Lunchboxes

Thinking Outside the Lunch Box

Here are some tips on how to send the kids back to school with a touch of old school style and some delicious, nutritious sandwiches.

What is it about the topic of lunch boxes that resonates so deeply in all our childhood memories? One mention of the word, and a room full of grownups turns into Garrison Keillor with stories both hilarious and poignant about their Holly Hobby, or Strawberry Shortcake or Batman lunch box.

I was deprived as a child because I walked home each day to a hot meal served by my doting mother. Oh, how I longed for a Hopalong Cassidy box with a picture of Hoppy and his pearl-handled six guns. If you want a great local place for perusing the lunch boxes of yesteryear, check out Groovy! Pop Culture Emporium at 1304 E. Carson St. on the South Side.

My newest idea to make lunchtime special has been a take-off on those Lunchable brand packages you can buy in the supermarket. Make mini-sandwiches using a round cookie cutter and then stack them in a cylindrical storage container. Try standard combos such as ham and cheese or PB&J. As for me, I long for that deep, dark, sweet and nutty date-nut bread that they served smeared with cream cheese for lunch at the legendary Chock Full O'Nuts shops in New York City. Or, dill-flavored goat cheese with cucumbers on German pumpernickel bread. I still haven't figured out what to do with all those crusts.

Date-Nut Bread
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups pitted dates, chopped 1 cup boiling water 3 tablespoons shortening 1/2 cup dark-brown sugar 1 egg, beaten 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 cups sifted flour 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1 cup walnuts	Instructions: Place dates into a mixing bowl and add boiling water. Add shortening and sugar and stir. Let stand until cool. Add beaten egg and vanilla. Stir flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder into mixture until just blended. Add nuts. Stir until well-mixed. Bake in a greased and floured loaf pan in a preheated 350-degree oven for 1 hour. Remove to a cooling rack. Spread slices of the cooled bread with cream cheese.
Goat Cheese and Dill Spread
Ingredients: 8 ounces chèvre cheese 1 tablespoon dried dill 1 tablespoon milk or sour cream 1/2 teaspoon salt	Instructions: Blend all the ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Spread the mixture on thin slices of German pumpernickel bread. Top with cucumber rounds and a second slice of bread. More Recipes Printer Friendly Page