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.