Four Cheese Ravioli

This Week's Photo



Ravioli are easy to prepare and, with the seemingly endless combination of fillings and toppings, are sure to be a hit amongst the entire family. We served our four-cheese ravioli with a fresh green salad, oranges and chocolate squares for dessert which made for quite the lunch time treat.

Menu

•Four Cheese Ravioli with Marinara Sauce
•Green Salad
•Tuscan Salad Dressing
•Orange Slices
•Dark Chocolate Squares

Preparation Notes

Cook the ravioli and put into your large container. Top with marinara sauce and fresh basil.

Toss your favorite greens with dried cranberries and walnuts to put into your other large container.

Fill the dip container with Tuscan dressing to drizzle over your salad.

Fill one bento divider with dark chocolate squares. Store chocolate and Tuscan dressing in your medium container.

Slice oranges to put into your other medium container.

Lunch Boxes for Adults Help to Fulfill 2011 New Year’s Resolutions

Whether your 2011 New Year’s Resolutions involve eating better, living greener, or spending less, making the decision to pack your lunch every day can help you achieve all of these goals. We all know that New Year’s Resolutions are easy to make but hard to keep, so you’ll be happy to hear that our lunch boxes for adults are here to help!

Adult Lunch Boxes Make it Easy to Eat Smart and Go Green

The unique design of our adult bento lunch boxes helps with portion control and encourages balanced, wholesome meals. You’ll enjoy building a healthy lunch by filling the inner bento containers with a variety of healthy foods! To help you get started, each lunch box system comes with The Laptop Lunch User’s Guide, which is filled with healthy lunch ideas and recipes.

If you’re looking to become more eco-friendly in the New Year, you can feel good about leaving wasteful baggies, foil, plastic wrap, and plastic utensils behind. Using a reusable, recyclable bento lunch box will eliminate the need for all that disposable lunch packaging. Plus, by packing a lunch instead of eating out or ordering in, you can save money each week!

Planning Your Bento Lunches

To help you stick to a healthy eating routine, we suggest planning out your weekly lunches using our Bento Menu Worksheet (see below). Find inspiration for a wholesome lunch by checking out the list of nutritious food items under “What’s in a Lunch?” Then, fill in the lunch menu with healthy choices to create a balanced meal for each day of the week.

Extra tip: Bring along the Bento Worksheet when you go grocery shopping. You won’t be tempted to stop in the junk food aisle if you already know exactly which healthy items you need to follow your lunch menu!

Go Bento in 2011 with a New Adult Lunch Box!

Start the New Year off right with a new Laptop Lunches adult lunch box, and make 2011 your best year yet! If you’re planning to bring a bento lunch to the office, check out our top picks for Work Lunch Boxes. For those of you who rack up the travel miles each year, take a look at our Travel Bento Boxes and find the perfect lunch box to take on your next trip.

Now, it’s time to sound off. We want to know, what’s your 2011 New Year’s Resolution? Leave us a comment below.

Bento Menu Worksheet by Laptop Lunches

View more documents from Laptop Lunches.

Organic Cotton Napkins Now Available at www.laptoplunches.com

We’ve just added some brand new 100% organic cotton napkins to our Web Store at http://secure.laptoplunches.com. Available in a rainbow assortment of colors, they’re the perfect addition to your Laptop Lunches bento lunch box!

These new Laptop Lunches organic cotton napkins are a great way to reduce your environmental footprint. Replace your disposable napkins with colorful cloth napkins to add an instant touch of elegance to all of your on-the-go bentos! These organic cloth napkins are not only the perfect size for packing with your Laptop Lunches, but they’re machine washable too.

Select your favorite organic cotton napkin from our eight color options or choose a few to complement your bento set or carrier:

• Avocado Organic Cotton Napkin
• Brick Red Organic Cotton Napkin
• Lime Organic Cotton Napkin
• Magenta Organic Cotton Napkin
• Orange Organic Cotton Napkin
• Periwinkle Organic Cotton Napkin
• Plum Organic Cotton Napkin
• Purple Organic Cotton Napkin

Organic Cotton Napkin Features:

• Environmentally friendly
• Brightly colored
• Doubles as a placemat

Dimensions for Organic Cloth Napkins:

• 10” square

Cloth Napkin Materials:

• 100% soft organic cotton


Add a new cloth napkin to your lunch and feel good about indulging yourself with an eco-friendly choice! What are some of the other steps you take to make your healthy meals more eco-friendly? Leave a comment to let us know!

Rice Pilaf Holiday Lunch

Today's Holiday Photo

Following these stars will lead you to a well-rounded meal that will help you through those last minute shopping and holiday details. We hope your holidays are filled with joy, happiness, and of course, bentos for everyone!

Menu

• Pecan and Veggie Rice Pilaf
• Roasted Butternut Squash Star
• Cheddar Cheese Stars
• Roasted Golden Beets
• Persimmon Slices
• Chocolate Ornament

Preparation Notes

Either use leftovers or prepare a fresh batch of pecan and veggie rice pilaf. Put your cooled rice pilaf into your extra large container.

Slice and roast a butternut squash. Let squash cool and then cut into a large star. Place your star on top of the rice pilaf.

Slice cheddar cheese and cut into small stars and place on the rice pilaf leading up to the butternut squash star.

Cut beets into chunks, sprinkle with olive oil, coarse salt and pepper before roasting. Once cool, sprinkle with parsley and use to fill up your medium lidded container.

Cut up a ripe persimmon for your medium unlidded container.

Put a chocolate treat into one of your bento dividers and put it into your extra large container for a special treat.

Risotto Wreath

Today's Holiday Photo

Risotto is great for holiday celebrations as either a main course or a side dish. It’s fairly easy to make, can be customized to suit your palate and makes for great leftovers. We had fun using our leftovers to create this festive wreath!

Menu

• Risotto Wreath with Pea Sprouts, Tamari Almonds and a Red Pepper Bow
• Steamed Cauliflower
• Yam Stars
• Mixed Nuts
• Fresh Pineapple Chunks

Preparation Notes

Shape a serving of risotto into a wreath. Top your wreath with pea sprouts, tamari almonds and a red pepper bow. Place your finished wreath into your extra large container.

Add steamed cauliflower and yam stars to the bottom of your extra large container.

Fill your medium unlidded container with mixed nuts.

Fill your medium lidded container with fresh pineapple chunks.

Holiday Lunch Menu #6 & FREE Shipping

Just a quick reminder about our free shipping through Dec 31st. We're also offering same-day shipping on all orders placed before noon M-F.



Be sure to take advantage of this rare opportunity at http://www.laptoplunches.com.

Swiss Cheese Snowman

Today's Holiday Photo


What better way to brighten a cold winter's day than with Frosty, the Swiss cheese sandwich? We hope this holiday bento will remind you to join in on the fun this season has to offer.

Menu

Swiss Cheese Snowman Sandwich
Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Striped Apple Sticks
Cranberry Relish

Preparation Notes

Make a Swiss cheese sandwich and cut it into the shape of a snowman. Put your snowman in your extra large bento container using part of the crust as the ground for your snowman to stand on. To decorate your snowman, cut olives out for the eyes and buttons. Use pieces of wild rice to create a mouth. Cut out a carrot nose and use red pepper to create a scarf as well as eye highlights. Top your snowman off with a cucumber peel hat and then use a micro planer to finely grate Swiss cheese to create a snow fall in your bento.

Cube and roast sweet potatoes with your favorite herbs and spices. Once cool put into one of your medium containers.

Cut an unpeeled apple into sticks and use a paring knife to cut stripes onto your sticks and add to your other medium container. You can also use one of your sticks as your snowman's broom.

Fill your dip container with cranberry relish from a recent holiday celebration

Lunch Boxes for Adults are a Smart Holiday Gift Idea!

The holidays are here and what better way to spread the cheer than with the gift of a Laptop Lunches bento box? Last week, we covered our best kids’ lunch box gift picks for those of you who are shopping for little ones this holiday season. This week, we’ll dive in with our suggestions for adult lunch boxes that are sure to be a hit with that special family member, friend, or co-worker on your gift list!

Laptop Lunches are a smart gift idea that adults can use all year long. Plus, they promote positive habits like eating balanced meals, reducing waste, and saving money. Check out our top adult lunch box picks below!

Adult Lunch Boxes for the Women on Your List

Lunch Dates - $65.99 (Designer) and $46.99 (Casual)
Our new Lunch Dates are the ultimate way to pack a healthy meal in style! A bento set with five inner containers slides into an insulated bento sleeve, which fits perfectly inside a chic, purse-style lunch bag. Next time a friend or coworker invites you out to lunch, you can say, “No thanks, I’ve got a Lunch Date!” and feel good about eating smart, saving money, and helping the planet - in style!

Designer Lunch Date (left) and Casual Lunch Date (right)

Confetti Bento Kit - $36.99
Make every day’s lunch a celebration of healthy eating with the Confetti Bento Kit! A purple insulated tote holds a purple bento box with five brightly colored stay-fresh containers. A set of utensils and the Laptop Lunch User’s Guide make the kit complete.

Adult Lunch Box Options for Men On the Go

Power Lunch Bento Systems - $44.99
Packing a bento lunch in our Power Lunch System is the perfect way to enjoy a balanced, nutritious meal that will power you through your busy day! Choose an insulated carrier in black/blue or black/red, load up the coordinating bento box with wholesome food choices, and fill the drink bottle with your beverage of choice. Stainless steel utensils complete the system, and the Laptop Lunch User’s Guide provides fresh lunch making ideas.


Striped Bento Kit - $36.99
You’ll be feeling anything but blue while looking forward to the delicious bento lunch you’ve packed in the Striped Bento Kit! This functional, sustainable adult lunch box kit comes with a striped blue insulated tote that holds a blue bento box with five light blue inner containers. Reusable, stainless steel utensils eliminate the need for plastic cutlery, and the Laptop Lunch User’s Guide is also included.

Adult Lunch Box Accessories

Bento Dividers - $3.99
These bright little cups can help to organize your bento lunch and are great for snacks like berries, olives, nuts, and crackers. They are made of silicone and are easy to clean. For a sweet treat, use them to bake muffins or cupcakes! Available as a set of two, one lime and one teal.


Bento Buddies - $12.99
Available in lime, berry, pink, purple party, and red, Bento Buddies are great for creating additional configurations inside your bento lunch box! Or just use them on their own for snacks and munchies instead of disposable plastic bags. A set of Bento Buddies includes four bento containers of varying sizes designed to expand your options for making creative, healthy lunches without any waste!



Large Double-wall Drink Bottle - $16.99
This tapered 17 oz. stainless steel drink bottle is both stylish and comfortable to hold. The double-wall design prevents condensation from forming on the outside of the bottle, while keeping the contents cool. Stay hydrated this year and for many years to come!

Get Healthy Holiday Gifts for Everyone on Your List!

We hope this list has provided some inspiration when it comes to holiday shopping for the adults in your life. Be sure to check out our suggestions for kids lunch box gift ideas if you missed it last week! And don’t forget, customers who place orders over $65 will receive Free Shipping until December 31st. Plus, we’re offering same day shipping on all orders placed Monday-Friday before noon (Pacific Time) through December 23rd.

Leave us a comment below! Which of these gifts are you hoping to receive this year?

Peanut Butter and Jelly Christmas Tree

Today's Holiday Photo




We’ve been enjoying our Christmas tree so much that we decided to carry that joy along with us in our bento boxes today. Our peanut butter and jelly Christmas tree was fun to decorate and is sure to be a hit this afternoon.

Menu

Peanut Butter and Jelly on Whole Wheat Bread
Yam Star
Red Pepper and Cheddar Cheese Presents
Steamed Broccoli
Yams with Cheddar Cheese Stars
Red Seckel Pears


Preparation Notes

Make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on whole wheat bread and cut into the shape of a Christmas tree for your extra large container.

Cut small ornaments out of strips of red pepper and cheddar cheese to decorate your tree.

Make presents out of cheddar and Swiss cheese slices to put around your tree.

Surround your tree with steamed broccoli.

Cut and steam yams. Once cool, cut stars out of the center of the yams with your star cutter. Use one of your cut-out stars to top your Christmas tree with. Use the same cutter to cut stars out of a slice of cheddar cheese. Fill the star cut-out in your yam with a cheddar cheese star. Put your cheddar cheese yams into one of your medium containers.

Clean a couple red seckel pears for your other medium container.

Holiday Lunch Menu #5 & FREE Shipping

Here's another holiday bento photo for your enjoyment. What do you think??? What creative holiday lunch ideas have you come up with? Post your ideas and comments here.

Holiday Lunch Menu #4 & FREE Shipping

We hope you're finding time this weekend for a bit of rest, relaxation, and quality time with family and friends. Want to create a fun bento lunch next week?

This is the fourth of seven holiday bento lunch photos that we're sending your way this holiday season. We hope it provides you with some end-of-the-year lunchmaking inspiration!

Kids’ Lunch Box Gift Ideas Keep the Holidays Healthy!

It’s that most wonderful time of the year again! Here at Laptop Lunches, we’re getting into the holiday spirit with our healthy holiday lunch menus and our kids’ lunch box gift guide.

A Laptop Lunchbox is a fun and unique gift idea for your son, daughter, niece, nephew, or any child on your list who’s been extra good this year! Plus, you can feel confident about giving a gift that will encourage healthy eating and help the environment. Check out our best lunch boxes for kids below!

Kids Lunch Boxes for Boys

Alien Bento System 2.0 - $39.99
Give your child a healthy lunch that’s out of this world with our Alien Bento System 2.0! The insulated carrying case features a fun alien pattern and holds a bento set, drink bottle, and all-stainless utensils. The Laptop Lunch User’s Guide is also included.



Plaid Bento Kit - $36.99
Bring a fun, retro style to the bento lunch concept with our Plaid Bento Kit! This kit includes a black insulated tote with a tire tread plaid pattern, a black and red bento set, all-stainless utensils, and the Laptop Lunch User’s Guide.

Kids Bento Boxes for Girls

Pink Passion Bento System 2.0 - $39.99
What could be better than a nutritious lunch that’s pretty in pink? This bento system features a pink insulated carrier, a pink bento box, and pink inner containers. Even the cap of the drink bottle is pink! All-stainless utensils and the Laptop Lunch User’s Guide are also included.


Daisy Bento Kit - $36.99
Add flower power to your daughter’s lunch with the Daisy Bento Kit! A black insulated tote with a cute daisy design holds a bento set with a rainbow assortment of inner containers. A set of utensils and the Laptop Lunch User’s Guide make the kit complete.

Accessories for Kids Lunch Boxes

Does that special someone on your gift list already have a Laptop Lunchbox? These kids bento lunch box accessories make a great complement to any of our bento kits, systems, or sets!

Happikins Cloth Napkin Set – 3 Critters - $17.99
This set of three cloth napkins features cute critters that are sure to bring a smile to your child’s face! They are perfectly sized for our kids’ lunch boxes. Plus, they double as a placemat and are great for the environment.


Klean Kanteen Drink Bottles - $17.99
Available in blue, green, orange, pink, and red, Klean Kanteen 18 oz. bottles are lightweight, durable, and perfect for packing with a Laptop Lunch! They fit large ice cubes to keep drinks chilled until lunchtime.



Fruit & Veggie Cutters – Heart & Star - $4.49
Your son or daughter will love helping you in the kitchen by using these cute fruit and veggie cutters to add hearts and stars to their Laptop Lunch! Made of stainless steel, they’re easy for small hands to hold and perfect for creating bite-size pieces of apples, pears, kiwifruit, melon, mango, carrots, potatoes, yams, beets, and a whole lot more!

Holiday Specials and More Lunch Box Gift Ideas Coming Soon!

To spread the good cheer around, we’re giving our customers Free Shipping on all orders over $65 until December 31. And, for those of you who may be in a rush to receive your gift, you’ll be glad to hear we offer same-day shipping through December 23 on all orders placed Monday-Friday before noon (Pacific Time). If something happens to catch your eye while you’re shopping for other people, don’t forget to Create a Wish List for yourself!

Stay tuned for our top adult lunch box gift picks, coming soon! And leave a comment to let us know, what gifts are you planning to give the kids on your gift list this year?

Festival of Lights Bento

Today's Holiday Photo



As the Jewish Festival of Lights comes to a close, we decided to get creative with this menorah-inspired bento lunch. We hope you enjoy this festive bento as much as we did. Happy Holidays!

Menu

Cream Cheese and Lox Sandwich on Whole Wheat Bread
Swiss and Cheddar Cheese "Candles"
Dried Cranberries and Cucumber Peel
Cinnamon Rice Pudding
Orange Slices

Preparation Notes

Smear softened cream cheese onto a piece of whole wheat bread and top with fresh lox.

Get creative. Since we were in the holiday spirit, we dressed up our sandwich with candles and flames made out of Swiss and cheddar cheese. The candle base is decorated with dried cranberries and peeled cucumber.

Make cinnamon rice pudding for your medium lidded container. We used this healthier version: http://www.food.com/recipe/Heart-Healthy-Cinnamon-Rice-Pudding-295019.

Add orange slices to your remaining medium container.

Holiday Lunch Menu #3 & FREE Shipping

This is the third of seven holiday bento lunch photos that we're posting this holiday season. We hope you like it -- and the FREE shipping too!

Hanukkah Inspired Bento Lunch

Today's Holiday Photo

Traditional Hanukkah menus often include latkes as a way to symbolize the drop of oil that burned for 8 days and 8 nights following the rededication of the holy temple. Over the years, these traditional potato pancakes have evolved to become extremely versatile and can now be found in a number of variations. Although there are many options available, we decided to keep our latkes traditional and served them with sour cream and apple berry sauce as part of this fun and tasty holiday lunch.

Menu

•Vegetarian Chick'n Burger with Melted Cheese
•Potato Latkes
•Sour Cream
•Carrots and Red Pepper Strips
•Apple Berry Sauce

Preparation Notes

Use a basic vegetarian chick'n burger recipe such as the following: http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/vegetarian-faux-chicken-patties/Detail.aspx. We shaped our patties into dreidels for this holiday meal before frying and added cheese to the top after flipping. We put our dreidel in the extra large container along with lettuce and tomatoes.

Make traditional potato latkes for the extra large container. We used the following recipe: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Potato-Latkes-104406.

Put sour cream into your dip container and add it to the extra large container as well.

Fill your medium lidded container with apple berry sauce to either be enjoyed with your latkes or as a sweet dessert.

Cut carrot and red pepper strips for your other medium container.

Healthy Holiday Bento Lunch

Today's Holiday Photo



A healthy, well-balanced lunch is a great way to enjoy the season’s treats without completely overdoing it. We packed this bento lunch using some of the healthier items left over from our recent gathering, which made putting it together a breeze and left us feeling ready to take on the rest of our day.

Menu

•Deviled Eggs
•Cherry Tomatoes
•Crostini
•Carrot Stars
•Black Plum

Preparation Notes

Make deviled eggs for a weekend party and put a coupe aside for lunch. Pack the deviled eggs in your large inner container along with a bento divider filled with cherry tomatoes.

Pack a couple slices of crostini in your other large container.

Use your star cutter to make fun carrot stars and put into one of your medium containers.

Pack a black plum in your other medium container.

Holiday Lunch Menu #2 & FREE Shipping

This is the second of seven holiday bento lunch photos that we're posting this holiday season. We hope you like it -- and the FREE shipping too!

Creative Holiday Menu & FREE shipping

We've created several holiday menus to share with you this holiday season. Check back over the next few weeks to see what we're having for lunch!

Grilled Cheese Lunch

This Week's Photo




Although the basic grilled cheese sandwich is often overlooked for more complex versions, there is something very comforting about it in its original form. We were pleasantly surprised when we found a grilled cheese, coleslaw and root vegetable chips in our lunchbox today.

Menu

Grilled Cheddar Cheese Sandwich on Whole Wheat Bread
Coleslaw
Root Vegetable Chips

Preparation Notes

Make and half a grilled cheese sandwich. Place in extra large container.

Fill the medium lidded container with your favorite home made or store bought coleslaw.

Fill the other medium container with root vegetable chips.

Spinach Frittata

This Week's Photo




Eggs have gotten a bad rap in the past, but they are a very inexpensive way to get a number of vitamins and nutrients into any meal. We decided to really amp up the nutritional value by making spinach frittatas for lunch. Paired with the sweet tastes of honey bliss melon and dried papaya chunks, this meal hit all the right marks.

Menu

•Spinach Frittata
•Whole Grain Crackers
•Honey Bliss Melon
•Dried Papaya Chunks

Preparation Notes

Prepare the spinach frittata, let cool and put into your extra large container. You can use your own recipe or try the following: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/healthy-recipes/RE00015.

Add whole grain crackers to the medium container.

Put honey bliss melon into the other medium container.

Fill one of your bento dividers with dried papaya chunks and add it to your extra large container with the frittata.

Flavors of Fall

This Week's Photo



The sweet, nutty flavor of butternut squash makes it an ideal vegetable for soups that can be enjoyed either warm or cold. Coconut brown rice, almonds, and crackers round out this lunch making it the perfect accompaniment to a beautiful fall day.

Menu

•Butternut Squash Soup with Sour Cream
•Coconut Brown Rice
•Tamari Roasted Almonds
•Whole Grain Crackers
•Kiwi Slices

Preparation Notes

Make butternut squash soup using the following recipe or one of your own: http://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/recs/367/Cold-Butternut-Squash-Soup88686.shtml. Let cool before adding to your large lidded container and topping with a dollop of sour cream.

Prepare the coconut brown rice. We liked the following recipe: http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Coconut-Brown-Rice. Let cool before adding to your medium lidded container.

Use your favorite whole grain crackers to fill up 1/2 of your large unlidded container.

Make Tamari Roasted Almonds: Let 1/4 cup Tamari Sauce and 6oz of almonds marinate for about 30 minutes. Drain and bake at 350 degress for 6-8 minutes. Let almonds cool before using to fill up your bento divider with and add to your large container with the crackers.

Cut and peel a kiwi fruit for your medium unlidded container.

Asian Combination

This Week's Photo



Sweet, crisp Asian pears were the starting point for this week's lunch menu. The combination of flavors and textures we put together were so dynamic that even our pickiest eaters finished everything... including their spinach!

Menu

•Soba Noodles
•Sesame Peanut Sauce
•Steamed Spinach
•Zen Party Mix
•Asian Pear

Preparation Notes

Boil soba noodles according to package instructions. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and use to fill one of your large containers.

Fill the dip container with home made or store bought peanut sauce of your choice. You can find an easy recipe through the following link: http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/best-peanut-sauce/Detail.aspx.

Steam spinach, let cool and put into one of your medium containers.

Add your favorite zen party mix to the other medium container.

Slice an Asian pear for your other large container.

New EcoUsable Water Bottles Now Available in Web Store

A new product has recently been added to our Web Store, stainless steel EcoUsable water bottles.

The 10-ounce EcoUsable bottle is lightweight, eco-friendly, and taste-neutral. It fits perfectly inside our bento carriers or in the side drink holder pocket of our bento totes. Complete with a carabiner clip and loop cap, it’s the perfect way to stay hydrated at school or on the go without using disposable plastic bottles, aluminum cans, or juice boxes!

EcoUsable Bottle Features:
• BPA-free
• Durable, lightweight, reusable and 100% recyclable
• Made of 18/8 food-grade stainless steel
• Doesn’t retain or impart flavors
• Non-slip base
• Stainless steel thread
• BPA-free polypropylene (#5) cap
• Loop cap with caribiner

Specifications for EcoUsable Bottles:
• Capacity: 10 fluid ounces (300 ml)
• Height: 6 inches
• Width: 2.56 inches
• Weight: 8 ounces

EcoUsable Water Bottle Materials:
• 18/8 food-grade stainless steel, 100% recyclable
• Polypropylene (#5) cap

If you are looking for a new drink bottle to complete your bento lunch box, stop by our web store and check out the EcoUsable bottle!

Fall Fill You Up Lunch

This Week's Photo




When the chilly days of fall leave you craving comfort food, this lunch is the way to go. The protein provided in the tofu along with the nutrient dense baked potato and butternut squash will leave you feeling satisfied without weighing you down. A sliced kiwi brings a sweet end to this meal while offering a healthy dosage of vitamin C.

Menu

•Baked Tofu
•Baked Potato
•Gravy
•Butternut Squash
•Sliced Kiwi

Preparation Notes

Prepare the night before:

Make baked tofu according to the following recipe: http://www.savvyvegetarian.com/vegetarian-recipes/baked-tofu-recipe.php. Let cool and place into one of your large containers.

Clean potato and pierce several times. Wrap potato in foil, drizzle with olive oil and bake in 350 degree oven for about 1 hour. Let cool and place into your other large container.

Prepare your favorite gravy recipe to enjoy with your baked potato.

Peel and cut butternut squash into 1" cubes. Steam until squash is tender, about 8 minutes. Use to fill up one of your medium containers.

Peel and slice a kiwi for your other medium container.

Best Kids Lunch Box Award from SheKnows.com!

The results of the 2010 SheKnows.com Parenting Awards have been revealed, and we’re thrilled to announce that Laptop Lunches has been named the 1st place winner in the Best Kids Lunch Box category! This award is a huge honor, and we are so excited to share the big news with all of our fans, followers, and supporters!

The SheKnows Parenting Awards were created to recognize parenting products and services that are most valued by today’s consumer. The awards were broken down into 100 different categories, covering everything from gifts to gadgets and kids lunch boxes to home & living. Each SheKnows Parenting Award nominee was carefully reviewed by the SheKnows.com team of editors and handpicked for quality, functionality, and convenience, so it was an honor just to be considered for this coveted award!

The winners of the SheKnows Parenting Awards were determined via an organic online voting process that was open to the public. Once we learned that our Laptop Lunches kids lunch box had been nominated, we reached out to you, our community, and asked for your help to spread the word and cast your votes. Now it’s time for us to say a big Thank You SO MUCH to everyone who responded! We sincerely appreciate your support!

More information about the SheKnows Parenting Awards is available at SheKnows.com. Check out the results of the Food category, and scroll down to see Laptop Lunches in 1st place for the Kids Lunch Box subcategory!

What’s Your Bento Lifestyle? We Want to Know!

We’re still buzzing with excitement about our recently redesigned website, especially the addition of our new Bento Lifestyle pages! We created these pages with all of the members of our community in mind -- students who bring lunches to school, adults who pack Laptop Lunches for work, families who take bento box meals when they’re out and about, diners who pack take out food in our reusable bento containers, and everyone else who has made the choice to live the bento lifestyle!

New Bento Box Lifestyle Web Pages

Whether you use your bento box to pack healthy, waste-free meals for School, Work, Play, Travel, Take Out, or anywhere else your life takes you, we have a Lifestyle page for you. Each Lifestyle page offers relevant information and tips about how you can use your Laptop Lunches bento box. Plus, our Top Picks gallery makes picking the right bento box a breeze! For each lifestyle, we’ve got pictures of Laptop Lunches bento options, pricing information, and direct links to our online store.

Check Out These Bento Box Lifestyle Pages:

• School Bento
• Work Bento
• Play Bento
• Travel Bento
• Take Out Bento
• Everywhere Bento

To access our new Lifestyle pages when you visit the site, simply go to LaptopLunches.com and click on any of the Lifestyle headings beneath the Good. Simple. Fun. animation box.

Share Your Bento Box Stories

We want to know… What bento lifestyle are you? How are you using YOUR Laptop Lunches? Post your comments here!

Our Lunch Box Website Received a Bento Makeover!

We’re very excited to announce the official launch of our new website, the redesigned LaptopLunches.com! With an updated, fresh new look, it’s full of helpful, easy-to-find information for visitors who are looking for ideas and inspiration for their bento lunch boxes.

Updated Bento Lunch Menus, Articles, and More
Colorful bento box photos, creative menus, bento recipe ideas, and informative articles are featured throughout the new site.

Looking for healthy, tasty ideas for packing on-the-go meals in your bento lunch boxes? Check out the 365 lunch ideas in our new Bento Menu Library, and ban boredom from your lunch-making routine!

New Bento Living Section
The enhanced search functionality and improved navigation elements of the site make it easy to find information quickly and easily. One feature that we’re especially excited about is the addition of new lifestyle pages.

Select the lifestyle option that best fits your bento box needs (School, Work, Play, Travel, Take Out, or Everywhere) to find helpful information about our bento lunch boxes, as well as a gallery of our Top Picks!

Share Your Thoughts
Have you visited our new website yet? Please take a look around and leave a comment with your feedback. We’d love to hear what you think!

Share the News
Are you on Facebook or Twitter? Please take a moment to share our big news! Thank You!

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New ThinkSport Water Bottles Added to Web Store

Thinking of buying a new stainless steel drink bottle? We've just added ThinkSport water bottles to our Web Store! So we encourage you to think, ThinkSport!

The ThinkSport water bottle is a lightweight drink bottle perfect for packing hot or cold drinks. Whether you're packing cold milk or hot tea, the double wall and vacuum seal will maintain drink temperatures for hours. This bottle holds 12 fluid ounces and is available in a natural stainless color.

Insulated ThinkSport Bottle Features:

• Eco-friendly
• BPA-free
• Made of 18/8, food-grade stainless steel
• Doesn't retain or impart flavors
• Opens in two places for easy cleaning
• Removable internal tea strainer
• Fits in the mesh drink holder on our Lunch Tote
• Double walled
• Vacuum sealed
• Made of safe, non-toxic materials

ThinkSport Water Bottle Specifications:

• capacity: 12 fluid ounces (350 ml)
• height = 8.5 inches
• outside diameter = 3 inches
• opening diameter = 1.75 inches
• weight = 8.5 ounces

ThinkSport Stainless Steel Drink Bottle Materials:

• 18/8 food-grade stainless steel, 100% recyclable
• polypropylene (#5) cap

ThinkSport insulated drink bottles pair well with any of our bento lunch box designs, especially given its natural stainless color. When you have a few free moments we hope that you will check out this great new addition to our Web Store and let us know what YouThink!

Best Kids’ Lunch Box Voting is Over – Thank You!

The voting period for the 2010 SheKnows Parenting Awards has officially closed, and we just wanted to send out a big thank you to everyone who voted for Laptop Lunches in the Best Kids’ Lunch Box category! We truly appreciate your support, and we are keeping our fingers crossed as we await the contest results, which will be announced in October.

We know how busy and hectic everyone’s lives are, especially around back to school time, so it really means a lot to us that so many of you took the time to vote Laptop Lunches for Best Kids’ Lunch Box. The community of people that believes in our goal of helping families pack nutritious, low waste lunches is so important to us. We want all of you to know that we are working as hard as we can to continue creating high quality bento lunch box products and accessories.

Lastly, we were truly excited to see so many of you, our Fans and Followers, helping to spread the word about our nomination and letting us know you voted via Facebook and Twitter! We loved reading every Tweet that used the #Vote4LaptopLunches hashtag on Twitter and all the comments you left us on the Laptop Lunches Facebook Page!

Thanks again everyone!

End-of-Summer Spread

This Week's Photo



Menu

* Whole Wheat Pita Bread
* Green Beans
* Baby Carrots
* Blueberries
* Hummus


Preparation Notes

It's clear that summer has started easing into fall. Here in California, there are still plenty of summer finds at the farmers' market, but winter vegetables are starting to appear as well. Market shoppers made sure they got their fill of summer's remaining bounty: blueberries, green beans, strawberries, and more. Lucky for us, the blueberries and green beans made it into our lunchboxes this week!

Cut the pita bread.

Cut the green beans.

Add some baby carrots.

Fill a medium container with blueberries.

Prepare some hummus (or purchase your favorite store-bought brand).

Bento Lunchbox: Baby Spinach Salad

This Week's Photo



Menu

* Baby Spinach Salad with Pecan Halves
* Raspberry Vinaigrette Dressing
* Lowfat Cottage Cheese
* Berry Medley


Preparation Notes

Baby spinach is not only delicious, but it's packed with nutrients too. Prepare a simple salad with just a few ingredients, or go all out and make it fancy. Some of our favorite toppings include: avocado, red onion, cherry tomatoes, pears, pecans, radishes, crumbled goat cheese, and cucumbers. The raspberry vinaigrette tastes great on spinach and complements the berries packed on the side.

Create a spinach salad.

Prepare the salad dressing or include one of your store-bought favorites.

Add a few scoops of lowfat cottage cheese.

Drop a mix of berries into one of the medium containers.

Insulated Bento Sleeves in New Patterns Make Great Lunch Box Accessories

Just in time for fall, we are now offering insulated bento sleeves in two new exciting patterns – Daisy and Plaid!

Designed to carry the Laptop Lunch Bento Set 2.0, these insulated bento sleeves hold ice packs in place to keep food cold and fresh. They also help to protect against spills while transporting your bento lunch set to school or work.

The insulated bento sleeves are made with water resistant, 100% post-consumer recycled fabric and printed with soy ink, so these bento lunch box accessories are a smart and eco-friendly way to make lunchtime a little more colorful! The sleek, compact design appeals to kids and teens, and is also perfect for adults who are looking for a convenient way to transport their lunches to the office.


Introducing the Bento Sleeve 2.0 in New Daisy and Plaid Patterns

The Laptop Lunch insulated bento sleeves now come in fun patterns that make it easy to display your personal sense of style with providing a practical way to transport your bento set.

The Daisy Insulated Bento Sleeve features pink, yellow, and blue flowers splashed onto a black background. Add some flower power to your lunch with this cheerful pattern that is sure to brighten up lunchtime!

The Plaid Insulated Bento Sleeve features a white and red tire tread plaid pattern on a black background, and makes a sophisticated statement in the cafeteria or any place you are able to enjoy your Laptop Lunch.

Stay Cool for Back to School with Insulated Bento Sleeves

Packing your Laptop Lunch bento set in an insulated sleeve is a great way to keep fruit and veggies crisp and dip and dressing chilled until lunchtime. Keeping your lunch cool will help to make food more appealing and cut down on the amount of food that is thrown away when lunchtime is over. This fall, stay cool for back to school (or work) with the new Laptop Lunches insulated bento sleeves – Available Now!

Order your insulated bento sleeve today at: http://secure.laptoplunches.com/AMAZING/items.asp?Cc=CARRIERS&Bc=

How to Make a Bento Box

Looking for some lunch box inspiration this back to school season? Check out this very informative video. Love it!

Laptop Lunches on Good Morning America

Did you catch Laptop Lunches on Good Morning America? If you missed it, you can view the segment here: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/video/back-school-lunches-11413269

A big thank you to Catherine McCord at Weelicious.com!

New from Laptop Lunches: The Casual Lunch Date!

We've just added our brand new Casual Lunch Date to our Web store at http://secure.laptoplunches.com/AMAZING/itemdesc.asp?ic=320082-black&eq=&Tp=. Even though our official launch date is several weeks out, we thought we'd give our blog followers a sneak preview and an opportunity to order online before the mad rush begins.

Hot off the press, they're ideal for taking lunch to work or school. We hope you're as excited about them as we are!

Features:

* Black bento bag with avocado interior. Made with 100% post-consumer recycled fabric.
* Laptop Lunch bento box in black and avocado. Contains 10% recycled content.
* Insulated bento sleeve. Made with 100% post-consumer recycled fabric.
* The Laptop Lunch User's Guide

Be sure to check them out when you have a free moment, and please let us know what you think!

Amy and Tammy

P.S. Don't forget to vote DAILY (through Sept 14) for Laptop Lunches in the Best Lunchbox category at sheknows.com. It takes less than 30 seconds at http://www.laptoplunches.com/best-lunchbox.htm--honest!

We truly appreciate your support!

Summer Grab N Go

This Week's Photo



Menu

* Fresh Papaya
* Steamed Corn-on-the-Cob
* Trail Mix
* Steamed Soy Beans (Edamame)

Preparation Notes

Nothing says "summer" like corn on the cob! Pack your dinner leftovers, or steam it fresh in the morning. Add some juicy fruits and vegetables for a refreshing lunch on a hot summer day.

Cut up the papaya. (Sprinkle with a bit of lime juice if desirable.)

Steam the corn and cut in half.

Add a scoop of trail mix.

Steam the edamame and salt lightly to taste.

Best Kids Lunch Box Award Nominee, Vote Now for Laptop Lunches!

Please help us win! We’ve been nominated for a SheKnows.com Parenting Award in the Best Kids’ Lunch Box Category.

See Below for Voting Directions

As you probably already know, Laptop Lunches kids’ bento lunch box systems are a smart way to pack healthy, balanced school lunches for your children and reduce lunch waste. And we’ve got some great news to share - we’ve been nominated for a 2010 SheKnows Parenting Award in the Best Kids’ Lunch Box category!

The SheKnows.com website is committed to giving its readers all of the information they need to make informed decisions in their everyday lives. All nominees for the 2010 SheKnows Parenting Awards were reviewed by the members of the SheKnows team and handpicked for each category. We are very honored to be among those selected!

The winners for the SheKnows Parenting Awards are chosen through an online voting process, so we’re reaching out to our fans, supporters, and satisfied customers to ask everyone to get involved. Please make us your pick for the SheKnows Parenting Awards Best Kids’ Lunch Box!


Best Kids’ Lunch Box - Vote Laptop Lunches

To vote Laptop Lunches for the Best Kids’ Lunch Box award, visit http://www.sheknows.com/surveys/2010-sheknows-best-parenting-awards. If you haven’t voted before, sign up with an email address and password. There is no validation required.

Click the sign up button, and follow these simple steps:

1. Click on the Food Category on the left..
2. Scroll down to Best Kids’ Lunch boxes.
3. Click on the Laptop Lunches image.
4. Scroll down to the bottom of the page.
5. Click Submit Your Vote.

Voting takes less than 30 seconds (seriously!) and you can vote once a day up until September 15, so don’t forget to vote daily for Laptop Lunches for Best Kids’ Lunch Box! Winners will be announced in October.

If You Vote for Us, We Want to Know About it!

Let us know you voted by Tweeting about our nomination or ReTweeting one of SheKnows nomination posts, using the #Vote4LaptopLunches hashtag! (We will become a follower of all those who use the hashtag to help spread the word about our nomination.)

Thank you for your support!

Laptop Lunches Video

Thanks, Danielle, for this wonderfully authentic video from http://eatsweatsmile.wordpress.com/2010/08/09/one-of-my-favorite-things! We love it and look forward to seeing some of your photos too!



Oh, and congrats on your new job and for being the envy of the lunch room!

Two New Bento Sleeves from Laptop Lunches!

We've just added two new bento sleeves to our Web store at http://secure.laptoplunches.com/AMAZING/items.asp?Cc=CARRIERS&Bc=.

Designed to keep food cold, these bento sleeves are great for carrying your Laptop Lunches Bento Set in your backpack, brief case, or travel bag--and they're made with 100% post-consumer recycled fabric, printed with soy ink!

Check them out and let us know what you think!

Klean Kanteen Drink Bottles Pair Nicely with Laptop Lunches Bento Lunchboxes

We're pleased to announce the addition of Klean Kanteen brand reusable drink bottles at www.laptoplunches.com.

Please check them out when you have a moment! We've got five color options that pair nicely with our new bento kits.



We're very excited about this new addition!