NaBloPoMo 2009 ends today

Only it's not lousy. It feels great and I would recommend participating in these monthly theme events. The one for December involves giving something to someone everyday and blogging about it.

I like the idea of giving, but I would like it better to do it anonymously.

Brussels Sprout

This is how they grow. In spirals. Cool huh?

Japanese food today

My Plate/His Plate Thanksgiving '09

Happy Thanksgiving Hello Kitty

Filled with lemon pepper. Surprisingly tasty on rice balls.

orange bento

Crab Apple Bento

Apple and chicken sausage with shiitake omelet, rice with flower detail, rice snacks, cheese, tangerine treat, date nuggets, and an organic crab apple.

I would really love a crab apple tree in the front yard. Maybe I will convince him this year.

Come on let's spend all your ...

Blue Money

I have a really clean kitchen

I don't have much to present today. I was busy in the kitchen though. Read about it here.

First I like to thank the academy and everyone who voted for me...

Awarded by gamene of the bento zen fame, I hereby succumb to a semi-random selection of seven things about me.

1. I sleep very well when I sleep. When I am stressed out, I sleep walk. I have woken up in the morning with garden soil underneath my nails more than a few times.

2. I used to find really neat things when I was a kid like skeleton keys and pocket knives, so I always thought I was lucky.

3. In adult retrospect, turns out I was lucky because I was finding those things, and not other "things" that would be less desirable, in abandon houses and isolated areas of parks that I was exploring all by myself.

4. On a long hike along a ridge in the rain, I spotted a giant maple tree in full autumn color. Its trunk was covered with moss that looked like green feathers. It was so beautiful that I gave it a hug.

5. I've never been bitten by a tick, but I've pulled a number of them off my neck. (That's what you get for hugging trees.)

6. I have conducted the Pacific Ocean waves crashing onto the cliffs like an orchestra only to turn around to a crowd of onlookers who exploded into applause. I bowed.

And 7. I dance in the kitchen.

Those of you who want this fine award consider yourself tagged. I expect seven random things about you too.

Been tagged with "What do you do with your leftover bento?"

Arkon_babe tagged me a while back, so here you go...

The question is what do I do with all the leftovers from making bento.

Like if I make a carrot star, what do I do with the carrot pieces that aren't a star?

Well, I suppose leftovers have five possible fates:

1. eaten on site by me

2. eaten on site by The Mister

3. thrown away in the garbage

4. saved in the fridge

5. saved in the freezer

I got out of the habit of composting when I moved to the country. I know that sounds counterintuitive, but when you have food scraps heaping in the backyard, you attract all sorts of attention from the local wild animals like wild pigs, rats, mice, and squirrels. Even if you put it in a well contained container, the mere possibility of a free lunch brings them around in droves. And since they anticipate yummy leftovers, they need a place to stay so why not under the house or in the engine compartment of your car.

Since I've moved to the new ranch, I've considered composting again, and since I garden, it might be a good thing to consider. But I have to admit that since I have been bento boxing, the amount of trash has drastically decreased. I think this has to do with eating more whole food and less packaged food. Although I do recycle cardboard and plastic, so much packaging is not recyclable.

But it's good to be reminded that doing simple things like composting leftovers of bento helps keep the whole process cyclic and one with the earth.

I nominate Texas Mom of 4 to be next in line.

Bon Jour! Chicken salad sandwich bento

On whole wheat with fresh fruit and a Bubbies pickle wrapped in plastic so my fruit doesn't taste like a Bubbies pickle. I think The Loaf is eyeing my bread box.

Why Did The Chicken Cross The Road Bento

Three Blind Mice Bento

I read French Bento and you know she has translation to English if you need it, and she did these little radishes that looked like mice. I have a whole story about mice when I lived in my old county home. Si didn't hunt. I think he was their den mother.

 Anyways.

A boat

Blurry Lines

This is not bento. And lines are blurring (in more ways than one). But I thought this wood cut was beautiful and it's Sunday, and I think Sunday is about beautiful good times.

We had such a fun day. I made miso soup, rice and sausages. We drank sake, looked at Japanese art, and dance to old rock and roll.

I want

Okay some people have a thing about shoes. I like bento boxes.

oh no egg salad bento

One egg was used. Cut in half and yolk removed. Bottom half of white mashed together with yolk, mustard, and mayo. Toast was cut in an egg shape and cracked in the middle. Sesame eyes and carrot beak on the face, and it is all laying on a bed of baby greens mostly red and green oak leaf lettuce.

Teriyaki Chicken Bento

There is Teriyaki Chicken under those red bell peppers.

A Veterans' Day Bento

If I could have, I would have done an artfully displayed bento representing the American flag.

Sick Day Bento

I ate some of this after I came home from work sick around 1pm.

Now I'm going to go lay down.

Tomorrow Tomorrow Is Only A Day Away

I had a single-serving frozen pizza for lunch and it was awful. I mean it wasn't frozen when I ate it. It tasted just off, and as I was eating it, I said to The Mister "You know, I had this before. I remember. But so much time has passed that I forgot. I guess we have to do this more often so I know not to buy this brand." To which he said, "Mine has trans fats." And trans fats are the kiss of death when it comes to prepared foods for The Mister.

I'm hoping for a successful bento tomorrow.

Lunch Today

We went out for Japanese food today to Shin's in SLO near the Fremont Theater. I'd rate it 2 stars out of 5. Sorry no pictures. (My PAS died.) The servings were of generous portions but the food was not so great. (Hah! I just burped it up.) Reminds of the time someone was telling me about the local truck stop restaurant.
them: "yeah greasy food"
me: "oh yeah"
them: "but lots of it!!!!"

I had to spit out my last bite at Shin's. Dang! I hate that!

Saturday's Snack

Kiwis, pears, watermelon (my own), pomegranate seeds, double cream Gouda, and pretzels turned out to be a nice snack on a cloudy day.

I made a landscape bento with rice, sausage, egg, strawberries earlier in the day that didn't work out visually. It tasted good, and I ate it without photos.

Recommended Reading For Beginners Like Me

This fun little cookbook has a variety of recipes suitable for bento as well as a regular meal such as karaage (Japanese style chicken nuggets), tonkatsu (pork cutlets), tamagoyaki (Japanese omelet), and jyagatama (potato balls). They even provide instruction on how to use chopsticks and how to set the table. And they also give you a recipe to make your own udon noodles. Now that I must try!

The Sausage Was Good

An Adult Bento

Curry chicken and vegetables on rice in my new strawberry bento box.

rich chick poor chick always smily bento

Hello Kitty Breakfast Bento

I've always had a problem with breakfast. I don't think my jaw has woken up or something. The simple act of chewing is too much effort. Of course, breakfast versus non-breakfast eaters has been studied up the gazoo and we all know it's better to eat something in the morning for energy, concentration, and avoiding the dreaded high caloric snack come mid-morning.

I still do remember those gooey cinnamon rolls my high school sold between 2 and 3 period at the little kiosk in front of the cafeteria. Yum! And in college I'd bee line to the hippie cafe for a cup of chai and a blondie at 10 a.m. sharp.

But I've never really been fat except 6 years ago when I gained about 30 pounds for no reason. I wasn't eating breakfast then either. So why should I start now? And why bento?

Well for one thing I don't like the feeling of feeling full. I want a little bit of food, usually really good quality food if I can find, afford, and not mess it up. I'm happiest with small bites.

Also I like variety. A little of this, a little of that. I just can't pound down a 20 oz steak, or even an 8 oz one. Even popcorn gets a little tedious after the second handful.

So bento doesn't have to be made small and with variety, but it can be, and because of that, it's a perfect choice for me. It's also an arranged package and hopefully pleasing to look at, and it's still new to me, and here's the kicker... I find bento amusing.

Nothing like a good attitude to start the day.

National Blog Posting Month

This badge and the smaller version on the sidebar are linked to NaBloPoMo which is November and that starts today. A lot like Blogtoberfest (which I struggled through on Judy's Notebook), NaBlogPoMo is a community of bloggers who want to post every day. And there are prizes to be had if you do. But unlike Blogtoberfest, NaBlogPoMo is very strict on the Every Day aspect of blogging. As it says in the rules, NaBloPoMo awards quantity not quality. So I will try to say something interesting, but I know you will understand if I don't.

That said - maybe you would like to join me? It would be fun to have a whole slew of bento boxers typing up a storm. Maybe we could even get a sub-category in the Food/Cooking group.