Columnist Muriel Stevens: New boxes are truly out to lunch

Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2005 | 8:18 a.m.

Among the many new back-to-school items on the market are updated versions of lunchboxes. The usual hard lunchboxes are still around, but these soft-side lunch totes are quite stylish.

Office Max has a selection of cool lunch totes in a variety of styles and colors (not all Office Max stores carry the same selection) at a good range of prices ($3.99 to $9.99). Walgreens lunch totes are $7.99. Target's insulated lunch kits are $6.88.

The pink plaid handbag style is neat. Some of the totes include a detachable water bottle.

Make certain that the size of the tote is the right size for the child who has to tote it. Ditto for children's backpacks.

Food safety for lunch totes: Plan ahead. Most plain sandwiches can be frozen. Cheese, peanut butter and jelly, cream cheese, deli meats and such can be slipped into plastic sandwich bags and stored in the freezer in a plastic shoe box for five days. Let the kids choose one.

Add separate small bags of vegetable sticks (carrots and celery are faves) and boxes of raisins or dried fruits. The sandwich will be thawed by lunchtime.

Mailing a perishable food gift: It is best not to mail perishable foods to military troops. Conditions are, at best, unstable. There are some Italian and kosher-style salamis that can survive most situations. Hard and highly seasoned, these sausages would please any gyrene.

Wrap well in moisture-proof paper, then in heavy duty aluminum foil. Seal well. Line a styrofoam box with bug-proof shelf paper. Put in the salamis. Fill every empty space with styrofoam peanuts. Place in a mailing box.

Fed Ex does not share packing advice, but the rep I spoke to said coffee cans also work. If the salamis fit, use one.

Seal well the mailing box and over-wrap with transparent tape to protect the address label.

For more information about food safety visit fightbac.org.

Seasonal Ins and Outs: Fall is right around the corner, so go through your closets, drawers and medicine cabinets and throw OUT last season's trends and get IN.

This, according to American Beauty, which is hawking a new fragrance called wonderful, a "romantic floral" with a base of Mackayi orchid.

Other ins and outs:

IN: Vacationing in Africa to make a difference in the lives of underprivileged children.

OUT: Sunning in St. Bart's and sipping Mai Tais.

IN: Driving an affordable, eco-friendly Toyota Prius.

OUT: Cruising down Rodeo Drive in a gas-guzzling, off-road SUV.

IN: Eating in moderation and enjoying a healthy exercise routine.

OUT: Fad diets that force you to cut out carbs to lose weight rapidly.

IN: The smell of success.

OUT: The smell of last year's cologne.

IN: Ashley Judd as the face of a good-girl fragrance such as wonderful.

OUT: Britney Spears as the face of a bad-girl fragrance such as Curious.

My take: Angelina Jolie is the real thing. Her financial and humanitarian efforts on behalf of Africa's suffering children is no publicity stunt. She has endangered her own life in an effort to help these children and has encouraged others to adopt a child as she has. Jolie now has two adopted children.