Bento Inventory 2: Other Useful Stuff

(Again, no pictures yet. I am so sorry! Once the kitchen is clean I'll snap a few.)

THE CHOPSTICKS
Most of my chopsticks come from Ikea, which I realize makes NO SENSE at all. You're saying to yourself, What do the Swedes know of 箸 (hashi, chopsticks)? A lot, apparently. These natural wood sticks are reusable and, at least in my experience, dishwasher safe. Score! Best of all, they came in a large pack, so even if I use two or three pairs in a day, I can pack up another for tomorrow before the dishwasher load is run.

I also have a few prettier sticks from an import store, given to me by my dear friend Erin. They're beautiful, but a little slick since I'm so used to disposables and Ikea wood 箸. So they are for special occasions, when I want to be fancy.

BEVERAGE CONTAINERS
I have an Ikea thermos, which I generally only use for tea but could use for a broth based soup (it's not safe to put a milk-based liquid into a thermos unless you are SUPER careful in washing it, and I'd rather deal with tea germs than milk germs), and a pretty blue metal water bottle that I honest-togod won in a game of Bingo. The bottle was full of egg-shaped chocolate candy, with a Cadbury caramel egg on the bottom. The water bottle now holds just water. Sad times.

FOOD PICKS
Made for children but super cute and decorative, this short plastic picks keep your hands clean while eating fruits, vegetables, and similarly cubic or polyhedral foods. Mine are ocean themed! (They're the ones in the link.)

MY TOTALLY AWESOME SPORK
Unlike most sporks that combine the spoon and fork at one end, this is a double ended tool, made of bamboo. I got it at the Good Food Store in Missoula, MT. If that's too far for you, try any natural food store- you might find it! It's not essential by any means, but I love it.

SAUCE BOTTLES
Squeeze out all the air, dip the tip into a sauce, and release your grip. Hot sauce WILL stain these, so make alternate arrangements or keep one that's okay to stain. If you're frequently using one sauce, consider prefilling several bottles of your favorite- soy sauce is common, but by no means the only prefillable sauce! (I usually have Italian dressing in my sauce bottle.)

Crazy protip: If you have a clean lid from a 2 liter bottle (or similar), pour a wee bit of sauce into that for the filling process. It's less wasteful than using a cup or bowl. You can also use these lids to hold thick sauces, if you put a wee bit of aluminum foil or plastic wrap over the top: Sriracha, for instance. Mmm, Sriracha.

FOOD CUPS
I bought some LONG ago online or in a Daiso and haven't run out yet. When I do I'll probably just get cupcake liners to replace them, as that's very nearly what these are- however these are more waterproof. Ideally I would have reusable silicone containers, but those are less flexible and more expensive.

SUSHI GRASS
Pretty unnecessary, but more resilient than any flat food and great for separating stiff food from loose food. If I'm having cubed rice or risotto without filling the whole tier, I'll throw a sheet of grass against the edge to keep it clean.