What do you mean, don't play with my food?

Today's bento is really nothing spectacular, but it it something I love and find very comforting; ketchup and noodles.  Most people hear that and immediately go "eww", but trust me, it is the nummiest thing.  The ketchup caramelizes and gives the noodles a little crispy texture on the outside and the tanginess mixes so well with the pasta and ground beef.  I've gotten my son hooked on it now too.  Anyway, it doesn't make for a very attractive bento, but I tried.  Here it is:

 

( Bird's Eye View... )

Contents:
1 - Ketchup & Noodles with Ground Beef
2 - Green Peas
3 - Side container of Strawberries and Yogurt

WW Flex Points = 6

My 100th posting is coming up soon.  Anybody have any ideas, requests, etc of what they would like to see?  Also, I would like to do another tutorial, does anyone have any questions on how to do a specific technique or decoration?

I wanted to do something fun today without taking forever, so I decided - pigs.  Here they are:



( Bird's Eye View... )

Main Box:
1 - Plain Onigiri Piggie (with fish sausage and nori accents)
2 - Shredded BBQ Pork
3 - A Piggie Bottle of Sweet Chili Sauce (for the rice & pork)
4 - Mixed Veggies (Broccoli, Cauliflower & Carrots)

Side Container:
1 - Strawberries & Kiwi

( All packed up in piggie containers... )

WW Flex Points = 5

Yesterday I was playing around in the kitchen, rooting through the freezer and fridge trying to come up with something for today's lunch, and wound up making these bite concoctions.  Oh, they are sooooooooo good - I wound up freezing the leftovers just so I wouldn't be tempted to eat them all.  So here's the bento:



( Bird's Eye View... )

Top Tier:
1 - Carrots & Green Onions
2 - Spinach, Mushroom & Feta Bites
3 - Crab Bites
4 - Ranch Dressing (for the veggies)

Bottom Tier:
1 - Cheesecake Flavored Yogurt
2 - Blueberries

WW Flex Points = 6

( Crab Bites Recipe... )


( Spinach, Mushroom & Feta Bite Recipe... )
 

Nothing fancy-schmancy about today's bento, but it does have my favorite seafood of all - scallops (YUM!!!)  Here it is:



( Bird's Eye View... )

Top Tier:
1 - Pasta Salad
2 - Pan Seared Scallops

Bottom Tier:
1 - Strawberries & Kiwis

WW Flex Points = 4

I'm sorry for the extended absence.  Unfortunately my laptop went belly up, so now I'm stuck using the old desktop computer that I had to go pull out of storage.  Bleech - it's sooooooo slooooooow!

Today I have "oatnigiri", a little play a words.  They are steel-cut oats formed like an onigiri.  It makes it easy and convenient to pack oatmeal for breakfast - and easy to eat without utensils too!  Anyway, here's the bento:



( Bird's Eye View... )

Contents:

1 - Four oat onigiri filled with a half link (each) of veggie breakfast sausage, the oats have a little sugar-free syrup mixed into them for flavor
2 - One clementine

WW Flex Points = 3.5

Today is Dr. Seuss' birthday.  Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, was born March 2, 1904.  If he was still with us he would be 105 years old.  Mr. Geisel passed away on September 24, 1991.  He was a prolific author and changed the way educators thought about, and taught, reading and literature for children.  Like many, his books shaped the memories of my childhood.  Thank you Dr. Seuss!  This bento is in honor of him:



( Bird's Eye View... )

Left Side:
1 - Elbow Macaroni pan fried with butter & ketchup (a childhood favorite!)
2 - Cat in the Hat made from nori & cheese

Right Side:
1 -Green Eggs (I didn't have any ham!) -  Deviled Quail Eggs with Spinach
2 - Horton Hears A Who Hot Dog flowers (It didn't show up in the picture, but the top most flower has a poppy seed Whoville nestled into the petals.)
3 - Daisy-Head Mayzie - Carrot, Red Pepper, and Lemon flowers
4 - One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish - Homemade Fish Nuggets
5 - Quick Pickled Carrot & Broccoli Shreds

WW Flex Points = 5.5

“Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened.” - Dr. Seuss
"You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself, any direction you choose." - Dr. Seuss
"If you never did, you should. These things are fun, and fun is good." - Dr. Seuss
"Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple." - Dr. Seuss
"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not." - Dr. Seuss

Extra super simple bento today - dare I say - boring.  But the sandwich was sooo yummy!  Here's the box:



( Bird's Eye View... )

Left to Right:
1 - Sandwich with Tomato and Dubliner Cheese
2 - Carrot Stars
3 - Apple Hearts

WW Flex Points = 5 (The cheese was a splurge at 3pts per oz, but so worth it!)

A fairly simple bento today with one of my favorite taste combos - portobello mushroom, feta & spinach - YUM!!!  Here's the box:


 
( Bird's Eye View... )

Top Tier:
1 - Portobello Mushrooms stuffed with Spinach & Feta (and just a little onion)
2 - Quick Pickled Carrots  (yummy and SUPER simple side dish)
3 - Sugar Snap Peas
4 - Grapes
5 - Deviled Quail Egg

Bottom Tier:
1 - Whole Grain Bulgur Wheat Pilaf with Onion & Red Pepper

WW Flex Points = 3

( Quick Pickled Carrots Recipe )


( Feta & Spinach Stuffed Mushroom Caps Recipe )

Okay, so somebody asked me how I made the egg pom-pons in the spring bento (#86), so I figured I'd post a tutorial.  This is the first time I've attempted a tutorial, so bear with me please!  (Sorry, my kitchen has crappy lighting, so the pictures are a little funky.)
( Click for instructions... )

Here is today's bento, inspired by spring:



Contents:
1 - Rice Lamb decorated with Turkey Lunch Meat face, Krab cheeks, Nori eyes & mouth, Fish sausage ears
2 - Lettuce divider
3 - One egg made into two pom-pon flowers
4 - One hot dog made into three flowers (pea centers in two)
5 - Steamed Broccoli
6 - Spinach sauteed with Garlic
7 - Breaded Okra
8 - Carrot & Red Pepper flowers, Noodle Clovers

WW Flex Points = 5.5

( Various Other Views... )

My son had an early bowling league start time on Saturday, so I decided to pack him a breakfast bento to nibble on in-between frames.  It was quick and easy.  Here it is:



( Bird's Eye View... )

Left to Right:
1 - Grapes
2 - Egg & Cheese Omelet Rolled up in a Chinese Green Onion Pancake
3 - Sausage Links
4 - A few Red Pepper Slices

This was the first time he's tried the green onion pancakes, and he loved them!  Sometimes it's tough to know what he'll accept (food wise) due to some sensory issue associated with his autism, but anything bready or bread-like usually stands a pretty good chance.

Although this was not made for me, I did figure out the WW points for those who are curious.  Let me just say - it's a good thing he's a healthy, growing, active boy!

WW Flex Points = 11

Today's lunch is in honor of Valentine's Day.  I had a far more elaborate bento planned, but when I started putting it together it just wasn't looking right, so I pared it down.  It's all packed up in my Valentine's gift from my hubby - a new box!  (He also got me some accessories that are not shown.) Here it is:



( Bird's Eye View... )

Top Tier:
1 - Baked Renkon (Lotus Root) Chips (homemade and so yummy!)
2 - Naked Chicken Nuggets (a little worcestershire sauce in the heart for them)
3 - Molded and Dyed (in beet juice) quail egg

Bottom Tier:
1 - Homemade Carrot Cake
2 - Strawberry & Kiwi Picks
(buried under the parsley are two more quail eggs)

WW Flex Points = 4

( Baked Renkon Chips Recipe )


( New box... )

Hi everyone -

Pikko over at Adventures in Bentomaking is holding a contest.  My dinosaur bento was chosen as one of the finalists.  Please, go take a look at all the wonderful entries and vote for your favorite - hopefully mine!

This was my first attempt at making sushi with brown rice.  Overall it worked well, but the colors just don't pop like they do with white rice.   It tastes really yummy though (I had to do quality control taste testing one of the end pieces before packing - yeah, that's it "quality control".)  I'm really disappointed in how the pictures turned out, especially the bird's eye view one, this bento was so colorful and the picture didn't pick up on that.  Oh well, here it is:




( More pictures... )

Top Tier:
1 - Red Pepper, Asparagus, and Broccoli
2 - Brown Rice Sushi with Krab, Avocado, and Vinegared Carrots (wrapped in mamenori (soy bean paper))

Bottom Tier:
1 - Bear Molded Hard Boiled Egg
2 - Broccoli
3 - Purple Kale (sauteed in olive oil with a clove of garlic and finished with red wine vinegar) 

WW Flex Points = 8.5

Yep - I just really wanted a sandwich today, and I don't have a sandwich box (yet).  So my attempt at packing this fell a little flat, I wish it looked nicer.  Anyway, here it is:



Left to Right:
1 - Carrots
2 - Grilled Mozzarella Cheese with Tomato and Spinach (love this combo!)
3 - Apple

WW Flex Points = 5

I found this beautiful purple kale at the supermarket and couldn't resist it.  I love kale sauteed with olive oil and red wine vinegar, but I've never had purple kale.  It's so pretty I don't want to cook it!  I used a little in the fried rice and then decided it would look pretty lining my bento.  Here it is:



( Bird's Eye View... )

Left Side:
Chicken & Veggie Gyoza

Right Side:
Fried Brown Rice

WW Flex Points = 5

Today's Bento really needs more color or cute or something, but the food is very yummy.  Here it is:



( Bird's Eye View... )

Left Side:
Broccoli Slaw

Right Side:
Tortilla Crusted Chicken Nuggets
Sweet Pepper Slices (gap fillers)

Side Dish:
Strawberries

WW Flex Points = 8

Today's lunch:


( Bird's Eye View... )

Top Tier:
1 - Blackberries
2 - Paper Bag Chicken
3 - Sweet Pepper Rings

Bottom Tier:
1 - Freekeh Salad

WW Flex Points = 5.5

( Read more... )

Nothing fancy today, but it should be tasty. (I'm so looking forward to those blackberries.  They are sooo juice & sweet!)  Here's lunch:

( Bird's Eye View... )

Top Tier:
1 - Blackberries

Bottom Tier:
1 - Mini Sweet Peppers stuffed with Cream Cheese with Green Onions
2 - Rolled Omelet with Krab & Spinach
3 - Cucumbers & Tomatoes

WW Flex Points = 4.5

Lunch for my son:



Sky - Dyed Rice
Sun - Egg Yolk
Dino - Aburage / Inari pocket (egg white teeth, red pepper tongue, sesame seed eye)
Volcano - Ground, seasoned chicken (alfalfa sprout smoke, ketchup lava)
Foliage - Spinach &  Broccoli
( Detail Picture... )