Lunch Rut and a Giveaway

 
Update 11/16: Thank you everyone, for all of the great lunch ideas! There were so many good ones, we put all of you in a drawing for the book and the name drawn was Natasha from 5StarFoodie. Be sure to visit her site if you haven't already because she has really creative posts! I will be giving away another book in January so be sure to check back.

With the holidays quickly approaching, I've decided to give away a copy of one of my favorite baking books, Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey by Jill O'Connor and Chronicle Books. True to the title, this book is full of mouth-watering sticky, gooey desserts such as Chocolate Caramel-Pecan Souffle Cake, Cinnamon Donut Bread Pudding, Chocolate Cupcakes with Caramel-Butterscotch-Buttercream Frosting and many, many more. Being a designer, I have to say this is one of the most creative, well-designed/food-styled cookbooks I've seen yet and you will love reading the entertaining forward.

 

So what's the catch? You need to help me out with the lunch rut I am in!

I've been struggling with lunch ideas for awhile now. I've been trying to be disciplined in bringing my lunch to work at least 3 days a week, although it usually pales in comparison to the carryout that my colleagues are eating across the table from me or what I order on the days I eat out. I feel like I'm packing the same thing and need some new inspiration.

So help me out and reply to this post with your lunch suggestion or a link to your favorite lunch recipe, whether it be on your site or elsewhere. All I ask is that it's something that is relatively easy timewise through the week. I will select a recipe on Tuesday, 11/10 and post the winner. The winner should in turn, post the first sticky, chewy, messy, gooey recipe they make from the new cookbook. :)

Comments

[Heavenly Housewife]

Well you can start mabye by getting a super cool lunchbox that makes you happy to open :) (remember frances' cute lunchboxes with the vase of flowers?... i never forgot that). Maybe something retro :). One sandwich I love is actually a wrap:
1 big wrap, slices of avacado, basil, chicken, a few baby lettuce leaves, greek yogurt, salt and pepper. Super yummy and healthy. Dont forget the desert though daaaaahling. It would be unseemly to omit it. Good luck with finding your perfect lunch foods. Have a great weekend.

[Jessie]

awesome giveaway! that looks like a great cookbook

[Alta]

I pack a lunch every day - so I understand about lunch rut! I pack various things throughout the week so I don't get bored. One easy given is whatever leftovers from dinner the night before become lunch. If it was a yummy dinner, it's a yummy lunch! I've made a pan of lasagna this past week and it was a lovely lunch reheated, served along with a slice of french bread. I also get into the habit of making various soups this time of year, and then I'll put them in single-serve containers and freeze them, so I have a variety of soups to choose from. This week I had tortilla soup, which always makes me smile, and I had some chili, some creamy potato and celeriac soup, and I've even made Vietnamese pho to bring (and I bring along all the herbs and bean sprouts to garnish!). You could also make salads, but change them up. Put fun and delicious olives, different cheese, new vegetables, new dressings, etc on top. Or invest in a bento box! You could have cute little dishes in your bento, making lunch fun! And don't forget to pack yourself a brownie, a cupcake, etc. Perfect way to make others jealous of your lunch! They even sell cupcake holders for 1 cupcake, so your frosting won't get smooshed. Cool, huh?

[Miriam]

Well, I don't know if you've got a microwave oven at your office, because it really makes a difference whether you can heat up your lunch or not. I include a link to one my salads, beans and smoke salmon salad: http://invitadoinviernoeng.blogspot.com/2009/08/bean-and-smoked-salmon-salad.html

Hope it helps!

[Catherine]

Hey sweetie! You could try my Bread Chicken fingers http://livingthegourmet.blogspot.com/2009/10/oven-baked-chicken-strips.html with my honey mustard sauce on the side http://livingthegourmet.blogspot.com/2009/10/honey-mustard-sauce.html! Best part is you'll have plenty leftover for dinner of for lunch the next day! Hope this helps!

[Natasha - 5 Star Foodie]

I'm permanently in a lunch rut. Today made a egg-white savory french toast with a leftover baguette, that was yummy.

[Brenda - Aesthetic Dalliances]

Hmmmm...let me see - a couple of suggestions (really want that book!):

1. Some of my all-time favorite lunches are leftovers. I would highly recommend re-heating my somewhat unauthentic beef stroganoff for an excellent next-day lunch:

2. Another favorite is a Lebanese salad that is really substantial if you eat it with 1 or 2 halved hard-boiled eggs served on top:

Tabouleh my Way :)
- handful of fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 cup cracked wheat soaked in lemon juice until soft (several hours - do this the night before)
- 1/2 chopped cucumber (into small cubes)
- 1 medium chopped tomato (into small cubes)
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 avocado, diced
- 2 tbsps (or more) good olive oil
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 2 hard-boiled eggs, halved

Once the cracked wheat is ready, add everything else in bar the eggs and avocados adn mix thoroughly. Correct seasoning. Gently mix in the avocado. Refrigerate until ready to eat. When packing for lunch, drizzle with more olive oil, put the halved hardboiled eggs on top.

Enjoy!

[Anna]

The easiest thing ever is to make a ton of pesto and then smear it on everything. Even a plain turkey sandwich becomes much more yummy if there's a healthy spread of fresh pesto on it. That's what I did last week anyways...I ate that every day with a yogurt and an apple and didn't get bored.

[Rachelle]

I eat at home but I get sick of the same old thing too.
Here is my super easy, tasty and healthy recipe for a salsa tuna fish sandwich:
http://pantryeats.blogspot.com/search?q=Tuna+Salsa+sandwich

[Cookin' Canuck]

That cookbook looks beautiful! My new favorite lunch dish is my Crockpot Gingered Chickpea & Spicy Tomato Stew recipe. The prep time is next to nothing - just let it cook in the crockpot overnight. Amazing flavor!

http://cookincanuck.blogspot.com/2009/10/crockpot-gingered-chickpeas-and-spicy.html

[NJB]

Two slices of american cheese between two slices of cinnamon raisin bread, grilled if possible.

It's worth a try. I like it.

[Cheri]

I know what you mean.. I usually just end up eating leftovers so they won't go to waste.. but I alway love having something specially made once in a while when I have the time. This is one of my faves. It is super easy and yummy. And, it might even help satisfy your mexican cravings. (I have those too) :) Turkey Guacamole Wraps: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Turkey-Guacamole-Wraps

[Sammy]

Personally, I think you have to think more in advance.

I tend to make a larger dinner a couple days of the week and plan on using left overs for various lunches.

My personal favorite is making a larger turkey (or pork roast or chicken) on Sunday and then I can search out a multitude of things to do with left over turkey on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. The web will have a million suggestions. I will make things like turkey salad with mayo, grapes, tarragon celery. Or even a turkey chili, turkey sub (kinda boring, but with a good cheese...yum!, turkey pot pie, spicy turkey wraps with any different kind of salad dressing, etc. Try to mix up your days with hot and cold and that will keep it more interesting

And if you really want to be cool like me, buy yourself a metal lunch box from the 70's (think Welcome Back Kotter!) with thermos and watch your friends with the unhealthy, purchased lunch get jealous.

Love the blog, keep it up!

[The Duo Dishes]

Perfect book for the holiday season. Just imagine all the desserts to make! This salad is nice for dinner and the next day at lunch. It's just candied pine nuts and brie over greens. So good, you don't really need dressing, but it doesn't hurt: http://duodishes.com/2009/07/06/looks-can-be-deceiving/

[Y]

I don't normally eat lunch as I work in a kitchen and we pretty much graze throughout the day. So I've never experienced a lunch rut, but have always loved the idea of packed lunches.

[Erica]

That looks like a great book! Here are my ideas for your lunch!

http://www.mycolombianrecipes.com/2009/10/mushroom-quesadilla-quesadilla-de-champinones.html

http://www.mycolombianrecipes.com/2009/08/pasta-and-tuna-salad-ensalada-de-pasta-y-atun.html

http://www.mycolombianrecipes.com/2009/11/roasted-vegetables-frittata.html

[Sam (The Second Lunch)]

A lunch rut! Oh no! I'm too late for the giveaway, but as far as ideas - I'm in the process of compiling lunch ideas here:
www.healthylunchidea.com and am always looking for new ones to post there.

I love lunch - hence the names of two of my sites ;)

I'd also look on justbento.com and even flickr - people post their daily bentos there quite often for more ideas. Also lunchinabox.net