the pumpkin and tau ewe bak weren’t filled to the brim, perhaps you may want to remove that divider, use a smaller silicon cup or divider or container for the pumpkin and the tau ewe bak so that you can add more rice pushing right up to the side dishes, it may make a more substantial meal with more carbo? Just a thought. Hope you don’t think I am being “kepoh” !
The Giddy Tigress says: Oh not a problem at all, allthingspurple! I welcome any suggestions and comments to improve my bento! Thanks! I do so need to get those silicon cups though. The ones I have are jelly moulds and they tend to be harder in texture and harder to mould.
By the way, the wipes you were asking me about is goodmama’s. Brenda also has some velour ones which I really like. You may want to check with her too. But she just gave birth to a baby girl and may not be available till after her confinement month after the 29th.
The Giddy Tigress says: Thanks again. I’ll check out the goodmama wipes.
WOW! I wouldn’t mind having you as my official caterer. :p
The Giddy Tigress says: Hahaha…. this is only *catering* for one person! 😛
wow what a good wifey!!! ah yes, ntg beats the wholesome goodness of homecooked meals. do u guys get to find meals consisting rice in the restaurants there? dont think it’s a norm, hor?
The Giddy Tigress says: Oh indeed we do! Here in San Jose/Santa Clara area, Asian food is quite common, and we get everything ranging from Malaysian, Singaporean, Thai to Indian and Japanese! But some are rather costly though.
I love your bento boxes! Substantial food and not cutesy and above all, packed with love 🙂 I’ll have a thing or two to learn from you.
The Giddy Tigress says: Ooh, you have BENTO blog! Now *I* have to learn from you! 🙂
wah… salute to you
my bento is just a simple pyrex container placed in the to-go heat/cold bag… some days I didnt even pack bento for my husband bcoz we run out of left-over.
ah.. and you’re working too, and pregnant! pai seh… i’m not as hardworking as you!
The Giddy Tigress says: Well, I do try my best, but I run out of ideas very often too!
i do agree, when u work overseas, it’s cheaper to pack lunch
The Giddy Tigress says: Indeed it is.
oh wow…the bentos do look like a good idea (the way you make them!) I don’t have a kitchen to cook with, but then again I don’t think I could be as creative as you in coming up with a different taste every day! 🙂
The Giddy Tigress says: Oh, you know, it does help if your *recipient* is not too fussy! Hehe….but thanks!
u did great! where did u find the chilli padi from?
The Giddy Tigress says: Thanks! Oh, cili padi is available from the Asian grocery store here 🙂
it must taste so good. i bet the hubby’s smiling at lunch and the envy of his colleagues.
The Giddy Tigress says: I hope so too!
Wow….nice bentos.
Thanks for the tip. Will try out VS clam chowder.
The Giddy Tigress says: Okay, and let me know whether the standard is still good 🙂
I totally salute you, woman!! Sometimes I wonder where my time goes because I simply do not have time to do ANYTHING!!!
The Giddy Tigress says: Sometimes I wonder the same thing, and then I realize it’s because I have been bentoing or taking pictures! Hehe
You still have time to prepare all that before going to work..hehe.. you can open a catering shop for packed lunch liao…
The Giddy Tigress says: Wah…catering shop more susah, have to pack for so many!
Nice Bento … perhaps … it can save up alot too …
The Giddy Tigress says: hehe…thanks!
wow….now i see another great bentoist in the rising….
it just amazed me to see capable mumies today who aren’t just as smart in d corporate world as men but can also cook so well…..
well done, i like all yr adults bentos!!
The Giddy Tigress says: Thanks jacss, I do try my best.
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pretty yummy ler!!
The Giddy Tigress says: Thanks Chinnee!
Wow, can’t wait to see more.
The Giddy Tigress says: Haha, thanks Pei Sze, for the inspiration 🙂
Yummy Yummy, they look really nice too 🙂 Luckily I just had my lunch or I’ll be drooling here… hehe. It’s really satisfying to make our own bento, ya.
The Giddy Tigress says: Yes, very. 🙂
wow! u r very impressive to make all these and bring to work for u and ur hubby!
he is really a lucky man!
The Giddy Tigress says: I do try my best, and sometimes it’s kinda fun too!