Tuesday 6 January 2009

THE PACKED LUNCH PROJECT

Doesn't that sound nice? Like it's planned and organised and destined to succeed? Haven't I bought lunch boxes and thermos flasks with good intentions before? Yes, yes, and yes. But this time is different, this time I will conquer the packed lunches, this time I will be the cause of envious lunch based glances at work.

Why?

Well it was a close call this morning but somehow, out of the blue, while eating my granola I decided to make myself lunch. My morning routine is very firmly established, it revolves around eating breakfast and watching BBC breakfast news, it does not include any lunch making time.

I woke up at 7am as usual, shivered my way to my dressing gown and slippers, came downstairs and made my usual bowl of granola and mug of coffee. I read for a while while I ate and then my coffee drinking was accompanied by Molly's latest post on Orangette, so far so Tuesday morning. While reading about the joys of celeriac I remembered back to the chickpea salad that I had read about and forgotten, and remembered and re-read and forgotten, but this time I remembered and I re-read and I knew we had the required chickpeas, oil, lemon juice, parmesan, and salt so I drained, rinsed, grated, and mixed, and, there wasn't that easy. I packed it up in one of my new 'I'm going to make my lunch' plastic containers and brought it to work with a pita for scooping the juices.

At 1pm I sat myself down in a quiet spot with the end of my book and I ate and I enjoyed and I felt very virtuous and very interested in repeating the experience.



This, as it is or a variation, will be on regular lunch rotation. Maybe I'll replace the parmesan with a little crumbled feta and throw in some red pepper and capers or some artichokes , maybe I'll add some roasted veg if I feel up to the extra effort or have some leftover.

So, if you are reading this and thinking 'mmm, that sounds good maybe I'll make it one day', then just remember that if I could be bothered to make it at 7.30am then it must be a good idea.

5 comments:

Karrie said...

Fantastic! It's nice to see others put some thought into their packed lunch. I'm always envious when I see lunches like this...it makes my turkey sandwich look so boring. I have also decided to be more creative with my lunches and spend less money eating at restaurants. Thanks for the post.

Anonymous said...

I'm wanting to pack more of my lunches too - mainly to save money and eat healthily. Chickpeas sound like a good start for me!

Amanda at Little Foodies said...

My husband likes packed lunches for various reasons, taste, saves money, doesn't have to leave the building just to go and buy something, can go for a walk instead.

He loves it even more when I can be bothered to make his lunch. I hadn't done it for a while but after he'd gone to bed on Wednesday evening I made his lunch and left it in the fridge. I love him for his reaction when he found it in the morning. I was still dozing and he came in and was so genuinely thrilled that I did the same thing again last night.

I have to make packed lunch for Little as he wont eat school dinners he says they overcook the veg! aarrgghhh!

Jeanne said...

Pulses make the best packed lunches, in my opinion... I sometimes make a big bowl of chickpea, basil, feta & olive salad and take it to work in Tupperwares - it sounds like a schlep, but when you're munching away it's soooo worth it!

Cerebrum said...

You, my dear, is awesome. For one, you made this early, EARLY in the morning and loved it (how could you not?) And two - you got me making this too, this morning, and reminded me that we had a promise of sorts to bring lunches in 2009. I'm thinking I will have to take photos (albeit with the camera on my phone) to make sure I don't eat the same - very nice, but expensive - sandwich from the cafeteria every day. And maybe post those photos, once a week. Hmm. I'll have to think about that...