Reusable Takeout Containers

Inspired by Renee, Portland's EnviroMom, I decided last week to bring my own containers with us to restaurants for leftovers.

For my birthday this weekend, we ate out twice (such a rarity!). On Saturday, my mother-in-law treated us to a dinner at Carrabba's, where we had our wedding rehearsal dinner. I ordered their fabulous Chicken Bryan, with the creamy goat cheese on top. Mmm!! Then I packed away the second portion in a container I'd carried in in my new fabric bag.

On Sunday, David took me to my favorite Italian restaurant here in Charlotte, Portofino's. I always order their delicious eggplant parmigiana, which can feed me for three separate meals. This time, however, I took the extras home in my own Pyrex "meal packs" (ready to pop in the microwave at work) and spared the trash one more styrofoam box.

As a long-time environmentally-conscious consumer, I've gotten over the "weird" factor of using my own bags. I was a little concerned about what our waiter or the other restaurant patrons might think of me packing away food into my own containers (especially at two "nice" restaurants), but they didn't seem to notice. I tried to be discrete, but David purposefully caught the attention of the person who refilled our water glasses. "That's my wife!" he said, pointing to my filled container. He shakes his head when I do frugal and efficient things like that, but he secretly admires my efforts.

This works for me!