I always feel that salads are sort of cheating, and not really bento... but it is my lunch and it was packed all in one container - so we will just go with it.Can you spot all three types of meat in my salad? Pig, cow, chicken... I've practically got the whole farm in there!
And I love adding seeds to my salad. It feels festive, like a trip through the salad bar at the local buffet place. Leave me a comment and tell me: what do you like on your salads to make them special? (I always need good ideas!)
Happy Bento!
Monday, September 15, 2008
More Salad
Posted by Mer at 6:00 AM 6 comments
Labels: bento, boxed lunch, salad
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Teriyaki Chicken Skewers
This summer I have had the chance to try my hand at barbecuing (usually Bryan's domain). Most recently I grilled up some teriyaki chicken skewers with pineapple. Here they are all lined up on the grill:
I love the little blackened bits!
Bryan and Dioji kill time before dinner:The lunch I packed for the next day. Yum!
Happy Bento!
Posted by Mer at 6:00 AM 2 comments
Labels: barbecue, bento, boxed lunch, pineapple, skewers, teriaki
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Colorful Lunch
After the last extremely bland-looking bento, I knew I had to kick it up a notch or two. So I stepped out into the garden and came back with some color:Salad contains:
- romain lettuce, spinach, carrots, cucumber & celery (from the grocery store)
- borage flowers and leaves & tomatoes (from the garden)
- sprouts (grown on my counter-top)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQcjnHpbLm9aqgTCE85wVeYsY3Y_KSqkMxtwMDwsZQvxBioKEPgnrU11xWG1G1N4LGYIenOE2DnmhkCPJztc0eV5hTKH3JPGbZSjkIcCor6qN3DCn0VviJA_WzRJ6pm1N7OdPhRnP92Xcx/s400/AA2.jpg)
Here is the rest of my lunch, in bento form:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwGHPhg_Vk6N20rvmJOYriL7aniAwS9F6Kpzm4kkVaMpk6YRUED661mzvlZWRLBlrIdRunyjzDFQHS9wMUAuunUI-xP1YnsNUEoMnMGPGXyCV9U4ywng2x25cFJuF6cLoESnXUcKjFV2KI/s400/AA3.jpg)
Happy Bento!
Posted by Mer at 9:08 PM 1 comments
Labels: bento, boxed lunch, gardening, salad, sprouts
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Friday's Bento
Where are the veggies? Where is the fruit? I need more color!Embarrassingly simple bento contains:
- White steamed rice
- Chicken tender with mesquite seasoning
- mini banana muffin
Happy Bento!
Posted by Mer at 1:49 PM 0 comments
Labels: bento, boxed lunch, rice
Friday, September 5, 2008
Volunteers
I promised earlier to show you some pictures of other plants that have grown themselves in my garden this summer.
I am ecstatic about the number of tomatoes I am getting without doing anything aside from watering!But will they ever turn red? I'm waiting...
Happy Gardening!
Posted by Mer at 6:00 AM 2 comments
Labels: gardening, grow your own, tomatoes
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Garden-fresh Bento
Here is my bento from today:Contents:
- turkey sandwich w/ tomatoes from my garden
- more garden-fresh tomato slices
- mini banana muffin
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtyQQWJh0Zie5X6FCJyz4LY4kXPXLiorEmx2vtH780PC_RfUh13L5p60HflQ6aRjYsEOax1bqmjqBD71AV5vUhXc1zQgAMUnCBnWVVJBk-ANQGyj3w_EA9nJJChpmmZDb6zngBlsQPyGJU/s400/tomatoes2.jpg)
Posted by Mer at 7:58 PM 1 comments
Labels: bento, boxed lunch, gardening, grow your own
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Back to School Bento
Yesterday was my first day back to work. And so I started the new school year right by making bento lunches for my husband and I. Here is Bryan's:It contains:
- ham sandwich
- grapes
- two crescent rolls
- two homemade chocolate chip cookies
- PB&J sandwich
- grapes
- trail mix (left over from a hike with my dad)
- very small radish
- junior mints (a treat from my mom-in-law)
Posted by Mer at 5:18 PM 0 comments
Labels: bento, boxed lunch, lunch
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Homemade Frosting
Remember this?
If you are thinking your cake looks a bit forlorn, like the one above, you probably haven't frosted it yet. Let's get to it.
Gather up:
- powdered sugar
- butter or margarine
- some milk-like liquid
- vanilla extract
- food coloring (optional)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqJumRDhtWNWtx7t8h_ZSomv9kwR8_bX4QXbKdTnao2AmOGWsrKpySj-z-JMSGjPP-M047Fa3STDbqqBcuSv2MKu4YfFY0O9NDzINXJeNz4SUhLgE3wIQZlcCqyhB57vKGuHsvXpSMFfJa/s400/IMG_0123.jpg)
Start with the wet ingredients. Don't use very much to start. You can always use more, but never less (and it doesn't take much)!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQVsAKs2JPiCIFpKFKCOUEguyl37yL_sPgCV-x8BN43qopuOEC4VL2JCdSlm4qm3VVgnPcsk7LTvFkXW3crUJPGvzIQ9ax7rbg3Hkwp4mjBIzNxlyYwI3Evqyr4-ZDewplpGUV3TrfKPc2/s400/IMG_0124.jpg)
Add some powdered sugar. Use your hand mixer to mix it up until it looks spreadable but not too runny. This isn't rocket science. Don't stress exact amounts.
If you want your cake to look extra fun, add lots of crazy food coloring like I did:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih3jeZ-KsckQbG-jwlFLqGVOOOUzJnTzGlTvrs8fEJVfhjPio_igWByCtpV0P_Kd0Plq-7y9bn_O31KySd4QbwZibCmhfrbuH2GA6D5k8aboWVFrK6i00ZnrwA-gsQhMZ0g6AWzSaZcpU1/s400/IMG_0125.jpg)
Spread on your cake. Display...
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIYjXt-25MhL-xFWQKUczrxmrypxCG1p85g6wbJjurDIg1UdcE1V4O55clsjk21vII4vPMujxfuVuiyj8DdXZqouZ3jJCah4gZh1Epj0ikO3Nc-saBHwGmcZY96-bPNXTgWvUsvWFZv3AW/s400/IMG_0129.jpg)
Enjoy!
Monday, September 1, 2008
Chocolate Cake
About a week ago, for a friend of mine's birthday, I made my first from-scratch cake. It actually happened quite by accident. I was walking through the kitchen, a few things fell into a bowl, and out of the oven popped a cake! (Okay - it wasn't that much of an accident. What really happened was...)
- 1 cup margarine, softened
- 2 1/2 cups sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup Dutch processed cocoa, sifted
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups HOT water
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSsgb0i0wyOJmOs4pD8-2kjr7HAWnYzmZ0yn9mT9i2YfjYf-q90gs9sWKQr5aK6waWD8opyTwi8yrg685_IAI6CWJV26eVoFtmltlfLNvTwKXexk75AG6itXevlF4pdtk34ENJhl-ZQepr/s400/IMG_0100.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZU_PZMkcRrwrcSLu5ZAMaCPv-AdN1ORa_p50L4IbP0oO0mB4MCGxpkuZ8S3ARMm4DMTmCTqO5rtyFiYKugr2XMb9X35UTtTh-HdXJMfy-BY5twUbInTtffaYnVghtbTdTtea3V6SszFN5/s400/IMG_0110.jpg)
Posted by Mer at 6:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: baking, chocolate cake, dairy free, from scratch, homemade, lactose-free, milk free, non-dairy, recipes