Oh my goodness, what’s this?…
Yes, I’ve been woefully neglectful of my bento duties. I pack lunch for school, but mostly just take something quick (a sandwich, cut up fruit), and rarely take pictures. The above is one from May that I took a picture but never posted… hummus, baby carrots, turkey and mustard on whole grain, with clementine sections to help prevent the sandwich from moving around, all packed in a Ziploc container I bought for $3.49/2. The box is a little big for regular meals, but with sandwiches or salads, it’s perfectly fine. (The big compartment is 650ml, then 175ml, then 100ml, total 925ml… kinda big for me.)
CSA goodies galore! Roasted broccoli & cippolini onion hiding underneath, roasted beets, chicken cole slaw (recipe to come), hard boiled egg, and jarred peaches.
Showing my Mets pride! Someone gifted me a Mets ProToast toaster, which brands the team logo into bread as it toasts it. So here’s my Mets sandwich with honey roasted turkey, sliced asiago, and dijonnaise; mozzarella sticks; chocolate covered biscuits; roasted beets; chicken cole slaw; roasted broccoli & garlic.
The day of the All Star Game (go National League!), showing my pride even more! Probably should have drawn a #5 on that with ketchup or mustard or something, but oh well! Pretty much the same as yesterday’s, with the addition of a second cheese stick – this one monterey jack.
And what’s this? It’s a GIVEAWAY!!! I received a review copy of Yum-Yum Bento Box (associate link) by Crystal Watanabe and Maki Ogawa – and of the handful of bento books I’ve read, this is heads above the rest. It doesn’t hurt that I love Crystal’s blog, Adventures in Bento-Making, but really, this book actually teaches you how to make the bentos it shows. Plus I can see Crystal’s wackiness peeking out here and there in the tone of the book. LOVE the photos on every page. This is a GREAT book for those who are interested in charaben or decoben – it explains things thoroughly and easily enough for anyone to be able to follow along, even those completely new to bento, along with sections on the equipment/tools necessary to make things. AWESOME book.
To enter the giveaway, all you have to do is comment below with why you bento (or why you want to start) by midnight EST on August 1. Easy-peasy! On August 2nd, I’ll run the numbers on Random.org and see who wins their very own copy of Yum Yum Bento Box!
Good luck and happy bento!!!
TT says
i bet that sandwich looked really good in the beginning, but then was just a huge letdown in the end.
kim says
Hope school is going well with you.
I bring lunch to work/school everyday. It’s healthier and more economic for a student’s pocket and health. 🙂
Sherri says
I missed your bentos. I usually bring lunch to school in those 2cup pyrex containers and I’ve always wanted to do it the ‘bento’ way 🙂 I’ve tried a couple of times.
Susan says
Hmm, I started bento cos of a picky child hiding sandwiches below her bed. Now #i bento for me as ~I like the variety in my lunch each day. Small sprog is moving away from bento. She’s at the in between schools stage and not sure enough of herself to be confident about her “individual lunches” 🙂
Kay says
I started because I couldn’t stop myself from buying cute Bento goods on my trips back to Japan, haha. But seriously though, it’s so much healthier, cheaper, and better for me overall!
Feisty Foodie says
Congratulations, Kay! You’re the winner 🙂 – I will email you shortly!
Ophelia says
I want to start making bentos again at college next year! I will finally have my own kitchen so I can experiment and cook up some yummies~ What a cute book! 🙂
Valerie says
Hello there! I bento because it livens up dull food. I really enjoy being creative.
Deen says
I want to start making bentos for my daughter’s lunch when school starts back. She’s grown out of her picky-eater stage and this way I can provide a lot more variety to her lunch. Plus, it looks fun! I get to be creative when packing her lunch and she gets a nice surprise every day at lunch. Win – win!
jennJK says
🙂 i would love to start making bento lunches for my kids. one will start preschool and the other first grade in september. i hope that they will see their cute lunches and know that their mom loves them and is thinking about them while they’re at school.
thanks!
Aimee says
I used to makes bentos for my husband but then I realized how mucvh fun I was missing out on! I got the best lunches in town baby!
Cindy Waffles says
I like to pack my lunch for a few reasons. It’s much cheaper than buying meals. I like that I can pack a little bit of everything. Also, Iast night’s leftovers makes great lunches the next day.
Meg says
I haven’t made a bento before but would like to start, because it would be something fun to look forward to at lunch every day and a healthier alternative to buying fast food or whatever else is convenient!
Chris says
I’m looking for a bento box, it cant be pinku (that’s Japanese for pink) or any girl color. It has to be of 2 or more kotoba (that’s Japanese for 2 compartments) and has be be chibi (small) sized. And has to be really kawaii (cute). Also It has to be about 10-20 bux. And you have to post pics of it first (i want to make shure it’s kawaii [cute]). And it would be nice if it came with matching chopstick holder (WITH chopsticks). OH! and it CANNOT have any cartoon pictures, or be made out of plastic. It has to be made of ceramic, or something like that. Also it would be nice if it was made in japan. and not in china or corea (Korea) or whatever. I have found a bento box similar to the one im describing in e-bay, but it was 1 kotoba, and i don’t want my gohan (rice) to touch my other things (it can get wet and i would not like that, plus 2 compartments looks more kawaii)
Witzel says
Dean posted this to the list eons ago.
hnahk says
MY KIDS! i can’t feed them public school lunches.
cons says
i’m new to bento-ing but enjoy it coz it brings a smile to the kids’ faces and warms my heart to see them enjoy it. well, that and it is my way to relax and buy some sanity =)
Innamoramento says
I love Bento making, because it’s funny, healthy and you can make other persons happy, if you make Bento for them. <3
Binah says
Thanks for the return to bento-ing post. I must admit that I am returning as well. I have taken a hiatus from bento’s since I’ve recently moved. I am beginning my bento’s again tomorrow.
I bento for portion control. I also bento to introduce a variety of foods and nutrients to help my diet be more healthfully balanced.
I bought the very same boxes from Ziploc that you did. I still have one left from the last time they sold these over 8 years ago.
Thanks for the contest.
Lisa says
I want to bento so that one day I can make healthy lunches for my children.
Tami says
Bento-making helps me organize my thoughts around preparing healthy and appealing fresh lunches for my children while at the same time doing my part to minimize waste from packaging.
Adri says
I make bentos because I’m a poor college student and it helps to save money! It helps use leftovers and dresses them up in the process!
monique says
i love this!
Alice says
I bento because it allows me to make healthy choices, it’s fun and creative to do, and it’s a great hobby!
Debbie says
I would like to Bento because I’m trying to lose weight and eat healthfully but also eat interesting food that looks beautiful. I want everyone at work to want my lunch!
T.C. says
Aaahhh Mets toaster!
As for bento box, I guess I can give it away to cute girl or trade ’em for bake goods? I dunno. Barter system!!
Nicholas says
Does this mean the “NYM” logo area gets overly burnt? Or does the surrounding area not get burnt enough?
Yan says
Because Bento brightens up my day! if I have a dull day, it adds color, and if I’m having a great day, it makes my day even brighter! 🙂
Amy says
Bento saves money and with this book i can make it seem less boring.
Patricia says
I bento because I can both be healthy (portion control) and let out my creativity as well. Plus, my daughter gets excited to eat her lunch if I do her bento for the day. 🙂
Angelene says
I make bento because I want to save money on my lunch!
and of coz it has made my lunch time super duper HAPPY to see nicely decorated lunch box!
Whee~
Jen says
I make bento because my kids actually eat if I do. They try new things, and its fun
SkippyMom says
I was sick 🙁 so I missed this – but I bento because I got the bug from YOU! lol – and my kids love, love, love it. It is so healthy and a fun way to show some love to the kids while they are in school. [we refuse to do school lunches – no nutrional value and they are $3 here/bah]
I would love a book like this – I am always trying to find new ways to bring a smile to Miss Wallene’s face [I’d include Squirrel but she leaves for college in, gasp, 3 weeks. sigh]
Love your containers btw – perfect for Pooldad…our bento boxes are a wee bit small for my big guy 🙂
Phil says
My wife makes Bento for the kids (and even me)…I’d love to win this for her, I know she’s been eyeing it on amazon. We’ve eaten a lot healthier because of what she makes for us.