Welcome to Wondrous Words Wednesday! It’s a great way to boost your vocabulary. Visit Kathy at Bermudaonion.net for links to more wondrous words!
After packing lunches for eight years, I’m trying to make things more interesting. My husband can eat PBJ every day without variation, but the kids crave something different every now and again.
So, with the help of Pinterest and some Bento boxes, I’m spicing up the mid-day meal.
What is a bento box, you ask?
This clever little container, that comes with its own ice pack, can hold all kinds of yummy, non-sandwich treats. I found it at Wal-Mart. My kids like “homemade pizza lunchables.” We also want to try pancakes, sausage, and syrup, but I hope the kids realize everything will be cold.
I got really excited when I found “bento box” in a book I recently read, The 228 Legacy, by Jennifer Chow.
Silk recalls packing a bento box of rice and picked radish for him the morning he vanished.
Bento \’ben-tō\ noun; origin: Japanese; a lacquered or decorated wooden Japanese lunchbox; (special usage) a Japanese-style packed lunch, consisting of such items as rice, vegetables, and sashimi (raw fish with condiments)
Word Nerd Note:
This definition comes from the English Oxford Dictionary loaded on my Kindle. (So handy!) Also, I must clarify that The 228 Legacy is about Taiwanese culture, not Japanese. Come back Friday to learn more about The 228 Legacy and its author, Jennifer Chow.
Word Nerd Workout
Share a word that you use that comes from another culture, preferably something interesting or unique. (aka skip “taco” and “burrito” 🙂 ).
If you’d like more ideas for bento boxes, check out my “Meals on the Go” Pinterest board. I also welcome suggestions!
Thanks for getting nerdy with me!
Julia
Bento Box – will have to check that out! My husband has a ton of Vietnamese brothers so we are always hearing wonderful and unique language in our house. The best though, is when they all imitate each other and sing 80’s songs.
How awesome is that dictionary feature on Kindle? LOVE it! I’ve seen that on the local sushi restaurants, but never ordered it. How fun would it be to get a real decorated box?
I learned about bento boxes shortly after I quit my job and didn’t need to pack a lunch any more, but I think they’re really cool! I hadn’t thought about the idea that they are, essentially, a healthier, cheaper lunchable.
I knew Bento Boxes, though I do not own one. This is the season for lutefisk, you could put that and some lefse in a bento box. I wouldn’t eat the salted fish and lye, but the lefse with butter and sugar is yummy. Yes, I’m Norwegian!
We use a lot of French terms around here since we used to live in France but nothing that really stands out. We also say aicu – thank you in Lithuanian. My mother is fluent in the language but I don’t know much of it.
I love Bento boxes (because I hate when my food touches!). Mmm…homemade pizza lunchables sounds awesome. I used to love pizza lunchables, and I still buy them sometimes when my hubby is away.
I know bento box well as a term, Japanese restaurants in Australia will often offer bento boxes as a lunch item. I don’t have one at home but often take a selection of small boxes to work with snacks.
These boxes sound great!
http://tributebooksmama.blogspot.com/2013/10/wondrous-words-wednesday_16.html
Have never heard of Bento boxes.
What? They have bento boxes with ice packs? That’s great! (Oh, and to clarify some more, my book features the Taiwanese culture, which was heavily influenced by the Japanese. They reigned on the island for about 50 years before transferring power to the Chinese.)
I knew bento box because I followed a young woman’s blog that was devoted to what she put in her bento box. Once a week she came up with the cleverest combinations and special recipes. It was quite fun to follow.
This post makes me want sushi rolls! YUM! I don’t remember a lot from my two years of Latin and two years of French, but I hope my girls will pick up a second language. When I go to Quebec for business, I try to recall a bit of French so I can joke with the people I’m visiting. One phrase I’ve never forgotten from French 101: On y va. Let’s go! And, if you read my contribution in the new book, The Mother of all Meltdowns, I bust out some French. C’est lait pour mon bebe! Ou est-il?! It’s milk for my baby! Where is it?!
Thanks for the French flashback. I can see the Latin basis that links French and Spanish. “Let’s go!” in Spanish is “Vamanos!” How fun. Thanks for sharing.