(# 258) Rice snow flake bento

Tomorrow's bento featuring rice snow flake ... it's not snowing here yet this winter, but I am sure hoping to get some soon. The boys too can't wait to play snow balls outside, making snow man and having cup of hot chocolate afterwards, no school days .. and just snuggle watching movies with brothers while mommy baking some goodies ... ah the joy of winter.

I used snow flake cookie cutter to shape the rice, then I arranged some scramble egg around it, but I am a bit disappointing with the egg colors, they are somewhat a bit pale so the snow flake isn't too clear.
I used store bought eggs while my chicken are slowing down laying eggs.

Anyway, next to it are some stir fry tofu with sweet peppers, purple and regular carrot and grape tomato. Fruit and snack are packed separately.

Oh by the way, I was wrong when I said tomorrow would be my kids last day of school before winter holiday, turned out they still having school until next Wednesday the 19th, but they'll have ski lessons on Monday so I'll only have 2 more days to pack my boys bento this year.

(# 257) Rice noodle daisy bento

I prepared two identical bento for tomorrow's, so I only made 1 picture tonight.

I love love love this bento boxes and I think I use it quite often, just the right size for my boys.

Anyway, inside the box are stir fry rice noodle with chicken meatballs and carrots, topped with some sliced mini sweet peppers, I tried to arrange it to look like a flower. I topped it again with daisy provolone cheese and carrot.

Next tier contains fresh kiwi and satsuma orange.

This week would be my kids last week of the year before winter holiday. The school is resuming January 2nd next year. I hope I can still make one last bento of the year tomorrow, will see ^__^

(# 256) Panda and saba bento

Tomorrow's bento featuring panda onigiri :P
I am so excited to get this new bento gadget ... I think I did alright for first time using it ... will use it again in the future for sure ^__^

So in between the 2 pandas I put some steamed broccoli topped with purple carrots.
There are some saba shiyoyaki, carved carrot and fresh mini sweet peppers.

I topped the saba with carrot in this picture ^__^

(# 255) Tricolor quinoa salad with grilled chicken

Tomorrow's bento featuring quinoa salad with lots of veggies and topped with grilled chicken marinated in garlic and herb. I put some baby zucchini, baby spinach and bell peppers in the salad.

Inside the next box are some satsuma orange, kiwi and mini grape tomatoes.

I am sorry for short post, I hope I am not getting sick, have a great weekend everyone ^__^

(# 254) Chicken pot pie Elephant and Bunny bento

I made chicken pot pie for dinner the other night and I have little leftovers of the fillings and the crust, so I made single serve chicken pot pie in disposable tin cups. I topped the pie with elephant and bunny, I hope you can see its shape.

Next to the pie are some fresh pineapple, kiwi, satsuma and mini grape tomatoes.
I also packed some garden salads in a separated box, it contains baby spinach, bell peppers, and extra thin sliced yellow and regular carrots. Raspberry and walnut dressing is packed in a little bottle.

Here's a close up picture, I put carrot pick in the tomato for the bunny .. my kids say they are cute!

(# 253) Stuffed Aburage/Bean curd bento

I made simple stuffed aburage (bean curd) lunch for my boy's bento tomorrow. I got this ready to make aburage complete with its sauce from Korean Market last weekend. I hope my boys will love it, I know my oldest son will :P

Next to the rice are some grilled chicken (leftovers), mini sweet peppers, satsuma, mini heirloom tomatoes and fresh sliced kiwis.
I also made provolone bear just to make this bento looks cute.

(# 252) Steamed bun bento

This is my first bento after Thanksgiving :P I think everybody understand who wants to cook after Thanksgiving ... :P
I was so lazy and tried to finished our Turkey leftovers, we had lots of turkey sandwiches lunches, turkey fried rice, turkey this and turkey that ... UGH!

But today I forced my self to make steamed bun, please check the recipe HERE, you can stuffed with any meat you wish. This time I used beef, because that's what I have thawed, normally we love chicken, but beef isn't too bad, my family love it!

There are some sugar snaps next to steamed buns, red Texas grapefruit, and mini heirloom tomatoes, I tried to make it cute by adding nori facial details and leave stems.

I hope you can spot the bunny face in the mini heirloom tomatoes in this bento. My kids think they are cute ^__^

(# 251) Fried noodle with grilled chicken - bear bento

This is the only bento I have for this week, and I only made one picture too :P been so lazy lately ;-)

This simple bento contains some fried noodle, grilled chicken and mini Roma tomatoes. I topped the chicken with a provolone cheese bear, facial details for bear is made of nori.

There are also some satsuma orange in a separated silicone bowl.

For snack time I packed some plain Greek yogurt in a little glass, to make it more flavorful and fun I layered some granola on the bottom, yogurt, some maple syrup and topped it with strawberry slices. Yummm!!

Happy weekend everybody ^__^

(# 250) Open face salmon sandwich bento

The other day when we had Vietnamese Pho for dinner I stopped by the Euro market nearby, and bought this organic dark rye bread with caraway seeds, and I looove its flavor, I honestly did not expect it to be that good but it goes really well with salmon gravlax.
I made gravlax some time ago after I bought local wild salmon from my neighbor who always going fishing when salmon is on season. It turned out really well and I am so pleased with the result.

I use low fat cream cheese for this open face sandwich.
For fillers I put some mini Roma tomatoes and peeled satsuma orange. Snack are packed separately (not pictured).

I only make 1 bento picture since my 2nd son isn't too crazy about salmon, so I fixed him whole wheat bagels with cream cheese, and I thought I just posted WW bagels bento last week.

(# 249) Bagels with egg bunny bento

Tomorrow's bento featuring whole wheat bagels with cream cheese and hard boiled egg bunny plus some red bell peppers.
I was too lazy to cook this evening so we went out having Pho for dinner, as a result I pack a non cook bento, I already have some boiled eggs handy.

Nothing's fancy in this bento, but I tried to make it more fun for the boys, so I turned the egg into a bunny (I hope it looks like one :P) my youngest son just said it looks like a mouse to him ... and he's 3 BTW!

I love this thermal stainless steel bento box I just got a couple months ago, just the right size for my boys.
I purchased similar ones long time ago but I wasn't really pay attention on the sizes, so once I received it I  was a bit disappointed because they were way to big. But I am sure I will be able to use it one day. I love  collecting bento boxes anyway :P

Have a great weekend everybody ^__^

(# 248) Fried rice with tofu and fish sausage

Hallowen is over and now we're back to regular bento, hope I won't bore you with my simple bento.

It's been a while since I last packed some fried rice for the boys, this simple dish is always safe my day during the busy times. And YES! today I was so busy trying to get everything done before I pick the boys from school. We had an early dinner, packed some leftovers for lunch then take a quick pictures before heading for trick or treating.
I honestly am not happy with the result of the pictures I took .. but I am still post it anyway :P

I threw in some some fish cake, eggs, and peas & carrots in the fried rice, so it's already contain some protein and veggies. I topped the rice with some flowered carrot and picks to make it more fun.
In the next compartment I put some pan fried tofu in a lettuce bed. There're also some fish sausage in a flower skewer.

Recently I purchased some lights to help me making a good pictures at night, and I am not quite get it yet, so these pictures looks too bright, I need to learn more and I am excited!

Have a great evening everyone!

(# 247) Rice with sweet minced beef BAT bento

Wrapping up Halloween theme bento I prepared this yummy rice with sweet minced stir fry beef. I know many of you must have known already on how do I make the bat shape in the middle of the rice, but for new visitors to my blog I'll let you know how.
First, you place a bat shape cutter in the center of the bento box, put some rice on the outer side and pat it gently  to make sure the rice would stay in form. Then spoon the beef in the center part, gently release the cutter and ta daaa!! that's it!
I use red bell pepper for the eyes and 2 rice grains for its fangs, I also put some peas on top of the rice just to add some colors.

On the next part of the box are some fresh kiwi slices and halved satsuma O'Lantern with red bell pepper for facial details.

Happy Halloween!!! I hope you are all have a very Spooktacular one ^__^

(# 246) Salisbury steak ghost bento

Up for tomorrow's lunch I packed the boys some leftovers. I made two identical bento for both of them.
We had some Salisbury steak with mushroom sauce and mashed potatoes.
I layered some mashed potato on the 1/2 buttom of the box and layed the coffin shape Salisbury steak on top of it, then I put the R.I.P letter cheese cut out.

 
There are some sweet corn in a separated silicone cup, topped with a ghost. I made the ghost using a provolone cheese and nori for facial details.
Next to it is a sweet yellow pepper O'Lantern. Fruit and snack are packed separately (not pictured)

Enjoy!

(# 245) Frankenstein turkey sandwich bento

Three more days till Halloween!! I must use these days to pack Halloween bento for my boys ... been taking days off of making bento due to early release and some other reasons.

For tomorrow's bento I prepared a Frankenstein turkey sandwich, I found the sandwich cutter at our local Fred Meyer this afternoon, it was on sale! so I grab one and waste no time to use it :P

I use provolone cheese and black olive for the eyes and lips and lettuce for its hair.
Next to the sandwich are some fresh grapes and mini orange pepper O'Lantern.
There's also satsuma orange for snack time.

Here's another picture in different angle

(# 244) Sunflower seeds butter and honey sandwich

Another sandwich post :P

This time I made sunflower seeds butter with honey sandwich in a shape of black cat. 

I also make a chicken sausage finger that looks like burnt, I use slivered almond for its nails ... was going to put some ketchup to make it bloody effect, but decided not to, I don't want any of the ketchup touch the sandwich.

Next to it are sweet mini peppers stuffed with cream cheese, and last but not least is Mandarin Jack O'Lantern.

(# 243) Cream cheese open face sandwich eyeballs and alien bento

I made two identical bento for tomorrow's. My 2nd son B requested me to pack him bagels and cream cheese the other day, he loooooves bagels and cream cheese so much, and it's too bad I somewhat forgot to put it on my grocery shopping list last weekend,(bad me!!) I don't like to go back to the store just to get one thing, I always come back with a whole bunch of stuff I don't even need.

So what I did is I cut multi-grains bread with doughnut cutter and make it an open face eyeballs sandwich, I spread a little honey in between to make it stick together, smeared some cream cheese on the top part and using tooth pick I made an eyeballs pattern with strawberry syrup, I stuffed black olive in the middle part, I hope it looks like an eyeballs .. LOL ...

There's also hard boiled egg alien, facial details as always are made out of nori cut. Next to it are Mandarin orange, fresh carrot and mini sweet pepper. Enjoy!

(# 242) Fried Noodle Monsters and Jack Bento

Trying to keep up with the theme I prepared another Halloween bento, this time I prepared some fried noodle, beef teriyaki, steamed broccoli, mini sweet peppers and Mandarin orange Jack O'Lantern.
I also put some monster creatures to make it more fun, enjoy!

(# 241) Chili skull bento

Falls is finally here, after 2.5 months summer vacay in Indonesia and we returned here to a summer like weather still, it feels like we had the longest summer ever!
Until towards the end of last week there's some some significant change, I honestly miss the winds and rains ... call me crazy but I love to just bundling with my kids, watching movies, and have chili simmering on the stove and maybe baking some cookies .. aahh I love falls!!


Continuing with Halloween theme, I prepared a chili with a skull made of rice.

If any of you wonder how I mold it (some of you must know that I am not as good as other bentoist in molding rice with bare hands :P) I mode the rice using a skull mold that I made out of the skull decoration I purchased at michaels for under 2 bucks, there are like 6 pcs in a package, so I cut on piece and keep the rest for what its purpose. The plastic is pretty thin, so using scissors would do the job. I then washed it trough, stuffed the rice inside and release it with no problem, put some nori cut out for its eyes, and that's it! So here's the picture :

I hope it's spooky enough for my kids :)

(# 240) Saba Misoyaki - Spider bento

Halloween time again!! it's time to get spookylicious ...
For my first Halloween bento of the year, I prepared some saba misoyaki, steamed broccoli, carrot and pear tomatoes. There are also some sliced apples topped with spider plastic that I got from Wallgreens last week :)

I shaped the rice with my bare hands, as you can see it did not came out uniform on sizes ....I used cling wrap to avoid stickiness, and it came out okay I think :P
Facial details are made of nori cut out, I did in in such a rush so I am not so impressed with the result.

Hope I can come up with another Halloween bento soon. Enjoy!

(# 239) Fried Noodle Butterfly Bento

Up for tomorrow's bento I prepared some fried noodle with stir fry beef.

Nothing's special in this bento, I just use some food pics and butterfly carrot cut out to make it more appealing.

There are also some blackberries and steamed broccoli next to the beef.

 

Enjoy!

(# 238) Curry couscous and fried shrimp

I made two identical bento for tomorrow's lunch.
It contains some couscous cooked in coconut milk and curry powder, fried jumbo shrimp wrapped in lumpia skin/wraps, steamed broccoli, baby carrots and fresh kiwi.

I also packed low sodium soy sauce in a tiny bottle.

See you all next week, have a fabulous weekend :):)

(# 237) Smoked salmon sandwich

Nothing's special for tomorrow's bento, hubby worked late on Wednesday so I fixed the boys some simple Indonesian dinner and we have no leftovers. So I prepared some sandwiches for tomorrow's lunch.

For the sandwich I use oat bread, smeared with honey mustard and home-made smoked salmon plus lettuce, no tomatoes *my son requested to omit the tomatoes so it wont be slippery he said * :P

Inside the upper tier are some home-made hummus with baby carrots packed in a separated lil containers, next to it are some heirloom tomatoes, black olives, sliced apples dusted with cinnamon and fresh fig.

(# 236) Couscous and chicken bento

Happy Monday everyone :)
Up for tomorrow's bento I packed some couscous salad with garlic, olive oil and heirloom tomatoes.
There's also some chicken strip, sweet corn and cuke.

Fruit and snacks are packed separately (not pictured)

(# 235) Mac&cheese and chicken bento

I only took one picture for tomorrow's bento.
It contents some white shells mac & cheese with some roasted cauliflower, fried chicken, cuke and yellow tomato.

I also made "I love U" letters with some carrots.

(# 234) Afternoon fruit snack

I have no bento to post but have this cute afternoon snack containing fresh kiwi, black berries, banana, fresh fig and some crackers with double cream brie, doesn't it look cute?

Have a fabulous weekend :)

(# 233) Beef bulgogi gimbap, bunny bento

I prepared some gimbap/kimbap upon my boys request for tomorrow's bento.
Good thing I always have some nori in the pantry.

There are some yellow and purple carrots, apple dusted with cinnamon and yellow carrot. I also pack some home-made apple sauce for snack time (not pictured)

(# 232) Roasted Chicken, galaxy bento

Hello my bento pals,
I hope you are all having a great weekend.

We went to Anacortes today and stopped by the farmers market on the way home, I got some rainbow carrots, cauliflower, sweet corn, blue berries and so on and so on, what FUN!

For tomorrow's bento I prepared some leftovers roasted chicken, some sauted potatoes and sweet peppers, sweet corn, rainbow carrots (too bad the color isn't showing :( ...) but they are orange, yellow and purple.

I realized everything was too pale in colors so I put some Italian parsley. Was thinking on steaming some broccoli but I do not want to waste, so it is what it is :P
I also made a star, moon, space ship and some other galaxy stuff from cheese, I hope it won't be melted by lunch time :D
There are also some blue berries packed separately, and some yoghurt for snack time.

(# 231) Brown bear bento

Wrapping up this week's bento I prepared brown bear made from regular jasmine rice, I used bear mold then I sprinkled some Indonesian roasted coconut (serundeng) that I brought from Indonesia during the visit. The boys love it!!

I stuffed the box with steamed broccoli and sweet corn.
On the next tier are some teriyaki chicken and sliced apples dusted with cinnamon.

Here is another pic :