I was excited to receive a copy of Anna Adden’s book Happy Bento! Lunches on the Go. This book may look small but there is a lot of helpful information, fun ideas, and beautiful photos in it. From beginners to long time bento makers, there is something for everyone. Today I am sharing two lunches that were inspired by Anna’s book.

When I turned to page 40, I was excited to see a technique I had never tried. Anna put pasta in a cookie cutter and kept the cutter in the lunch to hold the pasta. I did not have a hippo cookie cutter or the exact bento box in the photo but I did not need them to make a cute lunch. I mixed cooked mini shell pasta with a little butter and cheese and put it in a Starfish cookie cutter. Since I had a Starfish I decided to make an entire Under the Sea theme.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Left Side: Mini shell pasta with butter and Mexican cheese blend in a starfish shaped cookie cutter, blueberries, Cheddar cheese fish (cut with cookie cutter)

Top Right: Pepperidge Farm Cheddar Goldfish Crackers

Bottom Right: Sugar Snap peas, shell carrots (cut with a tiny cutter)

When I looked at page 38, I knew that I had to make peanut butter and apple sandwiches. I actually don’t have a rocket cookie cutter but I have plenty of stars and moons. I even have mini star rice molds that I used for this lunch.

Container: Book Bento Box

Contents: Moon and Star peanut butter apple sandwiches, blueberries, blackberries, star onigiri (rice balls made with Nishiki rice and a mini star rice mold)

You don’t need the same tools to make an awesome lunch inspired by Happy Bento! Lunches on the Go. But if you want to buy some bento supplies visit Bento USA.

Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book for being part of the Happy Bento book blog tour. I was not financially compensated. All opinions stated here are 100% my own.