But How Does It All Stay Together?! (Bento Tricks)
Today, for the first time ever, I was present for the unpacking of the bento. Part of the reason was a question I was asked yesterday:
But How Does It All Stay Together?!
To be absolutely honest, it’s a question I’ve wondered plenty of times myself. While I keep pinning ideas for this blog, I am repeatedly struck by the impossibility of packing and transporting many of those beautiful creations.
Gorgeous! But it’s all sticking out (so how do you put a lid on it?), and there’s lots of fiddly little pieces, and I bet it would be just a rice and meatballs medley by the time my kid was done swinging his lunchbox on the short way into preschool. Not even a hint of Calvin and Hobbes. Nada, zilch.
And then I started seeing it. Cocktail sticks!
And that glorious food cement, mayo.
I wanted to see for myself if my precautions were working, so I made Mr T. a bento box for his nature class. It had to be stuffed in a cooler, carried in a backpack over rough terrain for almost two hours, and unpacked in field conditions.
My precautions included sticky baba ganoush and cocktail sticks:
These are somewhat DIY (use your own toothpick), so I was able to adjust their height to the depth of the bento box. The slight give in the flowers allows for perfect fit with the lid.
Just to be sure, I put some cling wrap over the sticky part, and clamped the lid over the top.
Two+ hours later.
Toothpicks out, and after Mr T. started digging for carrots.
It won’t always work (I’ve seen Mr T. smack his lunchbox on random obstacles just for fun), but this is a pretty decent outcome.