Monbento Square #35 (Single Tier)

 

When I had this, it was the end of the week, and I needed to find something for lunch that wasn't a sandwich or leftovers. Thus, I made some peanut noodle salad. It's a very easy, very cheap, delicious meal I ought to make more often, and don't. This was the end of a package of spaghetti with peppers (obviously; all the peppers everywhere right now!), cucumbers, and scallions in a peanut sauce topped with more scallions, crushed peanuts, and black sesame seeds. In my opinion, this is pretty close to the perfect lunch.

This was my last day at the library for 10 days, since I'd been put on a rotation to work from home half of the time and work on site half of the time. We're now in teams, and I'm Team B. They say they'll evaluate this after three weeks. I'm grateful for the chance to be exposed less, although it's hard to live through this season anyway--hard to be at the library, and hard to be at home for different reasons.

Because I have never gone back to eating in the break room when we returned on site this summer, I now have tips for you if you, too, find yourself needing to eat in your car in winter:

1. Even if you're going to eat your lunch in your car, don't leave it in your car. Bring it inside so it can be at room temperature, not freezing, when you eat it, or give a Thermos a better chance at keeping your soup hot. This really does make a difference.

2. Make a fresh cup of hot tea in an insulated mug to take with you to your car at lunch. Drinking hot tea throughout the meal will go a long way toward keeping you warm. If your tea is too hot to drink, let it cool while steaming your face. Might as well take advantage of the situation!

3. Bundle up! Keep a blanket in your car to cover your lap and feet, and wear a heavy coat, hat, and fingerless mittens. If you feel it's appropriate for your workplace, wear snow boots; if not, keep some in the car to change into.

4. If at all possible, park in the sun, not in the shade.

5. When all else fails, turn the car on. Nobody wants you to freeze to death. (I have not yet had to turn my car on. But I'm just saying.)

I've found eating in my car pretty pleasant most of the time. I wasn't cold when I ate this in spite of the fact that I was eating cold noodle salad on a cold day with three inches of snow on the ground, and I didn't even have my car on. Take it from an unwilling pro at this.

It'll be mostly the "sequestration meal" series here for a little bit, while we work from home and attempt to avoid everyone getting sick. Four of my colleagues were out with COVID this week. I have been just wearing an N95 respirator all the time (I even go outside if I am going to take a sip of water), and I do not test positive for COVID (my workplace tests everyone regularly). I aim to keep it that way, and so, I will continue my chilly lunches in my car when we're back at the library again.

Stay safe and warm everyone.