Eclectic Lamb

Christmas Cookies 2015

Posted on December 15, 2015 by eclecticlamb

I actually made 6 different types of Christmas cookies this year! I am calling this year “The Year of the Frosted Cookie” because my husband requested 3 frosted cookies! But I am glad that he was able to come up with requests. When I ask him what he wants for dinner he says, “I don’t know”. When I asked him which cookies I should make, he came up with 4 ideas.

I assembled this cookie tray to send to my husband’s business. My husband helped me decorate some cookies. I also prepared small plates for a friend and neighbors. My large freezer is my friend at times like this. I still have more in my freezer for the next time I want to make a cookie tray. I would just need to ice the ones that need frosting as I don’t put iced cookies in the freezer.

Mint Chocolate Delights – recipe is on Nestle Toll House Winter Dark Chocolate & Mint Morsels package
Frosted Gingerbread Cookies – I know that mine do not look like traditional gingerbread men but this is how my husband remembers them from his childhood. (I made my own frosting with confectionery sugar, butter, and milk) I ice them before serving.
Reindeer Spice Cookies (I made my own frosting with confectionery sugar, butter, and milk) I ice them before serving.
Pumpkin Pecan Tassies My husband loves these and requests them every year.
Sugar cookies (I made my own frosting with confectionery sugar, butter, and milk) I ice these before serving.
Cream Cheese Spritz – I don’t like working with the cookie press – it always causes me trouble but I like the taste of these cookies and wanted a great tasting non-frosted cookie.

What types of holiday cookies do you make?

Posted in Bento / Cute Food, Food, Party Planning | Comments Off

Reindeer Bread Bento Lunch

Posted on December 14, 2015 by eclecticlamb

I made this as part of a make ahead dinner for my nephew. I like any excuse to make cute shaped bread. My nephews love this bread recipe and I love that the dough is make ahead and easy to prepare.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Top Left: Strawberries with Santa pick

Bottom Left: Carrot and rainbow carrot 3D reindeer, I used this cutter set. I find it difficult to find carrots large enough for this cutter so had to search.

Right Side: Reindeer bread with dried blueberries details, reindeer shaped Cheddar cheese

Posted in Bento / Cute Food, Food | Tagged christmas, shaped bread | Comments Off

Dreidel Rice Hanukkah Lunch

Posted on December 10, 2015 by eclecticlamb

I grew up celebrating one night of Hanukkah with friends of the family. I think of those times fondly when I make Hanukkah themed lunches each year. I decided to make rice dreidels this year. They were easy to make with a dreidel cookie cutter.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Left Side: Dreidel onigiri made by pressing hot cooked Nishiki rice into a cookie cutter with plastic wrap, spinach details, spinach and lettuce under the rice

Top Right: Star of David – Cheddar and Jalapeno Jack cheese cut with a cookie cutter

Bottom Right: Raspberries

Posted in Bento / Cute Food, Food | Comments Off

Corn Husk Angel Tutorial Food and Crafts

Posted on December 7, 2015 by eclecticlamb

Sometimes I pick a topic I am interested in and present it to my garden club. It saves money on a speaker (I don’t accept payment from my club) and it gives me the opportunity to research a topic. In October I presented a program on the history and uses for corn husk including decorative and culinary uses. We had a “make and take” of an corn husk angel ornament that members could make and bring home (see the end of this post for the corn husk angel ornament tutorial). As is the tradition of garden club, I set a pretty hostess table with arrangement (all corn husk flowers of course), and I served the food in corn husk containers.

A garden club member helped me to make the corn husk flowers and crafts. Both of us made the flowers and she did an amazing job arranging them. We used this to get started and then made flowers up as we went along and made some leaves. This was my first time making corn husk crafts (I am not counting when I made a corn husk doll in grade school – I had a lot of help with that). I discovered during the process of making corn husk crafts that it is not my favorite material to craft but I was happy with the results.

I signed up to be hostess for the meeting because I wanted to make a corn husk bouquet, corn husk containers, and feature corn in some food.

Menu:

Cheese and crackers in a corn husk boat
Jalapeño Popper Cornbread Muffins baked in corn husk liners (I soaked some corn husks in water for 30 minutes, then tore pieces, pushed down with one hand while I spooned batter into the liners with my other hand)
Grapes (in a corn husk bowl – I made the bowl by putting moist corn husks in a glass bowl with paper towels scrunched up in it and let it dry – it made a loose bowl)
Frosted cookies (made by a garden club member) – I followed these directions for the corn husk leaves and dyed them with food coloring in water.

Samples

To make my corn husk program more interesting I provided photos and some samples of crafts that I made myself. I found it very easy to dye the corn husks with RIT dye. It did turn my wooden spoons the color of the dye so think about that before using your favorite wooden spoon. In some cases I needed to wet the dyed corn husks again to make them more pliable and the dye did not come off in the water or on my hands!

This corn husk Christmas tree was very easy to make. I was inspired by this. I kept it simple and used hot glue to attach a wooden star to the top.

My helper and I made these gorgeous Calla Lilies. We followed these directions.

I quickly made this corn husk covered votive. I kept it natural but of course you could decorate it more if you like. I tried to make it very safe – the candle will not get close to the corn or corn husk, it is in it’s own glass votive. I was inspired by this.

I followed these basic directions to make the corn husk rose. I was worried when it was dry that it did not look like a rose but a little bit if hot glue helped make the shape. I also used hot glue to attach the rose to the twine to make a napkin ring.

I followed these directions to make a corn husk sunflower. It took a long time to make it. After I was done my husband who normally does not comment on crafts, said that he did not like it. My garden club members said that they liked it but maybe they were just being polite.

This corn husk ghost was easy to make.

My helper followed this tutorial to make a barrette and broach. We used hot glue to attach a metal barrette to the corn husk flower.

I wore this flower in my hair when I gave the presentation.

My helper made and wore this corn husk flower broach. She used corn husk that we dyed red with RIT dye.

Angel Tutorial

Completed Corn Husk Angel Ornaments

My helper found a photo of a corn husk angel ornament but no directions. We came up with own version and prepared the craft for my garden club members to make and take home with them.

Supplies Needed to Make Corn Husk Angels

You need the following supplies to make a corn husk angel ornament.

3 pieces of dried corn husk (you can buy them in the Mexican section of your grocery store)
1 inch wooden balls with hole
Thin ribbon for hanger and body
Corn husk silk (dried) or yarn to use for hair
Hot glue gun
Sharpie markers to draw the angel’s face

Angel’s Head and Hanger

Thread a thin ribbon through the wooden ball, knot and use a little bit of hot glue to keep the ribbon in place.

Angel’s Head and Body

Soak your corn husk in warm water for about 5 minutes. Tear the corn husk to make it a little smaller (experiment to find the size you want). Fold the corn husk in half and tie with ribbon towards the top of the corn husk leaving room for the head as shown in the photo above.

Attach Head to Body

Open up the corn husk to make room for the head and hot glue the head to the body. You may need to trim some of the corn husk afterwards.

Attach Wings to the Body

Take two pieces of moistened corn husk, fold and hot glue to the back of the angel’s body to make the wings.

Attach Hair to the Angel’s Head

Use dried corn silk, yarn, or the material of your choice and hot glue to the angel’s head.

Completed Corn Husk Angel

Here are some angels that my garden club members made. Have fun making your own angels!

Posted in Bento / Cute Food, Crafts, Food | 7 Comments

Sagittarius Zodiac Lunch

Posted on November 30, 2015 by eclecticlamb

Next in my monthly series of Zodiac symbol lunches, here is Sagittarius.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Top Left: Mixed nuts

Bottom Left: Cinnamon Apples – sauteed with butter and cinnamon

Right Side: Fruit muffins with cheese garnish

Posted in Bento / Cute Food, Food | Tagged zodiac | Comments Off

Panda Rice Bento Lunch

Posted on November 20, 2015 by eclecticlamb

I made this lunch for a neighbor. The “Panda” pistachios will shift in traveling but I was alright with that.

Container: LunchBots Trio

Top Left: Panda rice with spinach details, shredded lettuce

Top Right: Pistachios (some with food marker lettering)

Bottom: Star apples with cinnamon, carrots

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Baptism Food

Posted on November 17, 2015 by eclecticlamb

My youngest niece was baptized in the Catholic church on Sunday. I took the opportunity to make some Christian themed food. I focused on the cross, dove, and church. It was fun to make something different and the party guests enjoyed my baptism themed side dishes.

Chocolate covered strawberries are always a hit at a party. We put them on the dessert table. I made the strawberries special by piping small white crosses on them. I melted chocolate chips in my microwave and it was easy to dip the strawberries. I had a bit of a struggle with the white candy melts. They did not melt enough. I googled it and tried adding a little shortening. It worked! I kept it simple and cut a small end off of a zip-lock bag to pipe the crosses. In this photo you can’t really see the paper doily I put under the strawberries but it was visible and attractive as people ate the strawberries.

Even though I have a large cookie cutter collection I actually did not have a cross or a school/church so I borrowed the cutters from my sister-in-law. I used this recipe to make the chips. I had limited time the morning of the party so my husband and I cut the tortilla shapes the night before and I kept them in a zip-lock bag in my refrigerator. I baked them the morning of the party. My sister-in-law made a corn and bean dip to go along with my chips but you could also serve them with hummus.

I kept this vegetable tray simple by only cutting the carrots in the shape of doves. I used the largest cutter from this set. Originally I was going to cut everything in the shape of doves but I had limited time. It was my Mom’s idea to only cut some doves. I love the contrast between the dove shaped carrots and the cucumbers. I always have trouble finding carrots large enough to cut with small cutters. My mother-in-law gave me carrots from her garden which were larger and easier to cut since they were fresh. But when cutting carrots with cookie cutters I do find it more comfortable to put a folded dish towel between my hand and the cutter.

I used the same concept with this cheese tray as I did with the vegetables. The doves were a contrast and by not cutting everything in shapes it was faster to make and I think ended up visually appealing. The doves are Cheddar and pepper jack, orange Cheddar surrounds the doves. I served crackers on the side.

Some of these items take a little time to cut but overall they would be easy to make for your party. Enjoy!

Posted in Bento / Cute Food, Food, Party Planning | 3 Comments

Elephant Sandwich for Lunch

Posted on November 11, 2015 by eclecticlamb

For lunch at the zoo I asked my nephew what theme he wanted. He looked through my animal cookie cutters and picked the elephant. The cutter was too large for my bread so I cut the head separate. The crust is part of the ear.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Left Side: Elephant shaped jelly sandwich on wheat bread, white Cheddar tusk, dried blueberry eye, snow-peas

Top Right: Peanuts

Bottom Right: Strawberries

Posted in Bento / Cute Food, Food | Comments Off

Fox Salsa Rice Bento Lunch

Posted on November 9, 2015 by eclecticlamb

I made this Fox themed lunch for my niece. She loves black beans, salsa and rice. I think that it made an attractive fox.

Container: ECO Lunchboxes

Main Container: Fox – cooked Nishiki rice mixed with some salsa and shaped in a fox cookie cutter with plastic wrap, cooked broccoli, salsa rice with black beans, carrot flowers (cookie cutter)

Round Container: Vanilla Greek Yogurt, blueberries

Posted in Bento / Cute Food, Food | Tagged salsa rice | 5 Comments

5 Snoopy Themed Lunches

Posted on November 6, 2015 by eclecticlamb

I am excited about seeing the Peanuts Movie with my nephews tonight. In anticipation of the movie opening, I made these Snoopy bento lunches. I am also in the process of making an ice cream cake for dessert tonight that I hope will have a chocolate Snoopy on top. If it turns out alright I will add a photo to the end of this post. (Edited: see the end of this post for a photo of my cake)

I made this lunch for my niece. I got a little crazy with the turmeric as a natural way to dye the rice yellow, I don’t know if she even tried it but she did not eat Woodstock. I did have an extra Snoopy that I gave to her.

Container: Blue Box from Japan

Top Tier: Black beans and salsa, Woodstock – cooked Nishiki rice with turmeric (too much), spinach details, Snoopy – cooked Nishiki rice with spinach details. I used these rice molds and this to make the facial features.

Bottom Tier: Blueberries, sliced almonds

I am not pleased with this lunch because it started with forethought and ended in a hurry. But that is realistic. I almost did not include it here because I was not sure if it looked like Snoopy. If I had left myself more time, I would have made two Snoopy quesadillas, added vegetables near the Snoopy and somehow colored in the ear (with either chocolate or food coloring in water).

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Top: Snoopy – cheese quesadilla with dried blueberry eye and dried cherry nose

Bottom Left: Charlie Brown’s shirt – pineapple with chocolate

Bottom Right: Peanuts

This is a lunch of substitutions. I did not have these cute Snoopy containers so I put a sticker on a plain container. The only Peanuts stickers I had were for St. Patrick’s Day so I cut off the St. Patrick’s Day part. I do not have cute Snoopy picks but I had Snoopy push pins from my childhood. I would like to make them into food safe picks but I used them as-is for this lunch. I would not recommend using push pins in a lunch for children but I made this lunch for myself.

Container: LunchBots Trio

Left Side: Blackberries

Top Right: Stamped sandwiches – used these, peanut butter on wheat bread

Bottom Right: Broccoli, ranch in red cup

This lunch for my nephew was easy to make. I used this idea to decorate cheese to look like Snoopy.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Left Side: Mini poppy-seed and cheese bagels, Cheddar cheese with snoopy (food coloring marker)

Top Right: Sugar snap peas

Bottom Right: Blackberries

Mini Dippers: Pistachios

Here is another quick and easy lunch to make.

Container: Book Bento Box

Contents: Cooked Nishiki rice with Italian seasoning blend sprinkled over stencil, black beans (under the rice), blueberries and raspberries

Here is my ice cream cake with a chocolate Snoopy garnish. I loosely followed this recipe but did not make my own fudge and did not make stabilized whipped cream because I don’t use gelatin. My nephews enjoyed the cake!

Previously Published Snoopy Food

Charlie Brown & Lucy Rice

Mashed Potato Snoopy & Woodstock

Mashed Potato Snoopy

Rice Snoopy with Bell Pepper Dog House & Woodstock

Posted in Bento / Cute Food, Food | 2 Comments

Halloween Treats 2015

Posted on November 2, 2015 by eclecticlamb

I love being at my house on Halloween. Usually we get around around 250 – 300 trick-or-treaters in a 2 hour period on Halloween night. This year we had 262 people come to my house. If parents are dressed up I give them treats also. In my opinion anyone can enjoy Halloween no matter their age.

This is what I prepared for the first 20 this year. Every year I like to give something special to the first 20. I have done this since 2007 (our first Halloween in our house) and nobody ever comes back the next year asking if they are the first 20. So the kids don’t care but I enjoy doing it. I think I would have to hand out something much bigger (more expensive) for there to be an early run on my house of kids trying to be first.

These are some of the treats I handed out this year. It might be strange but I like to give an assortment of pretzels, cheese balls, candy and chocolate. I give out our favorite treats last in-case we have leftovers. I think that the pretzels were the least popular of what I handed out this year.

I participated in the Teal Pumpkin Project again this year. This was my special basket of non-food treats that were available upon request. Two kids took a non-candy treat from my basket this year (the Jack-o-lantern note pad and Fairies puzzle). Their Mom said that they were avoiding a red food dye.

My parents joined me for Halloween again this year. I was very happy for their visit. They live over 4 hours away. I painted and carved the teal pumpkin and my parents carved the other two pumpkins. This year the pumpkins came from my mother-in-laws garden. I received a lot of comments from kids and parents about my painted pumpkin but most did not know about the Teal Pumpkin Project.

We put a fake electric pumpkin on my balcony. One of my friends who lives in Japan asked me how kids know they can come to my house for Halloween. I told them that the universal symbol is to turn the porch light on. But that I also make it very obvious with carved and lit pumpkins. I am already looking forward to Halloween next year.

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Collection of 7 Lunches

Posted on October 28, 2015 by eclecticlamb

Here are 7 meatless meals that I made for lunch and dinner for my husband and myself. They all feature plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables. One has potatoes, 3 feature rice, 1 has quinoa, and 2 has pasta. All of these were packed in my EasyLunchBoxes.

I made this meal for myself. I enjoyed eating the flower shaped rice ball. It was very easy to make and more satisfying than a scoop of rice.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Top Left: Salad with assorted lettuce, snow peas, carrot

Bottom Left: Sliced strawberries

Right Side: Onigiri (cooked Nishiki rice ball), sauteed spinach with a little soy sauce and sesame seeds, cherry tomatoes

This is another meal I made for myself with ingredients I had in the house.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Left Side: Penne, cauliflower, pistachio nuts, green bell pepper, salt, pepper, little olive oil

Top Right: Watermelon

Bottom Right: Cherry tomatoes, black olives, mozzarella balls, basil

I made this meal for husband to heat up in the microwave on a night he came home late for dinner. I put the grapefruit and cashews in silicone cups so he could easily remove them before heating up the rest of this meal.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Top Left: Grapefruit

Bottom Left: Cashews

Right Side: Cooked Nishiki rice shaped in rice molds, sauteed zucchini, red bell pepper and snow peas with vegetable broth

Since I love pasta and feta cheese, I made this dinner for myself.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Left Side: Penne with a little butter, cooked broccoli and feta cheese

Top Right: Pistachios

Bottom Right: Blueberries

This was a cold supper I made for my husband to eat when he came home. I made the potato salad to his specifications.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Left Side: Salad with lettuce, cherry tomatoes, carrot, cheddar cheese

Top Right: Watermelon and blueberries

Bottom Right: Potato salad with hard boiled egg, yellow mustard, Miracle Whip, celery, salt, pepper, and paprika

I made 2 of these exactly the same for my sister-in-law when we met at the zoo. She brought her 3 boys and I brought 2 nephews. I also made lunches for the 5 boys but I blogged them separately.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Left Side: Quinoa with black beans, red bell pepper, feta cheese, chili powder, salt, and lots of lime juice

Top Right: Snow-peas

Bottom Right: Blackberries

This is another meal I made for my husband to heat up when he came home. The cashews and grapefruit are in silicone cups so he could easily remove them before heating the rest in the microwave.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Left Side: Onigiri – shaped Nishiki rice with boiled zucchini and a little butter, salt and pepper

Top Right: Cashews

Bottom Right: Grapefruit

I hope that you now have some new ideas for easy, make ahead meals for lunch or dinner.

Posted in Bento / Cute Food, Food | 4 Comments

Pretzel Lunch

Posted on October 26, 2015 by eclecticlamb

My husband loves it when I make soft pretzels. It was the perfect excuse to use my new pretzel stamp cookie cutter.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Left Side: Homemade soft pretzel, Cheddar cheese sticks

Top Right: Yellow mustard (in Mini Dippers), I put on the lid after taking the photo

Bottom Right: Cantaloupe

Posted in Bento / Cute Food, Food | Tagged EasyLunchboxes, food theme | Comments Off

Scorpio Bento Lunch

Posted on October 23, 2015 by eclecticlamb

Next in my monthly series of Zodiac symbol lunches, here is Scorpio.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Left Side: Freezer waffles toasted, Cheddar cheese, food marker details

Top Right: Tomato, basil

Bottom Right: Blueberries

Posted in Bento / Cute Food, Food | Tagged EasyLunchboxes, waffles, zodiac | Comments Off

Birthday Cake Rice for Lunch

Posted on October 21, 2015 by eclecticlamb

Yesterday was my niece’s birthday – she turned 17, so I made this birthday cake rice bento lunch for her. I think that the vegetables around the rice look like confetti.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Left Side: Birthday cake – cooked Nishiki rice packed in a round cookie cutter by pushing down with plastic wrap (then remove cutter), spinach details (used a small round cookie cutter and cut each piece in half), sauteed mini sweet pepper rings and zucchini in vegetable broth

Top Right: Kiwi

Bottom Right: Homemade trail mix – Rice Chex cereal, dark chocolate M&M’s, dried blueberries, almonds, walnuts, mini pretzels

Posted in Bento / Cute Food, Food | Comments Off

6 Halloween Lunches

Posted on October 19, 2015 by eclecticlamb

Holidays and celebrations are my favorite reasons to make themed food. This year I have 6 new lunches for Halloween. See the end of this post for Halloween lunches I made other years.

I made this lunch for my husband. The sandwich was made with a Treat Inside bat cookie cutter set. I used this CuteZCute Animal Palz set to make the bat shaped egg.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Top: Bat – peanut butter sandwich on wheat bread, chocolate sprinkles, Garden Veggie Chips Ghosts & Bats (I only used the bats in this lunch)

Bottom Left: Raspberries

Bottom Right: Bat – hard boiled egg shaped with this

This lunch was another one I made for myself. I love the combination of grains and cheese; fresh fruit and vegetables rounded out this healthy meal.

Container: LunchBots Trio

Top Left: Red grapes

Top Right: Boo – Cheddar cheese pushed into a stamp cookie cutter, Trader Joe’s Quinoa blend

Bottom: Cucumbers, black olives

I am not sure how obvious this is but this is supposed to be a ghost taco salad. I was worried about my lettuce getting soggy – it was not crisp but it was edible and I would do this again. It was a satisfying lunch.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Left Side: Ghost – Mexican cheese blend shaped with a ghost cookie cutter, taco salad – lettuce, black beans, salsa

Top Right: Pumpkins – cantaloupe cut with a cookie cutter

Bottom Right: Tostitos Scoops

My 13 year old niece designed this for herself and we made it together. If you look closely you can see the mushroom face on the scrambled eggs jack-o-lantern.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Left Side: Jack-o-lantern – scrambled eggs, mushroom face, mushrooms sauteed in butter

Top Right: Mini cucumber slices

Bottom Right: Strawberries dipped in orange candy melts with chocolate details

I tried using pumpkin powder for the first time. It added a little color to my rice jack-o-lantern but only a mild taste. I think this bento would look better with orange Cheddar cheese next to the blackberries but it was a spur of the moment meal with ingredients I had in the house.

Container: LunchBots Trio

Top Left: Jack-o-lantern Onigiri (rice ball) – cooked Nishiki rice, I added some pumpkin powder after the rice was cooked, spinach details, leaf pick, lettuce

Top Right: Cucumbers, cherry tomatoes

Bottom: Blackberries, Cheddar cheese

I made these happy witches with pumpernickel bread I had in the house and a stamp cookie cutter.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Left Side: Witches – Pumpernickel bread cream cheese sandwiches, snow peas

Top Right: Moon and stars – Cheddar cheese, black beans, salsa

Bottom Right: Apple slices (treated the exposed sides with a dip in water and lemon juice)

Other Halloween lunches I have made:

10 Halloween Lunches

Spider Themed Halloween Lunch

Domino Halloween Costume Lunch

Spider, Boo, Eek Halloween Lunch

Jack-o-lantern Pizza Lunch with Cherry Tomato & Olive jack-o-lanterns

Pumpkin Patch Lunch

Posted in Bento / Cute Food, Food | Comments Off

Pumpkin Muffins for Lunch

Posted on October 16, 2015 by eclecticlamb

I found these cute pumpkin chocolates from Trader Joe’s and decided that I need to make a pumpkin lunch. It had been a long time since I made these Pumpkin Cream Cheese Streusel Muffins (link is no longer on Pillsbury site – see image below). They made a perfect lunch for my husband. He loved it!

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Top Left: Cauliflower and carrots

Bottom Left: Trader Joe’s Assorted Belgian Chocolate Pumpkins

Right Side: Pumpkin Streusel Muffins with Cream Cheese inside (see recipe below)

Above the Box: Yogurt

Not Pictured: Cheddar cheese sticks

Posted in Bento / Cute Food, Food | Comments Off

Octopus Bread for Lunch

Posted on October 14, 2015 by eclecticlamb

As part of my never-ending quest to make character shaped bread, I made this cute Octopus lunch for my nephew. I never get complaints when I make bread and cheese meals for them.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Top Left: Strawberries

Bottom Left: Black olives (stand in for octopus ink)

Right Side: Octopus shaped homemade bread with food marker details, Cheddar cheese sticks, fish shaped carrots (cookie cutter)

Posted in Bento / Cute Food, Food | Tagged shaped bread | 8 Comments

4 Simple Lunches

Posted on October 12, 2015 by eclecticlamb

Here are 4 easy lunches: tortellini kebabs, spinach quesadilla, pretzel bagel sandwich, bistro snacks, all packed in EasyLunchBoxes.

I made this simple but fun lunch from party leftovers.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Top Left: Strawberries

Bottom Left: Peanuts

Right Side: Kebabs – cheese tortellini, cherry tomatoes, black olives, and fresh mozzarella balls

I packed this lunch for myself on a day I was out and about with my nephews. It was a nice change from my usual cheese quesadilla.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Top Left: Pistachios

Bottom Left: Green Grapes

Right Side: Spinach Quesadilla (I did not use whole wheat tortillas) with Salsa in Mini Dippers

When I found this pretzel bagel at Wegmans I knew that I had to feature it in a lunch. This simple lunch was satisfying and delicious.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Top Left: Cherry tomatoes

Bottom Left: Pistachos

Right Side: Pretzel bagel sandwich with Dijon mustard and Cheddar cheese

I made this bistro / snack type lunch for my husband.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Left Side: Blackberries, sharp Cheddar cheese, cucumber slices, Keebler Town House crackers

Top Right: Pepperidge Farm Cheddar Goldfish crackers

Bottom Right: Cashew nuts

Above the Box: Yogurt

Posted in Bento / Cute Food, Food | 1 Comment

Ice Skates Birthday Lunch

Posted on October 10, 2015 by eclecticlamb

I made an ice skates themed meal for my niece on her 11th birthday. She is a figure skater so a skating themed lunch was a natural choice. I had so much fun planning this meal with her and hope that she enjoys it!

Happy Birthday Ella! I hope that you have a fantastic year!

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Left Side: Ice skates – cheese and lettuce sandwich on wheat bread with cheese also on top of the sandwich (I used an ice skate shaped cookie cutter to cut the bread, cheese and the lettuce), food coloring marker details, Blades – a little bit of softened butter and silver sanding sugar, strawberries

Top Right: Pineapple “11”, sliced strawberries

Bottom Right: Homemade individual rustic apple tart made in a muffin tin, “11” picks

Posted in Bento / Cute Food, Food | 5 Comments

Squirrel Shaped Bread

Posted on October 7, 2015 by eclecticlamb

I made this squirrel themed bread lunch for my nephew. I bought an assorted pack of doughnut holes and the kids (1 niece and 2 nephews) had fun arguing over who would get which leftover doughnuts. I rarely buy doughnuts so they were very popular!

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Top Left: Doughnut holes with Nutella, chocolate sprinkles, pretzel sticks (I first made these years ago – before I had a blog, I can’t find the original source)

Bottom Left: Oak leaf shaped cucumber (one with skin showing – used cookie cutter)

Right Side: Homemade bread shaped as a squirrel with food marker detail, Cheddar cheese acorns (used cookie cutter)

Posted in Bento / Cute Food, Food | Tagged shaped bread | 9 Comments

Strawberry Rice Same Food Different Lunch Boxes

Posted on October 5, 2015 by eclecticlamb

I made this lunch for my nephew but did not like how it looked. (I think that it was actually my rice that were supposed to look like strawberries that I did not like). Since I had some extra time I experimented putting the same ingredients in 3 different boxes. (some of the boxes have more or less of the ingredients and one does not have actual strawberries)

Container: LunchBots Trio

Top Left: Strawberry (cooked Nishiki rice with a little salsa mixed in and shaped using plastic wrap), snow pea (star shaped cookie cutter), toothpick, shredded snow peas

Top Right: Mini blueberry muffins, baby carrots, green grapes

Bottom: Strawberries, pistachios

Container: Book Bento Box

Contents: Strawberries (cooked Nishiki rice with a little salsa mixed in and shaped using plastic wrap), snow peas (star shaped cookie cutter), toothpick, shredded snow peas, pistachios, baby carrots, green grapes, miniature blueberry muffins, strawberries

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Top Left: Miniature blueberry muffins, green grapes

Bottom Left: Pistachios

Right Side: Strawberries (cooked Nishiki rice with a little salsa mixed in and shaped using plastic wrap), snow peas (star shaped cookie cutter), toothpick, shredded snow peas

Posted in Bento / Cute Food, Food | Tagged salsa rice | Comments Off

Fit & Fresh Containers and Lunch

Posted on October 2, 2015 by eclecticlamb

I was happy to receive these Fit & Fresh containers. I did not use the ice packs with this lunch but used the ice with the vegetables and dip. I sent my husband’s lunch in them. He liked the containers and wants to use them again.

Dip N Dunk Container: Celery, carrots, ranch dip

Cool It! Meal Carrier: Triscuits, hard boiled egg, Nerds candy, Cheddar cheese, cashews, raspberries

Here are the containers with the lids on.

These are the containers with ice in the lids. I removed the ice from the purple container because I was concerned about using them with my crackers. I liked having the ice in the lid of the dip container. The Dip N Dunk lid is now in my freezer so it is ready to use at a moments notice.

Disclosure: Fit & Fresh sent me the products shown here for review. I was not financially compensated. All opinions stated here are 100% my own.

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Dragon Bento Lunch

Posted on September 30, 2015 by eclecticlamb

I made this mashed potato dragon by cutting chilled Cheddar mashed potatoes with a cookie cutter. (see directions below)

Container: Wooden box purchased in Kyoto at Bento&co.

Contents: Dragon – Cheddar mashed potatoes, cooked broccoli, strawberries, blueberries, walnuts

Cookie Cutter Cheddar Mashed Potatoes

Peel, dice and cook potatoes in boiling water until tender
Mash potatoes with a little bit of butter and shredded Cheddar cheese, salt and pepper to taste (I did not use milk because I wanted the mashed potatoes to be thick)
Spread Cheddar mashed potatoes on a plate or in a pan to the correct thickness and size for your cookie cutter
Chill Cheddar potatoes in refrigerator until somewhat firm
Cut the firm Cheddar mashed potatoes with a cookie cutter and carefully remove the cutter

I asked my husband what dragon shaped food he wanted to eat and he said watermelon. I think that he is pretty cute.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Left Side: Watermelon dragon (2), broccoli, hard boiled eggs

Top Right: Cashews

Bottom Right: Garlic bread

Posted in Bento / Cute Food, Food | Comments Off

Strawberry Cream Pie Day

Posted on September 28, 2015 by eclecticlamb

Today is Strawberry Cream Pie Day. My family did not object to celebrating it with me.

I made this recipe but used my own crust and substituted vanilla for the almond extract.

Posted in Food | 1 Comment

Yummy Kawaii Bento Book Review and Lunch

Posted on September 24, 2015 by eclecticlamb

I was happy to receive a copy of Li Ming Lee’s new bento book Yummy Kawaii Bento. I have long admired Ming’s food art. She makes amazing creations. In this book, Ming features cute character bento with rice, eggs, bread, salad, pasta, and potatoes. As a vegetarian who does not like the taste of eggs, there is quite a bit of eggs and meat used in this book. But it is easy to make substitutions to fit the needs of you and your family.

I thought the Soboro Lion was adorable and looked easy to make. It was fun to put together. I substituted lentils for the meat and did not follow the directions for the meat soboro.

Container: Kokeshi box

Left: Lion – rice, lentils cooked in vegetable broth, olive, spinach, black sesame seeds

Right: Bell Peppers Stir-Fry p. 227 Yummy Kawaii Bento

Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book. I was not financially compensated. All opinions stated here are 100% my own.

Posted in Bento / Cute Food, Food | Comments Off

Libra Bento Lunch

Posted on September 23, 2015 by eclecticlamb

Next in my monthly series of Zodiac symbol lunches, here is Libra. I used a knife to part the rice and inserted pieces of sauteed zucchini.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Left Side: Rice, sauteed zucchini, more zucchini and sauteed peppers under the rice

Top Right: Pistachios

Bottom Right: Pineapple

Posted in Bento / Cute Food, Blog | Tagged zodiac | Comments Off

12 Taco Lunches for Teen

Posted on September 22, 2015 by eclecticlamb

My teenage nephew loves it when I make him tacos for lunch. Sending tacos for lunch can be a fun change from other lunch food. You are only limited by what you or your kid will eat. Here are 12 meatless taco lunches. All of these were packed in my EasyLunchBoxes.

The mini corn tortilla cups were an experiment and my nephew said not to make them again so I will not bother giving you the recipe.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Left Side: Pizza cheese, black beans, lettuce, tomato

Top Right: Mini corn tortilla cups

Bottom Right: Peaches with a little lime juice, raspberries

Above the Box: Taco Sauce (in Mini Dippers), Nutella to Go (special treat), Blue Corn Taco Shells

This is a roasted and sauteed vegetable taco lunch served with Ortega Fiesta Flats.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Top Left: Watermelon

Bottom Left: Sargento 4 Cheese Mexican

Right Side: Roasted zucchini and green pepper, sauteed red onion and broccoli, corn, salsa (in Mini Dippers)

Above the Box: Ortega Fiesta Flats

I was not expecting to make a taco lunch and did not have lettuce in the house. My nephew decided to have a taco without lettuce instead of eating something else.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Top Left: Apples dunked in water with a little lemon juice

Bottom Left: Mexican cheese blend

Right Side: Black beans with a little bit of taco sauce, tomatoes, black olives

Above the Box: Ortega Fiesta Flats

I like how this one turned out. It was convenient that the Ortega Mini Fiesta Flats fit in the box. But I can no longer find them. Also my nephew had said that he wished that he had more of the shells then I sent that day.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Top Left: Ortega Mini Fiesta Flats

Bottom Left: Raspberries

Right Side: Corn, lettuce, Mexican blend cheese, black beans cooked with some taco seasoning, tomatoes, black olives

Above the Box: Mini Dippers with taco sauce and salsa, Nature Valley Roasted Nut Crunch Bar

This lunch was previously published here.

For this one I cooked the beans the night before but assembled the lunch in the morning before school. The shells are mini taco shells and I can no longer find them.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Left Side: Taco Bell Home Originals brand Mini Taco Shells, lettuce, Mexican blend cheese

Top Right: Grapes and raspberries

Bottom Right: Black beans (basically the same as this but I did not use rice) and quartered cherry tomatoes

Above the Box: Granola bar and taco sauce in Mini Dippers

The previously published post is here.

I made this one with kidney beans instead of black beans.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Left Side: Tomatoes, lettuce, Mexican cheese blend

Top Right: Green grapes

Bottom Right: Kidney beans, corn, taco sauce

Above the Box: Corn taco shells

This original lunch post is here.

I had fun with this one. While brainstorming different ways to serve the same thing, a younger nephew said, “Taco on a Stick”.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Left Side: Cherry tomatoes, lettuce, black olives and Pepper Jack cheese on mini wooden skewers

Top Right: Lettuce

Bottom Right: Black beans and salsa

Above the Box: Banana, Mini Dippers with Taco Sauce, and tortilla chips with a hint of lime

This Taco on a Stick lunch was previously published here.

My nephew loves Skittles so it was the special treat in this lunch.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Left Side: Lettuce, Mexican Cheese Blend, salsa in Mini Dippers (I put the top on after taking the photo)

Top Right: Skittles

Bottom Right: Black beans with sauteed onion and some tomato sauce

Above the Box: Banana, Blue Corn Tortilla Chips

Not Pictured: Mini Dippers with taco Sauce, mixed nuts

Here is the original post.

When I send taco lunches to school with my nephew I try to make them different. For this one I put the tortilla chips in a plastic container instead of plastic bags. I also made cinnamon sugar chips and served with Nutella as a special treat.

Top Container: Divided container

Contents: Tostitos Hint of Lime Flavored Tortilla Chips, homemade cinnamon tortilla chips, Nutella in Mini Dippers

Bottom Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Top Left: Black beans with onions sauteed in olive oil, with tomato sauce, and some hot sauce

Bottom Left: Watermelon

Right Side: Tomatoes, Mexican cheese blend, black olives, lettuce

Smooth taco sauce in Mini Dippers

This lunch was previously published here.

My nephew ate this for dinner at my house. I think that the black beans (hidden under the other ingredients), Greek yogurt, and chips made this a filling meal.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Top: Shredded lettuce, star shaped radish, salsa, shredded Monterey Jack cheese, black beans with sauteed onion, some hot sauce, and some plain tomato sauce (not visible, under other ingredients)

Bottom Left: Greek yogurt with cinnamon star (I used a star cookie cutter as a stencil for the star)

Bottom Right: Blueberries

Above the Box: Tostitos Bite Size chips

This Taco Salad Flag lunch was previously published here.

My nephew prefers hard corn shell tacos but for this one I sent soft flour tortillas.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Left Side: Black beans mixed with a little bit of taco sauce, corn, taco cheese blend, lettuce, tomatoes

Top Right: Red grapes

Bottom Right: Flour tortillas, trimmed and gently folded to fit into the box

Above the Box: Taco sauce in Mini Dippers, Nature Valley Roasted Nut Crunch Bar

These taco cups are best eaten hot out of the oven but I did pack some leftovers for lunch. The bottoms were a little soggy but the rest of it was crisp.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Left Side: Vegetarian Wonton Taco Cups, I basically followed this recipe but added black beans instead of meat

Top Right: Ghirardelli Caramel Chocolate square

Bottom Right: Plum

I hope that collection gave you some ideas to make lunch more fun for your teen or someone else special in your life.

Posted in Bento / Cute Food, Food | Tagged taco | 2 Comments

Sheep Rice Bento Lunch

Posted on September 21, 2015 by eclecticlamb

Earlier the summer I made this sheep rice lunch for my nephew. After getting the lunch he decided that he does not like plain rice for lunch anymore. Anyway, I still have others in my life that will eat my onigiri and rice lunches.

Container: ECO Lunchboxes

Contents: Sheep – Nishiki rice shaped into a rice ball with plastic wrap, cheese face and ears, more rice on top for head, spinach details, grapes, mini blueberry muffins, carrots, green bell pepper, peanuts

Posted in Bento / Cute Food, Food | Tagged lamb, sheep | Comments Off

Talk Like a Pirate Day 2015

Posted on September 18, 2015 by eclecticlamb

Ahoy, me Hearties! Happy Talk like a Pirate Day! (it is actually tomorrow but I am starting the celebration today)

Me nephew helped me make this pirate themed lunch for him. He had fun placin’ t’ picks and blueberries.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Left Side: Pancakes cut with pirate ship cookie cutter, blueberries, pirate hat cupcake ring, shark pick

Top Right: Pistachios with skull pick

Bottom Right: Snow peas

Posted in Bento / Cute Food, Food | 2 Comments

Linguine Day

Posted on September 15, 2015 by eclecticlamb

Today is Linguine Day! It also happens to be my Dad’s birthday. Happy Birthday Dad!

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Left Side: Linguine with cheese sauce, smoked sun-dried tomatoes, dried parsley

Top Right: Raspberries

Bottom Right: Lettuce, shredded carrots

Posted in Bento / Cute Food, Food | 2 Comments

Challah Apples and Honey for Lunch

Posted on September 14, 2015 by eclecticlamb

I kept it simple and made my nephews the exact same lunches.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Top Left: Apples (dipped in water with a splash of lemon juice to prevent browning), honey (in small green container)

Bottom Left: Carrots

Right Side: Round Challah bread (I halved the recipe, made individual round challahs and did not use the topping), Cheddar cheese

Posted in Bento / Cute Food, Food | Comments Off

Frog Bread Lunch

Posted on September 10, 2015 by eclecticlamb

Here is another fun shaped bread lunch.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Top Left: Green grapes

Bottom Left: Frog shaped cucumber (cut with mini frog cookie cutter), carrots

Right Side: Frog shaped homemade bread, food coloring marker details, Cheddar cheese

Posted in Bento / Cute Food, Food | Tagged shaped bread | 2 Comments

Paw Patrol Lunch

Posted on September 9, 2015 by eclecticlamb

I asked my 3 year old nephew what theme he wanted for lunch. He said, “Paw Patrol”. He loved the dog picks!

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Left Side: Peanut butter sandwich with carrot lettering

Top Right: Blueberries

Bottom Right: Bone shaped apples – dipped in pineapple juice to prevent browning (used cookie cutter)

Posted in Bento / Cute Food, Food | 2 Comments

Lego Day

Posted on September 7, 2015 by eclecticlamb

On our list of 100 summer activities, we had many Lego activities. My 11 year old nephew is a huge Lego fan so we decided to have a Lego day on his birthday. On Lego day of course I made Lego themed food.

The birthday boy ate this mini-figure head quesadilla lunch.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Top Left: Strawberries with a homemade Lego pick

Bottom Left: Green pepper Lego brick

Right Side: Lego Minifigure Head cheese quesadilla with food marker details, Trader Joe’s Caramel Popcorn

My pistachio loving nephew ate this Lego rice lunch.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Top Left: Peaches with homemade Lego picks

Bottom Left: Pistachios with Lego bricks drawn with food safe marker

Right Side: Rice Lego bricks – cooked Nishiki rice with salsa, tomato circles on top (mix some salsa into hot cooked rice, line mini loaf pans with plastic wrap, add salsa rice to lined loaf pan, cover rice with plastic wrap, press down, take out of mold), spinach

For dessert we made brownies and decorated them with green frosting and M&M’s to look like Lego bricks.

My nephews had fun creating this Lego marble run maze and spent quite a bit of time playing with it. I found the idea here.

They each designed their own simple balloon powered Lego car. I found the idea here.

I printed off this and created a scavenger hunt for my nephews. It was a rainy day so I hid the mini-figure print-outs around my house. Each boy had their own to find and when they were done I gave them small Lego sets to build.

I think that playing with something embedded in ice is fun at any age so I froze mini-figures for each nephew. They had fun smashing the ice in my driveway.

We went to our nearby (over 1 hour away) Lego store in preparation for Lego day. These Space men with vehicles were their special July giveaway after spending a certain amount of money. On Lego day I gave them these to build.

I bought this set of birds for the three of us to build. I did the Robin, the 11 year old nephew the Hummingbird, and the 13 year old nephew built the Blue-jay. They made fun of me that I took the longest but I was also distracted with other things.

I found these directions to make our own mini-figure Lego head containers. I had also thought about painting a container but it was cheaper to buy the cornstarch. My nephews each decorated their own container.

I think that we had a memorable Lego day but you never know what kids will end up remembering.

Posted in Bento / Cute Food, Food, Party Planning | 7 Comments

September National Honey Month Themed Food

Posted on September 4, 2015 by eclecticlamb

September is National Honey Month so I have some food featuring honeycombs, beehives and bees. Yes I took liberty with the definition of beehive and honeycomb for the sake of having fun with food.

This first meal came about with help from my 13 year old niece and 11 year old nephew. I love getting help with brainstorming bento ideas. My niece suggested cutting a waffle with a cookie cutter. My nephew suggested making a beehive from a waffle. I used this cookie cutter set.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Top Left: Cantaloupe bees

Bottom Left: Pistachios with “Bzzz” written with food safe marker

Right Side: Homemade waffles cut with beehive shaped cookie cutter, maple syrup in small yellow container (you could also use honey), bee pick

When making this homemade bread beehive I made small balls of dough and put them close together. Very easy!

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Left Side: Sliced peaches with a little bit of lemon juice to prevent browning and a little bit of honey

Top Right: Carrots and bell pepper (supposed to be flowers)

Bottom Right: Beehive shaped homemade bread with edible bees (cheese, almond slices, food safe marker details)

I made these easy pineapple bees as part of a Back to School post but I wanted to share them again here since I love them so much.

I used fresh pineapple and cut chunks to my desired side. I then painted on some melted chocolate with a special paintbrush I use only for food. I cut dried pineapple in half and attached to the pineapple chunk with more melted chocolate. I was able to buy a small amount of dried pineapple in the bulk section of my grocery store.

Posted in Bento / Cute Food, Food | Tagged Cookie Cutter, EasyLunchboxes, shaped bread, waffles | 1 Comment

Ninja Sandwich for Lunch

Posted on August 31, 2015 by eclecticlamb

This lunch was for my 7 year old nephew. He requested this theme. It was actually a very easy lunch to make once I figured out how I would make it. This photo shows only one Ninja sandwich but I packed two for him (on top of each other).

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Left Side: Ninja peanut butter sandwich on wheat bread (I used a round cutter to cut the bread), eyes (mini chocolate chips), crust from the bread, plastic sword, carrot lettering (I decided not to “glue” down the carrots with peanut butter and my nephew did a word scramble and figured out on his own what it spelled)

Top Right: Snow peas, carrot stars

Bottom Right: Blackberries

Posted in Bento / Cute Food, Food | 6 Comments

Back to School Bento Lunches

Posted on August 26, 2015 by eclecticlamb

This week I made four lunches for back to school. I am featuring three of them here. I love that my niece and nephews allow me to make cute lunches for them. My 15 year old nephew had a taco lunch that I will show on another day. I also followed our new tradition from last year and made jam tarts with their school year in pie crust.

This Spelling Bee themed lunch was for my nephew.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Left Side: ABC pasta with a little bit of butter and taco cheese in a bee silicone cup, cucumber and red bell pepper

Top Right: Cheez-It’s Scrabble Junior crackers

Bottom Right: Pineapple Bees with melted chocolate and dried pineapple wings

Not in Photo: Nature Valley Roasted Nut Crunch Bar

Close-up of the Alphabet pasta in the bee cup.

I made this lunch for my 16 year old niece. She is a Senior in high school and came up with this awesome theme idea.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Left Side: Nishiki rice, carrot lettering, sauteed zucchini and yellow bell pepper with some vegetable broth

Top Right: Vanilla Greek yogurt with blueberries

Bottom Right: Pistachios

I made this book worm themed lunch for my 13 year old nephew.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Left Side: Cheese quesadillas with food marker details, gummy worm

Top Right: Cucumber

Bottom Right: Pineapple

Above the Box: Pistachios, Nature Valley Roasted Nut Crunch Bar

Posted in Bento / Cute Food, Food | 3 Comments

Happy Bento Book Review and Lunches

Posted on August 24, 2015 by eclecticlamb

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.

Posted in Bento / Cute Food, Food | 1 Comment

Virgo Bento Lunch

Posted on August 23, 2015 by eclecticlamb

Next in my monthly series of Zodiac symbol lunches, here is Virgo.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Left Side: Cheese quesadilla with Virgo Zodiac symbol written with food marker pen, mixed nuts

Top Right: Snow peas

Bottom Right: Blackberries

Posted in Bento / Cute Food, Food | Tagged zodiac | Comments Off

Panda Bread Lunch

Posted on August 19, 2015 by eclecticlamb

I made this Panda shaped Nutella bread lunch for my 13 year old niece. I don’t see her very often and she loves Nutella so I baked some inside this bread just for her.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Left Side: Homemade bread with Nutella baked inside, Nutella ears and eyes, food marker nose and mouth

Top Right: Cherry tomatoes with Panda picks

Bottom Right: Panda apple with blueberry ears (stuck on with spaghetti), cinnamon eyes

Posted in Bento / Cute Food, Food | Tagged shaped bread | 2 Comments

Spiderman Food for Lunch

Posted on August 17, 2015 by eclecticlamb

Read a book, watch the movie, eat themed food was on our 100 list of summer activities this year. The boys decided on a Spiderman theme – graphic novel, movie, lunches.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Left Side: Spiderman raspberry pancake (I added some frozen raspberries to the pancake batter), Cheddar cheese (eyes), small container of maple syrup (not in photo)

Top Right: Red bell pepper with blue spider drawn on a tortilla with blue food coloring marker

Bottom Right: Apple with chocolate and white candy melt details

I made this for my salsa and rice loving nephew.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Left Side: Nishiki rice with salsa, spinach and cheese details, spinach background

Top Right: Blueberries

Bottom Right: Pretzel sticks spider web with chocolate and M&M

I consider this lunch the worst of this bunch. It looks strange and not really Spiderman themed. I made it for myself. I was lazy and did not figure out a way to do the webbing on the tomato and watermelon.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Left Side: Penne pasta with olive oil, Parmesan cheese, and spinach, cherry tomato, cheddar cheese details

Top Right: Peanuts

Bottom Right: Watermelon with feta eyes, blueberries

Posted in Bento / Cute Food, Food | Tagged salsa rice | Comments Off

Fit & Fresh Lunches and Review

Posted on August 13, 2015 by eclecticlamb

I was excited when Fit & Fresh contacted me to try out their Bento Lunch Kit. So far, I tried the box twice for packed lunches for myself but it would also be great for kids and teens. I loved the bag! It is so pretty and using it made me feel special. The box has ice packs that snap into the lid. I used the ice packs for the first lunch I made and did not use them for the second. It also has leak proof containers that fit into the two small compartments. I used the small containers for one lunch and not the other.

Container: Fit & Fresh Bento Lunch Kit

Left Side: Kansas Medley Rice Blend (rice, wheat berries, and wild rice), roasted zucchini and yellow bell pepper, shredded Cheddar cheese

Top Right: Plain Greek yogurt, blueberries, cinnamon (I put the lid on the orange container after taking the photo)

Bottom Right: Watermelon (I put the lid on the blue container after taking the photo)

Container: Fit & Fresh Bento Lunch Kit

Left Side: Star shaped sauce-less pizzas with Cheddar cheese (I made homemade pizza dough and cut it out with star cookie cutters, added shredded Cheddar cheese and baked at 410 for about 10 minutes)

Top Right: Raspberries

Bottom Right: Cucumber stars

I enjoyed the versatility of the Fit & Fresh Bento Lunch Kit (ice pack or not, leak proof containers or not). I look forward to using it again for future lunches.

Disclosure: Fit & Fresh sent me the product shown here for review. I was not financially compensated. All opinions stated here are 100% my own.

Posted in Bento / Cute Food, Food | Tagged Fit & Fresh | Comments Off

African Animal Muffin Tin Meal

Posted on August 7, 2015 by eclecticlamb

I made this African Animal themed muffin tin for a nephew. As usual at my house, muffin tin meals are popular with my older niece and nephews. You don’t need to be a toddler to enjoy a muffin tin meal.

Top Row:

Giraffe 3D cheese quesadilla
Chocolate covered animal cracker rhino
Cheese lions with spinach leaves

Bottom Row:

Mixed nuts
Sugar snap peas
Elephant Kiwi

Posted in Bento / Cute Food, Food | Tagged 3D, muffin tin | 3 Comments

Sunflower Cupcakes

Posted on August 5, 2015 by eclecticlamb

My nephews and I made these sunflower flower pot cupcakes as part of our 100 Summer Activities list. I had the terra-cotta baking pots for about 20 years and it was my first time to use them. We followed these directions for the sunflower but not the pot. We used these directions for the cake. My nephew crushed up chocolate teddy grahams for the soil (it is what I had in the house) and I made a simple chocolate frosting. They were very sweet but looked cute. I want to make bread in them next.

Posted in Bento / Cute Food, Food | 7 Comments

Shawn the Sheep Lunch

Posted on August 3, 2015 by eclecticlamb

The Shawn the Sheep movie will be released in the U.S. this week so of course I made a Shawn the Sheep themed lunch.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Top: Pumpernickel bread almond butter sandwich, cheese, food coloring marker details, lettuce

Bottom Left: Blackberries, apple with cinnamon, food coloring marker details

Bottom Right: Black olive, cauliflower, goat cheese with black olive pieces, lettuce

Linking to:

Posted in Bento / Cute Food, Food | Tagged lamb, sheep | 3 Comments

Constellation Dinner

Posted on July 31, 2015 by eclecticlamb

My niece and some nephews joined me for a constellation themed dinner. This dinner featured Strawberry & Kiwi Salsa with Cinnamon Tortilla Chips, Star Salad, Big Dipper Baked Pasta, and Orion Brownies. I also taught each of them their zodiac sign and showed them the constellation for their sign. I don’t think that they were impressed with their zodiac signs but they seemed to enjoy the food. I don’t believe in the significance of Zodiac signs and it is difficult to see the pictures in the constellations but I think it is considered common knowledge and kids should have a basic awareness of it.

Strawberry & Kiwi Salsa with Cinnamon Tortilla Chips: I used this recipe but did not use whole wheat tortillas, I also used olive oil and sugar instead of the coconut oil and sugar.

Star Salad: This is a simple but colorful salad that features vegetable stars – lettuce, radish, cucumber, carrots, red bell pepper

Big Dipper Baked Pasta: I made angel hair pasta, homemade cheese sauce (2 cup white sauce with shredded sharp cheddar cheese) and baked it until heated and slightly browned. After baking I garnished it with peas in the shape of the Big Dipper.

Orion Brownies: I made brownies using a Ghiradelli Brownie mix. After it was cooled we put sprinkle stars in the shape of Orion Constellation.

Consider having a stargazing party with a themed dinner to teach your kids about Zodiac signs and constellations.

Posted in Bento / Cute Food, Food, Party Planning | Comments Off

10 Reasons Why Adults Eat Cute Food

Posted on July 29, 2015 by eclecticlamb

I am passionate about making and eating cute food. People often assume that all of the food art I create is made for children. Why should only kids have all of the fun? I even received the following comment on Pinterest for my Lily of the Valley lunch, “Cute but terrible idea for a kid – Lily of the Valley is toxic”. It was cream cheese and chives over wild rice. I see the point but that meal was made for an adult. Cute food does not have to be only for kids. Here are 10 reasons why adults may decide to eat cute food.

1. Advanced Age – When you are old you can be young again. You’re never too old to enjoy life and eat cute food. When I was a teenager I went to a tea party at the house of my grandmother’s friend. The woman put on a cute spread and dyed Easter eggs. It was memorable to me that an older woman still took steps to make a meal fun and special. Also sometimes when a person is older they do not have as much of an appetite. You can make a cute meal for an elderly friend or relative as a way to motivate them to eat a nutritious meal.

2. Sickness – When you are sick you need to limit your diet and most food is not appetizing. Make toast more fun. Or better yet if you are feeling sick hopefully someone who cares about you would make your toast look appealing. Grace at Eats Amazing has some fantastic toast art.

3. Special Occasion – There are many adult only occasions in which fun shaped food would be appropriate. Holiday meals for adults, a wedding, tea party, bridal or baby shower are a few occasions that come to mind. You are limited only by your interests and imagination. Themed food such as shaped butter can also make an occasion more elegant.

4. Fandom – Do you or someone you love have a fandom obsession? Is there a fan of Hello Kitty, Doctor Who, Snoopy, Naruto, Harry Potter, or Star Wars in your life? Fandom possibilities are endless. Celebrate your interest with themed food.

5. Something Good Inside – If you love chocolate or cheese and know it is inside a cute bundle of food will you decide not to eat it because you think cute food is just for kids? Most likely you will eat that panda shaped bread with chocolate inside or a jack-o-lantern themed calzone. You can call me weird but the night I ate this jack-o-lantern calzone, I was delighted to eat something so cute and delicious.

6. Pick-Me-Up – When you are feeling down a way to turn that frown upside down could be a smile themed meal. This meal makes me smile every time I see it.

7. Kid At Heart – Did you retain a childlike spirit? I am guessing that most people who know me would not say that I was a kid at heart but when it comes to eating cute food, I am. Cute food amuses and delights.

8. Simply Enjoy It – Why not? It is a common misconception that cute food is only for children. You don’t have to be a child to enjoy whimsically shaped food.

9. Only Food Available – You are starving and the only food available happens to be a turtle shaped bread. You want to eat fruit but will not because the watermelon and apples are cut into star shapes? I am guessing that most people would eat it anyway.

10. Your Hobby is Crafting with Food – You enjoy creating food art and do not always have a kid around to eat it. Or there are leftovers from the meal you made for your kid. Crafting with food is a wonderful creative outlet for people who do not like clutter. When you are done with your creation you can eat it.

Posted in Bento / Cute Food, Food | Tagged 3D | 8 Comments

Super Mario Bros Bento Lunch

Posted on July 27, 2015 by eclecticlamb

I made this Super Mario Bros sandwich lunch for my 5 year old nephew. I ate lunch with him and was very pleased that he enjoyed it so much. The bag was dropped on it’s side and everything stayed in place except that the apple shifted. I “glued” Mario’s features on with Peanut Butter (you could use Wowbutter or another sticky spread). I thought about using spaghetti to hold the mushroom (apple) together but opted not to do it. I did not do anything special to hold the details on the star but it held.

I knew that I wanted to make a Mario sandwich but was unsure how. This was my inspiration. I copied the apple mushroom and was inspired to make a cucumber star from this lunch.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Left Side: Mario peanut butter sandwich on wheat bread (sideburns, eyebrows, and mustache are the crust from the bread glued on with peanut butter, eyes are cheddar cheese with food coloring marker details, the hat is Wegmans Strawberry Fruit Strips, the “M” is cheddar cheese with food coloring marker detail)

Top Right: Cucumber stars, one with skin and inside of cucumber for eyes

Bottom Right: Apple mushroom, I used the end of a pastry tip to create the circles and removed the skin with a knife. I dipped the apple pieces in water with lemon juice to prevent browning

Posted in Bento / Cute Food, Food | Comments Off

Leo Bento Lunch

Posted on July 25, 2015 by eclecticlamb

Next in my monthly series of Zodiac symbol lunches, here is Leo.

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Left Side: Mashed potato with white cheddar cheese molded in a custard cup, blue mashed potato piped on top in the shape of the Leo symbol, lettuce

Top Right: Frozen green peas

Bottom Right: Mandarin oranges

Posted in Bento / Cute Food, Food | Tagged zodiac | 1 Comment

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Ahoy, me Hearties! Happy Talk like a Pirate Day! (it is actually tomorrow but I am starting the celebration today)

Me nephew helped me make this pirate themed lunch for him. He had fun placin’ t’ picks and blueberries.

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