To-Go Box

Sweet lunchbox-style decorative boxes inspired our end-of-the-year gifts for Mary Ashley's preschool teachers. Our recent Mother's Day luncheon recipes provided a refreshing menu to fill the lunchboxes. I hope summer turkey salad, mini-loaves of zucchini bread, pineapple-cheese spread, crackers, and chocolate chip cookies provided a nice change of pace from the usual lunchtime staples.

This fun project required thinking inside the box. I plundered through my kitchen cabinets to find containers that would fit the box's narrow dimensions, but nothing seemed to work. Then finally I discovered the perfect solution in my craft closet: design-your-own planters leftover from a childrens art project. With coordinating scrapbook paper liners, these pots were a perfect fit for our teachers' to-go boxes. Tissue paper, ribbons, fresh flowers and napkin-wrapped plastic cutlery finished off the lunchboxes with charming detail. I hope our to-go boxes helped Mary Ashley's teachers feel pampered after giving so much of themselves to the children each day.

Pots with removeable liners made perfect salad bowls.

Wouldn't a pretty boxed lunch be a nice surprise for a teacher, co-worker or shut-in? Or how about meeting friends at the park and treating the mommies to a refreshing ladies lunch?

Who could you surprise with a to-go box filled with love?