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This is my first post, and first bento!!



I made it for my 2 year old son, and filled it with some of his favorite things!

~Applesauce
~Peanut butter and jelly sandwich cut into duckies
~Gerber Strawberry yogurt bites

Just something simple, as I've never really done it before, and he's an extremely picky eater! He brought it to daycare with him, and the woman that runs it nearly DIED from cute! ^_^

This is my very first bento. It's extremely simple, haha, but I'll get there.



a mini salad of mixed greens, chopped carrots, and grape tomatoes
a cheese divider (rf 2% pepperjack)
starting from the top: sugar snap peas, carrots, broccoli, and hard boiled egg
* I just had salt and pepper with this. I was going to bring an apple also but I forgot.l :C

...to close out the year in which I joined my first online chat group (bentolunch of course!) and I've had a ball and learned a bunch.
Here are some leftovers from last night's dinner...



Tortilla wrap with pork, mayo and banana peppers... radishes, carrots with ranch, pistachios and the last of the Christmas peanut butter fudge. Happy New Year everyone!

I've been using my Ms. Bento a lot because lately I don't get a lunch break at work (call the police!!!)  I'm in love that I can open up my hot lunch at my desk instead of eating a room temperature sandwich.

Love it, Love it!

Fortunately, I got a new job!!!  I start on Monday and boy, am I thrilled!  I will miss my old company and my old co-workers dearly, but I think it is time I moved on.  There is stability in my future.

Besides the awesomity of a hot lunch with no time for the microwave...

How many of you like Filipino food?  I tried making my own pork guisantes (what? i don't need to buy it?!) and it turned out wonderful.

I got the recipe from www.foodnetwork.com:

Pork Guisantes (Filipino Pork and Peas):
Ingredients

• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 onion, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 lb lean pork, sliced in small pieces
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp patis
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 oz. tomato paste
• 1 pkg (6 oz) frozen peas
• 1 can (3-4 oz) pimientos, sliced
• Salt to taste

Directions

Heat oil in large skillet. Saute garlic, onions and pork until browned. Add soy sauce, patis, water and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until pork is tender, about 5-7 minutes. Add tomato paste, peas and pimientos. Simmer for 5 more minutes. Salt to taste.

I didn't know it was so easy. My Mom would be so proud!  Here are the left overs in my bento:


(click for larger image)

Rice; pork guisantes; cucumber, fried eggplant, orange bell peppers, pickled cucumbers.

Congratulations to me for my new job and my new ability to cook Filipino food!
 

Curious how I made a snowman 2 nights ago, so i thought "why not"? Here's my first post! Hope you like it.

Hello! This is my first time posting and my first time attempting to make any sort of themed bento at all.


( My attempts behind the cut for size )

renaissance2010
Turning to photography as a creative outlet during a valiant fight with breast cancer at age 34, renaissance10 survived and set up a photo contest to help raise funds for the Lavender Trust, a nonprofit that provides information and support to younger women with breast cancer. In the first two years, the competition brought in over £65,000 (that's $107,260.73 U.S.!), with entries from 130 countries last year. Renaissance10 recently joined LiveJournal to meet other passionate photographers and find supportive friends.

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mission101
With New Years in the offing, it's an ideal time to reflect on past accomplishments, make peace with disappointments, and refocus the lens on future goals. This community welcomes you to create a bucket list of 101 things you plan to accomplish in the next 1,001 days. Offering support, guidance, and inspiration, this is a great way to jumpstart those pesky resolutions.

Hi, everyone!

I got a red Smart Bento for Christmas! I'm very excited about using it for the first time, and I was wondering if anyone on this comm has one. Its dimensions are quite narrow, so I'd be interested in seeing how people pack them.

But my main question is this: Are they microwave-friendly? The instructions that came with it are in Japanese, but there's a drawing of what looks like a microwave with a big X through it. I am not sure whether that means the whole thing is not microwavable, or just the lids, or what. I know that most bentos are microwavable without the lids, but I'd like to hear from someone who actually owns one of these particular boxes.

Thanks!

Banning those holiday treats and getting back to healthy eating.

Read more about this bento on hapa bento.

In some places, with winter comes snow. I've been dreaming of a white Christmas, but seeing as how I live in South Florida, that won't be happening anytime soon.

The challenge this week is also the last of the year. So let's say goodbye to 2009 with a wintry, white bento. Snowmen, snowball fights, ice skating-all the fun things one can do on a snow day.

Tag with "snowy day"

Let's sing it... "on the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...."

Read more about this holiday bento on hapa bento's blog.

Wow it's been a long time since I last updated. Sorry for having disappeared for a while. I still read the updates in here but have not been posting or commenting much. As I have recently mentioned on my food blog, I pretty much went 'off' food for the past few months while dealing with morning (read: all-day-and-night) sickness and the exhaustion typical of early pregnancy. I did very little cooking and not many bento lunches were packed. Even when I did pack lunches, they were not very inspired and I did not bother taking any photos. I am feeling much better now halfway through my pregnancy (I am due at the end of April 2010) and it's been really good to get back to cooking and bento again. Here are a couple of them that made it to photos:

Chicken rice, cucumber slices, steamed chicken breast, char siew (Chinese bbq pork) and kai lan in oyster sauce.


Tuna pasta salad with sundried tomatoes, sliced red peppers and hummus


I am looking forward to getting back to more regular bento-making in the new year. I know that most people are probaly busy with holiday festivities now. Merry Christmas to you all and have a great new year ahead. Cheers to more bento ideas and may your Christmas stockings be filled with lots of bento kit and goodies!

I believe this is my... Eleventh bento?
Haven’t really been brining lunch to school recently ever since I discovered my school’s salad bar!



Top: Broccoli and leftover baked potato
Left: Honey turkey, lettuce and mayo on a whole wheat roll
Right: Pineapple Tidbits


With today being the last day of school before vacation, I don’t think I’ll be having any more bentos until the new year.
Happy holidays!!

i_hope_that
For many of us, the holidays can be kind of rough. If you're searching for a network of understanding friends, this ultra-nurturing community encourages you to express your heartfelt wishes and offer other members encouragement and acceptance. Not for the terminally snarky or emotionally-challenged, this is a good-spirited place to lend comfort and support.

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Feeling crafty? If you've got a few last folks on your holiday gift list, this is a great place to seed your creativity and generosity. You'll also discover wonderful DIY tips to decorate your home and entertain guests. Offering a no-frills-no-skills attitude that welcomes the cash-challenged and arts-phobic, you're sure to get ideas and make friends in the process.

cooking_club
A fun and friendly community dedicated to those who love to cook, whether you're a meat-and-potatoes type, an aspiring gourmand, and/or a vegan. In search of a brilliant dish to use up those weekly leftovers? Post your ingredients and you'll be whipping up a feast by dinner. You can also share favorite recipes. For Type A chefs, you can spice up your culinary repertoire with exciting cooking challenges.

I wanted another festive-themed bento, but several timing- and cooking-related disasters later it's just a random veggie bento. Oh well, as long as it's pretty and tasty...!

Small box (background): couscous, carrot shaves and halloumi on lettuce, cherry tomatoes.
Big box(foreground): More halloumi, Ajvar, cherry tomatoes, fried zucchini chips, baked potato wedges, and a piece of Knäck.

This may or may not be the last post this year. We'll see how I feel tonight!

;)

My bentoblog: http://wererabbits.wordpress.com

I just made my first bento!

Swedish meatballs + sauce.
Baby carrots.
Egg.
Rice.
and
Fruit snacks!!! :3

( Photo )
It isn't anything special, but it is my first so I love it to death.