One Lunch Wednesday

Miranda is home sick; I will be going home to check on her and grab lunch at home then, so for today, Veronica is the only bento. Today is just a sandwich (crust removed with a heart shaped cutter), fruit, carrots and dressing, and granola bites.

I am waiting for pictures from Angelina and then will post her lunch.

Back to Bento

Today, it is with heavy heart that I finally come to grips with the fact that Miranda's pink bird bento box is gone. It was stolen at school. Who knew? With that, I welcome Miranda's new bento - a happy panda. I am not showing the lunch because it never (or very seldom) varies. Inside are a sandwich, grapes, and cheese. She pretty much uses the same box everyday because it is tiny and sturdy enough to fit (and now stay) in her purse. No more lockers for the bento box.

Veronica is taking her Froggie bento today. She has leftover Italian chicken fingers, potato sticks, grapes, some chocolate granola clusters and a salad. Ketchup, salad dressing, bacon bits, and sunflower seeds are in the various little containers.

Today's Bento . . . Isn't!

As much as I love the bento (and I really do), some days I need more room. Today I wanted to bring in half of a Newk's Mediterranean Personal Pizza (I ate the other half yesterday at lunch.) Bento boxes just don't accommodate leftover pizza, so I turned to India and reached for my Tiffin. A Tiffin is a stainless steel container with clips that hold the tiers together. I have a two tiered Tiffin, but have seen three and even five tiers.
So with no further ado, here is my Tiffin and the contents: a salad and my leftover pizza.

Another Day, Another Guest

Today in our guest spot, we welcome Angelina and her new Froggie bento box. This is one of the cutest I've seen; Veronica also has this box and loves it's cheerful expression. Angelina has chicken pot pie in the top tier and a green salad in half of the bottom tier. The other half of the bottom tier has cut up tomatoes and avocados. This is only the second time Angelina has packed a bento (yesterday being the first.) There seem to be two kinds of reactions to bento - some people look at you like you are ever so daft, and some people want a cute tiny lunch box of their own. Angelina is my kind of people.

Also, thanks to Chris (Angelina's husband and photographer) for capturing my favorite bento box picture ever:

Guest Spot Tuesday

Today my friend PJ sent me photos of bentos she made for her daughter - one this morning and one from yesterday. Her daughter has a "My Neighbor Totoro" bento. It comes with three tiers and is absolutely beautiful. Below are two of her recent lunches. She has a peanut butter and honey sandwich on homemade bread, carrots (in one) and salad (in the other), chips, and a doughnut hole. You can also just see the penguin dressing container peeking out of both. This is such a nice and waste free way to pack a kid's lunch - and her daughter loves taking the bento - the cute factor cannot be denied.

 

Thanks so much PJ for the pictures. I hope Veronica doesn't get too jealous of the Totoro bento once she sees it. Now I just need to get Angelina to give me a picture of her new Froggie bento box and its contents!

Another Monday, Another Bento

Sunday night, I made some potato oyaki (potato dumpling with soboro filling). Veronica and I each took one and I froze the others that didn't get eaten out of the skillet. Veronica's bento is oyaki, turkey and cheddar skewers, grapes, sliced pickles, and a salad. Mine is oyaki, pasta/tuna salad, green salad, grapes, and apple slices. Viva bento.

Veronica's bento box has cute kitties and it is a self latching box that does not need a belt. I love this one.

Bento Funny

One of my very favorite things about bento boxes is the visual presentation. I love opening the box and having a pretty, tiny feast; but I also just love the boxes themselves. Some are beautiful; some are cute; and some have the funniest sayings on them. They perk my day up so much when I use them.

Only had two to pack today. Mine is in a set of Tomo Tomo boxes. I love these little boxes. The saying on each box is: "Let's enjoy a time with me."

My lunch is some chicken/prosciutto tortellini, peas, some pasta sauce, apples, and grapes. 

 

Veronica took the Baby Zoo bento that has my very favorite inscription: "Today is a memorial day. The friend is a treasure of the life! The smile of the friends becomes my smile. The people of the around us let us smile, too." How can you not smile at that! I can't help but laugh every time. 

Her lunch today is a sidecar with strawberries, grapes, and apple slices and in the main box, tuna, a green salad, and some saltine crackers. She also has two pickle slices and her bambu spork under the lid. Remember bento is all about a lot of different tastes, but not huge amounts of any one thing.

Make an Effort Monday

I was somewhat motivated Sunday night, so I did a lot of prep work and packed bentos for Miranda, Veronica and I. I threw together a pasta salad that had Miranda's interest and she asked to take some instead of her ubiquitous peanut butter sandwich.
So Miranda's bento was pasta salad, grapes, strawberries, and a mini Snickers bar that I snuck in and she probably won't eat. It is in her traditional box. It is pink and bears the legend: "Bonjour les fleurs! Les deux oiseaux volent toujours ensemble, Que nous passions une bonne journee!"

 

  

Veronica took a mini shepherds pie I popped out of the freezer and cooked the night before, some salad (dressing in the blue case, sunflower seeds and bacon bits in the little green container),grapes and strawberries. The box is one of my favorites because is says: "Dolphins are the warm hearted guides to the masic world." We don't know what the masic world is, but we're glad dolphins can take us there.

Finally, my lunch was three shumai, soy sauce, strawberries, some pasta salad, a little hot mustard (in the yellow container),and a green salad (with a little cheddar cheese and sunflower seeds). This box is a Hakoya brand box - very elegant and simple. I like it a lot.

Meat and Potatoes Tuesday

The day after Labor Day brings us some leftover steak and baked potato. Veronica has this and some grapes, ketchup(little blue cup), and carrots with ranch dressing (in the other cup.) The bento is a new one that reflects (in an odd way), Veronica's interest in marine biology.

 

So, on a hectic morning I did manage to get three bentos made up and out the door. (I also managed to get the three of us out the door WITH bentos in hand.) The sidecar is full of chocolate cat shaped cookies for Veronica.

Slap Dash Wednesday

I have been coming down with something (a cold or whatever) so my energy level is low. The result is the following slapped together bento. Bottom tier: two hard boiled eggs, ranch dressing with carrots and lettuce for a salad. Top tier: strawberries, Hot and Spicy Cheez Its, cat shaped cookies, and a little container with bacon bits and sunflower seeds for the salad. In the bottom picture, the little monkey is a salt shaker for the eggs.