Some Christmas bentos

Since our holiday will be spent overseas, I made a few bentos before we left to celebrate.

Perry the platypus

A Perry the platypus sandwich made from ham and cheese and bread. With peas and mandarins as a side. 

The idea I got from http://susanyuen.wordpress.com she has great ideas!

Turkey day bento

A turkey bento to celebrate Thanksgiving.  Included is a leaf (carved apple) pretzal sticks and cookies!

What's this? A baby egg pie!

Sometimes my kids friends have a guessing game while they figure out what certain foods are!

These at the bottom are homemade pickles that were just weird shaped!

Also in this box was "baby egg pies" aka mini quiches!

Aargh (again)!

A pirate/ treasure hunt themed bento that the kiddos have had.

Ordinary bento

Sandwich on a pick, carrots & ranch, mandarin oranges, and pretzels. 

More Halloween nom nom

Here are a few more bentos that the kiddos have enjoyed recently. 

Thanks for looking!!!!! 

Halloween bentos

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. Since there are only 30 days to squeeze all of my ideas into... Here goes!

Here are a few bentos that I've done so far this month. 

Stay tuned for more!!!!

Arrrrgh!

Here's a couple pirate themed (kind of) bentos that I fixed for the boys. 

I hate that I forgot to show the cute little swords. Oh well hind-sight and all that jazz. 

Humpday puppy bento (2:5 & 2:6)

I think I've managed to set a personal record for bento-making. Both boys have requested bentos for 3 consecutive days. Remarkable....

I bought I'd give them a lunch to make them smile. Lets just hope self-proclaimed "big boy" Nate likes the dog I made. 

Nate has a puppy sandwich (ham & cheese filled), grapes, carrots, white cheddar puffs and some Takis. He also asked for a snack while he's waiting afterschool, so I packed some wheat thins, ham & pepperoni, and cheese. He had pear nectar to drink. 

I'm loving these napkins that I found! LOL 

Nico has the same basically: puppy sandwich, carrots and grapes and cheese puffs with a pack of teddy grahams. He has snack in the afternoon in his classroom, so his snack is wheat thins and ham & cheese cut into stars. He gets an apple juice to drink. 

Hope you all have a terrific hump day tomorrow! 

Our first egg! (Bento 2:3 & 2:4)

For those of you who don't know, we have been raising some chickens since early spring. They are fun to watch and we all got egg-cited this past Sunday when we found our first egg! I'm not sure which one laid it, but they are all approximately the same age. Here's hoping they all take a hint and stop the free-loading!

Here it is! It was tiny but I know she'll get better with practice. LOL

So this evening the husband grilled some chicken legs for dinner and you know me ( I try to not waste anything) so into the bento the leftovers must go!!!!!

Here is Nico's lunch for tomorrow:

He has macaroni, a chicken leg, steamed broccoli, and a ninja (made from a Babybel cheese). He also has a side cup of mandarin oranges but I forgot to include it. :P oh well..... 

Nate decided that he wanted another lunch tomorrow (wow, a two day streak)! Here is his "big boy" lunch:

Nate had pretty much the same....just more. He has some cheddar sauce to pour over his broccoli and I threw in some grapes too to round it out. He refuses anything cut into his cheese. LOL

Both bentos from yesterday came home empty and with a thumbs up from both of the kids. My job for the day is done. 

Back to School Bentos 2:1 and 2:2

Well it's that time again where kids pack up their bookbags and head off to the wonderful world of school! I remember the excitement of new notebooks full of blank pages, freshly sharpened pencils, and the fun of seeing all of my friends. Although school nowadays is much different than when I went, some things I imagine don't change a whole lot. 

My boys are going into the 7th and 1st grades this year. They are growing up so fast. 

I was excited to start back up with my bento-making this school year and I hope you enjoy the posts as much as I enjoy making healthy, fun lunches for my boys. 

Here Nico has a ham and provolone wrap, pizza sauce to dip it in (in the white container), grapes, ranch, and carrots and cucumbers. To drink, he has a can of apple juice. 

Nathan wanted ham, pepperoni, and provolone cheese wraps, home-made pickles, carrots, ranch, and a chopped apple. (He got braces over the summer so it's hard for him to bite into certain things.) he also has a can of apple nectar to drink. 

Here's hoping those lunch boxes come home empty! 

Please feel free to comment  below. :)

Back to School!

     Yes, folks its about that time again. I will be back in the business of bento-making again soon. I've been on a hiatus of sorts. 

    I'll try to post photos of some of the bentos that I did last school year (but didn't post here). Hope you all have enjoyed your summer!

Bento Fuel giveaway!

     I love our Fuel containers. We have several and they are very nice, sturdy products (that happend to also be BPA-free and enviornmentally-friendly. They have a very cool line of new colors and products.

       I am enclosing a link if you would like the down-low on their products. http://www.trudeaucorp.com/int-en/products/fuel/default.html

Here are a few photos from their site:

 

   

Today because..... well, just because, I am giving away a set of brand new Fuel containers! The set includes an Everest sandwich box (grey) and an Uno food container (grey/white/orange).

 

     To enter the giveaway, all you have to do is "Join" my blog AND leave a comment on what the first meal would be that you put in your Fuel container if you win! Would it be a bento-type meal? A regular sandwich and pasta salad?

 

    Now for THE RULES:

      The giveaway is open to anyone in the United States over the age of 18. The winner will be randomly drawn by a number generator and announced here by Monday, April 1st! The winner will then have 72 hours to respond to me with their address so that I may send you your prize. If no response, another winner will be generated. Only one entry per person, please. Remember you must "Join" my blog (right-hand column click on "join this site" and follow the directions) and leave a comment!

 

     Good luck everyone and please remember to check back on April 1st for the winners name!

Crazy Bunny Bento (Bento #18)

    I have been hoppin' (yes, pun intended) with Easter-themed bentos. I have one
week to get the ideas out of my head and into a box!

     This bento is for Nico. It has a ham & cheese bunny sandwich with ham and cheese trim. Also in his box are graham cracker bunnies, 2 marshmallow bunnies, sliced cucumbers, and HUGE table grapes that have been halved.

     To the side, Nico has an apple juice box, a Danonino yogurt cup, and a cup of ranch for the cucumbers.

Teddy Bear bento (Bento #17)

     I decided to do something else other than a sandwich and fixed ham and cheese spirals. They are on teddy bear picks.
     I also cut out the teddy bear cucumbers. Beside them, he has baby carrots and blueberries! Also hidden in there I have a few teddy graham crackers standing up flat between the cups! :)

Happy First day of Spring! (Bento #16)

     So today in honor of the first day of spring, I made Nico a spring-ish themed bento. He took it in his yellow Tootsie Roll Tootsie Pop box with the owl. You know, the one asking "How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop?" LOL It is a nice roomy box.
      He has a baby chick sammich, red grapes with a bunny pick, baby carrots, and edible Easter grass with bunny shaped marshmallows. Not pictured is his juice box and ranch dressing for the carrots.
     The baby chick is made from sliced cheese, ham, and bread with ham circles for his cheeks (sorry but one was slightly misplaced! LOL) The eyes are colored on with edible, flavored markers, and the beak is a piece of carrot.
     The edible grass is neat! It is supposed to have a green apple flavor but its just kind of sweet and dry. You have to suck on it a minute to get any flavor out.
     Nico gave it a 2 thumbs up!

St. Patrick's Day disappointment (Bento #15)

     Ok, well St Patrick's day came and went and I failed to make a green-themed lunch or cute little shamrock sandwiches. I guess you can shoot me now.
     I am beginning to think about spring and Easter themed bentos and have a few cute ideas. For now, this will just have to do!

     This bento is packed in Nico's Fuel-brand sandwich box. It's nice and roomy and as you can see, it holds quite a bit of food! This one is an army green color.

     In this bento he has a chicken leg (wax paper around it to keep hands cleaner), baby carrots, grapes, ranch dip for his carrots, a strawberry-flavored Danonino yogurt cup, and a Minute Maid juice box.

Who likes free stuff?

     Well, it has been a week from h-e-double-hockey-sticks. I am still trying to recover from a cold, the little one is now snotty too, and to top that off, he had an accident at school yesterday. He is fine (thank God) but I have been doing only 1-2 bentos a week. I just haven't felt inspired. I even let Dr Seuss's birthday oppertunity pass me by! (and I had such a cute idea for a bento) I guess I'll have to wait until next year...
     I have to admit I have purchased a few things for Easter bentos, now it's just a matter of time until I get them made. I will post pics if I remember to take them!

Now, I have a few items that I will be offering up for a giveaway soon! The items are new, lunch-box items and work great for those who bento and also for those who do not!
      I know everyone likes free stuff so stay tuned next week for the announcement!

Here Piggy! (Bento #14)

This easy bento came together in about 5 minutes. There is wheat bread and cheese under the piggy. The eyes, ears, and snout are held in place with a little bit of mayonnaise. A few sliced strawberries, some wheat thins and a broccoli sprig with one of my favorite tree picks is what's for lunch!

A new bento box! (Bento #13)

Nico's bento today consists of barbecued miniature meatballs, Mexican rice, and sliced apples.

 

 

 

 

The little box that its packed in is a true bento box. It has 3 sections including the top.  I included the pick for the meatballs and the spoon for his rice. 

 

 

 

This bento came back from school CLEAN! That makes momma hapy!

Monsters, confessions, and open suggestions (Bento #13)

     Something about the theme of monsters just tickles me. I love these napkins that are covered with these silly looking dudes.

     This bento is a disposable bento lunch. Nico was going on a field trip and wanted to take his lunch with him instead of having a generic cafeteria lunch bag. The rule was that it had to be disposable. Here's what I did!

     I took a strawberry container, washed it and peeled off all of the stickers. Ta dah! That's it. Seriously, that is all I did for the box.

     Here is the low down on what was INSIDE the box: PB & J homemade "uncrustable", penguin crackers, fruit & nut miniature granola bar, strawberry fruit roll-up, a mini box of Milk Duds and a small juice box. I also was seriously lacking in the veggie department. o_O

     Now for the confession, I absolutely can't stand to see all of this plastic baggies in one box. It bugs me to no end!  It's not earth-friendly and frankly the food is harder to access. However the strawberry container is full of open holes. Any suggestions for another totally disposable way to send a bento?

Panda Bento (Bento #12)

This is a panda bear sandwich filled with Nutella, 3 red, ripe strawberries, pistachios, and a boiled egg shaped as a fishy.

 



This lunch came back clean! :)

That always makes me happy!

Piggie bento (Bento #11)

Nico's bento lunch today consists of a ham and cheese piggie sandwich, mini carrot flowers, boiled egg in the shape of a car, 2 peanut butter patty cookies, and a small banana.

 

The piggie was made with my CutezCute cutter.

Wings and things (Bento #10)

This is yet another simple bento type lunch for Nico. He loves wings and since we had some leftover they went in his box!

Here you see 4 chicken wings, strawberries, broccoli, and cheese cubes. All the required foods for a balanced meal! Protein, fruit, vegetable, and dairy.

Not a cupcake kind of day (Bento #9)

There are days that I really feel like making bento lunches and then there was a day like today.

I had no plans of making Nico's lunch this morning, but he asked me to. Since I had time I agreed.
I compare making the "cute" bentos to decorating cupcakes. It's not something you mind doing but also it's not something you want to have to do everyday! Most days that Nico gets a bento it is average like this one. Simple foods that I have on hand here at home. Let's break this bento down.

In this bento, Nico had 4 cooked chicken nuggets, a mushroom sliced in half, 2 carrot/cucumber "flowers", a "bunny" apple wedge, a babybel cheese, and some minature chocolate chip bears. He had BBQ sauce on the side for his nuggets. Easy peasy and took maybe 7-8 minutes to put together!

Another giveaway!

Head on over to www.bentomonsters.com to enter In an awesome giveaway!!!

Which came first? (Bento #8)

The all-time pondered question... I would say the chicken, not the egg!
Here are some lunches I made with both! Chicken and the egg.

The first bento would be Nate's lunch. The following is Luis' lunch. I used leftover chicken tenders and nuggets from yesterdays dinner for the salads.

 

I <3 giveaways!

A great bento company is having a giveaway of bento products. Go to www.allthingsforsale.com to enter!

No bento box

Wouldn't you know that I found myself without a clean box for my lunch. No worries though! This a regular pyrex dish with a plastic lid that works great! The trick is making sure your food is packed tightly so that it doesn't shift around alot with movement.

I had a grilled chicken breast cut into strips, potato salad (laden with vegetables), kiwi fruit, and 2 small boiled eggs.

Valentine bentos (Bento 6 & 7)

Today for valentines day, I made the boys a bento for lunch.

This was Nate's lunch: a ham sandwich with heart cut-out, cheese hearts, strawberry hearts, marshmellows with hearts (made from fruit roll-ups) and pasta salad. I included the monkey pick that I got from Hobby Lobby in their baking section.

This was Nico's lunch: ham sanwich cut from heart shaped cutter, cheese hearts, pasta salad, strawberry hearts, and marshmellows with fruit rollup hearts. I used another monkey pick in the sandwich. I used fondant cutters to cut out the letters.

I need to work on filling in those extra spaces around the food. Oh well, they both thanked me and gave me hugs and kisses so I dont think they minded at all.

Puppy love (Bento #5)

I was inspired to make Nico a puppy bento. All you need is a heart shaped cookie cutter! The puppy is decprated with sugar eyes and raisens. He has marshmellows, blue greek yogurt (sweetned with blue raspberry Torani syrup), cucumbers, and a sliced apple!

He didnt touch his yogurt today and it got totally nasty by the time he got home from school! Everything else he ate.

Angry Bird? Well sort of... (Bento #4)

Andrew (my third son) asked for a bento today, which is a rarity, since it's not always "cool" in high school to eat cute stuff. I made this for him. I have threatened to make a Hello Kitty version bento for him, but in a house full of boys I cant justify buying Hello Kitty for any reason!

He has a ham and cheese sandwich, an angry bird "piggy" sandwich from PB&J, nutter butters, a fruit roll-up, almonds, a mandarin, and carrots and cucumbers.

Keep in mind that he is in high school and had a big appetite.

Mom deserves a bento too!

Sometimes the kiddos just want to eat at school so I won't bother fixing lunch for them. Its days like that when I will sometimes throw together stuff for myself or Luis. I had yummy leftovers so I decided to fix a bento for myself too!

I had hot wings, celery sticks, a cup of ranch to dip my wings & celery in, fiesta dip (which ROCKS by the way), an apple and 2 mini cookies. Needless to say I ate really well! LOL

Beary nice! (Bento #3)

Nico's beary nice bento! He had ham and cheese bear sandwiches, green grapes, cheese penguins, his name spelled out of pickles, and 2 mini cupcakes!

I'm not sure why but he hasn't been eating some of the things that he used to eat. For example, he used to eat pickles all the time, but today.... all of these were returned. Oh the mind of a 5 year old!

Simple bento (Bento #2)

This is a simple, FAST bento that I did for Nico. He has ham & cheese triangles, a peeled cutie orange, marshmellows on a sword, penguin crackers, celery sticks with peanut butter and craisens, baby carrots, and broccoli with a container of ranch dressing. I think I packed way too much food for him, but he ate most all of it!

Makes a momma proud!

Here we go! (Bento #1)

This is the first bento since I began to take pictures of our lunches. This was little Nico's lunch. He has an orange and a mini bottle of water on the bottom section. Above that he had everything cubed. Leftover pizza, sweet potato bread, and a granola bar.

He ate most everything that I packed.
The sweet potato bread was made by my mom. It was so good! It is also a sneaky way to get in a portion of veggies! :)