Happy Cat Bento

Come. Come. Have a nice picnic on this summer day. The Beckoning Cat bento box lures me to a tuna and caper on English muffin sandwich and my very own Secret Ingredient* Pasta Salad.

Pictured here with her sister cat, Hello Kitty thermos, filled to the brim with Ginger Beer. Refreshing!

We sat in the shade of an old pine tree which rained dead pine needles with every breeze.

Parked on a side street of Mission San Miguel's cemetery. Come in. Come in.

And see the old Bell Tower just inside the cemetery.

Noodles and veggies bento

This cute bento box came to work with me a week or two ago. It holds dinner leftovers of noodles and veggies. I added more sauce. In the other tier are olives, radishes, a few slices of pork, square rice balls, and Hello Kitty condiment bottle filled with dried seaweed and salt.

I'm surprised I don't have a good picture of the outside of my fish box - something I'll have to rectify.

Remember Me Bento

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.

A Little Bento Love

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.

Happy Hump Day Hello Kitty Bento

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?

Chicken Salad Bento

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!

Alice is my bag

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.

President Kitty bento

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!"

Botan Rice Candy Bento

"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.

Mini Tostados and Lemon Slice bentos

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.

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.

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.

Hello Kitty Mini Box

The Tuscan melon was so sweet. Definitely the best part of this meal. The monster egg was the result of an accident. I love peanut butter mini sandwiches. Next time I'm going to add eyes.

Welcome Autumn

I feel like a little squirrel today with my fruits and nuts. That's a peanut butter daisy with crunchy Cheetos in the center. Don't forget the Pocky!

Hello Kitty bento box lunch bag