Another New Container

I got this at the dollar store, and while it's a cute container (it looks like a Leggo block) it's way too big for the appetite of my little one. Also - although it didn't occur to me in my groggy, newly-awake state - this really could use more fresh produce and less plastic visible, even if it's a pretty shade of blue.

We have: cucumber flowers (needs work, that), a single huge strawberry, red grapes, carrots, and mini bagel slices with peanut butter and raisins.

Better Pictures....Finally

Yay! Natural light makes a huge difference, eh?

From top left: spinach leaves, whole black olives, cubes of mozzarella cheese and cubes of black sesame/honey snacks, mini dried pineapple dice, a heart shaped container filled with vegetarian chicken nuggets (morningstar farms, although Quorn wins hands-down in our family taste tests), dried apricots, and celery sticks.

Another Guy Lunch

I really must start putting things near the window before taking a picture. Anyway, here's what we have:

Cup of diced kiwi and chunks of feta cheese; salad greens topped with a star-shaped mini vegetable quiche.

The Learning Curve Continues

These guys just aren't as deluxe as others I have seen out there, and I'm still not filling the boxes well enough nor am I doing a good job taking pictures. So much to learn...So little time in the mornings. I'm also determined to keep this whole process under 15 minutes. I'm not a masochist! At least the lunches are cute enough that the girls like them, don't feel deprived by not having the cafeteria junk, and it's cheaper in the end. I suppose I need to count it as a win even if I still have a lot to learn.

Top: peanut butter honey sandwich on cinnamon raisin bread (note to self: might be better to cut bread before filling sandwich), "snowball" coconut snack cake (hey, there was a crazy sale on them!), fresh strawberries, fresh carrot sticks, dried apricots, cherry tomatoes.

Mini Lunchbox Bento

I found this mini lunchbox at the dollar store and thought I would try it out for a lunch for my younger daughter. Not bad, but I still need to pack these things more completely.

From top left: slices of snack cake strawberry rolls; several cubes of Laughing Cow cheese, egg filled with GORP (raisins, peanuts, etc), cheddar cheese mini rice cakes, and skewers of fresh raspberries and blueberries.

Lunch For A Guy

So, obviously my husband doesn't want his lunch to be quite as "cute" as his daughters. Here we have a simple tupperware container and a simple, but visually appealing, lunch arrangement. This was a first try and there are several things I need to work on. First, the photography is awful. I really need natural light for this, not the kitchen overhead. Second, the lunch was not packed tightly enough. It's important when packing a lunch to fill the container well so that items will not shift when carried around. I'm sure this was a jumbled mess by the time he got around to eating it. Third, too much plastic is visible inside the container. More fresh produce, even a bed of lettuce would have made it more visually appealing. Live and learn.

We have: cubes of black sesame seed/honey treats; a colorful mixture of rice crackers and wasabi peas; 2 lunch wraps made with wholegrain, low-carb tortillas stuffed with lettuce, smoked mozzarella and pesto.

Dolphin Bento

One of the best ways to keep your bento-making efficient is to start thinking about it the night before, when cooking dinner. You can often begin setting aside ingredients to use the following day if you plan ahead and cook a bit extra. In today's bento I have used leftover roasted asparagus from the previous night's dinner. Chilling overnight seems to bring out an incredible sweetness in the spears, which were simply caramelized in the oven after tossing with a bit of olive oil and sea salt.

From top, clockwise: pomegranate quarter. Bottom: container of Sesame Season-All, quartered kiwi, cherry tomatoes, chunks of surimi simply sprinkled with lemon juice, and roasted asparagus spears.

Sesame Season-All

We use this seasoning on everything. It's packed with rich, roasted sesame flavor and B vitamins from the cheesy nutritional yeast. Try it on popcorn! Incredible.

1/4 cup roasted sesame seeds
1/2 cup nutritional yeast flakes
1 Tablespoon each: garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, powdered parsley
1 teaspoon each: powdered marjoram, rosemary, sage, sea salt

Combine in herb grinder, minus one Tablespoon sesame seeds set aside. Grind to a consistent powder. Add reserved sesame seeds and mix. Put in a shaker container with holes large enough for the sesame seeds to pass through.