Packing Lunch

I've been a lunch-packer ever since I starting working jobs that were not actually in a restaurant. I have many reasons for doing so: I like to cook and I always have leftovers around, eating out is generally expensive if you go for the good stuff and unhealthy if you go for the cheap stuff. I also try to avoid using disposable stuff when possible so I've been collecting various lunch gear over the years and I thought I"d share a few finds.

To-Go Ware has some very nice bamboo cutlery in recycled plastic cases which are manufactured in different parts of the world. I bought a couple of sets of bamboo cutlery when I was in Athens, Georgia a few months back and I love them. They are in my lunch bag every day.

Reusable Bags has a lot of great products, from shopping bags to water bottles. I purchased a couple of their sandwich bag replacements and have been loving them.

No post about packing lunch would be complete without a link to Lunch in a Box. Biggie has a great site on packing bento lunches, primarily for children but most of her techniques and recommendations are appropriate for any age.

I try to bring along my own cloth napkins and dish towels when I pack lunch as well. I've been collecting cloth napkins and I've even recycled a few old cotton dresses into napkins for the very purpose of packing lunch. I also keep a couple of those freezable bricks to pack into my lunch box because unfortunately, where I work presently, there are persons who are not adverse to stealing other people's lunches out of the communal fridge, therefore I keep my food at my desk. The last time I stored something in the fridge, it was a container of lemon wedges for my iced tea. Someone stole all my lemons, but did leave the box. Who does things like that? I'd have given them a lemon wedge had they asked.

Around town

I found trillium blooming for the first time this spring during my quick walk around the Caldwell Nature Preserve yesterday after work. Digital cameras are terrible at photographing white objects; the nuances tend to get lost. Trying to photograph a white flower is difficult for this reason and I was crawling (carefully, so as not to smush other wildflowers) all over the hillside trying to find a trillium in just the right amount of shade. I think I'll start carrying a sheet of paper with me for creating my own dappled sunlight in the future.

Early this morning I went down to Findlay Market and blew my grocery budget for the week. I brought home a few things I've not cooked with before, including rhubarb, ramps ($18 a pound!) and the spice Grains of Paradise. The afternoon was spent in the company of friends down at the Earth Day celebration at Sawyer Point. Somehow the rain held off and we managed to score a few good freebies, including CFL light bulbs. Here's a tiny handful of useful links I picked up today:

• Get a bin, find out what items can be recyled and find information on hazardous household waste drop-offs - Hamilton County Department of Environmental Services
• Soil fertility testing kits are available for a nominal fee from the Hamilton County Soil & Water Conservation District
• The Ohio River Sweep will be held this year on Saturday, June 21st
• Enright Ridge is an Urban Eco-Village is a community fostering a sustainable urban neighborhood, located on the west side of Cincinnati
• Although I didn't see them at the Sawyer Point Earth Day celebration I'm posting a link to Little Miami, Inc. - dedicated to preserving my favorite local river

There were many, many more and I certainly don't mean to exclude any worthy organizations. It's beyond the scope of my tired fingers to list them all.

Mondays...

I think I'll just start making Mondays my day to let someone else do the blogging. It's usually my busiest day at work and between that and the shock of going back to work after a nice weekend, my brain moves into auto-pilot. I get things done, but there's no contemplation going on.

I did walk the long path around Glenwood Gardens after work today and spotted about a half dozen Blue Winged Teal in one of the small ponds on their grounds. I'm always happy to see those pretty little ducks.

I leave you with a video on how to make a brimmed beanie out of an old sweater.

Valentine's Voodoo

The featured article on WikiHow this Valentine's Day morning was "How To Make A Voodoo Doll." That made me laugh. The New Orlean's style doll looks a lot like a couple I purchased in a touristy souvenir shop last time I was down that way.

I finished up Michael Pollan's excellent book The Omnivore's Dilemma today and I can't recommend it enough. It's a thoroughly enjoyable read and a thought-provoking look at what (and why) we eat.

Finally, I saw where the City of Cincinnati is considering rewarding people with coupons for goods or services based on how much they recycle. I have been recycling in Cincinnati since the seventies. I want my thirty years worth of coupons, dammit.