Judy's Bento Box

Welcome 2012 bento

2012-01-17T11:44:00.000-08:00

Happy lucky wild fun yummy hopeful daring and altogether pleasant new year to you!

This at home bento was yesterday's Martin Luther King Jr. birthday/federal holiday lunch.

Rice balls with a miniature pickled plum. Just add hot water miso soup with tofu. Teri-chicken, kale, black pepper omelet, rainbow cherry tomatoes, and radishes with their tails.

New Bento Gear

2012-01-16T10:26:00.000-08:00

Kokeshi Bento Boxes

Kokeshi Beckoning Cat in parts

Sakon Bento Box

A card that came with the bento box

Sakon looks like Clancey

Dog and Elephant touch noses

Dog and Elephant bento box by Katoh

Pretty blue band

Kokku Sushi Take-Out

2012-01-09T12:55:00.000-08:00

Sake Sunday and sushi take-out have met. We went to our favorite Japanese restaurant this Saturday only to discover they no longer serve lunch on the weekends. Terrible! So were started to list off the alternatives and figured we give a try to the one we have never been to, Kokku Sushi. A read "fast food" sushi place.

It had people in there for a lunch hour. Well, that's a good sign. And it has been around for awhile. Another good sign. I ordered combination sushi (a California roll and five nigiri), combination tempura (five vegetable and five shrimp), and two bowls of miso soup.

Came home and plated it up in Mum bento boxes and various little plates.

It was edible. The soup was a little salty. The tempura was a little soggy (probably a by-product of being take-out). The sushi was, well, I'm still alive with no GI problems, and the sushi rice was quite good.

The sake was excellent, of course, served up in my new dragonfly jug and cups that Santa left for me under the tree.

Blown away

2011-12-27T15:11:00.000-08:00

The folks over at SushiPro put my bento blog in their top ten list. Talk about Surprise! Seriously!

You must see the other nine. What an honor to be in their company. Thank you SushiPro!

Rabbit Snack Attack

2011-12-12T15:50:00.000-08:00

Three rabbits drive on route601 and Judy attacks 6 blackberries and 100 pom seeds.

Pom looks like porn when you're hungry.

Mashed Taters & Gravy Bento

2011-12-01T09:54:00.001-08:00

I took a Mr. Bento to work the other day. I might have mentioned that my work space is cold, as in ice box cold, when it is cold outside, so a warm lunch seems critical to my sense of comfort.

Hence comfort food!

I'm sparing you the really gruesome pics of the other parts of this bento. Did you know florescent lights make ugly bento photos?

Ploughwoman's Lunch Bento

2011-11-20T11:37:00.001-08:00

It was a dark and stormy morning...
Or so it seems from this picture.

I had visited the very fine cheese shop over the weekend for parma to make risotto and left with brie, double cream gouda, olives, and salami too. We visited some of these ingredients in my last bento, and we'll visit a few more here.

The traditional ploughwoman's lunch has bread, cold meat, cheese, fruit, and pickles. Dear Goddess, how could I've forgotten the pickle!

Well, I made up for it with that sweet little container full of organic dijon mustard. And all organic blueberries, raspberries, and tiny tomatoes from my garden.

It's hard working out in the field all day. A good and hearty lunch is always important.

It's good to be plastic: a story of Mr. Lion and Mr. Mouse

2011-11-11T17:21:00.001-08:00

There once was a lion who dreamed of a brie and ham baguette sandwich. He slept in peace until...

A very small radish mouse under a pineapple bush woke him. And the lion was so angry he said he would eat the little mousy just in spite.

Mr. Mouse yelled from his mini greens home. No no Mr. Lion, take my olives instead.

But Mr. Lion said he did not like olives, and he eyed a few tomatoes instead.

I'll take these. Mr. Lion roared.

Yes please, said Mr. Mouse. Wouldn't you like a few blueberries too?

And please help yourself to a raspberry, Mr. Lion, said Mr. Mouse.

Mr. Lion ate all the raspberries and was quite happy.

He was feeling mighty full now but wanted a crisp something...

Perhaps a radish would taste refreshing right now, said Mr. Lion.

Wait, cried Mr. Mouse, that ham and brie baguette could be yours.

Mr. Lion considered.

And then Judy ate the radish and the sandwich, and Mr. Lion laughed a hearty laugh.

The berries were mighty sweet today, he told Mr. Loaf Bento Box in the soapy water of the kitchen sink.

Carbolicious Bento

2011-11-04T13:05:00.000-07:00

This was lunch last Tuesday. Petite penne in a cheese sauce with shiitake mushrooms. And grapes, a perfect snacking food.

Somebody is watching me Bento

2011-10-14T15:51:00.000-07:00

Seems like a good time to break out the Mio boxes.

This bento features raspberries on a bed of lettuce on the bottom tier. Teriyaki chicken, one half of a turkey and cream cheese bagel sandwich, and toasted seed bread cut long strips in the upper tier. A side of lemon curd in the smallest of my stackable Mio squares.

There's nothing to eat, Mr. Bento

2011-10-08T21:50:00.001-07:00

There's nothing to eat, Mr. Bento, a photo by Judy's Notebook on Flickr.

There's plenty to eat, but nothing looks good, and I want to be served too. All this rushing around before work to make sure I'm not just gulping down a bag o' chips and Dr. Pepper. Life is tough.

Oh boo hoo.

So I got out the old Mr. Bento and marveled at just how much space needs to be filled. Pickles and grapes fit into the smaller rounds nicely. A bean and cheese quesadilla sizzled in the stove. Easy and crunchy. My new motto?

Rolled some lovely scrambled organic eggs and used pups and penguins picks for some tasty salami. Lots of protein proportionately, but this lunch was perfect for the cold rainy day.

I think autumn may be here at last.

Gerry the Giraffe gets a round bento

2011-08-26T16:21:00.000-07:00

I didn't notice how round this bento was till I looked at the photos. I mean, had I thought of it, I would have cut the dill pickles in round slices, then the roundness would be complete.

No, this bento was made for the rice, which has a calming effect, which I needed.

The champagne grapes were so sweet like candy, and the blueberries were divine as well. I used green accessories because I didn't have anything green to eat, but wait, the dill pickles are green. That counts!

These dills were also very garlicky, so they got a wrap in cellophane.

The really fun addition here is the Ko-Umeboshi. I bought a jar from Gold Mine Natural Food, a cool online resource.

I love my leafy Totoro bento box too.

Blue Cat Bento

2011-08-12T14:56:00.000-07:00

Not much out there in the natural world that is blue. The sky, okay. Blueberries, yep. But what else?

That is why I'd like the thank the makers of Almond Joy's pieces for their blue candies. Nothing says I'm completely artificial like blue candy.

But does the blue cat care? No no. Giant radish mice burrow in the giant radish rose and le bleu chat would like to spring over the peanut butter and cream cheese wraps and dance on top of the luscious orange honeydew to get to the lovely candy coated milk chocolate almond flavor pieces.

Too bad kitty kitty meow meow you must hang out with my standard faire of double cream gouda, marinated olives, and black peppered baby backs.

Aww don't look so sad.

At least you got to ride in the strawberry box.

Remember Me Bento

2011-08-05T23:13:00.000-07:00

This charming box was one of the first ones I purchased two years ago when I started to bento. It adorns the header of this blog, my twitter page, and many photos in the old flickr account. I love it!

This box is also rather large and I find that size is an important aspect of my bento experience. I need a variety of proteins, a good dose of fruit and veggies, and whatever else sounds good.

I always pack my bento in the morning but often plan the night before or even days before trying to make dishes that will be good served as leftovers.

Teriyaki sesame chicken is a fabulous lunch. Tasty cold. So are garlic fried shiitakes - that's what is in the cup with the heart jeweled pick. Picks are a great way to add a smile to lunchtime.

Here's the whole shebang. In the same box as the chicken, there is fruit, as in cherries and cut up nectarines. In the other box is cucumber sushi and soy sauce in a pig on one side, and fresh cucumber pickles and dill pickle slices with an egg dish called Tamagoyaki (Japanese-style omlette) inspired by a recipe in The Manga Cookbook.

orange you a good pup

I started this blog 9.10.09 and during the first year I had a blast buying, making, and eating bentos. This past year I fell out of the groove, primarily due to the severe illness of a dear friend. It was the same for all my blogs actually. I just couldn't write or think about writing.

Well, I'm back now, I think, so I'll see you around.

Bear diet bento

2011-07-08T11:58:00.001-07:00

Bear diet bento, a photo by Judy's Notebook on Flickr.

Almond butter burger (homemade bun), cherries, blueberries, plums, and walnuts. Also a nice big thermos of Stash white and green fusion iced tea sweetened with honey.

Open Roasted Sesame Seed Bento

2011-05-27T15:17:00.000-07:00

This lovely big bento has a four-square meal. Teriyaki chicken leftovers with shiitake, part of a sliced fuji apple, rice with roasted sesame seed grounded on top, and shredded cabbage in a oil and vinegar dressing.

The lunch was very nicely balanced in its simplicity and quite filling without being boring, partially because of all the mix and match flavors.

Plus this box makes me smile because I really loved the movie, Kiki's Delivery Service.

Do you have a favorite Hayao Miyazaki film?

bunnies in the poppies bento

2011-04-25T11:13:00.001-07:00

bunnies in the poppies bento, a photo by Judy's Notebook on Flickr.

Shiitake mushrooms rolled in an egg sheet with sushi rice and carrot flowers.

Asparagus, carrots, red pepper, tomatoes, marzipan, and apple bunnies.

This is one of my favorite boxes. Do you have a favorite box that makes you smile?

happy bunny day

2011-04-24T11:39:00.001-07:00

happy bunny day, a photo by Judy's Notebook on Flickr.

Long time no see Mr. Bento bento

2011-04-08T20:18:00.000-07:00

I haven't tackle a Mr. Bento bento in a long time and was surprised to see very little recent activity on the Mr. Bento Flickr group. I wonder was it just a phase for some? Bento is certainly going strong, but maybe thermal bento - hot or cold - is beyond prime. Any thoughts on this are surely welcomed, or if I am mistaken and the troop has moved to a different camp, please let me know.

Now for the details. This was my Thursday bento. Thursdays are my long days and I found that I don't want to feel hungry at work because it makes me kind of grumpy and I don't want to be grumpy because well, who wants to be grumpy?

So clockwise, starting with the top left round, raw spinach, tiger pick, hummus, grape tomatoes, big fat green olives, double cream Gouda. Yum!

Next round, smoked turkey and smoked Fontina on an onion bagel with Dijon and mayo. Yum!

Next round, fresh pineapple (just cut in fact) with a happy lion pick and a marzipan strawberry. A bite of marzipan with a pineapple chunk equals bliss!

Next round, blueberry yogurt.

I ate everything but the yogurt and now when I look at this picture, I think I know why.

chips and dip bento

2011-03-28T22:41:00.000-07:00

Dear Blogger,

You have been giving me a headache lately. I try and try again and try a few more times to download pictures to no avail. So I try again next week and the week after, and yes finally the pictures appear. But now this bento is ancient history. Don't do that again.

Your faithful bogged down blogger,

J

Dear Bento People,

How's life? Did you know I actually eat green salads? I do. Even with chips and dip bento, I eat a large strawberry and baby greens as organic as I can find them.

The nomade bear reclines for me as I cannot whilst working my fingers to the bone. The bear says time for nap and I say time for a snack.

Power up it's 3 p.m. I'll see you on the flipside.

Cheers!

J

I wanna go home.

A Spring Fling

2011-03-21T23:11:00.000-07:00

I've been off the bento bus lately. Oh I'll be back, I'm sure. It's just that I start work later in the day now (and I finish later - much to Si's distress), so bringing bento is less of a meal and more of a snack. (Well, that never stopped me before, now did it?)

But in the interlude - these are earrings I bought from Sheri of the famous Happy Little Bento. I blogged about it here. I noticed she is making more of them, and they are so cute!

I think I'll wear mine tomorrow with a dark turtleneck and my hair pulled back in a ponytail. I always get the nicest compliments when I wear them!

Deconstructed Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich Bento

2011-02-26T14:43:00.000-08:00

I'm back in the groove of making bread, so for lunch this past Wednesday I decided to bring various spreads and crackers and bread. Black raspberry fruit spread, peanut butter, and marmalade in one box, and hummus in its very own container box so as not to taint the others.

Chocolate-covered almonds from a local nut house, and chocolate-covered raisins, Brazil nuts, and raspberry newtons occupy another box. This box lasted three lunches.

Nesting boxes are particularly handy when some items should be kept chilled while other need not be. They are also handy because the sweets and nuts box can come to work everyday to ward off the 3pm hunger monster. Believe me that candy box is not my daily portion!

Don't forget the tangerine.

Don't be gone forever road trip bento

2011-02-18T17:36:00.000-08:00

Some handy finger food for a road trip.

Fried chicken sliced into bite-sized pieces.

Oh my darlin' Clementine tangerines.

Rice flowers with carrot trim.

Round and Round We Go Bento

2011-02-13T14:41:00.000-08:00

This is a lovely little two-tiered round bento that closes with a Velcro-type strap.

I made twin snacks for him and her. She gets the carrot jewel ring and he gets the pickle (filled with sake).

Both have sushi rice with carrot butterflies and flowers. (It's monarch butterfly season here on the west coast.) Included as well are teriyaki beef and marinated seaweed salad. Portions are small and snack-like.

Those chopsticks on the left are shaped like the chocolate-dipped cookies, Pocky! (Because I'm a kid at heart!)

..where we stop, nobody knows!

A Little Bento Love

2010-12-11T17:06:00.000-08:00

I made this bento last week for Tuesday's lunch. Little rice balls with Nama Shoyu and Hello Kitty kimchee sprinkles, a couple slices of steak in the top tier. The other tier has homemade cucumber pickles, garlic olives, and artichoke heart slices with a dollop of mayo.

I still love bento, so here's a little bento love.

Ray of Light Bento

2010-10-11T19:58:00.000-07:00

Leftovers, sigh, leftovers.

This couldn't have been any better. From a Kai Lana Sushi and Seafood lunch with the addition of tiny red tomatoes and a hardy white wine.

Ooo OooLaLaLa, Bento for Two

2010-10-08T18:36:00.000-07:00

"You got me and I got you." Country Joe and the Fish

Teriyaki chicken thighs, two radish mice, rice and mini ume, purple pepper butterfly with Brussels Sprouts in brown butter, and a carrot mum.

Black & Gold hot sake.

Bento Book

2010-09-20T16:36:00.000-07:00

I received this book from Japan today. It's quite the picture book for a bento fan like myself. It's written in Japanese, so my guess is that each bento entry is associated with a train station and has a list of contents. Notice the little picture underneath the big picture. I think that is the entire package as it is when purchase.

So cute! I feel like traveling around Japan by train to sample each bento.

Plumy Bento

2010-09-17T15:07:00.000-07:00

Here's my bento for this week. Vitamin Water in dragon fruit flavor, Mio, two different kinds of plums, blueberries, five raspberries, Totoro box with two chicken drumettes that are roasted with Panko crumbs, organic wheat crackers and rice Chex, le Brie (so cute), and a V8.

I'm trying to eat only organic fruits and vegetables, and I haven't been finding any good organic baby greens lately. It's that time of year. Supermarket lettuce taste awful to me. Sometimes I can't tell the difference in taste between organic and non-organic, but with lettuce I can. I think it's the water they spray on them in the store.

It seems hypocritical (even to me) that I support organic farming, then turnaround and drink corporate vegetable juice and flavored water, not to mention the fake brie, but can I say something in my defense?

I used to juice. I probably will again too. It is time consuming and a mess and really healthy for you. You have to be committed to it - the buying fresh organic veggies, the making, the cleaning, and the immediate consumption. That's right. In order to get the maximum vitamins and goodness, you must consume the juiced veggies straight away. But it's like another thing in the morning added to the long list of things in the morning and I just can't hack it. Right now. Maybe someday. We'll see.

My First Blogoversary

2010-09-10T17:23:00.000-07:00

This four-square box is a Lock-n-Lock which to me sounds an awful lot like lock and load but no matter.

No those are not black olives.

I made these cute little meat pie purses filled with cooked chicken and mashed potatoes. They work really well in lunches. They can be eaten warm or cold in just a couple of bites. Super yummy!

Yes they are black grapes supposedly seedless, but they do have something hard inside that I have to spit out.

Watercress with baby carrots (true baby carrots) and Juliet tomatoes from my garden.

Cottage cheese, that I tend to eat immediately when I get to work.

An Asian pear - lordy I love Asian pears!

Two Boxes

2010-09-05T13:23:00.000-07:00

I received some new bento gear from Japan the other day. These two lovely boxes are just the right size for a small lunch for me. The fish came with a cute little fork and the upper tier has a snap down lid like tupperware. The round flower came with a padded velcro strap presumably because an elastic band would slip off too easily because of the roundness.

I don't know if you can tell but in the upper right-hand corner is a sesame seed grinder, well it is the box that the grinder came in. I've already used the grinder on teri-chicken. However I think I'll toast the seed first for a stronger flavor. It is a handy device although a mortar and pestle would work too.

The boxes are from J-List and the grinder is from Japanistic.

Do you Bento and Read?

2010-08-28T16:48:00.000-07:00

I'm starting a book club on my other blog. It is quite casual. Read one of the two choices and come back at the end of the month and say what you will. If you have already read the choices, then you may pick something else. I'm fairly lenient.

And this is play as you go, so no hard commitments. I know life gets busy.

But it might fun to exercise a little gray matter this change of seasons.

The button and the link are over on the right. (The lady dressed in white.)

I call the club "The Classics Book Club."

Let me know if you're interested.

My First Year of Bento

2010-08-25T19:08:00.000-07:00

On my first week of bento, my true love said to said to me,
"Seriously! Are you taking pictures of your lunch!?!"
(little did he know...)

After that, my second week of bento I knew I'd have to separate my bento life from my foodie life or else I would be overwhelmed. And back then my foodie life was and still is connected to my garden, so my favorite links are different than my favorite bento links. Oh well, another day, another blog.

So I launched Judy's Bento Box on 9/10/09, and my first post was a bento I made for The Mister to share with a co-worker.

Also in making the header to my new blog I had to add a few pictures of Si because I didn't have enough bento pictures in Flickr to make the checkered banner that I still use. I am thinking of changing the banner soon because I like to redecorate. What do you think?

My second post on Judy's Bento Box (which the title I've now learn is redundant because bento means box) was an attempt at Donburi. Seriously I don't know what I'm doing, but as usual, I'm full of it, that is, information, from Just Bento and I even link to Maki's recipe and her site.
I think I'm totally hot taters!

On my third post and my third week's worth of bentos, there were zero comments. Zero.
Bam! My little bubble went pop!

(And that's all right. I don't need comments. I don't need followers. I don't need friends. Just a pillow to cry myself to sleep.)

Turns out this past year has been super, and this little bento box community is full of wonderful people.

We have artists and fantastic photographers. Inspirational chefs and entrepreneurs. The number of bento books that came just this year is wild crazy. It feels like I've jumped on board just in time, and there's so much more to come.

Thanks for reading. Thanks for sharing. And most of all Thanks for understanding that cute little boxes make eating more fun!

ps the bento pictured above was made in late July and the picture was altered in Flickr.

Winnie the Pooh Sandwich Bento

2010-08-07T20:38:00.000-07:00

Winnie gets lost in a pretzel bamboo forest even though his friends have left flags showing him where Pooh home and Pooh garden is. Winnie doesn't notice. His brains are cream cheese and peanut butter. Where is that pot of honey?

A single layer box with a tight fitting top.

Cute bag carries the lunch.

C'est un nomade...

2010-07-25T11:07:00.000-07:00

This is a wonderful little box. I love the pale turquoise and yellow combination and the little backpack the bear wears. The bear is not happy or sad, just traveling dot dot dot.

I used to walk everywhere when I was a child and young adult. That's quite an accomplishment growing up in Southern California. I knew all the routes that didn't have mean dogs. I'd strap on the pack, wear comfortable shoes, and get cruising dot dot dot

Here's one of my lunches last week. Ham and cheese on baguette, lettuce, mango, radishes, celery, and a plum.

Ribs for Lunch on Thursday

2010-07-17T20:34:00.000-07:00

This is my Kiki's Delivery Box. Nice and big to hold two baby back ribs and a big old container of hummus. The penguin pick is for the blueberries. The crackers for the hummus. The pickle for crunchy deliciousness. The kimchee for my health.

Go to the very bottom of this blog and feed the goldfish. Peace.

Happy Hump Day Hello Kitty Bento

2010-07-16T15:55:00.000-07:00

Oh My Goodness! If you have never tried cut peaches and blueberries together, you must! So Good! Better than candy! A +++++.

The other side: eh. Hummus in a bell pepper cup that is shaped like a heart. Carrot jewels and butterflies. Pecans.

Hello Kitty Thermos filled with ice and water.

And we're off!

As seen on What's for Lunch Wednesday right here. What did you have for lunch on Wednesday?

Love Blueberries Bento

2010-07-13T19:34:00.000-07:00

Today's bento! I actually am posting a picture the actual day of the bento!

The lovely cheese bagel bento (which is a whole wheat bagel) was inspired by Hapa Bento parting bento gifts to her recent travelers. I mean you gotta admit that is one thoughtful person. Yay Ms. Debra! (I want to be her next door neighbor, don't you?)

Other goodies in the stainless steel bento called EcoBox are pigs-in-a-rug (made new yesterday), a gummy kiwi (OMG love it!), two donut peaches, and two hearts filled with booberries with a turtle pick.

The Mister made away with the rest of the pecans this morning for his lunch. oh well. Time to stock up again.

Three Amigos Bento

2010-07-12T14:56:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday I took this nutritious lunch to work with me. It really was a jungle out there!

The sandwich box, the yellow one with the holes, had whole grain crackers, whole wheat bagel with PB, a donut peach whole, donut peach cut up, and a piggie in a blanket.

The front box had pickles, carrots, celery, jicama, hummus, pecans, and my three amigos holding pieces of white cheese in the shape of a star.

They're really cute with their covers, aren't they?

Jicama Mumms Bento

2010-07-10T12:00:00.000-07:00

This is Wednesday's bento and yes, that is a whole wheat bagel (good) filled with pastrami (bad) and two little pigs in blankets with a side of mustard. Bon Jour! Ms. Judy!

Love this box, my smiling Loaf.

The bottom layer we have blueberries, carrots and celery, pecans, hummus, and a lion hiding amongst the jicama mumms.

I was so tempted to put eyes on that bagel.

As seen on What's for lunch at our house: what's for lunch Wednesday.

She was an American Girl bento

2010-06-29T20:55:00.000-07:00

If I had a pub, an American pub, I'd probably serve sliders and beans and fries too. I'd serve plenty of vegetarian dishes too. I was vegetarian for awhile, and eating out was the hardest thing. Everything looked delish except for the veg plate. Slab of tofu on rice, anyone.

This is leftover. Beef sliders with Colby/Monterey Jack cheese and pinquintos beans with Mexican cheese were made by me the night before.

Below are sides for the sliders: sliced pickles, tomatoes slices, red leaf lettuce, and Bob's Bleu Cheese Dressing in the kiwi container. On the left: watermelon balls. Summertime!

This is the sides box closed.
With the cute TOTORO!

both of my polar bear boxes bento

2010-06-27T12:27:00.000-07:00

These are my two polar bear bento boxes. The white one has a cool gel in the lid that you freeze to keep a small box of, in this case, cut up watermelon super cool. The aqua color case has lock down lid with a polar bear wearing a striped t-shirt. In that box, I packed vinegar rice on the bottom and teri-chicken with a bottle of soy sauce and a few dill pickles in the top.

The background is my dreary desk, so now you know why I need my lunchtime smile.

I did another polar bear bento way back near the beginning of my bento career. It's fun to look back at my attempts to be innovative with bento. Though sometimes it just comes down to time.

Mr. Bento is such a stud!

2010-06-19T17:38:00.000-07:00

Mr. Bento came to work with me this past week.

I made a batch of teriyaki chicken as per hapa bento's suggestion to have a bento stash. Good idea hapa bento! (She's having a giveaway too!)

Also made a quick chili with black olives. The crisper was bare, so no additional veggies, darn it. But lots of cheese melted in (which is why it looks so orange) (that and lovely florescence lights at work).

Organic wheat thin styled crackers. So good. And Botan Rice candies! smile smile smile

Hard egg that is sliced-o-matic, hummus, pickles, raspberries, and bacon.

I can never say "bacon" again without sounding like that dog in that commercial.

Notice the background? That's my beachy desk - all speckled with sand.

Cheery Cherry Bento

2010-06-09T19:55:00.000-07:00

Hello!

Bento today was in my lovely pink narrow box. Not too complicated though. More of my pastys. Cherries. And a nice chunk of chocolate.

My ode to Wednesday.

Pastys and pearls bento

2010-06-08T22:55:00.000-07:00

I had a lot of fun making these pastys for this bento. Those are tiny mozzarella's balls (pearls) with a garlic chive flower on top and in the middle a side of cherries. The bottom box is kiwi cherries hummus and toast. Guess the shape of toast and win a book recommendation.

Hey, it's what I do best. The recommending, that is.

Deliver me bento

2010-05-31T17:14:00.000-07:00

This was last Thursday's lunch. The end of work in the merry month of May when just about everything went wrong. (Is Mercury in retrograde?)

Everything in work, that is. Home life was fine. Cooking meals and gardening were terrific, but work sucked. And I have to get over it and move on because it's a new month tomorrow.

I like to turn a new leaf.

A couple of bentos I made this week

2010-05-21T16:21:00.000-07:00

I made the pork curry the night before with sweet peppers and shiitake mushrooms and carrots. For some reason Thai spiciness does not bother me like some other spicy cuisines.

I really wanted a warm lunch, so I separated the curry and rice from snacks and raw vegetables using my ecobox. I was going to separate the curry from the rice with a lettuce baran, but that would make the lettuce all wilty and really wouldn't work anyways. So I used a little glass bowl instead.

This wasn't a very successful bento at work. The whole thing was a bit of a mess.

Wednesday I woke up late and didn't have time to make a bento much less photograph it, but Thursday I put together a Mio Mio bento with my big and little Mio boxes. There's a half of a pita filled with Seal Cove brie, and the other half is plain to go with my hummus. Some radishes, blueberries, and strawberries with a sweet pepper flower, and a flower rice ball with a bottle of soy sauce.

Cute little green-eyed kitty probably wanted tuna instead.

Panda Canapes

2010-05-17T16:57:00.000-07:00

For the rain, for the train I made a few of these dark rye, cream cheese, and smoked salmon canapes.

Bento at work

2010-05-13T21:19:00.000-07:00

The inside of this bento was not particularly pretty. Bottom layer was chicken and rice and the top layer was cut veggies and a kiwi gummie. The ranch dressing was a side for veggies and rye crackers (not shown), and the seaweed WANT WANT crackers, V8, and rice candy filled out the meal.

That is my desk top, and this bento was consumed at work.

Chicken Salad Bento

2010-05-11T20:52:00.000-07:00

Top box which is really the bottom box has rice that was left crusty from the rice cooker with soy and vinegar in blue and pink containers and kimchee furikake in the Hello Kitty canister.

Next box has radishes and roasted red peppers, pickles, carrots, and chicken salad with capers.

All in my lovely Sleeping Mio the Cat box from Japanistic.com. Cute pink miceys!

May 6 - A week of bentos for my inner child

2010-05-09T11:13:00.000-07:00

I'm liking those crackers that Amanda gave me for my birthday. Yeah Amanda!

The little round Blue bento holds Neanderthal Gazpacho made by The Mister. Did I ever blog the recipe? Will check into that. He uses kiwis and it's quite delicious. Found it!

Happy Mother's Day!

May 5 - A week of bentos for my inner child

2010-05-08T10:48:00.000-07:00

Okay okay so it looks a little similar to yesterday's bento. No chicken and I've added three milk duds and a couple chunks of double cream gouda. Still got the kim chee and berries and nuts. So let me expand on this morning process (since I almost always make bento in the morning and since I'm almost always in a rush).

I want you to see what I walk out the door with.

Starting in the top left, I put in a coldpac, that's the blue thing, spoon and fork, Yoplait key lime whip (that's in, not out), and the kim chee on the coldpac. Top right, I add the other two little round boxes, and a small container of hummus (yum!), and rye crackers. Bottom, my cowboy lunch box filled with bento!

So friends, is it a bento if it's put in a lunch box?

May 4 bento - A week of bentos for my inner child

2010-05-07T17:58:00.000-07:00

I like my crackers to be crunchy, my kim chee to be cold, my chicken untainted, and my berries not fainted.

I'm using two of the new little round boxes purchased from Japanistic. The silver round came with my Eco Box probably meant for a side of sauce, and that glass dish is a Martha Stewart container for leftovers.

I decided the kim chee had to go in the metal container. It would wreck plastic, and indeed it did stain the plastic lid. Anyone know how to get that off?

White chicken meat was leftover from the dinner before.

Blueberries, radish, strawberry, and a grape tomato sit on baby greens.

Pistachios and snack crackers with one, and only one rice paper candy.

No emoto eating bento

2010-04-29T16:13:00.000-07:00

I didn't want to stand in the kitchen and eat a whole pot of rice, but I was going to.

I didn't want to stand at the fridge and eat all of yesterday's leftovers either.

I guess they call this emotional eating when you eat and eat to block out an emotion like sadness.

I'm sad and happy too, but mostly sad because time marches on, and it's great to be 25 years old and you can go anywhere and do anything and your whole life is the future. But you can be sad at 25 because of hormones or your partner doesn't love you as much as you want or your job sucks.

So you think when I'm older, I'll have my sh*t together. I will. I love the people that love me back. I'll do the things that are fun. I'll have employment that is right for me.

And if you're smart, that is what happens. Things work out for you because you work on them. Hey life isn't easy. It takes a little concentration.

And now I have the partner, the job, the lack of drama (ahhhh!) and I really can't climb mountains anymore (literally) because my joints kinda hurt, but Hey I'm Still Standing! Yeah.

Only. Only. Now I'm old.

Mio - Black Cat Bento

2010-04-28T22:22:00.000-07:00

I sort of get this look when the old man Si is licking a plastic bag. "What?" "Who me?"

Yeah you know it. Caught.

I bought these super cute nesting bento boxes from Japanistic. I am currently into nesting boxes because my life and cupboard space has been taken over by bento!

Plus nesting bento provides me the very best in portion control. Largest: chocolate. Smallest: peas.

Just kidding - all you healthy rockin bento nuts!

You could actually win this contest!

2010-04-23T21:37:00.000-07:00

A few nights ago I rediscovered this fun little time waster, and I was off and running.

Words are important and so are ideas. And I need a few for my birthday.

So Bento People near and far, please enter my birthday contest and help make my day.

(Heck, you guys have the upper hand here because we share a passion.)

Bentoin' all week with you

2010-04-17T18:55:00.000-07:00

Monday ! Tuesday ! Bento Days!

Leftover panko chicken and stuffed peppers, and vegetables and brie and crackers.

Mixed salad, chicken sausage and rolled omelet, carrots and tomatoes and hummus, cookies and candy.

Wednesday ! Thursday ! Bento Days!

Tomatoes and mangoes chunked, hummus and peanut butter with bread sticks and kumquats.

Heirloom tomatoes and cottage cheese and a carrot star and thinly sliced radish, pecans and orange slices and bell pepper and carrots and strawberries

Yay!

Bamboo Bento

2010-04-09T19:00:00.000-07:00

For the inaugural use of my Springtime Totoro bento box, I have done pandas playing in a bamboo forest made of cucumber sandwiches with carrot jewels and blueberries (which are jewels for the body).

The cottage cheese rabbit is feasting on curly kale and two radish mice are trying to hide under the bread stick wood pile.

The bamboo sandwich idea came from the very first bento, that was made by Nedalin Malle, that I put in my Elegant Bento Gallery on Flickr.

Galleries are a great way to keep the pictures that inspire you close at hand. A lot like favorite-ing a photo, galleries are more like finding a theme and building a collection. I recommend trying this fun feature in Flickr.

I plan to go back to adding and deleting (only 18 pictures are allowed to a single gallery) to this gallery to see if I can get a single representation of an elegant bento from 18 bento artists.

Alice is my bag

2010-04-03T20:23:00.000-07:00

When I told the clerk at the shop what I planned on doing with this fabric, she said dully, "How nice." I'm all about educating the masses so I went on (a bit like trying to save myself from drowning), "You know bentos? They're little boxes that hold food for lunch. Very Japanese!" That was met with a smile, sort of. After a moment or two, she said, "Well it is very cute fabric."

And it is cute! Just like bentos!

After I bought my nesting Alice in Wonderland bentos, I thought I might make a bag to go with them. I have a bag for my red Hello Kitty bento box and my black strawberry bento box, and of course, Mr. Bento has a bag as well.

Bags work well with me. They're cute and contained. And the bag kind of protects the box. I would also like to try the whole art of wrapping the bento box in fabric, Furoshiki, and (I guess) use the fabric as tablecloth or napkin. I have to research this art form.

So check back sometime... I will blog the bag when it's finished.

Bunnie Bento

2010-03-29T16:18:00.000-07:00

My super thin Paris bento box makes a debut here with rice balls, meatballs and a slice of tomato in the bottom layer. The white lid with chopsticks seals that layer. The top layer has strawberries, lettuce, some Mike and Ike candies, and apple slices. The pink and black top has flaps that snap down firmly on both layers.

I really like the unique shape of this bento and the size was perfect!

Shinzi Katoh's Alice in Wonderland nesting bento box

2010-03-21T18:17:00.000-07:00

This is the latest addition to my stash of bento boxes. Along with some other adorable panda picks and chopsticks, I scored these goodies at JFlair dot com. What a fun place to shop!

I had seen a Shinzi Katoh box that had bunnies riding in a car, and I thought How Cute! So I started hunting around for anything of his and found the very current Miss Alice and the grumpy Queen.

(I haven't seen the movie yet, but I will soon.)

They are really quite charming and the lids snap firmly into place. I don't think they are microwaveable, but that doesn't matter since I don't nuke any of my bento boxes.

They do need a bag however. They only nest when they're empty. And I saw some Alice in Wonderland fabric at my local sewing shop the other day, but I would loathe to battle the traffic this weekend as we are in the middle of yet another wine celebration, the Zin Fest.

For those of you that don't know - I live in the Central Coast region of California and vineyards have taken over. Every direction I look grapes are growing. What use to be cattle and hay fields, now cab, zin, syrah, etc.

So wineries throw festivals and everyone (in the world) comes here and gets drunk. (And the coppers make some dough too.)

I wait till they all go home.

Not that I have anything against wine. I am enjoying a glass of 2003 Brunello di Montalcino this very moment while I cook up my pizza. ( Guess I'll blog about that over on Foodie. )

Look what else I found at JFlair! Due Mugs! by Shinzi Katoh. Tea kept warm with dish for snack. Love the birdie on the branch!

Welcome Spring!

Hajime's cute cats come on bento boxes now YAY!

2010-03-13T18:25:00.000-08:00

This charming little box was sent to me by accident. Originally I had ordered the larger "picnic" style box with five cats on it. I liked the box above, yet I wanted a bigger one to share snacks with the Mister when we drive around this spring to look at the wildflowers.

I ordered this one (below) on Amazon, which redirected me to JVS.

This box cost about ten dollars more than the one I received. Of course, I emailed JVS to let them know of the mistake. And no, they didn't get back to me or refund the 10 dollars. Bummer!

So I guess I'll just live with the error. The little guy kind of grew on me anyways.

Reminds me of another little guy.

Stocking up on dumplings

2010-03-01T18:07:00.000-08:00

I was reading gamene's bentozen blog and got the idea of stocking the freezer lader with these.

Today I made rice balls and dumplings and I blogged about the whole dumpling affair over at Foodie Judy.

I really meant to make bags for my new bento boxes, but that will have to wait.

Happy March First!

Bob's Bleu Cheese Bento

2010-02-27T12:28:00.000-08:00

Baked polenta (it's so easy!) topped with miniature meatballs and a little creamy basil tomato sauce (top left). Homemade white bean and diced tomato soup (top right). Pistachios and chocolate-covered raisins with a couple of Easter eggs (bottom right). And baby herb salad with carrots and celery and nice little dish of Bob's famous Bleu Cheese dressing or dip.

Those of you who know Bob's restaurant chain know why they sell the dressing in 30 ounce glass jars in the produce department of your local supermarket.

President Kitty bento

2010-02-15T16:15:00.000-08:00

The left side of this bento is leftover from yesterday's romantic lunch. The blue cat is guarding my riches as she has pork and shrimp dumpling in her toes, and the fried chicken has been renamed as "OMG! This Is So Good!" Likely to become my Go-To take-out food.

The right side of Madam President Kitty bento box is roasted peanuts, chocolate-covered raisins, a strawberry, some wild wasabi wonton chips, and two small squares of a seaweed snack that taste salty and nutty.

The flowered teacup is filled with orange spice tea.

So as Hello Kitty purrs, "A Happy Presidents' Day to all my friends and felines!"

Happy New Year!

2010-02-14T10:23:00.000-08:00

Year of the Tiger!

Botan Rice Candy Bento

2010-02-13T22:33:00.000-08:00

"Each candy has an edible inner wrapper that melts in your mouth."

Like right now - Yum!

Also, "FREE CHILDREN'S STICKER INSIDE" That would be the "HELP! VOOM" sticker shown in the lower left corner.

Another candy - Yum!

Okay. I made brown rice for that heart healthy month when we all see red. Orange bell peppers with Brussel sprouts leaves saute with pork strips on a bed of scrambled egg. Just one egg with the most orange yolk. (You can't see it.)

Cute as a button bunny pick with heart eyes and a "kiss" nose pokes strawberries.

Jammin' Koala Snack Bento

2010-02-12T15:51:00.000-08:00

This koala pick is absolutely OBSCENE!

But it's red and fits in nicely with the love, red, valentines day theme that is being worked like a dog right now.

This was a pita and hummus snack bento with citrus and jam.

The Groundhog sees his shadow bento

2010-02-05T14:47:00.000-08:00

And that means 6 more weeks of winter. It also means winter is over half-way done. So yay! Happy Groundhog Day!

This groundhog was made with peanut butter and nutella (Oh btw Happy Nutella Day is today!) and that's buttah for the whites of his eyes. I really envisioned something a little different than this. But this is what came out. It's all on my homemade sourdough mini loaf.

Gamene over at bentozen requested the sourdough recipe, so I might try to post it someday. I sort of do it differently every time. Also Gamene is throwing an outrageous give-away, if you're into bento, check it out.

The rest of this bento is a deviled egg (I know - my old stand by) and bacon. For fiberous fun I added a sliced purple carrot and a little yellow carrot cut into sticks. And tangerine juicy jellies. Actually it looks like the groundhog is eyeing the candy in this pic.

A week of winter bento or not

2010-01-30T10:34:00.000-08:00

I was poorly prepared for bento this week. Partially because the baby back ribs that would be fodder for Tuesday's bento did not come out. That is to say the ribs didn't taste right. Apparently they were defrosted and re-frozen when the power was out last week.

So I had to resort to hummus and pita bread and that was fine. I am experimenting with pickles, so the carrots and radishes are actually pickles and they are sitting on a sprout mix.

The delight of Tuesday's bento was the miniature tangerines. No seeds and really sweet, they were a fun addition.

Wednesday I was at a loss. I decided to buy a deli sandwich near work, and immediately wished I had my $6.73 back in my pocket.

Oh well, I have to make that mistake every once in a while to remind myself that even a few basic things from home are usually better than old deli food.

Thursday's bento is a bit of a joke. This tiffin was bought prior to my bento adventure. I never really got used to using it because the clamps are vicious. They require such pressure to snap and unsnap, I think my thumbs will snap instead.

In the end the bottom tier didn't even close, so the V8 and apple went into a brown paper bag.

Silas wanted to jump into that bag too, the little muffin. By Thursday he has had enough of me leaving him alone all day, and I rather agree wishing I could stay home and curl up with him and a good book.

A Friendly Award

2010-01-24T18:43:00.000-08:00

Sheri from Happy Little Bento gifted Judy's Bento Box this lovely award. How kind! I've been sort running amuck lately. Pushing through when I could but not worrying about the lack of attention to detail.

Maybe you know the feeling?

It all starts with being ill and then you play catch up for a few weeks. Exhausting!

So this is a nice way to get back into that happy mood.

List 10 things that make me happy and 10 bloggers that make me happy, and all that required linking which is optional as far as I'm concerned.

What makes me HAP HAP HAPPY!

1. Waking up. Sounds kind of silly but I love the first moment of the day!

2. First sip of coffee. Usually Caribou. Somehow the second third or fourth never match the first.

3. All things Silas. Doing drums with Si in the morning is a hoot. He is scratching his tower and I'm beating the side. It's how we bring in the new day.

4. The sunset sky. When it's good, I'm transported to another world.

5. My Scion tC. Lordy! I'm in love with my car!

6. Playing with my food. New recipes. Bento. Deconstructing.

7. Pop culture. In all respects, television and movies, magazines and reality shows, I'm not sure why I care, but it's way too meaningless not to be fun.

8. Art. My own and everyone else's. Photography included.

9. Reading. I once had a sore neck. It hurt to read. I said to my Dad, "What should I do?" He said, "Well Judy, since you spend 70% of your life reading, you might want to fix it." I read a lot.

10. Researching. And when not reading, I am researching. Because that is what I am - a researcher.

Ten blogs I LOVE coming soon!

The Spicy Deviled Egg

2010-01-10T11:22:00.000-08:00

The language of cooking is fascinating. A scant, a heaping, a dash, a pinch. What does it all mean, Mom?

She would teach me how many teaspoons were in a tablespoon, quarts in a gallon, and so on. She would pull out the Betty Crocker cookbook and we would make snickerdoodles. I would get to measure and sift, and she would hover over the KitchenAid. I would roll the balls in cinnamon and sugar, and she would man cookie sheet and the oven.

There's a lot to be said about teaching your child to cook. It's a math and chemistry lesson, with some cultural history, and a smattering of social skills all in one.

Take the egg. Mom would hard boil that egg to an inch of its life. It took me years to undo that lesson, but that's okay because I always enjoyed "the better late than never" philosophy. Personally when it comes to eggs, I can't eat more than one a day, and I really don't fancy eating them everyday anyway.

I went to a deviled egg party one time, and it was too much. Platters and platters of eggs made with one thing or another. Me, I like one deviled egg at a time. One, as in two halves, and spicy. Here is my version.

The Lip Plumping Deviled Egg

Take one hardboiled* egg and slice in half, lengthwise. Pop out yolks in a small bowl. Add a scant teaspoon of Dijon mustard, a heaping teaspoon of mayo, a dash of cumin, a shake of ground pepper, and a good shake of salt.

Take a fork and mash and stir till desired consistency. (Can you stand a few lumps or do you need it perfectly creamy? For me it depends on my current level of patience.)

Divide mixture in half with the eyeball and scoop back into egg white halves.

Put a small bit of ground cayenne pepper in the palm of your hand and take a small pinch with your fore finger and thumb and sprinkle on the yolk mixture. Repeat for other half.

Consume.

*Here is how I hard boil eggs.
Put four chicken eggs in a one quart pot. Fill with cold water. Bring to a rolling boil on medium high heat. Cover. Turn off heat. Set timer to 16 minutes. Prepare ice bath in sink with ice cubes and cold water. When timer dings, pour off hot water and put eggs in ice bath. Spin them around and let the eggs cool off. Get a container that has a top that will hold four eggs in water. When eggs are cool, run the water slowly in sink while you crack and peel each egg under the running water. Repeat for other three eggs. Put in container and fill with cold water. Seal and place in fridge. Eggs can be used when cold.

The Quiche Purse Bento

2010-01-03T14:57:00.000-08:00

Rice balls with sesame oil, and egg and cheese mini quiche inspired by hapa bento, and fresh organic berries, radishes, grape tomatoes, and assorted nuts round up this Sunday snack purse of a bento.

I think of painting the purse and then I cannot decide. What would you do?

Happy First Sunday of 2010!

ps. I'm working on my Foodie Judy blog. Come visit and tell me what you think of the new template.

Happy Holidays Bento Boxers!

2009-12-28T14:47:00.000-08:00

In the lull between Christmas and New Years, I am catching up on a little blogging. I hope everyone is having a fabulous holiday. I'm at the end of a nice long weekend. I go back to work this week and have another nice long weekend come Thursday.

((Si is snoring!) Someone had too much catnip for Christmas!))

I've got to say I've seen some beautiful bento out there. So I'll send you around to here, here, and here for your viewing pleasure. I'm sure I'll get back in saddle again soon.

Lasagne bento

2009-12-18T17:49:00.000-08:00

Leftover lasagne was the anchor dish in this bento. I make my own sauce with black olives and bell peppers, onion, garlic and herbs, and use three cheeses, ground beef, and spinach for the layers. The bundle of spinach that I purchased the very same day as I made this dish smelled off. So I tossed it out. If experience has taught me anything, it has taught me to trust my instincts and my nose.

The ham and cheese puff pastry was a fun addition. The mini sweet peppers were stuffed with shiitake saute in butter. Half mini bagel with cream cheese, dried apricots, radish, and two hard boiled quail eggs filled the second tier and were left out of the Mr. Bento thermos (because everything was hot in the thermos).

This bento serves as breakfast, lunch, and snack in a very cold building. Although the building does warm up with the heater blasting, it takes awhile.

Mini Tostados and Lemon Slice bentos

2009-12-14T15:37:00.000-08:00

To the right here is Wednesday's lunch. I can see by adding the extra chips that one cannot tell that those were meant to be three mini tostados. But they were.

They were filled with refried beans and green salsa and topped with cheddar cheese.

On Thursday I did a little experiment with an artichoke heart leftover from the previous night's dinner. We eat a lot of artichokes. It's easy for him to make. The trick to keeping them is lemon juice as chokes oxidize to a rather unappetizing black color.

When I open the box at work, the lemon smell was powerful and I was afraid to taste the choke at first, but it was surprisingly delish.

A lot of bento - A lot of heart

2009-12-11T23:47:00.000-08:00

This was Tuesday's bento. I need a lot of food when it gets cold. But especially some greens. Yessiree!

Even The Mister came out for a peek at the finish, but I had packed it up by then so I showed him some pictures on the camera playback. He was so cute.

"You included the cookie!" He said. I thought it was a muffin.
"Ahh yeah," I said.
"How cute!" He said.
"Really," I said.

Well the old man is like that sometimes. I told him ONCE in passing that when he shops, as he often does, to "think bento." Now he brings me mini shiitakes ( shown here ), dates - well he thinks they're bento ( shown here ), and tada - Quail Eggs! ( shown here ).

We are quite collaborative when we want to be.

Beet star bento

2009-12-06T14:26:00.000-08:00

I love pickled beets. That should be no surprise to anyone, I suppose. I love beets in general, boiled or roasted. In this bento and the one previous, I use my star beets to add color and vegetable matter of the box.

I have a really easy method of pickling. I save the leftover fluid from a jar of Bubbies pickles (they are in the green four-lead clover holder). Boil beets until tender. Skin beets and slice. Or cut into shapes. Stars, fat stars are looking good! I put the stars and chop a small raw red onion layering as I go in a Ball jar. Pour the Bubbies leftover pickle juice and refrigerate.

Gets more pickley with more time.

The chewy molasses spice cookies make a debut here.

I need to hunt down that recipe. It's a Martha Stewart one and I'll post it here. Or maybe I'll write it out. Her website is massive and it's easy to get lost, just in case you are the last person on Earth who has never been there. Too bad she isn't into bento (yet). I bet she could come up with some fun ideas.

One Half & The Other Mr. Bento

2009-12-02T18:40:00.000-08:00

This was my lunch today. Leftover Beef Wellington that I should not have warmed. Linn's berry pie. Red pears sliced. An array of pickles, radishes, beet star pickles, and brussels sprouts that were roasted.

NaBloPoMo 2009 ends today

2009-11-30T13:39:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-29T19:41:00.000-08:00

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

Japanese food today

2009-11-28T20:54:00.000-08:00

My Plate/His Plate Thanksgiving '09

2009-11-27T12:30:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving Hello Kitty

2009-11-26T15:04:00.000-08:00

Filled with lemon pepper. Surprisingly tasty on rice balls.

orange bento

2009-11-25T20:41:00.000-08:00

Crab Apple Bento

2009-11-24T17:39:00.000-08:00

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 ...

2009-11-23T19:54:00.001-08:00

Blue Money

I have a really clean kitchen

2009-11-22T19:53:00.000-08:00

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...

2009-11-21T14:13:00.000-08:00

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?"

2009-11-20T14:06:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-19T18:16:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-18T22:04:00.000-08:00

Three Blind Mice Bento

2009-11-17T22:06:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-16T22:01:00.000-08:00

Blurry Lines

2009-11-15T14:54:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-14T14:17:00.000-08:00

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

oh no egg salad bento

2009-11-13T15:12:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-12T21:35:00.000-08:00

There is Teriyaki Chicken under those red bell peppers.

A Veterans' Day Bento

2009-11-11T15:39:00.000-08:00

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

Sick Day Bento

2009-11-10T16:13:00.000-08:00

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

Now I'm going to go lay down.