I'll be back... (this is not Arnold...)

Yikes!  Has it really been that long since I posted?  I've recently started the job of my dreams, and it's making other things take a back seat.  I'm still making bentos for my kids, but now it's just a little less... um... cute.  Actually we are heading for a very quick visit to see friends, and I'm hoping to add a little to my bento stash while I'm out.  Try to make the cute factor part of the accessories.  Let's hope I find something good in Toronto!  If not... there is always online shopping - but I'd rather see things in my hands first.  Oh well.  I'll send some new pictures your way next week when I get a chance.
Happy Bento-ing.  Stay tuned for more bentos... soon... I promise!

Rella

Pichu for my son, and others

I think I just might have gone crazy now... :)  Well, the other day I was cruising the bento blogs, and spotted this.  She does some beautiful bentos, and I love her site!  Well, Pichu just spoke to me!!!  I had to try him out.  I didn't realize I would try him out right away... but yep, I finally gave it a shot.  I realize now that either I have to start buying cheese slices (yuk), or find a method to slice cheese blocks nicely.  I used to have a nice slicer, but it would make strips that were too small (I think), so I have to be on the lookout now for something else... hmm...

Blue bento
Here's Pichu himself.  Made from cheese as a base, the black is nori, the white eyes is a different cheese, and the red on the cheeks is bits of strawberry.  The rest is my regular bento kind of thing.  Grapes, strawberries, wrap, tomatoes, and a couple of gummy bears in each box, just for fun!  (I found out later that my son doesn't want another one like this, he likes it, but it causes too much of a rukus in the class, and everyone wants to see his lunch - he's embarassed.  Oh well..  poor kid, hard to be 8 - especially when nobody else in the class has a bento)

 These two bentos are all about Pink!  I've used my usual stash (same as blue), but the older girl got a little girl made of cheese, strawberries and nori (eyes).  The youngest girlie got the same ingredients, plus pepperettes, black olives, and cheese flowers.  She loved it!  They both did!












My last bento is mine.  I borrowed hubby's black box, and made myself a salad with lettus, cheese x2, olives and red peppers.  I have included dip for the chicken nuggets, a granola bite, and some kiwi.  Yummy!  I also had a container with a little balsamic vinegar and oil - as a dressing!  *yum*

That's it for me tonight.  I do have to include Tuesday's lunch somewhere, but I'll get to it later (wasn't that exciting).


Edit:  Added to What's for Lunch Wednesday

Week 2 - here I come!

Life last week was a bit hectic.  I've added a second job to my schedule, and basically started with a little less than full time hours while trying to still get the kids onto and off the bus.  We'll see how long this lasts, but for now, I've decided to do blog posts every second day, just to make sure I have time in the evenings even to *make* the bentos!  So, onto bento we go.

My son's bento is first.  We had leftover chicken nuggets on Sunday night because it was my youngest daughter's 3rd birthday.  YAY!  So, I had to bring out the Lock and Lock for my son.  2 bentos, the same... for 2 lunch breaks.  They both have, chicken nuggets with plum sauce for dipping, sweet potato french fires, red mini tomatoes (one is a balloon!), strawberries, cheese stars, cucumbers and a gold coin for that chocolate treat!

 

My oldest daughter didn't want so much, so I pretty much did the same ingredients, but only a little less.

 

 The baby (whose 3) wanted the same thing, but no chicken nuggets.. she gets a little picky.  So, we did her normal wrap, with a few animal crackers.  The crackers came back!  Wow, I often wonder how this kid gets by.  But, then again, I added some apple sauce on the side with this meal!

 My lunch was great!  Homemade pizza leftovers, cukes, cheese, granola bites, granola bar for early morning snack, yogurt raisins, then chopped nectarines and strawberries!  YUM!

What's in your lunch?
Still lovin' bentos!
Rella

Dinosaurs!

I had a little fun today with the bentos.  I was trying to figure out something that I could do with a dino sandwich cutter that I had.  The kids were really interested in having a "dino" lunch.  I also remembered that it was pizza day for the two oldest, so if they didn't like it, it wouldn't be a big deal.  So, here's the result. 
Bentos for 3 kids:
















Wow, fun stuff!  I've seen dinos eating brocoli trees before, but didn't think my kids would go for it... they loved it!  I figure if I can toss in a simple tree, I'm at least getting something in their lunch they never had before, and it's a veggie, so double wow!  Here's the lowdown.  all are two tier bentos.  Blue for boy, pink for girl, and two thinner pink ones for the 3 yr old girl.  Basic ingredients.... Good old Bologne and cheese sandwich, brocolli, strawberry, cucumber, grapes, cheese cutouts, tomatoes, and one lone chocolate mini muffin on the top left.  I found my spiral cutters, so I mad the cukes out of that, then used some christmas tree cutters for the trees.  I dunno if it worked, but they liked it.  Oh, the kids thought the dinos needed spots, so we added a few halloween sprinkles for eyes and spots.  Fun fun!
Happy Bento-ing!

Grusome faces

Well, I'm trying to get a little more creative.  Today I was faced with a few bentos with circles.  The kids also wanted "monster" sandwiches.  So, I gave it to them.  Unfortunately the pictures aren't the best, but at least you get the idea.  Tomorrow I'm going to wow you with more creativity!  Wooo Hoooo! :)

Anyway, (can you tell I'm in a good mood?)  On to the Bentos!

The kids loved their bentos today.  Can you see the monster faces?  I didn't do them too crazy, because... well, I was tired, and I didn't want the kids TOO freaked out for their first mini monsters. :)
Basically 6 boxes with the same materials in each.  That duel lunch just makes things so boring.  It will be more fun when they can decide what they want to eat, instead of just saying eat everything out of 1.
Contents:  Bologna and cheese sandwich on mini hamburger buns.  (Our Independent Grocer calls them "slider buns").  Grapes, strawberries, tomatoes, carrots, mini brownie muffins, cukes, and cheese eyes.  Not to mention the jelly beans I snuck in after I took this shoot.  Not one of my best ideas either!  Darn, gotta figure out something else for these kids!

My Bento below:  apples, bologna leftovers, yogurt covered raisins, brownie muffin, grapes, cukes, tomatoes.  I also had a box with about 5 wings from last night, and some blue Cheese sauce, but I forgot all about it, until about 3 today when I was starving!  Thankfully I was home by then! :D

Okay, off to bed, so I can do more work tomorrow!  Ack!  My house is feeling this 2 workplaces problem!

Talk to you later!

First Day of Work, and a bentos during interviews.

Life is exciting around here today.  I started my first day of work of my 2nd (yes, 2nd) job.  This job I LOVE!  I was kind of chicken tho, because I was worried about bringing in a bento - and what would people say.  BUT, I HAD to bring in my bento, because I had made it part of my interview (more on that later), so I would feel like a fraud if I opted NOT to bring it.  Ahh... so, simple bentos it was... here we go.

This Bento was mine today.  I loved it!  pepperettes, apple and a new granola bite thanks to Another Lunch, which is another wonderful Bento Blog.  Things just weren't sticking so I had to add 1/4 cup flour and a beaten up egg.  The kids and hubby loved it!  Whoops, got sidetracked.  Bottom box has a kiwi, some black olives, snap peas, carrots, cucumber and a laughing cow cheese.  I brought a little tahini dip dressing to dip my veggies into, and it was great!  Loved it! 

The kids:

An easy bento x2.  Pretty much the same as mine.  Bologne and cheese wrap, grapes, black olives, cheese stars, cucumbers, mini tomatoes, carrots, and a granola bite.  Most of the bento came back empty.  My daughter tried the granola bites, and politely asked that I don't include them into her lunch, but she will eat them at home if they are warmed.  Drat!  Should have never let her have them straight out of the oven!  Oh well!  I also slipped in a few jelly beans.  Not a great idea, since they got a bit mushy and my son wouldn't eat one of his wraps because it had "jelly bean stuff" all over it.  Since when does a kid not eat something because it tastes a little like candy!  Go figure!  Oh well, it all went over fairly well, and they didn't starve!  Mission accomplished!

Okay so quickly, how did I include a bento in my interview?  I wanted to show that I had a passion for things.  That I could think "outside the box", and that I was different.  So, I explained during the interview how I tackled problems by explaining about my son who would come back with lunches that were barely eaten.  I figured out that he didn't "have time" to open lunch containers because he was too busy chatting.  So, I worked with his normal tendencies, and tried doing bentos instead.  You don't know what bentos are?  Sure, let me show you one.  I figure that it made me memorable, and landed me the job.  Funny.  Last time I got my big job because I showed them that I was prepared for family and work because I used my slow cooker a lot.  Funny story.  You never know what will show off who you are, and how you tackle different situations.

Okay, gotta go to bed.  another big day tomorrow.  Nite!  Happy bento-ing!

Lunches, Belts and Good News - Oh my!

I was super happy last night when I got the news that I would have a new job.  You see, we've been working on the basement, and need a little extra "stuff" money, so I figured it was time I worked more than 2 days a week.  So I applied for a job - and YAY, got an interview and the job!  So very happy.  So, in honor of my good news, I could only think of happy faces, so that's what I made!  The cheese happy faces were done with a circle cutter, a straw and a knife for the smile.  The "body" was actually a mistake that I looked at a second time and saw shoulders.  By the time I realized I could have added arms, I was too tired!

So, here it is...

3 kids bentos, all with the same kind of stuff.  "Sushi sandwiches" of bol & cheese, grapes, cukes, tomatoes, a brownie, raspberries, snap peas and a coin or car for the added chocolate value!  I have to make each level fairly similar (except for the todder's on the top) because the kids have 2 "nutrition breaks" instead of 1 lunch hour.  So.... boxes that are limited, but yummy!

My bento was a little different.  On the right:  I had chicken leftover from supper cut up, I added some black olives (a staple when all 3 kids love them), and some rolled up cukes.  Oh, and a "laughing cow" cheese peeking from underneath.  For the left side - well, I was inspired by the Caprese salads that I keep seeing, so I did a simple one - but no mozza, only Gouda.   It was... Goood - ah.  Yeah, I know, bad joke!  Also included - 2 figs.

Then, I made a Bento Belt for my son (or me). (sorry this photo should be portrait, but my settings are a little screwy)  I found Maple Leaves, and decided to add it to an elastic belt that I had already made.  Poof instant "canadian" belt.  My son loved it.  Hopefully I can find some felt bats, or cut some out and make belts for Halloween.  Something fun and spooky!
Have a good weekend everyone!
Edit:  Added to What's for Lunch Wednesday!