Bento-riffic!

100th Day!!

2012-02-13T16:22:00.000-08:00

Today was Eliana's 100th day of school, so they celebrated with all sorts of activities today! I volunteered to make bentos for her kindergarten class. Here's what they looked like!

From Bentos

They have studied the food groups, so I made sure to include something from each of the food groups, and they are currently studying mammals, so I included a mammal pick in each one, too! Here's the whole group of bentos...

From Bentos

Four Circles...

2012-01-17T10:21:00.000-08:00

From Bentos

This one ended up with more symmetry than I expected!

Applesauce, pears, jello, muffin, carrots, canadian bacon and "cheese"

Pasta and Pears

2012-01-16T10:19:00.000-08:00

From Bentos

Leftover pasta, pears, applesauce, and jello!

Shells and cheese with stars, please!

2012-01-15T10:17:00.000-08:00

From Bentos

Shells and "cheese" was a big hit this week, topped with canadian bacon, star "cheese", peas, kiwi, and strawberry! This was a favorite!

Moon and Stars...

2012-01-14T10:15:00.000-08:00

From Bentos

This day Eliana got a moon shaped rice crispy treat, apples, shredded chicken, "cheese" crackers, and frozen peas in a star cup! How celestial!

Same song, different tune...

2012-01-13T10:14:00.000-08:00

From Bentos

Kiwi, "cheese" crackers, nuggets, peas, and chocolate pudding!

From Bentos

And another....

2012-01-12T10:12:00.000-08:00

From Bentos

These must all have come from the same week, given how similar they are!!

Kiwi, "cheese" crackers, pudding, shredded chicken, and peas

Nuggety cuteness

2012-01-11T10:11:00.000-08:00

From Bentos

Kiwi, "cheese" crackers, pudding, peas, and chicken nuggets, with a tiny container of ketchup. Fun!

Has it truly been that long?

2012-01-10T10:10:00.000-08:00

Apparently so... I haven't posted bento pics in so long! But never fear, I have been sending them to school with my daughter daily. In fact, there is only one school day so far this year that she has not had her bento. Hooray! But it does appear that I have a backlog to post. So let's start with this one!

From Bentos

Kiwi, shredded chicken, chocolate pudding, and homemade "cheese" crackers!

She doesn't like corn...

2011-11-11T21:29:00.001-08:00

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She brought her bento home from school today completely empty... except for the corn! She doesn't complain about it, but she doesn't eat it!

Busy busy busy!!

2011-11-10T08:00:00.001-08:00

I have been one busy beaver lately!! Not too busy to make bentos for my sweet daughter every day, but apparently too busy to post them to the blog!! Things will settle down after this month and maybe I can get caught up. In the meantime, here's her bento for today!!

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Tools of the Trade: Silicone Cups

2011-10-19T12:44:00.000-07:00

Some people use paper cups in their bentos, but I like the silicone. Easy to clean, they don't get soggy, and best, I don't have to throw them away or buy more! Woohoo! Here's a peek at my silicone cup collection...

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These cups are simply Wilton cupcake cups in flower shapes. They come in several shapes. Unfortunately, because of the lip around the edge, they don't fit in many bento boxes. Still, they're fun!

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These shaped silicone cups I use all the time, at least the stars and flowers. They came from World Market and are pretty inexpensive.

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Or, there are your standard cupcake cups in silicone. These are good, too. You can get them just about anywhere. And this? Well, it's an ice cube tray and I haven't yet figured out exactly what to do with it, but I like it. LOL!

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This week's lunch bunch

2011-10-18T18:21:00.000-07:00

This week you get all the lunches in one big bunch. I timed myself as I made bentos on Sunday... took me 30 minutes to make these 5 bentos, so approximately 6 minutes each. That wasn't even working quickly, that was just making them at a leisurely pace. I definitely like making them in a batch, because it would take longer than 6 minutes to make them each morning, I'm sure. Here's the lunch bunch for this week... (in no particular order)

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Tools of the Trade: Bento Boxes

2011-10-18T12:33:00.000-07:00

I have a lot of friends ask me where I get my bento boxes. I have gotten a few of them from the internet, but the website I used is no longer functional. The rest I got from Daiso in Washington, and, unfortunately for most of us, they only have stores in WA and CA. The good news is that I will hopefully have a chance to go to Daiso in November, and will be picking up extra bento boxes for those who want them.

Here's the basic anatomy of a standard bento box...

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A bento box typically has 2 stackable food compartments, each with their own lid. Many bento boxes are oblong, though they come in many shapes and sizes. Many also have an additional lid under which utensils can go.

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One nice thing about stackable bento boxes is that they are also nestable, which is space saving for storage. That also means that if you just want to use one layer of the bento box, say, for a snack instead of a meal, you can.

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When using both layers, one stacks on top of the other, and the layers are held together by an elastic strap (not pictured).

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Of course, as I said, bento boxes come in many shapes and sizes. I am one for more standard boxes, so I don't have all the cute novelty ones. It would be fun, I just don't. Here are the bento boxes I have...

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These are some of my favorites.

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These are pretty fun, too. =D

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This was one of my first bento boxes and the only one I've ever had break. The lid has a crack in it. I should probably get rid of it, but I haven't.

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Cherry pink!

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I actually have a couple of these, one in yellow and one in pink.

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These are the oddest shaped bento boxes I have. Not all that odd, but I probably use these the least, since they are the least standard I have. I like standard. =DAnd here's how I store my bento boxes...

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Bento Storage - Tools of the Trade

2011-10-17T12:02:00.000-07:00

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When we built our house, I knew that I was going to want to have a cabinet for bento storage. I have lots of bento supplies that I use regularly, so it just made sense that they have their own dedicated home. It's one of the nice things about designing your own house. =D This is my bento cupboard.

I have 3 clear bins of bento boxes, one of cookie cutters, one of silicone cups, one of smaller containers, and 3 divided containers for smaller pieces. And, of course, I have them labeled because I *heart* my label maker!

Strawberry Kiwi

2011-10-16T12:57:00.000-07:00

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I heart bentos...

2011-10-15T12:56:00.000-07:00

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Apple Applause

2011-10-14T11:56:00.001-07:00

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Very fall!! Apple shaped cucumbers, leaf shaped crackers, and leaf shaped tortilla sandwiches.

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Quick Take..

2011-10-14T11:53:00.001-07:00

I was in a hurry one morning and didn't have a bento made for her. Here's what she got...

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Fall is here!!!

2011-10-09T13:42:00.001-07:00

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Tools of the Trade: Cutters...

2011-10-07T00:00:00.000-07:00

In my bento supply cabinet, I have 2 kinds of cutters... Sandwich cutters and Cookie cutters.

Sandwich cutters are easy to find, for the most part. I have picked up these ones from Walmart, Target, and Albertsons. They're at pretty much every grocery store:

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The downside to these is that sometimes they don't fit well into the long, skinny bento boxes. The hearts and butterfly do okay, but the other two require a more square container.

I also have this sandwich cutter, which I like better for bentos. I have seen other variations on this idea, but none that have been easy for me to come by, so this is what I have. =D

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It cuts 3 animal faces and a heart at the same time. I would like to get more of these. I don't often use sandwiches in my bentos, though, so I don't know if it would be worth the investment.

As for cookie cutters, I have some bento-specific cookie cutters that I bought at Daiso. They're really nothing special, though.

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Maybe my FAVORITE cookie cutters right now are the new cutters I got. They're spring loaded pie crust cutters from Norpro and I originally thought I could use them for sandwiches. I've found, though, that they work GREAT for stacks of sliced cheese!

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I also have picked up cutters designed for fondant in the Wilton cake decorating section. Honestly, I rarely use these, but I thought they were cute!

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Pretty much any small cookie cutter will work for bentos, as long as it doesn't have any teeny tiny intricate spots for food to get stuck and break off. Here's more of my collection...

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Metal cutters are perhaps the nicest, because they cut easily through meat and vegetables.

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I store my bento supplies in clear shoebox size containers in the bento cabinet. Some of my smaller cookie cutter sets I group together in small containers to keep the pieces together. Everything else gets tossed in randomly.

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Bento*riffic on Etsy!!

2011-10-06T13:18:00.000-07:00

Bento*riffic, the etsy shop is LIVE!!! I have been sewing up a storm and making bento straps and they are making their way to an etsy shop near you! Woohoo! Check it out and let me know what you think! You can find me here:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/elizabethwickland

A Hearty Picnic Bento

2011-10-04T13:24:00.000-07:00

Eliana had a friend come over after school on Friday, so I put together a couple quick bentos so they could take them to the pond for a picnic. Because it was just a quick bento, I decided to bust open the single-use bento boxes I got at Daiso last time I was in WA. I originally got them for a workshop I was going to do, and then that fell through. So today I pulled them out to use.

I was surprised at how flimsy they are, but then again, they are one time use things. They are recyclable, which is more than I can say for ziplocks, so I am still good with it. They don't have any sort of closure, so I used a couple of those shaped rubber band "silly bands" that my daughter is so excited about. Worked like a charm.

I wouldn't use these for every day use, but for a workshop where I teach others some tips and techniques for packing bentos, I would use them. I have one of those dancing around in my mind right now, waiting to be planned, but we'll see when and how that will come together.

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Heart apple, heart sandwich, and carrot slices.

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Bento Straps

2011-10-03T09:30:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time I bought a couple bento straps. I bought the cutest one I could find (the heart) and a two-pack of another strap.

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That's when I decided the world needed cuter bento straps. I tried my hand at several designs after looking online at what I could purchase if I lived someplace like Japan or Singapore.

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Ribbon with elastic. Cute, but there are definite limitations to the stretchiness of them. Still, they're functional and I use them regularly.

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Elastic with shaped buttons. These have become by far my favorite. The downside I found is that I don't particularly like white elastic. I found some black elastic, too, but was done making bento straps by that time, so it didn't happen. White elastic is fine, but as you can see by the pink and green bento straps, it gets dirty. Ellie tends to put the straps into the bento box, so food gets on it. You can wash them, but jello just isn't that forgiving. Still, very functional, and pretty stinkin' cute if I do say so myself.

So now I have found a source for some elastic that is fun and there are actual serious plans to open that etsy bento shop I thought about before. Now I'm just trying to figure out how much it really costs to make a bento strap and what a fair price to sell them for is.

Decisions, decisions...

Starstruck...

2011-10-02T09:14:00.000-07:00

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Got a star theme going on today... Shells and "chreese", craisins, star "goldfish" crackers, chicken, and star tofutti "cheese". Might have a cheese theme going on, too. Hmmm. Not the most balanced, but it's all good. =D

Happy Fall!!

2011-10-01T09:12:00.000-07:00

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In this bento are... peas, shells and "chreese", chicken, and apples. When Eliana came home from school, guess what was completely gone? Yep. The peas. She'd eaten half the mac and "chreese", but not the apples or chicken. She finished the rest for lunch, but I think it's funny that at 5 years old she would eat the entire set of peas as her morning snack at school and leave the apples there. Not complaining, just funny.

Ladybug Apple!

2011-09-30T09:08:00.001-07:00

"I got a ladybug apple!! Bwaaaahaaahaa!!"

That was Eliana's response to my very hastily thrown together bento snack on Tuesday morning. She thought it was GREAT. Wow. That was easy. =D

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Just a little something to snack on...

2011-09-26T14:04:00.000-07:00

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Eliana is learning to write in cursive this year, so I've been trying to incorporate cursive into her bentos. It's not as easy to write on graham cracker as it might seem!

Jello, hard boiled egg, craisins, and graham cracker. Just a little snack!

Giraffe Eggs

2011-09-25T14:02:00.000-07:00

What? You didn't know that giraffes lay eggs? Well, maybe they don't, but Eliana got a giraffe egg in her bento this week. How fun!

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Here's a close up in case you missed it!

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Egg Love!

2011-09-24T13:57:00.000-07:00

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These two little eggs were in love and happy as could be! Aren't they cute?

Peas, Canadian Bacon, Eggs, Jello, and Craisins today!

Pretty Plain

2011-09-23T13:56:00.000-07:00

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Not the most exciting bento, but it will suffice. Peas, hard boiled egg, jello, orange, carrots, and tofutti "cheese" stars.

Penguins!

2011-09-23T13:52:00.000-07:00

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A double decker bento for Ellie this week! She gets jello, graham crackers, raisins, orange, pepperoni, tofutti "cheese", dried blueberries, and a hard boiled egg. And in case you can't tell, that is no ordinary egg, but an iceburg in the water with a penguin on top!

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This little girl helps me make bentos.

2011-09-22T13:48:00.000-07:00

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Sometimes.

Sometimes she just plays while I make them. =D Today, though, she was helpful...

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I was not so prepared as to have her bento made the night before, so I had to put together a quick one before school on Friday. Here's what she got:

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When she came home from school, the only thing she hadn't eaten was her banana. It turns out that she REALLY likes hard boiled eggs! I'd made this one up in an egg mold, so she was excited to get a star shaped egg. She even requested eggs for this week's bentos!

Fruit, Grain, and... Jello?

2011-09-21T13:43:00.000-07:00

Not exactly the food groups, but that's what Eliana had for snack one day last week. Since she gets done with school at 11:30, I only send a snack with her, then whatever is left over she eats in the car on the way home. Sometimes I send a double decker snack, and sometimes only a single layer bento, depending on how much time I have and how much I think she'll eat. This week she seems to be a bottomless pit, so I made all her bentos ahead of time (go mom! I love being prepared for the week to come!) and they are all double layered this week. In any event, this was one of hers from last week...

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If I remember right, she ate the whole thing. Hooray!

Jello Cups

2011-09-20T13:40:00.000-07:00

Eliana LOVES having Jello in her bentos. I have found that the easiest way to send jello is by making it in silicone cups. Of course, the silicone cups are smaller than the 1/2 C. traditional serving of Jello (which I think is fine, since it is a treat!), so you get more "servings" out of one box! Score! I just make the jello in a Pyrex measuring cup (4 C.) and pour it into the various shaped silicone cups, then put them (on a plate) in the fridge to set. They make very fun snacks!

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Happy Food!

2011-09-19T13:36:00.000-07:00

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I discovered my cute baran sheets last week! I guess I've known they were there, but I actually pulled them out and used them to contain some rather unruly jello. Ellie also got chicken, tofutti stars, strawberries, and homemade dairy-free "goldfish" crackers!

The oval bento box

2011-09-18T13:34:00.000-07:00

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I have this oval bento box that I find to be uber cute, but have to admit that I struggle with filling it because it is a different shape than my other bento boxes. Ellie's snack this day was boring for just that reason. Some pasta (albeit shaped like vehicles!) and frozen peas. Still, she enjoyed the snack at school and it was good for her. I'll have to keep working on this box, though.

More Bento

2011-09-09T21:04:00.000-07:00

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Another week!

2011-09-09T08:30:00.000-07:00

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Another week, another set of bentos. Actually, this is from last week. This week has been a little messed up by the fact that I have been pretty seriously sick this week. So... You get last week's cast offs, spaced out if I do it right... Ha!

Let's see... we will start with the pancakes and berry mush bento for your viewing pleasure. I didn't intend for the berries to be mush, but they were. Yeah, Ellie didn't think they looked too appetizing, either, and didn't eat them. Sigh.

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But at least the box was cute!! It's one I got from my friend Tam this summer!

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First Day of School....

2011-09-08T20:51:00.000-07:00

Tuesday was Eliana's first day of kindergarten. To celebrate, I made her a snack bento based on the book we read for her bedtime story, "The Kissing Hand". She loved it!

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Last Week's Lunches

2011-08-28T18:39:00.000-07:00

As I stated in the last post, we're gearing up for school, and that means bentos for lunch! Here's a review of what Ellie had for lunch last week!!

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She ate all but the last one, since I forgot to give it to her. Oops! That one becomes lunch tomorrow. =D

Gearing up for school...

2011-08-23T22:30:00.001-07:00

data, originally uploaded by elizabethwickland.

Eliana starts kindergarten in a couple weeks, so we're gearing up by practicing things like... making a week's worth of lunches and getting back into the bento habit!! Monday through Friday, here we come! All lined up in the fridge...

Dash out the door Bento

2011-07-20T10:21:00.001-07:00

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BENTO!!

2011-07-18T13:11:00.001-07:00

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There have been a few bentos this summer, but not too many have gotten pictures. This one did, though!

What you do when you don't have a fork compartment

2011-05-02T05:22:00.000-07:00

Another Bento Strap

2011-04-30T05:20:00.000-07:00

Like Mother Like Daughter

2011-04-28T17:19:00.000-07:00

This was my bento the other day and this was Eliana's:

Lunch!

2011-04-24T15:16:00.001-07:00

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Ellie's lunch one day last week. =D We are back to occasional bentos!

Flower Power

2010-11-06T22:03:00.001-07:00

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Ellie's bento from Wednesday. She didn't touch the wrap, other than to pick the cheese out of it, but other than that she was pretty happy with it!

Bunny Bento!

2010-10-05T10:27:00.000-07:00

I have been making quite a few bentos lately, but sadly have not been photographing them since I've been making them right before scooting out the door! That said, I did manage to photograph Eliana's bento from Friday! Here it is!!

Seen one, seen 'em all...

2010-09-20T06:25:00.000-07:00

Yep, matching bentos for Eliana and her best friend, Josie!

Peek-a-bento!

2010-09-18T06:21:00.000-07:00

A slice of canadian bacon and a cookie cutter make this fun, especially when used as toppers for silicone cups filled with dipping sauce and chicken salad! Peek-a-boo!

Star Struck

2010-09-16T06:18:00.001-07:00

I got these star silicone cups at World Market a little while back and I haven't been making bentos until recently again. I pulled these out and started playing. I like them! Kind of wish I'd gotten some of the other shapes they had, too.

You can see at the bottom of one of the stars that I put sprinkles in the bottom of the jello cups I made Ellie so she'd have a little bling and a surprise at the bottom! She loves it!

Nothing Fancy

2010-09-14T06:16:00.000-07:00

... it's nothing fancy, but it's a bento. If I tell Ellie those are green bean fries, she'll dip them in the ketchup in the little container and eat them all! This bento disappeared completely, except for the very bottom of the blueberry muffin. The mac and cheese and beans were a hit!

Bento Factory

2010-09-12T18:15:00.001-07:00

FlickrDroid Upload, originally uploaded by elizabethwickland.

In anticipation of a busy week, I have been making a few bentos ahead of time. Nothing too fancy, just stuff that can easily be stored in a bento in the fridge until it gets eaten. It's like I have my own little bento factory!

Summer Garden

2010-07-19T11:10:00.001-07:00

FlickrDroid Upload, originally uploaded by elizabethwickland.

It's a summer garden bento! Apples, Almonds, Canadian Bacon, Cheese, and Peas. Yum!

Mommy Bento

2010-07-10T12:52:00.000-07:00

This was my bento from our picnic the other day!

A couple sticks of string cheese are hidden underneath the pepperoni. The top includes yogurt and fruit salad. Yum!

Butterflies and Bananas

2010-07-07T18:18:00.001-07:00

Today Eliana and I went for lunch at a park and took our bentos. She had butterflies and bananas. =D

And here's her box:

Rabbits!

2010-05-01T07:09:00.001-07:00

FlickrDroid Upload, originally uploaded by elizabethwickland.

I don't know why, but the students I used to teach always said, "Rabbits!" on the first day of the month. So, here's a bento for the sake of, "Rabbits!"

Grown Up Bento

2010-04-29T20:38:00.001-07:00

FlickrDroid Upload, originally uploaded by elizabethwickland.

Strawberry hearts with string cheese circles and leftover peanut chicken and veggies. Yum!

Orange Bear

2010-04-28T20:39:00.001-07:00

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Fastest Bento Ever!

2010-04-17T16:44:00.001-07:00

FlickrDroid Upload, originally uploaded by elizabethwickland.

We were in a hurry, but I told Eliana she could have a bento for lunch, so I grabbed my supplies and whipped together the fastest bento ever! Leftover pasta and balsamic vinegar, clementine, craisins, and trail mix cubes. Easy peasy, then we ran out the door!

3 Little Kittens

2010-04-13T13:58:00.001-07:00

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I don't know if they've lost their mittens, but Ellie enjoyed them for lunch!

Bento Strap Cuteness

2010-03-18T01:28:00.000-07:00

I am excited about these little bento straps! I've been looking for cute ones and can't find many, so I'm making them! I've made quite a little stockpile and started an etsy shop for them... now I just have to find time to get some good pictures and post 'em up there!

Bagels are Boring...

2010-03-16T01:26:00.000-07:00

Some bagels are cute. I was in a hurry this morning, so this bagel is boring. =D

I'm seeing stars!

2010-03-14T01:22:00.000-08:00

Testing out an idea for using cookie cutters to make designs on toast. Not sure I've perfected it yet, but it's coming along.

Here, Kitty, Kitty....

2010-03-12T22:20:00.000-08:00

I am loving the mini-bagels from Costco right now. Perfect size for a bento, and easy-peasy to dress up using food markers!

The Three Muskateers

2010-03-07T01:43:00.000-08:00

Technically, these are Easter eggs. Gotta love the seasonal things that can double as cute bento fodder!

I love them! They're too big to fit INTO the bento boxes, but they make a nice side kick and are the perfect size for filling with snacks!

(most recently they held grapes...)

The Masked Bandit

2010-03-05T01:36:00.000-08:00

Josie and Eliana got bentos for lunch on Tuesday. All of our bento boxes were dirty (I need MORE, then, eh?) so I just used a couple glass dishes that are about the right size.

They had to be simple and quick, so the girls got heart pasta, bananas (with smiles =D), chicken, and black olive / green pea eyes! They also got some new containers full of grapes, but I'm going to make you wait for the post on those. I love them!

Goldilocks and the 3 Bears

2010-03-03T07:43:00.000-08:00

Not the best picture, but we had a little extra time one morning, so Ellie got a cheese and pepperoni Goldilocks to go with her bear sandwiches! =D

Contemplating a little workshop...

2010-03-02T11:57:00.001-08:00

I've been noticing some more local interest in bento-ing, and I'm considering putting together a little "how-to" workshop with some tips on putting together bentos, getting toddlers to eat through fun food, time savers when it comes to cute food, where to get supplies, etc. Nothing too fancy, but I think it would be fun.

I'm also considering trying to get a group of people together to place an order from Daiso. You have to order wholesale, so they come in boxes of 10 items. I don't know if we could get 10 people together, but I'd love to try!

I also had a little vision of opening a little bento shop where people could purchase supplies locally, but that's just a pipe dream. =D Still, it would be cool! And cute! And we could give lessons. Tee hee!

DANG! I just (for fun) entered a bunch of stuff into Daiso to see how much it would cost for shipping and all of that... Turns out if we could get 10 people together who wanted bento supplies, I could put together a COMPLETE bento starter kit for $25 a person, including shipping. It would include... 5 bento boxes (one for each day of the week, or a couple for kids and a couple for mom), a fork with holder, 2 sets of cute food picks, 2 sets of baran food dividers (grass and veggies), 2 straps, 4 silicone butterfly cups, and 2 boiled egg molds.

Bentos make me giddy.

Soooo.... anyone interested in going in on a bento order??

Eliana Banana

2010-03-01T07:42:00.001-08:00

Pancake Fun

2010-02-26T07:28:00.000-08:00

Ellie's lunch bento. We made some green pancakes (with food marker smiley faces and designs!) so she got 3 of those, a little container of syrup, clementine slices, applesauce, corn, and jello squares. She ate all of it but a few kernels of corn. Success!

Butterfly Fun

2010-02-24T07:47:00.000-08:00

Since it's still LOVE month, I made Eliana some heart Jello jigglers. She's been having fun with them, and one morning I gave her a couple as a snack, made into a butterfly. Easy peasy, and cute to boot, all I had to do was draw some swirlies onto the hearts using food markers and, voila!, a butterfly with pretzel body! She loved it.

The month o' love....

2010-02-22T05:40:00.000-08:00

February is the month of love, right? I hope so, because we've been big on hearts this month!!

Peanut butter and jelly heart sandwiches, a Clementine, strawberries cut into hearts, and peas.

Hurry Blurry

2010-02-20T05:37:00.000-08:00

When you're in a hurry, this is what you get!

It's better than drive-through chicken nuggets, but it's a little plain if you ask me! I actually made 2 of these, though, one for Eliana and one for her little friend Josie since I was taking both girls with me. They thought they were fun, even if I thought they were plain!

Cheese / tortilla wraps, yogurt with sprinkles, carrots, and Ritz crackers.

I Heart You, Cutie Patootie!

2010-02-18T05:35:00.000-08:00

Another bento with heart pasta, and a little teddy bear Peep! This one is a little better balanced than the last one, with clementine slices, corn, and almonds to round out the meal!

Blurry and Plain

2010-02-16T05:34:00.000-08:00

Just a plain old bento, and a blurry picture, but here it is! Carrots, Chicken Curry and Quinoa, Applesauce, Olives, and Tapioca Pudding. =D

Happy Valentine's Day!

2010-02-14T17:30:00.001-08:00

FlickrDroid Upload, originally uploaded by elizabethwickland.

I'm sort of embarrassed to post this bento, given its total lack of vegetable and overabundance of sugar, but it's just so cute for Valentine's Day! =D Heart pasta, Heart Peeps, and a clementine!

Mr. Snowman

2010-02-09T13:51:00.001-08:00

FlickrDroid Upload, originally uploaded by elizabethwickland.

Spaghetti, Cheese, Chicken Salad, and Peas. =D

Let It Snow!!

2010-01-06T07:53:00.001-08:00

FlickrDroid Upload, originally uploaded by elizabethwickland.

It has been snowing like crazy last night and today, so I thought this was a fitting bento for a snowy day! She is heading to a friend's over lunch, so I packed her a little something to eat while there.

- Chicken Salad (with a cheese snowman face =D)
- Spaghetti
- Apples
- Olive slices
- Cheese snowflake stars
- Peas

Grown Up Lunches are Boring....

2010-01-05T16:06:00.001-08:00

FlickrDroid Upload, originally uploaded by elizabethwickland.

... but this was mine today. I needed to pack lunch so we could eat while snowshoeing, and I figured this was a good way to do it! Apples, kiwi, bananas, peas, and chicken salad. yum!

Mushroom Bento

2009-11-30T14:33:00.001-08:00

IMG_0355, originally uploaded by elizabethwickland.

Another from a while back. Quick and easy, apples, canadian bacon, and peas!

Safari

2009-11-21T18:42:00.001-08:00

DSC_7045, originally uploaded by elizabethwickland.

This is from a while ago, but I don't think I ever posted it. It's kind of a safari theme, I guess, with the trees and animals. The bear is mac&cheese, the giraffe is olive, the stars are carrot, the lion is cheese, and there are also pears, peas, and broccoli trees.

A Mommy Bento

2009-11-20T06:48:00.001-08:00

FlickrDroid Upload
Originally uploaded by elizabethwickland

Ellie's bentos are cute, but this is what mine typically look like... Kind of boring if you ask me! But they do the job. =D Apples sprinkled with cinnamon, peas, pepperoni, and pretzel sticks with cheese! Fruit, veggie, protein, grain, and dairy, all in one little box!

Happy Fall, Ya'll!!

2009-11-18T21:04:00.001-08:00

FlickrDroid Upload
Originally uploaded by elizabethwickland

Today was a BENTO day!! First bentos I've made in a while. Woohoo! I had one and Ellie had one - and hers was Fall themed! It included:

- Apples (cut into apple shapes =D)
- Cinnamon Sugar (in the little apple container)
- Peas
- Pepperoni (on leaf picks)
- Cheese (aka Tofutti, the fake cheese we must feed Eliana)

It was a hit! She devoured the peas first, and they were gone in seconds.

I heart birds

2009-11-16T21:14:00.001-08:00

Bento
Originally uploaded by elizabethwickland

I don't remember exactly when I made this bento, but I discovered it among our pictures recently, and thought I'd share. I'm not sure what happened to all the bento making lately, except that we are home most of the time and I don't need to send a lunch with Eliana, except for Wednesdays, when we go to town, but we have to be in town by 9 and I am not usually on top of things enough to make the bento the night before or the morning of. So... I'll see what other bento pictures never got posted and work on updating this blog. Then I'll make an effort to bento more frequently!!

Bento...

2009-10-10T09:27:00.000-07:00

There have been very few bentos lately, and most of the ones I've done I haven't gotten pictures of because I was running out the door. Here's the most recent...

Hearts and Flowers

2009-08-11T07:56:00.000-07:00

Ellie's most recent bento. We haven't been eating lunch away from home lately, so there's been no bento since this one. Hopefully that will change soon, though. =D

Back to Bentos!

2009-08-03T06:07:00.000-07:00

I made Ellie a bento last night to eat for lunch today. It's really good to get back to cute food! Of course, it isn't the cutest bento ever, but it will work for lunch and should make Eliana happy. =D I took pictures, but they're still on the camera and I'm too lazy to take them off right now, so you'll just have to wait.

Elizabeth's Lunch Bento

2009-07-17T11:46:00.000-07:00

from a day I went to all-day training.

Ellie's Bento

2009-07-15T11:45:00.000-07:00

Mix It Up!

2009-07-13T11:43:00.000-07:00

An Asian Salad bento for me!

Everything separated nicely until I mix it all together and eat it. Yum!

A Star is Born!

2009-07-11T11:40:00.000-07:00

Ellie's lunch bento one day. Lots of tofutti cheese stars. Lots of spaghetti noodles. =D

Creepiest Bento Ever

2009-07-09T11:38:00.000-07:00

Ellie told me it was a monster bento and she thought it was funny. It turned out drastically different than I expected it to! I like to call it the bearded lady....

Going Buggy!

2009-07-07T11:35:00.000-07:00

The ladybug snack inspired this bento:

It was for my lunch, and very tasty, despite the subject matter. ;) The bugs are grapes split in two and sliced almost into quarters with raisins for heads. They are on a bed of chicken salad and spinach. Like I said, very tasty!

Lady Bug Snacks!

2009-07-05T11:33:00.000-07:00

I asked Ellie if she wanted bananas for breakfast. She said NO.

I asked Ellie if she wanted apples for breakfast. She said NO.

I asked Ellie if she wanted ladybugs for breakfast. She said YES!

Here's what she got:

She loved it! (And ate it!)

Long time, no BENTO!

2009-07-03T11:26:00.000-07:00

I have actually made several bento in the last month and a half, I just haven't been blogging! Life gets crazy in the summer, and June seemed to disappear as soon as it started. Ack! So... Let's get caught up on some bentoage, shall we?

This bento gets the cheesy title of... "Love You Beary Much" =D

This is the front view. It has a brownie cupcake, pepperoni, and strawberry hearts. It was Ellie's snack bento one day, and I think it went over pretty well. =D Here's the view from the side:

Stay tuned for more long lost bento pictures!

Another Giveaway!

2009-05-19T08:43:00.000-07:00

This must be the time of year for bento giveaways! Kitchen Cow is giving away a great prize package:

All she asks is that you answer one simple question: what would you put in this bento package if you won it??

I am pretty sure that my answer would have to be cute food! After all, isn't that what goes in every bento? Hmmm... specifically, I would have to make a different mini-bento in each of the four containers, sort of an Old MacDonald theme, with a different animal in each box. I think that would be fun!

Toddler Involvement

2009-05-14T07:43:00.000-07:00

Ellie loves, I mean, LOVES, to make bentos. She asks to make them. But what do you do with a busy toddler who wants to be involved when you're creating food art?

Some people let their kids make the bentos. Right now Ellie is better at eating the pieces of the bento I've already cut than she is actually helping. But I want her to be a part of it, so.... this is what *I* usually do. =D

I give her a cutter or two or three and a slice of cheese. We usually make bentos right after breakfast, so I just count that slice of cheese as part of her breakfast.

She loves creating! She feels like she's a part of it! And I get to make cute bentos without too many of the pieces getting eaten before I can place them. =D

Bento-riffic!

100th Day!!

Four Circles...

Pasta and Pears

Shells and cheese with stars, please!

Moon and Stars...

Same song, different tune...

And another....

Nuggety cuteness

Has it truly been that long?

She doesn't like corn...

Busy busy busy!!

Tools of the Trade: Silicone Cups

This week's lunch bunch

Tools of the Trade: Bento Boxes

Bento Storage - Tools of the Trade

Strawberry Kiwi

I *heart* bentos...

Apple Applause

Quick Take..

Fall is here!!!

Tools of the Trade: Cutters...

Bento*riffic on Etsy!!

A Hearty Picnic Bento

Bento Straps

Starstruck...

Happy Fall!!

Ladybug Apple!

Just a little something to snack on...

Giraffe Eggs

Egg Love!

Pretty Plain

Penguins!

This little girl helps me make bentos.

Fruit, Grain, and... Jello?

Jello Cups

Happy Food!

The oval bento box

More Bento

Another week!

First Day of School....

Last Week's Lunches

Gearing up for school...

Dash out the door Bento

BENTO!!

What you do when you don't have a fork compartment

Another Bento Strap

Like Mother Like Daughter

Lunch!

Flower Power

Bunny Bento!

Seen one, seen 'em all...

Peek-a-bento!

Star Struck

Nothing Fancy

Bento Factory

Summer Garden

Mommy Bento

Butterflies and Bananas

Rabbits!

Grown Up Bento

Orange Bear

Fastest Bento Ever!

3 Little Kittens

Bento Strap Cuteness

Bagels are Boring...

I'm seeing stars!

Here, Kitty, Kitty....

The Three Muskateers

The Masked Bandit

Goldilocks and the 3 Bears

Contemplating a little workshop...

Eliana Banana

Pancake Fun

Butterfly Fun

The month o' love....

Hurry Blurry

I Heart You, Cutie Patootie!

Blurry and Plain

Happy Valentine's Day!

I heart bentos...

I heart birds