Pork Two Ways Bento

I finally got around to using my Sushi Bento House. It looks a lot bigger than it is. I filled the bottom layer with pork, two ways. My cooked ahead chicken-fried pork and my cooked ahead curry pork.

I am currently reading (and will soon write a review) a book called Effortless Bento. Cooking ahead a variety of meals, freezing or not, is the main part of the book.

The rice I made in the morning with my little and dumb rice cooker.

Strawberries, orange wedges, and radishes make up the top box, and cool pack goes in the attic.

Of course the whole bento goes into an insulated bag with two small blue ices because it gets hot out here.

And this is where I had lunch last Thursday - a turn-out along the railroad tracks in the shade of an oak tree. This picture was taken when my Scion turned 20,000 ODO in September 2009.

Bullet Train Bento

Protein: white chicken meat, roasted. Leafy green: organic water cress. Super food: blueberries. Crunchies: radishes. From the garden: tomatoes, Juliet. Orange container: sea salt. Bullet Train pick. Bullet Train container: shoyu.

My cute Mio box

Sly Cat and a Totoro Snack Pack Bentos

Cute little flap-down bento box that I'm calling Sly Cat. It's filled with cous cous with pine nuts and homemade kimchee. I always bring a juice and a piece of fruit with my lunch bentos that I end up drinking/eating at 3:00pm to power through the afternoon

I'll be working later starting this summer, so I might bring an extra bento. But the main problem is I need refrigeration. I like the "two hour rule" even with blue ice. It's just that it gets so hot around here!

This is my lovely Totoro snap bento. The pick and container are from Japanese planes, trains, and automobiles set that is perfect for a little boy (or a little girl if the little girl was like me). I still like to chase trains.

Meow Bento

Love my Sleeping Mio bento box. It reminds me of my Si and his little friends, the micey.

Top layer: Blackberries, tomatoes (out of picture), Cheddar Cheese, fat green olives (out of picture), and Japanese style KimChee!

Bottom layer: tuna with mayo and wasabi.

Separate Hello Kitty container: Saltines.

The Sum is Greater Than The Parts Bento

Indigo rabbit bento box is so sweet and could brighten any cold foggy day. All those happy bunnies coming to work with me.

Inside we have teri chicken with strawberries and blueberries, and we have kimchee in its own little container. Love the chunky pieces!

Still doing salads. So fun to eat with chopsticks too. My chopstick skillz are improving! Rah!

How about you? Do you eat with chopsticks?

Be Couscous Bento

The Mister likes to roast Cornish Game Hens, and we always make too much couscous. This makes a good leftover bento. In addition, we had a ton of baby red potatoes, so I made an German-style potato salad with sliced dill pickles. Apples and berries square out the new indigo rabbit bento box with cloth bag.

New Indigo Rabbit Bento Box

Comes with a red dish

and an indigo carry bag.

Five rats and a chicken pot pie bento

This is my chicken pot pie bento in Mr. Bento.  I haven't used Mr. Bento in a while. Do you know of his style? Well, it is insulated. To some degree. And here I have chicken pot pie which must be warm. The topping must be warm by ambient heat. And the radishes and berries will be okay whatever.  Nothing is ever very warm with Mr. Bento. However, it is a nice change when the weather gets cold. I have no microwave or oven at work.

A Very Small Apple Bento

This bento accompanied me on the first rainy day of the season. My acorn and leaf Totoro bento box is so cute with the little shrooms and soots. 

It is two tiered with the bottom level solid rice. On one side of the upper level has a cut up baked chicken tender that was rolled in Panko crumbs (leftovers from the previous night's dinner), a slice of bacon, and two jeweled picks - one with three Junior Mints, and one with three Hot Tamales. That's right folks, Candy!

The other side has strawberries, pomegranate seeds (jewels all by themselves), Gouda cheese, and un petite apple.

I always shoot my photos in natural light because I find if I use a flash, the food is less appealing. So here is the ensemble from a distance.  

Strawberry Soda Rides With Bento

Another bread bento this time with a strawberry soda. I had covered the Totoro box before remembering I needed to take a photo, so the two grape tomatoes hopped into the blue cheese dressing in the meantime. They kind of look like they are hot-tubbing. 

Half of a pastrami and pickles and stoneground mustard sandwich was eaten in the parking lot before I went to work. 

My nutty lunchtime buddies are staring at you.

Put A Tiger In Your Tank Bento

I went to the zoo. Well, actually I went to the zoo gift shop on my way home last week and bought a tiger for Si. 

In celebration of the tiger for Si, I made a mighty put a tiger in your tank bento complete with a pastrami sandwich on sourdough bread and a nice tray of berries and grape tomatoes with some lovely Bob's Blu Cheese Dressing. 

Grr Tessa

Round Up A Sammie Bento

 A couple of rounds to complete a half of ham and cheese sandwich.

The sandwich also had avocado and tomato slices.

 Celery, carrots, and radishes with a cucumber dill dipping sauce.

Cherries, berries, and white nectarine slices.

Underneath The Spinach Bento

This is my lovely strawberry box. 

I'm calling the bento the Underneath The Spinach Bento because underneath the spinach the deli chicken and olives are hiding. It's important to note that some of these boxes are deep and can hold a lot of food. It can be deceiving because they look so cute and diminutive.

 I brought a bento every day this first week of August, but only took pictures of this one. 

This bento box even comes with its own bag!

Please Deliver Me Kiki Bento

A Thursday bento designed to make me happy.

And well nourished.

And satisfied.

The 15 Minute Bento

On certain days I work less hours and therefore have no lunch break. However I do get a 15 minute break and that's when I jammed this bento down my throat. I was not like the happy camper bear lounging on the bento lid.

Pinwheels and Piles of Berries Bento

My Daisy Totoro box has one of those heat vents. I'm sure this will come in handy with hot dishes like noodles and teriyaki.

But for a nice Spring day I made some roll ups or wraps or whatever you like to call them - you know basically a tortilla sandwich.

I call them pinwheels because that is how I roll, sista!

And we have a lovely pile of berries to go with the pinwheels. Whee!

I'd be lion if I didn't tell you how much I loved my lunch today.

Cute!

Caviar Bento

Fresh radishes from the garden, a sweet orange and blackberry bombs, and dried pomegranate seeds hang out with Mr. Grumpy Giraffe. Believe me, I can sympathize with Mr. Grumpy Giraffe as this consoling bento was my lunch on my first day back to work after my vacation.

So I used a new box, My Neighbor Totoro holding a four-leaf clover, and filled it with rice and teriyaki chicken and pickles. That is black caviar on the rice.

I know it looks like a blackberry. I bought the caviar to add to salmon sashimi, my birthday dinner.

Yay! I made it another year. Yes indeed I'd rather be lucky like my lucky Totoro!

Blackberries and Chard Bento

This bento was made with Valentines Day leftovers - the chicken and the ribs and the risotto, and fresh salad and blackberries. I'm really digging blackberries as of late. So sweet and juicy!

The boxes are my Mio collection. Love the hearts!