Plastic containers
Did you know that only round containers are watertight? Anything with corners will leak if it gets tossed around in the fridge or the lunch bag. I recommend Tupperware, or their nemesis, Rubbermaid.
Rubbermaid vs. Tupperware
The battle has been raging for centuries...okay, maybe not centuries, but years. Here's what I like about both:
Lunch box or bag
There's nothing in your life that will see more use, and if you actually like it, you won't mind using it. (I've seen insulated shoulder bags made of black nylon canvas that are nicer than most of the purses I own!) A great place is a school supply store. If you can't dig the current market pre-teen hard sells, go to the resale shop and find a vintage one. My personal favorite is "Campus Queen", complete with magnetic board game on the back. Dreamy!
Big Pot...and I mean big!
Remember - you're cooking for a week. You'll need at least 8-quart capacity. You can get by, if you must, with the 10 dollar one you buy at the discount store, but you'll be saving money, so if you can, sport for a nice heavy one with a thick bottom. A thicker bottom means more even heating, and less burning on the bottom, so clean up is easier. Plus, you can always put small amounts in a big pot; you can't really do it the other way around, can you?
