LOL Annie, little man liked that Michigan Sushi idea. I reminded him of his experience from the past year but he didn't seem to worry. When I asked him "What do you do when one of your friends tells you that you have bad breath?" He said, "I will say 'it's too bad that you don't eat fish.'" I am so proud! Jim, I have never tried lox myself so can't say if it will be less smelly or not. Since fish is one of our favorite foods we never have any leftover fish from the night before. Our mornings seem to be very short and we always end up rushing out of the door so canned fish is what we will settle with for now. Tami, little man has never tried mints before. I personally don't like them so I have a feeling that he may not enjoy a mint in his mouth. He loves tic tac. I bought him some tic tac in little colorful containers with the pop-up lid. So I won't have to worry about school people mistaken them as pills. Terri, lucky you. At least he can still take peanut butter to school. It's an absolute no-no to bring any nuts or anything that contain trace amount of nut to school. Little man loves peanut butter banana sandwiches. I don't want him to eat PBB sandwich every day but once in a while would be nice. I definitely will make the rolled fish bread for him tomorrow. In fact, we have already planned for the rest of the week... Thursday will be sardine sushi. Instead of using nori I will use sesame seeds on the outside. Friday will be BBQ seitan strips with raw carrot and cucumber. It's gonna be a good week for him. Al

When I still worked I used to take bentos all the time since there were no readily available food sources near my office. Leaking was not a problem with the ones I had. Www.justbento.com has lots of good ideas, not all of which are Japanese. Maki at Just Bentos also talks about storing a "stash" of bento fillers in the freezer. Other than that, dinner leftovers were my staple. I would also pack bread, filling, and lettuce separately to combine on the spot into a nice, non-soggy sandwich. Also, if you look around a little you can find small packages of real cheese (processed cheese is just industrial (i.e. "cheap") cheese melted with salt -- nothing yucky or chemical added to it despite the name) from France where cheese is more highly respected. A handful of crackers and some fruit will round out a meal. Pink Lady apples resist browning when cut and will be perfect in appearance at lunch time if tossed into a solution of a pinch of Fruit Fresh (vitamin C) and water as you cut them. If nuts were not an issue, then almond or peanut butter would be great accompaniments instead of cheese.

Yeah, I don't know how he does it, he's out in the HOT all day in the summer and COLD all day in the winter. He works inside homes as a carpenter, but a lot of times the electric, and heat or air conditioning is not hooked up yet, or the homeowners are not there and they don't want him using their utilities. So it's not just that he doesn't have access to a microwave, he often doesn't have access to even electricity, they run their tools off of a generator. That's why I think he needs an insulating lunchbox and a thermos. He does have one, (insulated lunch box) but it is very small, I don't think a soup thermos and the rest of his lunch would fit in the one he has. He also has one of those full size green Stanley thermoses for his coffee. I'm not sure if he wants to schelp a big thing around to work though. I'm definately getting him the thermos, I'm just not sure yet about a larger insulated lunch carrier. Those bento things are cool, but you have to have THREE hot things, and you can't mix hot and cold things in them.

One very very basic simple suggestion is to fill up a portion side container of frozen mixed veggies (you know the ones in the freezer cabinet with lima beans, corn, carrots, green beans.) Top off with a couple pats of butter and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. This used to be my goto lunch when I barely had a minute to fix something to take to lunch. Easy to get a bag of frozen veggies and bag of frozen parmesan in the freezer for days like this. Also, glad to have a chance to post this recipe for a Lentil Mediterranean salad. Almost wish I wasn't now retired as I would think fixing a bunch on the weekend would work with leftovers for lunches during the weekday. I've included a lot of the comments, some of which had ideas for substitutions that I thought I might want to try. I already LOVE lentils (and so does DH). Not sure if those who don't like lentils would find this good but then this might be a good way to find out if you still don't like Lentils even if it is a recipe that comes highly recommended. There were a whole lot more comments that were all positive - only some included here: from: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/printerfriendly/Mediterranean-Couscous-and-Lentil-Salad-13106 Mediterranean Couscous and Lentil Salad Gourmet : September 1995 Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less but requires additional unattended time. Yield: Serves 6 ingredients 1 cup lentilles du Puy* (French green lentils) or brown lentils 3 tablespoons white-wine vinegar 1 1/4 cups water 1 cup couscous 1/2 teaspoons salt 1/4 cup olive oil (preferably extra-virgin) 1 large garlic clove, minced and mashed to a paste with 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh mint leaves 1 bunch arugula, stems discarded and leaves washed well, spun dry, and chopped 2 cups vine-ripened cherry tomatoes, halved 1/4 pound feta, crumbled (about 1 cup) *available at specialty foods shops and some supermarkets preparation In a small saucepan simmer lentils in water to cover by 2 inches until tender but not falling apart, 15 to 20 minutes, and drain well. Transfer hot lentils to a bowl and stir in 1 tablespoon vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. Cool lentils completely, stirring occasionally. In a saucepan bring water to a boil and add couscous and salt. Remove pan from heat and let couscous stand, covered, 5 minutes. Fluff couscous with a fork and transfer to a large bowl. Stir in 1 tablespoon oil and cool completely, stirring occasionally. In a small bowl whisk together garlic paste, remaining 2 tablespoons vinegar, remaining 3 tablespoons oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir lentils and dressing into couscous. Chill salad, covered, at least 3 hours and up to 24. Just before serving, stir in remaining ingredients and season with salt and pepper. reviews 11/29/09 jennaren from Alberta, Canada I usually use spinach and basil for this recipe, because my husband has a real aversion to mint. It's great with the variation, really clean flavours. However, last time I made it with mint and arugula exactly as written - even my husband loved it. The pungency of the arugula and the earthiness of the mint really bring the salad together. Great dish every time. 09/26/09 peeblesl from Austin, TX Oh man, how is this so delicious? Even my boyfriend had four helpings, and he hates lentils more than anyone I've ever met! I definitely recommend the French green lentils - they hold their shape so nicely and don't tend to go all mushy on you. Will me making this for lunch this week and maybe next week too. 09/25/09 A Cook from Toronto, ON This is my go to lunch now -- it's absolutely delicious, but after making this a few times, I recommend the following adjustments: 1. I agree with other reviewers: definitely double the dressing. 2. I use quinoa instead of couscous. Much healthier, and the texture works better in this. 2. Omit the cheese; replace the mint with cilantro (I'm not a huge fan of mint and I don't eat much dairy, but cilantro is lovely here). 3. Omit the arugula and tomatoes. Instead, I throw in chopped green onions, chopped cucumber and chopped red pepper. I think it's nicer than with the greens, and the big batch keeps in the fridge better (one batch will last me most of a week). Delish, delish delish. 08/23/09 momesty from San Francisco Bay Area Made this for a picnic at a winery. The combination of flavors was excellent and everyone enjoyed this salad. Used small red lentils because that was all there was at home, but would recommend using regular lentils next time. 08/15/09 lucindah This was excellent, a good combination of flavors. The more mint and arugula the better. And healthy too! 08/10/09 A Cook from Cleveland, Oh Made this for the first time and was very pleased. It's a wonderful dish for a summer evening. I used brown lentils and they took much less than 15- 20 minutes to cook, I checked them after 12 minutes and they were already too mushy. The texture and appearance of the salad is better if the lentils are not mashed. 07/06/09 A Cook from Washington, DC I have made this salad many times over the years - it has so many wonderful flavors and textures and is so healthy. I took a previous reviewer's suggestion of using Trader Joe's "Harvest Grains Mix" in place of the lentils and couscous and really liked that variation. 06/14/09 hungrypeanut Cannot go wrong with this recipe. Used ISRAELI COUSCOUS which made for a much more beautiful presentation with the lentils. 05/19/09 A Cook from Mountain View, CA I've made this salad several times, usually as a side dish to chicken kebobs and Greek yogurt sauce. One substitute I like to make is replacing the lentils and couscous with the "Harvest Grains Mix" sold by Trader Joe's. This nutty mix contains the larger Israeli couscous, quinoa, red and green orzo, and split-dried garbanzo beans - a great combination! 04/23/09 radariii from UK made the recipe exactly as stated except double the garlic and it was a big hit. I got a few suggestions to perhaps add a bit of lemon, some olives, and maybe some cucumber for a little more crunch 02/26/09 kgrim from New York This recipe is just fantastic. Great combination of flavors. I followed the suggestion of several other reviewers and doubled the dressing, which turned out to be just the right amount. This is a wonderful alternative to the traditional side salad and a great choice for a potluck. 02/22/09 avbrown I thought this was great. I made it exactly as written. The only change I will make next time is to leave out the feta all together. I love feta but it didn't enhance this dish in my opinion and would be better left out. I am not a vegetarian and actually served this with grilled steak (gasp, I know). Loved the arugula and mint. Nice and healthy. 02/11/09 A Cook from Charlotte NC Great dish! Alot of flavor and really nice combination of ingredients. I fluff the cous cous after it sits with my hands rubbed with olive oil. It seperates it nicely and keeps it seperated. I used about 4 med. cloves of garlic and it could have taken more but was fine with that amount. The arugula MAKES it and is a great vegan dish if you eliminate the feta and add more tomatoes and cucumbers. I might try olives next time as well. I also added slivered scallions and cilantro as I didn't have mint. I couldn't really taste the cilantro (surprisingly). Makes enough for 8-10 generous servings and them some...but the leftovers will rock tomorrow! Cant' wait! YUM! 01/05/09 marcellene from Beaufort, SC If you need a good vegetarian lunch option, this is an excellent choice. I made it ahead and then followed the other reviewer's advice about adding the tomatoes and arugula right before serving. I also added a little extra olive oil and vinegar before eating. 08/26/08 tttterri from Wauwatosa WI I really love this salad. I made it exactly as directed except I added seeded cucumber and deleted the cheese. Impressed with how well it keeps over several days. I'm taking it to work for lunch and the only thing I've done to accomodate the salad is to slice and add the cherry tomatoes each morning when I package it. I highly recommend this salad. I'm very glad I found this recipe and all the great reviews. 08/25/08 tree1456 from Alameda, CA Wonderful salad! I added a bit more olive oil as it seemed a bit dry when I was ready to serve - try to find fresh, peppery arugula - it really makes the dish! MAde this with lamb kebobs and everyone loved it. 07/22/08 A Cook from Long Island This salad was delicious! People have made some suggestions about adding more dressing or veggies, but I thought the original recipe worked just fine...I could be wrong, but it seems that the dressing was meant to just give flavor to the bland lentils and couscous, and I don't care for food swimming in dressing. Obviously an easy salad to adapt to your liking though. Great for a summer side with anything grilled. 06/17/08 mish_lc I really enjoyed this recipe but would make a few changes next time. As others said, I doubled the dressing which worked out perfectly. I would add cucumbers or more tomatoes as well as using only 3/4 cup couscous or substituting quinoa. Otherwise it was a delicious blend of flavors, healthy and easy to make. 04/29/08 A Cook from Westport, CT This salad is beautiful and delicious. I used the food processor to chop the arugula (I used half a bag of prepped arugula salad.) Couldn't find mint, so I used about six stems of basil leaves; also chopped that in the food processor. It resembles taboule; I will try it with mint next time. Loved the suggestion of using precooked lentils from Trader Joes. I also needed to double the dressing. 04/09/08 taniquaa from San Diego, CA I made this dish on Easter for 24 family members. I added cucumber and increased the tomatoes a bit for more color. This recipe got so many compliments at the table, from the picky kids to my 90-year-old grandmother. Everyone asked to take leftovers home and for the recipe. Healthy, light, and delicious! I absolutely recommend this recipe. 03/19/08 A Cook from San Francisco I used Israeli couscous, which mixed with the lentils, were tasty and satisfying. 03/14/08 chungclan from Cincinnati OH Really delicious, but more labor intensive than I expected, with cooking couscous and lentils separately, and a fair amount of chopping to do. Will definitely make again. 10/16/07 A Cook from NY My family and guests could not stop eating this...really delicious. Used frisee instead of arugula and it was very good. 09/17/07 A Cook from Ventura, CA This is really tasty - addictive. I followed the recipe exactly with the exception of using whole wheat couscous. Also delicious leftover. 07/31/07 erflores This was really good. I used quinoa instead of cous cous to add more protein and I also added cucumber to give it more of a crunch. It turned out well but I agree with the other reviews that it needed more dressing so I doubled the dressing myself. My husband loved it and more importantly I loved it too since I'm always looking for easy, healthy, filling meals. It's a keeper! 07/01/07 stravis2 from Tampa, FL My husband loved this so much, he asked me to make it again the next day. I obliged, but made some changes to the recipe based on the outcome as written. I used red, green, and brown lentils (no big difference). I doubled the Israeli couscous and the sauce (it seemed a little dry the first time, but nice and moist the second - big difference). I subbed spinach for arugula as someone else suggested. I used grape tomatoes and a French feta. The French feta I purchased at a Mediterranean market and boy, is it tasty! 03/21/07 hikergirl31 from longwood, FL. WOW! I spent two years in Israel and gained 15 pounds from the food. This dish brought me back to the delicious land. The fresh mint, and arugula really made it super fresh tasting. This dish says it serves 6 but i brought it to a party and it was enough for 20 with leftovers... Everyone loved it. 02/17/07 andynbron I've been making this since the recipe appeared in 1995. It is a great recipe, and it is so refreshing! I usually make this exactly as written, except I substitute spinach for the arugula. However, like others have suggested, you can substitute basil for mint (I prefer the mint and spinach combination). You can also substitute fresh mozzarella for the feta cheese--I used to do that because I didn't like feta, but now I love it so I only use feta cheese in the recipe. But the mozzarella adds a nice, very subtle flavor to the salad for those who would not eat feta cheese. This is definitely one of my favorite recipes, and anytime I make it people finish it quickly and always ask for the recipe! 02/04/07 A Cook from New York, NY This recipe is excellent. Get French lentils if you can; it makes a huge difference. I used a little less feta cheese than the recipe called for. Goes really well with herb roasted pork tenderloin. 01/21/07 A Cook from Los Angeles, CA This recipe is so delicious and easy to make!! If possible, use the French green lentils as brown lentils tend to fall apart. Green lentils keep their firmness and work better in this dish. I cooked the couscous in vegetable broth to give it more flavor and sometimes add diced and seeded persian cucumbers. This salad is great to take to parties or bring to work for lunch because it keeps for a couple days and the arugula doesn't get soggy. 08/29/06 missperkin from Scottsdale Superb. Great on a hot summer day since there is little cooking on the stove involved. The mint is a must, in my opinion. 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