Eclectic Lamb

I made this black bean rice elephant for lunch for myself. I am not thrilled with the lack of color contrast but it was a tasty and fulfilling meal.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Top: Elephant – hot cooked Nishiki rice pressed into a cookie cutter with plastic wrap, black beans (I used my food processor to puree black beans with some lemon juice), cooked broccoli

Bottom Left: Elephant – apple cut with a cookie cutter dipped in water with lemon juice to prevent browning, mini chocolate chip, raspberries

Bottom Right: Pistachios

I made this cream cheese and cinnamon Bald Eagle for my Dad on a day that we went on a day trip in the Adirondacks. It was a weekend that I visited my parents at their Lake House. We went to the Adirondack Experience museum at Blue Mountain Lake. It was a long time since I was last there and they have updated exhibits with interactive technology. We had fun!

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Left Side: Bald Eagle – focaccia bread, freehand cut into eagle shape, cream cheese, cinnamon, dried blueberry, cashew, sugar snap peas

Top Right: Mixed nuts

Bottom Right: Fish – assorted melon cut with cookie cutters

I made this cat face shaped bread for lunch for my friend Carol on a day that we went to the Genesee Country Village & Museum.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Left Side: Cat face – 30 minute cheese bread. I made the bread without the cheese and shaped it to look like a cat. The eyes and nose are cinnamon, mouth – food coloring marker. The whiskers are angel hair pasta. Sugar snap peas

Top Right: Trader Joe’s Mini Brie, a few Brazil nuts

Bottom Right: Cat – watermelon cut with cookie cutter, cantaloupe

I made this hand shaped bread for lunch for myself on a day that my friend Carol and I went to the Genesee Country Village & Museum.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Left Side: Hands – 30 minute cheese bread. I made the bread without the cheese and shaped it to look like a hands, sugar snap peas

Top Right: Trader Joe’s Mini Brie, a few Brazil nuts

Bottom Right: Numbers – assorted melon cut with cookie cutters

My friend Mark came over for lunch on the 4th of July. This salad was part of the meal. I did not use cilantro and I added more lime zest and juice. The stars are blue potato that I cut with a small cookie cutter and boiled. I boiled the corn and then cut it off the cob. I also served homemade star corn chips and homemade coconut ice cream with fresh raspberries.

I made duplicates of this lunch – one for my friend Mark to take home with him, and one for myself to take to work the next day. I put the sides in silicone cups for easy removal before heating if desired (I ate mine at room temperature).

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Left Side: Hippo – polenta made with broth and cornmeal (stir 1/2 cup cornmeal into 1 cup of vegetable broth, heat at medium-low heat while stirring, when it becomes a ball and is somewhat firm, remove from heat and spread onto a plate at the desired thickness for your cookie cutter. When cool, cut with a cookie cutter), Spanish Garbanzo Beans (see recipe below).

Top Right: Hippo – honeydew melon (cut with a cookie cutter), blueberries

Bottom Right: Hippos – carrots (cut with a cookie cutter), celery with almond butter

Spanish Garbanzo Beans (2 servings)

2 TBSP olive oil

1/2 cup chopped shallots

1 medium green pepper, chopped

16 ounces of tomato sauce (I use more or less depending on how thick I want it and add more during cooking if desired)

15.5 oz can garbanzo beans, rinsed

In a medium pan, heat olive oil until medium hot. Saute shallots and pepper until onions are translucent. Add tomato sauce. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes.

Add garbanzo beans. Cook over low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

I made this simple woodland lunch for my Mom.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Left Side: Mushroom – Cheddar and spinach (cut with a cookie cutter), romaine, cherry tomatoes, black olives, cucumber, feta cheese

Top Right: Pistachios

Bottom Right: Fawn – honeydew melon, Greek yogurt

I made this tomato and cheese tart for myself. The spinach decoration on top are supposed to look like sheep.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Top Left: Spinach leaves

Bottom Left: Pumpkin seeds

Right Side: Sheep – spinach (cut with a cookie cutter), Tomato Tart

I made this lunch for Ayato, my friend Mayumi’s 12 year old son. He is a huge fan of soccer so it seemed appropriate to make this theme. I was inspired by this.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Left Side: Pizza with tomato sauce, mozzarella, and olives

Top Right: GOAL – Carrot – (cut with mini cutters), sugar snap peas

Bottom Right: Strawberries

I made this dinner for my friend Carol and myself. It was around 500 calories and delicious. I love lemon so the fresh lemon zest in the pasta made this memorable. It is a dinner that we will remember fondly.

Salad with Green Beans, Pistachios, and Lemon Vinaigrette – (I did not use the thyme and I sauteed the shallots since I don’t like them raw)

Raspberry Fool

I made this lunch for myself to celebrate the arrival of spring.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Left Side: Tulip – Cheddar (cut with a cookie cutter), romaine, cherry tomatoes, black olives, cucumber, feta cheese

Top Right: Pistachios

Bottom Right: Tulips – honeydew melon, cantaloupe, and pineapple (cut with a cookie cutter), blueberries

I made this meal for my friend Carol. I was inspired by this. As usual, it was a simple and satisfying meal.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Left Side: Daffodils – Cheddar cheese cut free-form with a knife, thinly sliced rolled carrots inserted in small hole (cut with a cookie cutter) in the center of the cheese, Roasted Broccoli Quinoa Salad (did not use the feta or pistachios)

Top Right: Pistachios

Bottom Right: Blueberries

I made this for my friend Mayumi’s mother during their stay at my home.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Top Left: Blueberries

Bottom Left: Cashews with green chocolate candies

Right Side: Tree and bear – spinach (cut with a cookie cutter), Tomato Tart

I made this lunch for Anna, my friend Mayumi’s 7 year old daughter during their visit from Japan.

Container: U Konserve

Contents: Crowns – cheddar and mozzarella cheese pizza (cut with a cookie cutter), blueberries, strawberries

I made this meal for my friend Mayumi during her recent stay to my home. While planning their lunches, I asked Mayumi what theme she would like and she said ballet.

Note: Plastic Ballet themed cupcake ring  is a non-edible decoration.  Add after baking and remove before eating.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Top Left: Cashews with pink chocolate candies

Bottom Left: Strawberries

Right Side: Tomato Tart – see below

Tomato Tarts

• Piecrust
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 4 plum tomatoes
• 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
• 3 tablespoon sour cream
• 3 tablespoon mayonnaise
• 3 tablespoon snipped fresh basil
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Cut piecrust to fit the tart pan. Prick bottoms of tart shells with a fork. Bake in a 425 degree oven for 8 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately divide 1/4 cup of mozzarella cheese between the shells.

Meanwhile, cut each tomato into slices. Combine remaining mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, basil, and garlic powder in a small bowl. Arrange tomato wages in each tart. Spoon some of the cheese mixture over the tomatoes in each shell.

Bake in a 425 oven for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and begins to brown.

I was surprised that I had never made broccoli shamrock pizzas before this year. In 2016, I made spinach shamrock pizzas.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Left Side: Shamrock pizzas (cookie cutter), with broccoli and mozzeralla

Top Right: Ricotta with dill

Bottom Right: Green grapes

I made this lunch for my co-worker Angie. It is supposed to be a vegetable rainbow with a black olive and corn pot of gold.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Left Side: Rainbow – red bell pepper, carrots, yellow bell pepper, broccoli, blue potato (cooked), over Parmesan rice. Pot of Gold – black olive with corn, pecans

Top Right: Pistachio nuts

Bottom Right: Clementines dipped in melted chocolate chips

I don’t make snack lunches for myself very often. In the past I frequently made them for other people. I should make them more often for myself since they are fun to eat.

Container: ELB Snack Boxes

Contents: Shamrocks – cut with a cookie cutter

• Dill Havarti Cheese
• Cucumber and carrots
• Homemade tortilla chips – spinach, garlic and pesto tortillas cut with a cookie cutter, place on cookie sheet sprayed with cooking spray, spray shamrocks with cooking spray and bake in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes or until lightly browned and crisp
• Clementine

I made this simple lunch for myself to take to work.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Left Side: Shamrock – broccoli inside shamrock cut-out with a cookie cutter, homemade polenta with cheese

Top Right: Shamrocks – cucumber cut with a cookie cutter

Bottom Right: Clementine

I made this simple lunch for myself and ate it at work. I find dogs to be adorable but I prefer well behaved dogs that do not jump up on me. One time when I told my young nephew that his dog tackled me, he told me that I was not tackled since I did not fall down. Thinking of that time makes me smile.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Left Side: Dog – black beans (cut dog shape with a cookie cutter), polenta with Parmesan cheese

Top Right: Pecans

Bottom Right: Bones – Daikon – Japanese radish (cut with cookie cutter)

Not in Photo: Red pepper hummus

I made this lunch for myself and enjoyed it at work. It was my first time to use this cat rice mold set that I received from a friend in Japan. I guess I am a cat person more than a dog person but I prefer to not live with either.

Container: ECO Lunchboxes

Contents: Cat heads – hot cooked Nishiki rice pressed in a rice mold, spinach details, black beans and salsa, Cat – cheddar cheese cut with a cookie cutter, cooked asparagus, cherry tomatoes

Happy Lunar New Year! It is the year of the Pig. This was a simple but satisfying lunch that I enjoyed at work. Since I was born in a pig year, my friend in Japan sent this cute pig figurine.

Container: Book Bento Box

Contents: Pig – cooked Nishiki rice mixed with some salsa and shaped in a cookie cutter (spoon rice into cookie cutter, press down with plastic wrap, gently remove cookie cutter), black beans mixed with salsa, 2019 – Daikon radish cut with cookie cutters, pink grapefruit

I have a tradition of making various Groundhog Day themed meals. Another tradition is that without context, people don’t know what it is supposed to be. My friend Renae helped me a lot with this one. I texted photos of tweaks and she gave critiques. The shadow may still look like a dead groundhog but not as much as my first try. For the purpose of the photo, I only included one quesadilla but I served more with the meal.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Top: Groundhog – cheddar cheese quesadilla cut with a cookie cutter, shadow – homemade cinnamon tortilla chip, sun – cheddar cheese with food coloring marker details, cut with a cookie cutter

Bottom Left: Apple slices (cut side was dipped in water with lemon juice to prevent browning)

Bottom Right: Raspberries, macadamia nuts

These little pizzas are supposed to look like frogs. I considered not sharing this lunch but I did enjoy eating it at work so I am sharing it here.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Left Side: Frogs – pizza dough cut with a cookie cutter, mozzarella cheese, broccoli

Top Right: Macadamia nuts

Bottom Right: Green grapes

I made this turtle themed lunch for my Mom. She is always happy to eat one of my cute meals.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Left Side: Turtle – cheddar mashed potatoes cooled then cut with a cookie cutter, shredded cheddar markings, eye – olive, green peas

Top Right: Pistachios

Bottom Right: Turtles – cucumbers cut with a cookie cutter, tomatoes, feta, splash of red wine vinegar

I made this mashed potato meal for myself. I love using this cute little deer cookie cutter. This is my second time using it with sweet potato. I have also cut fawn shaped polenta and tortilla chips.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Top: Deer – sweet potato cut with a cookie cutter and then boiled in water, cheddar mashed potatoes, cooked broccoli

Bottom Left: Blackberries

Bottom Right: Pistachios

My 16 year old niece and I made this pancake moose last August. The theme was mostly her idea and she did the styling.

• Moose – Pancake cut with a cookie cutter, chocolate chip eyes
• Snow – Whipped cream from a can
• Moose droppings – Chocolate chunks

I made this lunch for my Dad. I don’t enjoy driving in the snow but it can be beautiful.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Left Side: Snowflakes – cheddar mashed potatoes cooled then cut with a cookie cutter, cooked broccoli

Top Right: Snowflakes – apples cut with a cookie cutters, dipped in water with lemon juice to prevent browning, blackberries

Bottom Right: Snowflakes – daikon (Japanese radish) cut with cookie cutter, spinach leaves