Two Weeks of Bento
So, I've been manageing to make bento every day since shool started. Oo - brb, I think my croquettes are burning.
Okay, I'm back. This was made a lot easier by research I did over the break - a LOT of research! So I have more ideas, and time-saving shortcuts.
Also, I have a much clearer idea of what I'm doing now, so it only takes me about 15 - 20 minutes to pack a bento. About the same time as a regular lunch. But more fun.
Here are pictures of the last two weeks of bento. They're not in perfect order, as ... I forgot whcih was where. :3
Day 1
Here is the first day's bento. I had lost my bento box, so Shani handed me a bread pan. It worked rather well, although it was hard to fill the cracks.
+frozen onigiri (rice balls) shaped with cookie cutter
+frozen bing cherries
+sliced cucumber (cut with cookie cutter)
+baby carrots
+frozen leftover chicken enchilada
+chocolate gold coins (dessert)
Day 2
I still hadn't found my bento box. But it was difficult to not have a lid for the bread pan. So I just used a different tupperware. I actually like the round presentation. It was kind of reflected in the food, so it worked. Still lacking bright colors, but oh well.
+whole wheat biscuit (made the night before)
+frozen leftover chicken enchilada
+craisens/raisens/gold raisins in a cupcake holder
+frozen onigiri (shaped with cookie cutter)
+baby carrots
Day 3? (Here's where my memory gets faulty.)
I found my bento box! ^_^ So life was happy again. The shaped thingies on the rice is actually the leftover ends of my celery logs. They looked pretty cool! :3
+plain white rice
+3 meatballs
+celery logs
+apple "rabbits"
Day 4?
Ah, fun with shapes. I tried for some red and green contrast, but kind of failed in my presentation. I also tried baking some leftover pasta into a ... thing, but that didn't work too well. I'm going to try that again later. That was the red, but it got hidden under the dinosaur chicken. This wasn't a terribly balanced lunch. I needed some fruit.
+remake pasta leftover
+mixed rice wrapped in a tortilla (rice, beans, hamburger. We have it frozen in one-serving bags)
+cucumber
+dinosaur shape chicken nuggets
+meatballs
Day 5?
By the time I got to eat this, it was kinda soggy, which is sad. My cherries defrosted and ... yeah. I'm looking for some silicone dividers, so I can keep things a bit neater, but oh well. This was a star-themed lunch.
+PB&J sandwhich cut into star shapes with cookie cutter
+Whole wheat Garden Herb Triscuits
+Ham & Cheese & cucumbers cut into stars
+frozen onigiri
+frozen bing cherries
Day 6?
I was starting to run out of options here. We hadn't gone shopping in 2 weeks. (We went shopping today! :3)
+mixed rice (pulled it out o' the freezer again. :3)
+return of the apple rabbits!
+and celery logs!
+I tried an experiment with an 'egg purse'. Scramble eggs, then shape them in cellophane. Worked well. But I don't like eggs in GENERAL. So, I won't be making that again. I tried though! :3
+paremsan/garlic wheat thins as space seperator (they taste ... interesting.)
Day 7
Now I'm REALLY running low on options. Nothing new here. :3 This was *definately* not my fav lunch.
+plain white rice
+cheese stars
+baby carrots
+craisin/raisin mix
+parmesan/garlic wheat thins ... still weird tasting. I can't decide if I like them or not.
Day 8
I really stretched my brain with this one. It turned out really good. One of the things I've learned to help bento be quick, is to think about what you're going to have in it ahead of time. Driving home, taking a shower, making a metnal note of possible ingredients and arrangements helps speed up the actual making time A LOT. I scrounged our freezer, and found some frozen fruits other than cherries and raisins, which I was getting sick of. XD I also went back to my last stored frozen leftover. (Freezing leftovers in cupcake tins is the BIGGEST TIME SAVER EVER!)
I think this was my favorite note, although I only made it an hour or so ahead of time, so stuff wasn't totally defrosted. (Bento is designed to be eaten at room temperature, as most schools etc. in Japan don't have microwaves. I think.) The honeydew was COLD. However, it *hadn't* defrosted and leaked its essence over everything which is good. I think once I get some silicone holders, instead of paper cupcake ones, the defrost/leak problem will be solved.
+mixed rice wrapped in a tortilla (again)
+baby carrots
+frozen blueberries
+frozen honeydew (from ... I think summer!?!? Bento is a good way to not waste leftovers too.)
+frozen chicken enchilada leftovers
+chocolate gold coins
Okay, I'm going back to normal life. I have bento stuff for the upcoming week cooking, I need to freeze the croquettes I made, and wash dishes.
Oh, and post my story and go to bed. Tcha. I'm really tired.
~Istra~
Okay, I'm back. This was made a lot easier by research I did over the break - a LOT of research! So I have more ideas, and time-saving shortcuts.
Also, I have a much clearer idea of what I'm doing now, so it only takes me about 15 - 20 minutes to pack a bento. About the same time as a regular lunch. But more fun.
Here are pictures of the last two weeks of bento. They're not in perfect order, as ... I forgot whcih was where. :3
Day 1
Here is the first day's bento. I had lost my bento box, so Shani handed me a bread pan. It worked rather well, although it was hard to fill the cracks.
+frozen onigiri (rice balls) shaped with cookie cutter
+frozen bing cherries
+sliced cucumber (cut with cookie cutter)
+baby carrots
+frozen leftover chicken enchilada
+chocolate gold coins (dessert)
Day 2
I still hadn't found my bento box. But it was difficult to not have a lid for the bread pan. So I just used a different tupperware. I actually like the round presentation. It was kind of reflected in the food, so it worked. Still lacking bright colors, but oh well.
+whole wheat biscuit (made the night before)
+frozen leftover chicken enchilada
+craisens/raisens/gold raisins in a cupcake holder
+frozen onigiri (shaped with cookie cutter)
+baby carrots
Day 3? (Here's where my memory gets faulty.)
I found my bento box! ^_^ So life was happy again. The shaped thingies on the rice is actually the leftover ends of my celery logs. They looked pretty cool! :3
+plain white rice
+3 meatballs
+celery logs
+apple "rabbits"
Day 4?
Ah, fun with shapes. I tried for some red and green contrast, but kind of failed in my presentation. I also tried baking some leftover pasta into a ... thing, but that didn't work too well. I'm going to try that again later. That was the red, but it got hidden under the dinosaur chicken. This wasn't a terribly balanced lunch. I needed some fruit.
+remake pasta leftover
+mixed rice wrapped in a tortilla (rice, beans, hamburger. We have it frozen in one-serving bags)
+cucumber
+dinosaur shape chicken nuggets
+meatballs
Day 5?
By the time I got to eat this, it was kinda soggy, which is sad. My cherries defrosted and ... yeah. I'm looking for some silicone dividers, so I can keep things a bit neater, but oh well. This was a star-themed lunch.
+PB&J sandwhich cut into star shapes with cookie cutter
+Whole wheat Garden Herb Triscuits
+Ham & Cheese & cucumbers cut into stars
+frozen onigiri
+frozen bing cherries
Day 6?
I was starting to run out of options here. We hadn't gone shopping in 2 weeks. (We went shopping today! :3)
+mixed rice (pulled it out o' the freezer again. :3)
+return of the apple rabbits!
+and celery logs!
+I tried an experiment with an 'egg purse'. Scramble eggs, then shape them in cellophane. Worked well. But I don't like eggs in GENERAL. So, I won't be making that again. I tried though! :3
+paremsan/garlic wheat thins as space seperator (they taste ... interesting.)
Day 7
Now I'm REALLY running low on options. Nothing new here. :3 This was *definately* not my fav lunch.
+plain white rice
+cheese stars
+baby carrots
+craisin/raisin mix
+parmesan/garlic wheat thins ... still weird tasting. I can't decide if I like them or not.
Day 8
I really stretched my brain with this one. It turned out really good. One of the things I've learned to help bento be quick, is to think about what you're going to have in it ahead of time. Driving home, taking a shower, making a metnal note of possible ingredients and arrangements helps speed up the actual making time A LOT. I scrounged our freezer, and found some frozen fruits other than cherries and raisins, which I was getting sick of. XD I also went back to my last stored frozen leftover. (Freezing leftovers in cupcake tins is the BIGGEST TIME SAVER EVER!)
I think this was my favorite note, although I only made it an hour or so ahead of time, so stuff wasn't totally defrosted. (Bento is designed to be eaten at room temperature, as most schools etc. in Japan don't have microwaves. I think.) The honeydew was COLD. However, it *hadn't* defrosted and leaked its essence over everything which is good. I think once I get some silicone holders, instead of paper cupcake ones, the defrost/leak problem will be solved.
+mixed rice wrapped in a tortilla (again)
+baby carrots
+frozen blueberries
+frozen honeydew (from ... I think summer!?!? Bento is a good way to not waste leftovers too.)
+frozen chicken enchilada leftovers
+chocolate gold coins
Okay, I'm going back to normal life. I have bento stuff for the upcoming week cooking, I need to freeze the croquettes I made, and wash dishes.
Oh, and post my story and go to bed. Tcha. I'm really tired.
~Istra~