I made this lunch for my 12 year old nephew. We spent the day together and visited the Buffalo Museum of Science. My drawing of the atom is not perfect but my nephew did not care. He gobbled it up. This was a quick and easy lunch to make.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Cheese quesadillas (three) with atom drawn with food safe marker. I was inspired by this beautiful lunch by Bento for Kidlet.
Top Right: Carrots
Bottom Right: Pineapple
Not in Photo: Almonds
I love the idea of a themed homemade dinner and a movie. A few weeks ago I asked my niece and nephews for movie ideas and they said, “How to Train Your Dragon 2”. We worked together to plan this meatless meal. Friday night we prepared the meal together (my niece was an amazing help) and then we went to see the movie. I thought that How to Train Your Dragon 2 was better than the first movie but I enjoyed both movies.
We came up with the idea for the Viking Ship Ice Cream Sundae ourselves. My 17 year old nephew made the templates for me. My 9 year old nephew drew on the details with an decorating gel pen. Directions for the cookie ship and templates are at the end of this post. Assembly of the ship was easier than I expected, especially on a slightly humid summer day. It was the highlight of this memorable meal.
My niece and nephews love fruit so we decided to carve a watermelon in the shape of a viking helmet. I based our helmet on this by the National Watermelon Promotion Board. We kept it much more simple but the kids enjoyed it. We ate watermelon with some blackberries.
We watched some clips from How to Train Your Dragon 2 so we incorporated the sheep with targets in our vegetable tray. Sheep – Nishiki rice shaped using a rice mold, heads are rice mixed with a little soy sauce. My niece painted the targets with gel food coloring. She had to be careful because the color did bleed a little. Also on the tray are carrots, sugar snap peas, cucumber, and mini sweet pepper and zucchini boats filled with ranch dip.
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 around the edges. We added red bell peppers as garnish. My 9 year old nephew knew they were supposed to be dragon fire but another nephew thought dragon claws which would also be appropriate.
We took Naan bread and my niece cut it into dragon shapes. She brushed the Naan with olive oil and added poppy seeds for Toothless. We baked them at 375 for about 10 minutes (until slightly browned). The other shapes we kept plain.
I thought that this filled dinner plate looked beautiful so I took a photo. It shows Toothless flying.
I stopped eating to take this photo of the meal in progress.
Here is the assembled Viking Ship before filling it with vanilla ice cream, hot fudge, and whipped cream.
Viking Ship Cookie Sundae
I used this sugar cookie recipe. My nephew made Viking Cookie Ship Sundae Templates on card-stock following my vision for the ships. I made the cookies a few days in advance. I placed the cookies between layers of waxed paper in a plastic container with lid and put it in the freezer. I made extra pieces and I did have some breakage before assembling. I defrosted the cookies about an hour before assembling.
I used this royal icing recipe to hold the pieces together. It was a slightly humid day and I don’t have central air-conditioning so I assembled the cookies only an hour before eating because I was concerned about them holding up. They were fine and much easier to assembly than I had guessed. I ended up assembling 4 ships and my husband had a shipwrecked sundae with a piece of the ship and the toppings. It was my backup plan if the ships did not hold together so I wanted to try it out.
This ships are large! I did not expect the kids to finish all of the cookie ship. Some of them did not but I was fine with it.
Details on the ship: My 9 year old nephew used Wilton’s Black Decorating Gel tube to draw on the details. He did it after I had assembled the ships.
Masts: I melted white candy melts, put it in a ziplock bag, snipped off the end with scissors then used the melted candy melts to draw sails onto aluminum foil. I put the wet sails in the freezer. When they were solid, I turned the sails upside down on aluminum foil, and used more melted white candy melts to attach the sail to pretzel rods (I put melted candy melt under, above and on both sides of the pretzel rod). Then I put them back into the freezer. I only did this shortly before eating. I took the masts out of the freezer right before serving dessert.
You can see the back of the mast in this photo. They worked out great!
There were 6 of us for dinner – 9 year old nephew, 12 year old nephew, 15 year old niece, 17 year old nephew, my husband and myself. I hope that it is something they will remember fondly for years to come. Or even if some of them remember it as humoring their crazy Aunt with a passion for cute food – that is alright also.
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I made this airplane themed bento for my 9 year old nephew. I picked this theme because it is the theme of the week at the Bento Blog Network. Also I was happy to use my 3D Airplane cutter again.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Top Left: Popcorn (clouds)
Bottom Left: Carrot airplane with popcorn behind (I used this cutter)
Right: Airplane cheese quesadilla with cheese quesadilla sky (I brushed on a wash of blue food coloring and water)
This lunch came about because I wanted to use my hummingbird cookie cutter. I have had it for awhile and never used it. I ended up with this simple and delicious lunch of a cheese quesadilla over salad.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Hummingbird shaped mozzeralla cheese quesadilla, baby romaine blend salad with pumpkin seeds and slivered almonds
Top Right: Cottage cheese with fresh dill
Bottom Right: Sliced strawberries
I love flowers and of course making cute food out of healthy ingredients. Recently I was feeling up to the challenge to make flowers out of savory food. In the 15 meals presented here, I showcase 13 different flowers made from fruit, vegetables, herbs, cheese, and chocolate. Enjoy!
Lily of the Valley
Lily of the Valley is my favorite flower so I made myself this lunch. To make the Lily of the Valley flowers I put softened cream cheese in a zip-lock bag, snipped off the end, then squeezed out small bits for each flower.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Wild rice, chives, snow peas, cream cheese
Top Right: Green grapes
Bottom Right: Asparagus
Lily of the Valley
In this lunch I made Lily of the Valley flowers out of apple. This lunch was previously published here.
Tulips
I made this lunch for my 15 year old niece to take to school for lunch. When I created the red, white, and yellow tulips I had the Japanese Tulip song in mind.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Red, white and yellow tulips (rice with tomato sauce for red, rice with corn and Parmesan cheese for yellow) on a bed of lettuce
Top Right: Hazelnuts
Bottom Right: Watermelon cut with this cutter
Not Shown: Mini Dippers with olive oil and Trader Joes Pomegranate Vinegar
Tulips
I made this tulip vegetable filled edible basket for my neighbors. It was previously published here.
Daffodil
I came up with the idea of using bell pepper for a daffodil and made this lunch for myself.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Elbow pasta, spinach leaves, yellow and orange bell pepper
Top Right: Strawberries with bee pick
Bottom Right: Pistachio nuts
Rudbeckia
Rudbeckia has many common names such as “Brown Eyed Susan”. I made this lunch for my husband from his brown-eyed wife.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Peanut butter and strawberry jam sandwich on wheat bread, cheddar cheese, chocolate chip
Top Right: Raspberries
Bottom Right: Pretzels
Cherry Blossoms
I made these simple cherry blossoms with cookie cutters and cheese.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Cheddar cheese cherry blossoms (used two sizes of cherry blossom cutters, Wilton Pink Gel Food Color), rice with chopped fresh parsley and lemon juice
Top Right: Raspberries
Bottom Right: Cucumber
Rose
I baked this Red Pepper and Cheese muffin in a rose shaped pan. It was previously published here.
Morning Glories
I made this morning glory lunch for my Mom. I decided to make pink morning glories instead of the traditional blue. Pink morning glories actually do exist and I was told that these edible strawberry cream cheese ones were delicious.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Top Left: Strawberries
Bottom Left: Brazil nuts
Right Side: Mashed potatoes with cooked broccoli, butter, and shredded cheddar cheese. Morning Glories are strawberry cream cheese and plain cream cheese with spinach leaves.
Anthurium
I embellished this lunch with an anthurium made out of bell pepper. It was a beautiful and delicious lunch.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Chickpea, Cherry Tomato, and Feta Salad, pumpkin seeds in Mini Dippers
Top Right: Peaches
Bottom Right: Red bell pepper, orange bell pepper
Waterlily
I was very pleased with the likeness of this Cheddar cheese and yellow bell pepper waterlily. This lunch was previously published here.
Pansy
I made this colorful Pansy lunch for my Dad because I wanted it to be potato based and he likes potatoes.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: White potatoes and celery with Italian dressing. The pansy is made out of blue potato and white potato with radish around it.
Top Right: Cashew nuts
Bottom Right: Watermelon
Bleeding Heart
I made this bleeding heart lunch for my Mom. Growing up there were bleeding hearts in my childhood garden. I now have bleeding hearts in my garden.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Spinach rice with celery, beets, and cream cheese
Top Right: Pecans
Bottom Right: Strawberry slices
Plum Blossoms
I made this plum blossom themed lunch as part of my Japan travel and inspired bento series. It was previously published here.
Sunflower
I made a stencil to make this Sunflower lunch for myself. As usual I put too much on the stencil but it was edible.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Top Left: Watermelon
Bottom Left: Sunflower seeds
Right Side: Nishiki rice with turmeric and hot paprika
This concludes my flower shaped food creations. Three of my bento making friends have made beautiful savory flowers from food. Please click on the links below to see their amazing food art.
Iris – Kristi from beneficial bento made a gorgeous iris out of potatoes, cheese, sugar snap peas, and black sesame seeds.
Poppy – Grace from Eats Amazing made a beautiful red poppy from a red pepper top and carrot.
Roses – Shirley from Little Miss Bento made stunning roses out of tomatoes.
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I made this bento for my 15 year old niece. I am somewhat new at mashed potato sculpture but I enjoy it. It seems to be very versatile. To make the mashed potatoes I added a little butter, milk, and shredded white cheddar cheese to cooked potatoes and then mashed until it was the consistency I wanted.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Top: Butterfly (mashed white potato , red pepper, carrot, blue potato), broccoli
Bottom Left: Watermelon cut with butterfly cutters
Bottom Right: Pistachio nuts
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I made this meal for my 12 year old nephew. He enjoyed it very much. Since this nephew does not eat a lot of vegetables I asked him what to use for the background. I was surprised but pleased when he wanted raw spinach leaves. I think that it made the perfect background.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Top: Snoopy mashed potato (I added some butter, shredded cheddar cheese, and a little milk), spinach details and background
Bottom Left: Watermelon
Bottom Right: Pistachio nuts
Last week I hosted a tea for my garden club. It was my first time hosting this event. In addition to eating a variety of attractive food we also played my Tea Party Trivia Game.
A member of my club volunteered to make the gorgeous arrangements that were on the beverage and food tables.
Tea Beverage Table
I wanted to use tea cups and saucers. I had 12 from my great-grandmother’s set. I borrowed 11 from my mother-in-law. I borrowed the silver tea service from my mom. This was my first time using a tea service. Before the party I Googled how to use it. Basically you need to figure out what will work for you. In my case because of the number of guests, I used a separate carafe for coffee. I used both of the silver tea pots for tea. I think that it is poor because I was the party host but I ended up not pouring the tea. I became busy with something and a guest poured for me. If I host this party again next year, I will need to make sure I take on the task of pouring the tea.
I served Twinings English Afternoon Tea and had a basket with assorted tea and herbal tea. I had lemon slices, sugar dots, half and half, and milk on the table.
I wanted to decorate sugar cubes but when I attempted it I did not have enough time. The first time the icing was too runny and when I adjusted the icing it was too firm. Maybe if I host again next year I will decorate sugar cubes. One of my issues with not doing it too far in advance was that I did not want to use royal icing and was concerned about using a different icing too far in advance.
Caprese Salad Skewers
I added different combinations but mostly made cherry tomato, fresh mozzeralla and basil leaf skewers. I added black olives to some skewers. I kept it plain and did not add olive oil or salt.
Flower Crisps with Red Pepper Hummus
I had planned to use this recipe for the Flower Crisps and to save time fill them with store bought Red Pepper Hummus. I basically followed this plan but I had issues with the Flower Crisps. I could not find the egg roll wrappers in my store and did not have time to go 30 minutes away to a store that had them. I had some gyoza (dumpling) skins in my freezer and used those instead. But because they were smaller, I could not use the correct size cookie cutter and follow the directions exactly. I tried making them slightly smaller and they looked bad. So I ended up making them much smaller and put them inside the muffin tin instead of around the cups on an inverted tin. They did not look as beautiful as in the original recipe and it did bother me a little but I think that my party guests thought they looked cute.
Chocolate Roll Cake with Chocolate Covered Strawberries
My mom made this chocolate roll cake for me. We used a vanilla buttercream because even though I love cream cheese frosting I was concerned that it does not have universal appeal. I made the chocolate covered strawberries as a garnish.
Radish and Cucumber Tea Sandwiches
I used Pepperidge Farm Very Thin white bread to make these open-faced tea sandwiches. I cut the slices with a flower shaped cookie cutter. For the radish sandwiches I spread softened butter on the bread, added some freshly ground pepper and then thinly sliced radish (I used my mandoline slicer). For the cucumber sandwiches I added dill and a splash of lemon juice to softened 1/3 less Fat Cream Cheese. I spread some of the cream cheese mixture on the flower shaped bread, then added some thinly sliced cucumber (cut with my mandoline slicer).
Scones with Cream and Jam
I made scones from the recipes in the Martha Stewart Baking Handbook. I love the recipes because they can be made in advance and then frozen. I baked them a few hours before the party. I made Oat and Dried Apricot, Cranberry (used dried cranberries in place of currents), and Blueberry (used dried blueberries in place of currents) scones. I cut the scones smaller than the recipes indicated. Alongside the scones I served homemade strawberry jam, apricot jam, and whipped cream.
Tea Food Table
This photo shows the Fruit Salad. I just mixed together cut watermelon, pineapple, and red grapes. Not shown in this photo (behind the scones) is a bowl of mints.
Individual Nut Cups with Mixed Nuts
I used Wilton paper cups to serve individual portions of mixed nuts.
View of Tea Party Food Table
This view of the food table shows the invitation to this tea party.
Plate with Food
I enjoyed putting on this tea. If I host again next year there are some things I would do different but I think that my guests had a wonderful time.
This is my first time making what I consider toast art. I have used toast stamps before, here and here. I made this breakfast for my Dad because the theme this week at Bento Blog Network is Toast. This bento features the lamb I have drawn since I was a child.
To make my toast art lamb, I cut the shape out of aluminum foil and placed it on the bread before toasting. I used melted chocolate for the details.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Top Left: 2 hard-boiled eggs
Bottom Left: Raspberries
Right Side: 2 slices of toast (one buttered, one with chocolate for lamb details), cheddar cheese stick
Continuing in my series of shaped bread lunches… I made this simple but fun meal for my 9 year old nephew.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Top Left: Green grapes
Bottom Left: Brazil nuts
Right Side: Bread pig (made with homemade french bread dough), eyes (dried blueberries)
I made this meal for my 12 year old nephew. He loves bread, football, and pistachios so this was a natural choice.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Bread football (made with homemade french bread dough), cheddar cheese sticks, snow peas
Top Right: Pistachios with football lines drawn with food safe marker (I found this idea here)
Bottom Right: Green grapes
Here is a roundup of my Japan travel and inspired bento articles. It was such an amazing trip and I enjoyed making bento and sharing my photos with you. See the links below for details about each location and bento.
This is my last Japan travel and inspired bento article but I will share a compilation post to put all of the links in one place. My Mom and I rented a house in Kyoto from Japan Experience. It was great to be able to do some light cooking and get the feel of living in a neighborhood in Japan.
When making this bento, I was inspired by this photo. Other than my use of the plum shaped cutter, it probably looks like a cherry tree. But I was happy with the look and taste of this meal.
Container: ECO Lunchboxes
Left Side: Nishiki rice with spinach and strawberry cream cheese (I mashed some fresh strawberries and added them to cream cheese. I put the strawberry cream cheese in a ziplock plastic bag, cut off a small corner, then piped the cream cheese on top of the rice).
Right Side: Broccoli, radish with strawberry cream cheese centers
Round Cup: Strawberries
Inspiration Photo
Since the plum trees were blossoming during our visit, we went to Kitano Shrine in Kyoto. It is known for a gorgeous plum garden. As part of the garden admission we received tickets for a supposedly plum tea and a snack. I could not drink the tea because I found the taste to be revolting. My Mom has a great photo of my expression after trying the tea but I won’t share it here.
I was inspired by our experience at the Fushimi Inari-taisha shrine when making this lunch. I also liked the idea of trying a different vegetable to make the Tori. In my Miyajima bento I used bell pepper. I made the fox picks from actual photos I took.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Quinoa cooked in vegetable broth with green peas, carrots
Top Right: Hazelnuts
Bottom Right: Clementine with homemade Fox statue picks
Inspiration Photo
We went to this shrine first thing in the morning because I was concerned about crowds. It was a good time to go. It was very impressive. Before going to the shrine I read a review with a woman’s experience and she suggested that it was not necessary to climb all the way to the top. So we went there intending to follow her advice and we did.
Fox Shaped Cakes
Since the Fox is the guardian at this shrine there were Fox statues, toys, and fox head shaped cakes.
Map of Fushimi Inari-taisha
Fox Statue at Fushimi Inari-taisha
Two Fox Statues at Fushimi Inari-taisha
Sponsors Names on Gates
When we walked past these poles, my first thought was that it was poetry. But I found out later that it was company names of sponsors.
Plum Garden at Kitano Shrine
Strawberry Flavored Baked Goods
We ate a lot of bread while in Japan. I could not resist taking a photo of this cute strawberry themed display. I bought and ate the chocolate and strawberry one. Delicious. I put strawberry shaped bread on my list of shaped bread bento that I want to make.
Bamboo Fence
Water at Kyomizu-dera
Our visit to Kiyomizu-dera was in the rain. Before we went that day I Googled to see if it was alright to see in the rain. I think that the rain made it more special.
Women in Kimono at Kyomizu-dera
At Kiyomizu-dera and other shrines in Kyoto, we often noticed young women dressed in kimono. I was told that some do it as a girl’s day out to make it more special. The kimono were beautiful!
Totoro
This cute Totoro display was at the Studio Ghibli store near Kyomizu-dera. The street on the way up the hill to the temple was filled with souvenir shops and restaurants. We ate cream puffs and I bought a shot-glass for my husband’s collection.
Stream in Garden at Heian Shrine
The garden at Heian Shrine was gorgeous. Everywhere we turned there was beauty. We took a lot of photos here even though it was slightly rainy. Since it was off-season and a little rainy, we had the garden to ourselves. Also special was that we were able to walk here from our rental house.
Garden at Heian Shrine
Walking on Stepping Stones at Heian Shrine Garden
My Mom is an adventurer. Me, not so much. I think that this photo is so funny because it shows me watching and not participating while she is on an adventure. I walked around on the path while my Mom walked on the stepping stones across the pond. I was afraid that I would fall.
Heian Shrine Garden
Tori Near Heian Shrine
Manhole Cover in Kyoto
As I mentioned in my Osaka post, manhole covers are often special in Japan.
Shimogamo Shrine
This was taken at Shimogamo Shrine. It was another one that we walked to from our rental house. We went in the morning. This shrine was surrounded by many trees and it did not feel like we were in a city.
Shimogamo Shrine
Sheep Themed Donuts
Of course, I could not resist buying these cute sheep themed donuts.
River in Kyoto
This was the view on our walk from our rental house to the closest grocery store.
Turtle Stepping Stones in River
Kyoto Night Walking Tour
We went on a night walking tour of Gion in Kyoto hosted by Japan Experience. Since it was off-season and a little cold, we were the only ones on the tour with our guide. It was a special tour and I recommend it. We actually happened upon 4 Geisha during our walk.
Kyoto Pagoda at Night
Kyoto View of Snow Covered Mountains
Women on Sidewalk Wearing Kimonos
Our stay in Kyoto and in Japan was so special. Kyoto is a wonderful city to explore and convenient to do many day-trips.
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This is the next to last article in my Japan travel and bento series. My Mom and I spent time in Osaka at the beginning and the end of our trip. At the end of our trip my friend who lives in a different part of Japan came and spent time with us.
I know that this bento is a strange one and I almost did not share it here. It is very simple. The picks are from actual jelly fish and sea turtle photos I took at the Osaka Aquarium.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Nishiki rice dyed blue (I ended up using too much and it is VERY blue), stingray drawn on Cheddar cheese with food safe marker
Top Right: Cucumber
Bottom Right: Mukimame
We stayed at the Hilton near Osaka Station and near many amazing shopping opportunities. I did not take any photos during our shopping trips. I can’t believe that I did not take a photo inside an 100 Yen store. I certainly went to a lot of them while in Japan.
Stingray at Osaka Aquarium
One of my Mom’s requests was to visit the Osaka aquarium. They have an impressive tank that spans many levels. During our time at the aquarium a preschool group of young kids was there. It was fun to see their reactions.
Jellyfish
Sea Turtle at Osaka Aquarium
Another item on my Mom’s list was to visit the Umeda Sky Building. I have been to a few observation towers in my life but this is my favorite one yet. Impressive. We did not realize during our first stay at the Osaka Hilton that we could see this building from the Executive lounge.
Escalator to Observation Area at Umeda Sky Building
View of Osaka from the Sky Building
Another View From Sky Building
Umeda Sky Building Clouds
View of Escalators in Sky Building
Umeda Sky Building From Below
Umeda Sky Building
Osaka at Night
This photo was taken from our room at the Osaka Hilton. The Hilton was very comfortable and in a convenient location.
Dog with Dress and Hair Bows
An older man was walking this dog. It was the first time I had even seen a dog with hair bows. I told the man (in Japanese) that his dog was cute. My Mom then told me to tell the man that his dog was cute not knowing that I just told him.
Red Ferris Wheel
Plum Garden Near Osaka Castle
The plum trees near the Osaka castle were in full bloom during our visit. It is probably a lovely stroll during other seasons but it is incredible during plum blossom season.
Sign on Plum Tree
Plum Blossoms
View of Plum Garden
Glimpse of Osaka Castle Through the Plum Blossoms
Gorgeous Plum Tree
Osaka Castle
I did not include any close-up photos of Osaka Castle. We walked near it but did not go inside. While walking on the grounds and viewing the moat I kept thinking about my 9 year old nephew and thought that he would enjoy being there.
Osaka Castle Moat
Cement Tori
Tiger on Osaka Castle
Do not Speed Sign
Lion King Ad
I am fascinated by manhole covers in Japan. They are often themed for the city where they are located. The blog Uncovering Japan has a Manhole Monday feature.
We had a lovely time in Osaka. The next and last article in this series will be Kyoto.
The city of Nara is next in my series of travel photos and bento inspired by my trip to Japan. My Mom and I visited Nara as a day trip from Kyoto.
I laughed out loud at the results of my Great Buddah quesadilla. It does seem funny to make a Buddha quesadilla. I served it to my 15 year old niece for lunch at my house.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Top Left: 2 deer shaped tortillas browned in a skillet with cooking spray, raw green beans
Bottom Left: Blueberry yogurt with toasted hazelnuts
Right Side: Buddha quesadilla with food marker details, another quesadilla behind with blue food coloring and water painted on then blotted with a paper towel
Inspiration photo for my Buddha Bento
Nara is a common day trip from Kyoto. I reserved a free Goodwill Guide from the YMCA in Nara. It is a wonderful service that matches English speaking volunteer guides with tourists. I arranged via email a guide for the day and time we wanted. Our guide met us at the JR station in Nara. We toured with her in the morning. She was very knowledgeable about the sites and culture.
In this bento I attempted to depict latte art with almond butter and dry milk powder. I made a stencil from a photo of our latte art we enjoyed in Nara. It is an open faced sandwich but the other piece of bread fit nicely under the top one so I ate it by putting both of them together. It probably would have looked better if I did not use an English muffin and used a smoother surface.
Container: Kokeshi box
Top Tier: Dried cherries and apricots
Middle Tier: Toasted English muffin with almond butter, dried milk powder
Bottom Tier: Salad of lettuce and carrots
Inspiration photo for my Latte Art Bento
Our guide picked us up at the Nara station and drove us around in her car. It was my Mom’s first (and only) time in a car in Japan. It is a slightly difference experience because they drive on the opposite side of the road than they do in the United States.
Wall in Nara
Deer Eating Vegetables
Our guide brought vegetable scraps from her home to feed the deer. Traditionally in Nara people can buy rice crackers and make the deer bow their heads. Some deer bowed for the vegetable peelings. I also saw a deer bow her head when I did not have food with me.
Possible Actions Deer May Take
The deer in Nara are known for being slightly aggressive in search of food. This sign warns visitors that the deer can bite, kick, butt, and knock down people. I did see many people carry their dogs past the deer. It is probably best not to bring your dog to Nara.
Young Deer Nara
Todai-ji
Our guide shared with us the spiritual aspects of visiting this temple. She also shared information about how they clean the Buddha and showed us photos from a book. It made the whole experience more meaningful having a person tell us details that we may have otherwise been unaware.
Steps of Todai-ji
World’s Largest Bronze Statue of the Buddha Vairocana
Komokuten, One of the Pair of Guardians
Inside Todai-ji
Reflection in Nara
Deer in Nara
Kid with Deer Nara
We also visited the Isuien Garden. It was on the list of things we wanted to see with our guide. It is such an amazing, beautiful place. Words or photos do not do it justice.
Isuien Garden Nara
Pink Flowers Nara
Komomaki (Pest Control) During Winter
These trees have what is called komomaki (straw covers). They are used in the winter. The Pine Moth goes into the straw and in the spring gardeners remove the straw and burn it, eliminating the Pine Moth. A detailed explanation about komomaki is here.
Isuien Garden View
Pine Needle Pattern
I was impressed by this pattern made with pine needles. I do not know if this is typical to see in Japanese gardens but I don’t think I had seen it before.
Walking Up Steps in Isuien Garden
Cover at Pond
White Plum Blossoms
In the afternoon my Mom and I met my language exchange partner who lived within a day trip from Nara. It was so wonderful to spend time in person with her instead of speaking via Skype! Since she knew I was interested in Japanese latte art, she found a cafe in Nara for us to have coffee. The coffee and dessert were so cute and delicious!
Nara Latte Art
Beautiful Swan Latte Art
Beautifully Plated Cake
Gorgeous Dessert
Strawberries and Cream Crepe Cake
Japanese Garden
Japanese Garden
Early Spring Blooms
Planter in Nara
We had a wonderful day in Nara. If you have the chance to visit Nara I recommend it.
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I made this lunch for my 9 year old nephew. He requested bagels and a soccer theme. I was happy to work within the restraints.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Homemade bagel with poppy seeds (I made a soccer ball stencil and sprinkled poppy seeds on the bagel before baking), I also tried cinnamon sugar on another bagel but thought that the poppy looked better, sugar snap peas
Top Right: Pistachio nuts with soccer ball pick
Bottom Right: Clementine with soccer ball pattern drawn with food safe marker
Not Shown: String cheese
Linking to:
Yoda Cheese Ball with Star Wars Crackers
May the fourth be with you! I am joining my Bento Bloggers & Friends on this Star Wars themed bento lunch hop. Please use the button at the end of this post to continue on to all of the other participants until you get back here.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Star Wars Vehicles: Crackers in the shapes of the Millennium Falcon, Vader’s TIE Fighter, X-wing Fighter and the Death Star (see below for directions)
Yoda: Cheese ball (see below for directions)
Fruit: Blackberries
Vader Cracker Dough After Making Imprint
How I made the crackers:
I used this cracker recipe but quartered the recipe. I found it very easy to work with. The key with homemade crackers is to roll out the dough very thin. I did not roll it out as thin as I have in the past while making crackers because I wanted to make sure I got a good imprint. I made a quarter of the recipe for the vehicles. I made a quarter of the recipe for Darth Vader. I added ground black sesame seeds to the dough for Vader. I ground the black sesame seeds in a coffee grinder that I only use for seeds/spices. I carefully cut out the shape, then pushed the dough into the cutter with my fingers to get an imprint. Then, I carefully peeled the dough off of the cutter. I followed these directions for baking except that I used parchment paper. Star Wars Vehicle Cookie Cutters, Star Wars Heroes & Villains Cookie Cutters
How I made the Yoda cheese ball:
I mixed softened cream cheese, some garlic powder and shredded cheddar cheese. I used the Yoda cookie cutter from this set as a guide for shape and size. I then added green food coloring to softened cream cheese and carefully frosted Yoda with a butter knife. I used a toothpick to add wrinkles. I cut small pieces of cheddar cheese for the eyes and added the pupils with a food safe black marker.
Thanks for visiting! Please click on the button below to see Venia’s fabulous creation at Organized Bites.
In celebration of May Day I made this cute dancing around the maypole lunch for my 15 year old niece. She loved it!
I mostly followed these directions to dye the pasta. Other than dying the pasta (which was a little messy), this lunch was fast to prepare.
Container: Kokeshi box
Top Tier: Pecans
Middle Tier: Nishiki rice with dyed Mafaldine pasta and spaghetti for the maypole. I wanted to use linguini for the maypole but decided to use what I had in my pantry. Animal picks are the dancers.
Bottom Tier: Flower shaped cucumber with carrots and lettuce
On the Side: Clementine
Linking to:
This is a continuation of my series of travel photos from my trip to Japan and bentos inspired by my experiences. When planning our Kyoto portion of our trip, I knew that I wanted to visit the Monkey Park in Arashiyama.
This lunch was simple but delicious and the nuts and seeds made it satisfying.
Container: Wooden box purchased in Kyoto at Bento&co.
Contents: Monkey shaped cheese quesadilla, lettuce, spinach, carrots, snow peas, chickpeas, slivered almonds, pumpkin seeds, monkey picks
Arashiyama Beautiful in Any Season
Japanese Pine
Across the River Heading Towards the Monkey Park
We walked from the train station in Arashiyama to the Monkey Park. There was a small tourist information office near the station. The woman there gave us a map. It was somewhat helpful but did not have street names on it. Anyway, it was a pleasant walk in Arashiyama and across the bridge to the little mountain that contains the monkey park.
Monkey Park Sign
Arashiyama Iwatayama Monkey Park Information Sign
Monkey Park Steps
The entrance person said it was about a 20 minute walk. Of course it depends on your physical condition and if you want a leisurely stroll through nature or if it is a race. The path is somewhat steep in some places.
Path up the Mountain to Monkey Park
Monkey Trivia Sign
There were several monkey trivial signs along the path up the mountain. You can lift up the hinged wood to see the answer. There was even at least one in English.
Along the route up the mountain there were many warning signs not to show food to the monkeys, don’t look the monkey in the eye, don’t get too close to the monkeys. The first time we saw monkeys in our path I was afraid to pass them. But eventually we did and they did not care. But we knew in advance not to have food with us.
Monkey in Path
Monkey with Hand Out for Food
At the top of the mountain there was a place for visitors to rest. They had food to buy to feed the monkeys. It was 100 Yen and there were bags of sweet potato, apple, and peanuts. Humans are in a cage with the monkeys outside while we gave them food. We did not buy the peanuts but I could have stayed there much longer buying bags of food and feeding them to the monkeys. They were very cute and it was so much fun!
Monkey Looking at Food We Gave It
I am surprised that we ended up with a few photos of monkeys looking at the food. It seemed like they ate it very fast. We took a LOT of monkey photos.
Monkey Looking at Food
View from Feeding Building
Monkeys Waiting for Food
Monkey with Food in Mouth
Monkey Mouth Open
Another Monkey Photo
Beautiful Monkey
Monkey Face
Monkeys by Pond
Arashiyama Kyoto Japan
After the monkey park we had a leisurely walk through Arashiyama. We ate some ice cream and looked in some shops.
Ice cream in Arashiyama
Buddhist Statues
These statues are called “Jizo” in Japanese. They are made from stone. Many of them are dedicated to the protection of children.
Traditional Japanese Roof
Our visit to Arashiyama and the Monkey Park was a memorable experience. If you like monkeys I highly recommend that you visit.
This is next in my series of travel photos from my trip with my Mom to Japan. The bento lunch was inspired by an Ikebana class we took. This bento did not come out as beautiful as it did in my head. The pearl couscous background could be part of the problem but it may also be the weight of the foliage I used. My Ikebana teacher would know how to fix it. But it was delicious, satisfying, and healthy which is part of the reason I make bento.
Container: Blue Box from Japan
Large Tier: Pea shoots, green beans, alpha sprouts, tri-color pearl couscous
Small Tier: Orange, blackberries, pecans
When planning our trip to Japan, I knew that I wanted to take an Ikebana class. It is something I wanted to try on other trips to Japan but it never happened. I found a review of an Ikebana class in Kyoto by Uncovering Japan. Since my Mom and I were renting a house in Kyoto for a week, it was the perfect time to take an Ikebana class.
Container for Ikebana Arrangement
Plant Material We Used
Difference Between Western Arranging and Ikebana
Our teacher was very knowledgeable and provided a pleasant atmosphere to get hands on experience trying our hands at this craft. I highly recommend this class to anyone who wants to experience this piece of Japanese culture while in Kyoto. Kimiko has a blog and this is her post about our morning with her.
Arrangements in Progress
Teacher Offering Guidance
I was very impressed with how Kimiko could suggest a few changes and the arrangement would transform into an arrangement lacking finesse into something of beauty. I am not a natural arranger of flowers in any country but I thoroughly enjoyed this experience. My Mom also enjoyed very much and is still talking about it.
Ikebana Arrangements
Japanese Sweet and Green Tea
Since the theme of our arrangements was the upcoming Hinamatsuri (Girl’s Day Festival) I decided to include our Hinamatsuri photos in this post. We were in Japan right before (after after) Girl’s Day and took many photos of the Girl’s Day displays while in stores and out and about.
Hinamatsuri (Girl’s Day or Doll Festival) is celebrated in Japan on March 3. A popular decoration for this holiday are platforms with dolls representing the emperor, empress and the court from the Heian period. It is a day to pray for the future happiness of girls.
I am fascinated by this cultural holiday and was very excited to be in Japan during it. It was an extra bonus for it to be our ikebana theme. Last year I hosted a Girl’s Day themed dinner. Below I include many photos of a variety of displays we happened upon while in Japan. If you get to the end you can have some Girls’ Day cake.
Girl’s Day Displays
Girl’s Day Displays
Girl’s Day Themed Pastries
A Unique Girl’s Day Display
Close-up of Girl’s Day Display
Ceramic Dolls
Hinamatsuri Themed Dish
Fabric Rabbit Themed Dolls for Girl’s Day
Girl’s Day Gifts at Department Store
Beautiful Screen Behind Display
Dolls for Sale at Toys R Us in Kyoto
An Elaborate Display at Toys R Us
Pink Hinamatsuri Display
Girl’s Day Themed Package
Wooden Girl’s Day Display
Miniature Display
At Ichihime Shrine
The photo above and the next two below were taken at Ichihime Shrine in Kyoto.
At Ichihime Shrine
At Ichihime Shrine
Slices of Girl’s Day Strawberry Cream Cake
I knew that bakeries sell Hinamatsuri (Girl’s Day) cake. I put it on our list of things to do while in Japan. We ended up buying slices of cake one day and a little cake another day. We did see many cakes on Girl’s Day in the food sections of department stores in Kyoto but we bought our cakes at a neighborhood bakery near our rental house.
Girl’s Day Strawberry and Cream Cake
I hope that you are enjoying this series as much as I am enjoying creating it. The next article will be about our experience at a monkey park.
This is the third article in my series of travel photos and bentos inspired by my trip to Japan. My Mom wanted to to see Mt. Fuji. We knew it is often covered by clouds. Since we had a Japan Rail Pass we planned a day trip from Kyoto. We decided not to do any of the tourist excursions to get close to it. Our plan was to go to Shin-Fuji station, see Mt. Fuji (hopefully), then spend some time in Shizuoka before returning to Kyoto.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Mt. Fuji made from Nishiki rice, covered with spinach leaves (quickly microwaved until the leaves wilted a little), shredded taco cheese, raw broccoli
Top Right: Watermelon cubes
Bottom Right: Plain Greek Yogurt with some honey underneath (this represents Fuji behind the clouds)
I am not experienced with mashed potato sculpture but I tried it for this Shinkansen – Bullet Train meal. It turned out a little wonky but I like it. My husband ate this meal.
Container: Black Bento Box
Small Tier: Dried apricot, dried cherries, pecans and sliced almonds
Large Tier: Shinkansen – Bullet Train (mashed potatoes with garlic powder and cheddar cheese; spinach details), cooked broccoli
Paper Shinkansen Toy
We took the Shinkansen (Bullet Train) many times in Japan. Some of these photos are from trips other than our day trip to see Mt. Fuji. The photo above and below were taken at Shin-Osaka Station.
Shinkansen Diorama
Advertisement for Shinkansen Treats
I never did see the actual sweets (above) but I took a photo of this cute sign at Shin-Osaka station.
Shinkansen Employee on Platform
Shinkansen employees were very helpful to make sure we were in the correct place. At first we were confused about the different locations on the platform we needed to wait for our reserved car depending on how many cars were on the particular train. After we figured it out it seemed obvious as the signs for the coming trains indicate how many cars. But I do have a policy I started in Japan many years ago. Before I get on a train, I ask someone else waiting (using Japanese) to make sure I am getting on the correct train. I have never been wrong as the station platforms provide plenty of information but it makes me feel more comfortable.
Arriving Shinkansen
Waiting to Board
View from Shinkansen
It was exciting to see the scenery and palm trees from our Shinkansen window. It was especially appealing since we are from New York State and typically don’t see palm trees.
Car Map on Back of Seat
The maps on the seat backs in the trains were helpful. It made it easy to find the location of bathrooms, vending machines, and garbage cans. Also as is my nature, I love information.
Train travel in Japan is very comfortable and convenient. It was such a pleasure to ride the Shinkansen!
View from Shinkansen
Tea near Shizuoka
Many years ago I took this same route past Shizuoka so I knew to look out for the tea as we passed by. Shizuoka is known for green tea.
Another View of Tea from Shinkansen
No Mt. Fuji Covered with Clouds
We took the Shinkansen to Shin-Fuji station because a friend told me it was closer than Shizuoka to see Mt. Fuji. I asked a man (fellow traveler) on the platform where Mt. Fuji was located. He pointed to the area covered with clouds. I had seen Mt. Fuji before but it would have been my Mom’s first time. We were fully aware that it would be possible to not see it. I think that I was more disappointed than my Mom was. But we had a nice but simple lunch at the train station and the information lady was very kind.
Front and Back of Mt. Fuji is Shy Certificate
Since we were unable to see Mt. Fuji due to cloud cover, the information lady gave us these certificates. They are stamped with the day of visit and have a beautiful photo of Mt. Fuji on one side.
Shizuoka near Park with Tokugawa Statue
Sampujo Park Map
After Shin-Fuji Station (I had allowed ourselves only about 30 minutes there) we continued on to Shizuoka where we stayed a few hours. A friend mentioned that Sumpu Park was located not far from the Shizuoka Station. It was a beautiful day for a walk. Castle ruins from Tokugawa Ieyasu and a statue of him are located at the park. At first I could not find the statue. I was determined to find it as I had studied Japanese history in college. I asked a woman sitting on a bench with a young child, she told me it was behind me! So funny. I just had to turn around from where we were to see it.
From the little we experienced of Shizuoka we thought it was a nice city and would like to go back again to spend more time there.
Plum Tree in Shizuoka
Information about Sampu Castle Ruins
Tokugawa Statue
Mt Fuji Souvenirs at Train Station
Fuji Tea Products for Sale at Shizuoka Station
I loved this Mt. Fuji shaped metal box. I did not care what was inside of it. But I asked myself, “Did I really need a Mt. Fuji shaped metal box?” Ultimately the answer was no.
Mt Fuji Pound Cake
Mt Fuji Ekiben (Train Station Bento)
Since I am fascinated by bento and Ekiben (train station bento) of course I took a photo of the Mt. Fuji shaped bento.
I hope that you enjoyed seeing my Shinkansen photos, our day trip to see Mt. Fuji and Shizuoka and my inspired bento lunches. Even though we did not see Mt. Fuji we had a wonderful day trip!
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I like the idea of representing stories or songs with food but I think that I have only made a few. This Ugly Duckling themed lunch based on the story by Hans Christian Anderson has been on my to-do list for awhile. If you are interested in swam themed meals see this one I made a in 2012.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Ugly Duckling: Duckling drawn on Cheddar cheese with food safe marker
Nest: Chocolate eggs in silicone cup (small eggs – white chocolate, large egg – peanut butter)
Swan: Peanut butter sandwich on white bread, eye (dried blueberry), beak (crust), snow peas, blueberries
This photo with me and Hans was taken many years ago in Central Park, NYC.
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My 9 year old nephew made this lunch for himself. He used bagels leftover from breakfast to make sandwiches. I think that he had fun using these eyeball picks to add character to each course.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Sandwiches: Assorted homemade bagels (cinnamon & sugar, sesame, sunflower, and poppy seed) made into raspberry jam sandwiches
Vegetable: Snow peas
Fruit: Miniature apple
Linking to:
I love working with a theme. Here are 8 Easter themed bento lunches. I included many common symbols of Easter: eggs, lamb, chicks, basket, cross, and bunnies.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Easter Egg Rice (Nishiki rice packed with plastic wrap into an egg shaped cookie cutter), decorated with spinach, carrot, and some round sprinkles, background (lettuce and spinach), letter picks
Top Right: Almonds
Bottom Right: Grapefruit
This lunch was previously published here.
When making calzones for dinner, I made a few in Easter egg shapes to use for lunch the next day.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Easter egg shaped cheese calzone, lettuce
Top Right: Orange
Bottom Right: Cooked green beans
This lunch was previously published here.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Top Left: Rabbit shaped watermelon
Bottom Left: Bunny shaped hard boiled egg (I used this egg mold)
Right Side: Rabbit shaped bread (I used a basic french bread dough, sprinkled with cinnamon, dried blueberry eyes and nose)
Peanut Butter: In Mini Dippers
This lunch was previously published here.
This lunch was previously published here.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Top Left: Lettuce salad with bunny and egg shaped carrots
Bottom Left: Pistachios decorated as Easter eggs with food safe markers
Right Side: Bunny sandwiches (peanut butter on wheat bread with dried blueberry details), alfalfa sprouts
I enjoyed creating these Easter lunches using many of the common symbols of Easter. If you try any of these, I would love to see a photo of your meal.
Linking to:
My niece (15 years old) and I have a tradition of decorating eggs for Easter. Each time we focus on a different technique while keeping with our initial color scheme of blue and white. This year we decided to decorate our blown-out eggs with ribbon.
Techniques we used in the past:
We enjoyed an Easter themed dinner to go along with our egg decorating. This dinner many look fancy but it was minimal effort for the huge payback in visual appeal.
Menu:
It was dinner for 3 this night. You don’t need a crowd to make a special dinner.
Three nests fit perfectly on my small cake plate.
We used assorted ribbon in our color scheme and tacky glue. We tried different designs but were happiest with a simple band of ribbon around the center of the egg. My niece came up with the idea of gluing two different colored ribbon to each other and using that as a band around the center. We also tried making ribbon bows and glued them to the eggs.
My niece enjoys painting (I don’t) so she mixed up a custom color and painted some of the eggs blue. We find that painting the eggs works better than dying them.
Our hanger ribbon is 1/8 inch (3 mm ) wide. The widest ribbon we used as decoration was 5/8 inch (15 mm) wide.
For my egg tree I used branches that my Mom sprayed with white paint a few years ago.
This dinner and egg craft project was a hit! I would love to know if you try either of these and how it worked for you.
Linking to:
This is the second article in my series of travel photos and bentos inspired by my trip to Japan. My Mom and I stayed at the Hilton in Osaka and took the Shinkansen (Bullet train) to Okayama for a day trip. It was an easy day trip from Osaka. My Mom wanted to see the Okayama Korakuen garden. It is on the list of the three most beautiful gardens in Japan. I was interested in seeing the town that claims to be the setting of the Momotaro (Peach Boy) story.
Container: Book Bento Box
Contents: Cooked broccoli and cashews, Nishiki rice with smoked salt, Momotaro (Cheddar cheese with spinach and food marker details), Oni (Cheddar cheese with food coloring, spinach, cheese, and carrot details). I included a monkey and dog pick but omitted the bird from the story because I do not have a bird pick and decided not to make one.
This was my first time using this cute Book Bento Box. I received it as a Christmas gift. Since Momotaro (Peach Boy) is story, it seemed appropriate to put in in a book shaped box. This bento came from All Things for Sale.
Inspiration photo for my Momotaro Bento
I don’t think that Okayama is a typical town for foreigners to visit because when I told many Japanese friends about our plans they seemed surprised. When I was in the process of deciding to visit Okayama I consulted many blog posts in English. Some people recommended it and some did not. I think that it depends on your interests. We were very impressed with the Okayama Korakuen garden and it was early spring (often not an ideal time to visit a garden).
This is my attempt at a simple Okayama Castle drawing. My Mom and I bought combination tickets to the Okayama Korakuen Garden and Okayama Castle. We enjoyed walking around and through the castle. They have many interesting historical displays and a gift shop.
I used leftovers from dinner in this easy bento lunch.
Container: Black Bento Box
Small Tier: Strawberries and walnuts
Large Tier: Okayama Castle drawn on a flour tortilla with a food safe marker, Penne with asparagus and pine nuts (I used vegetable broth)
Inspiration photo for my Okayama Castle Bento
We toured the castle and garden on our first full day in Japan. We were tired and jet-lagged but we had a wonderful day. Some people may say that early spring is not the best time to visit Okayama Korakuen. But it is such a well-designed and gorgeous place that I think it would be wonderful to visit in any season. We took a lot of photos here as everywhere we looked there was beauty.
Momotaro (Peach Boy) Statue
We easily found the Momotaro statue as it was right near Okayama Station. We never did find the Momotaro themed manhole covers. Their location was not obvious and we ran out of time. We found one information desk but were not able to find the information center. Supposedly they have the Momotaro story in English to giveaway. It was in a lower level somewhere. We made an effort to find it but gave up. Instead we ate ice cream and fruit in crepes at Baskin-Robbins.
The bus that goes to Okayama Korakuen is not far from the Momotaro statue. I asked a family (in Japanese) how to get to the garden. They were going to the same place and were very kind to make sure we knew where to get off and watched out for us a little.
Momotaro (Peach Boy) Statue with Dog, Monkey, and Bird
Okayama Ekiben (Station Bento) in Peach Shaped Box
Ekiben (train station bento) are found in train stations in Japan. I knew about the peach box and was on the lookout for it. I actually thought about buying it for the box (as a vegetarian I don’t eat fish) but decided that it was probably flimsy.
Sign Showing Okayama Ekiben (Train Station Bento)
This photo shows Okayama Ekiben (train station bento). It showcases local specialties. I was fascinated by bentos in Japan and took many photos.
Okayama Castle
The Back of Okayama Castle
Pine Tree at Okayama Korakuen
Okayama Korakuen in Early Spring
Okayama Korakuen
Okayama Korakuen
Okayama Korakuen
The older woman in this photo spoke with us in Japanese. She was friendly and asked us where we were from. I later heard her tell another worker at the garden that we were from New York.
Japanese Allspice
I believe that this was my first time seeing this tree (Wintersweet or Japanese Allspice). It was very fragrant! I asked what it was called and was given the name in Japanese. Part of the name is the same for candle. Here is a detailed explanation and some beautiful photos.
Plum Tree in Bloom
Plum Tree in Bloom
Cranes
Okayama Korakuen has several cranes. Here is some more information on the cranes at Okayama Korakuen.
Okayama Korakuen
I hope that you enjoyed seeing my photos from Okayama and my inspired bento lunches. Please let me know if you have any questions and I will try to answer them.
Linking to:
In March my Mom and I returned from a 2 week trip to Japan. My plan is to make bento and share travel photos and memories. I am not yet sure how many articles will be in this series but this is my first.
Hiroshima Peace Bento
This trip was my second time to Hiroshima. The first time I was impacted by the message of peace and the paper cranes school children prepare and leave at Sadako’s statue. So I decided to use this as my inspiration for my Hiroshima bento.
If you have not already, I recommend that you read the children’s book Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Dijon Lentil Salad, (this recipe does have flaws as I mentioned here. Remember to add Dijon) Cheddar cheese with Sadako statue drawn using food safe markers
Top Right: Fresh pineapple chunks with PEACE letter picks
Bottom Right: Lettuce and spinach salad with doves (carrot)
Inspiration photo for my Hiroshima Peace Bento
My Mom and I used a Japan Rail Pass when we traveled to Hiroshima by Shinkansen from Osaka. We met my language exchange friend in Hiroshima. Prior to our trip my Mom was concerned about my language skills since she would be depending on me. So I spoke via Skype with some Japanese women seeking a language exchange. We connected through the site http://mylanguageexchange.com/ and chatted a few times via Skype prior to my trip to Japan. My language exchange friend in Hiroshima was such a wonderful host and tour guide and it was so nice to spend time with her in person!
In Hiroshima we stayed at the Hotel Granvia. It is a beautiful hotel and very convenient to the train station. It was also wonderful that we could leave our luggage there in the morning prior to check-in. We then spent a day touring. In the afternoon when we returned to check-in, our luggage was already in our room!
Miyajima Bento
This was an easy but beautiful and cute lunch if I do say so myself!
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Nishiki rice, Tori (orange bell pepper), blueberries
Top Right: Blueberries
Bottom Right: Cooked sweet potato deer (I bought the deer cutter at Natural Kitchen – an 100 Yen store in Japan), walnuts
Warning: I sliced raw sweet potato, cut three slices with the deer cutter and then boiled until tender. I always like to have a backup in-case of problems. It is possible that I cooked them a little too much. Two of the three deer were decapitated when I removed them from the pot. I was relieved that one remained intact.
Inspiration photo for my Miyajima Bento
Below are some of my Mom’s and my favorite photos from our day in Hiroshima and Miyajima. As I mentioned above, it was my second time to Hiroshima but it was only my first time to Miyajima. It is such a special place and I would love to return again someday when I have more time to wander around.
Hiroshima
Hiroshima Peace Park
Atomic Bomb Dome
Display at Children’s Peace Monument
Paper Cranes at Children’s Peace Monument
Map of Miyajima
Roasted Chestnuts and Sweet Potatoes
This little shop was located on Miyajima. We snacked on these roasted chestnuts and sweet potatoes. I am not normally a huge fan of chestnuts but these were delicious and the best chestnuts I ever ate!
Large Wooden Rice Scoop
Miyajima is known for their rice scoop. Of course, I had to take a photo of it.
Miyajima Souvenir Rice Scoop
Leaf Shaped Food
On Miyajima
Deer in Miyajima
Plum Blossoms
Deer in Miyajima
The deer in Miyajima are known to be more gentle than the deer in Nara but a deer ate a corner of my map!
Tori (gate) at Low Tide
This gate at Miyajima is a site to behold at any time of day. We were there at low tide and walked below it. At first I did not want to get muddy and wet but my Mom and friend were going to walk below it so I went along. I am glad that I did not let the concern of wet feet stop me. My feet stayed dry and it was a memorable walk.
Close-up of Tori (gate)
Bride and Groom at Itsukushima Shrine
On Miyajima we were lucky to see a Bride and Groom. It was not a weekend so maybe a rare occurrence on a Tuesday?
Miyajima Ekiben
At the train station I took a photo of this display of train station bento (Ekiben). It is shaped as the rice scoop from Miyajima. As a vegetarian I doubt there are any Ekiben that I can eat but I am fascinated by the shaped of the boxes and beautiful display of regional food. I would love to tour around Japan taking photos of Ekiben.
I hope that you enjoyed seeing my photos from Hiroshima / Miyajima and my inspired bento lunches. Please let me know if you have any questions and I will try to answer them.
Linking to: Bento Blog Network
I was so excited when Van’s sent me some products to try. It was such a treat to try these. Of course you can eat these products by themselves right out of the packages but I came up with a few fun and delicious ways to try these healthy snacks.
I wanted to create a bento style lunch featuring Van’s Nacho, Nacho Man Chips and their PB&J bar. The result was this fun and fulfilling meal.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Van’s Nacho, Nacho Man Chips, sugar snap peas, mozzarella cheese stick, Van’s PB&J bar
Top Right: Apple slices cut with a crinkle cutter
Bottom Right: Peanut butter in Mini Dippers, walnuts
I decided to try Van’s Mighty Good BBQ! chips crushed over chili. The chips added amazing flavor to my homemade chili! The next time I make chili I need to buy more of these chips to serve with it. It is my new favorite chili topping.
What goes well with chips? Dip of course. But because Van’s Nacho, Nacho Man Chips are healthy I decided to serve them with a trio of healthy dips.
Instead of serving bread or crackers with my homemade broccoli and cheese soup, I ate it with Van’s Nacho, Nacho Man Chips. It was so much fun to eat the chips with soup. A wonderful treat!
These bars are amazing for a portable snack. I added an apple but the bars are great on their own.
I enjoyed treating myself with these healthy products!
Disclosure: Van’s Natural Foods sent me all of the products shown here for review. I was not financially compensated. All opinions stated here are 100% my own.
In my never-ending quest to shape cute things out of bread, I created this simple snail. I used a basic french bread dough and added some cinnamon to the piece I used for the body.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Salad: Lettuce with carrot butterflies
Fruit: Strawberries with these picks
Snail: Homemade french bread snail with sliced almonds and cinnamon
Peanut Butter: In Mini Dippers
I like any excuse to make cute themed food. I am particularly excited about St. Patrick’s Day food because of my Irish heritage. Here are 7 ideas for Irish themed lunches all presented in EasyLunchBoxes.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Shamrock: Homemade bagel with green sanding sugar
Fruit: Clementine and kiwi
Nuts: Pistachios
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Fruit: Strawberries
Nuts: Walnuts
Salad: Spinach and lettuce leaves with carrot shamrocks, Nishiki rice shamrock (used cookie cutter and plastic wrap to shape), snow pea shamrock
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Salad: Lettuce with carrot shamrocks
Pot of Gold: Apricot jam tart with chocolate pie crust baked in mini muffin tins
Pasta: Shamrock pasta with butter and Parmesan cheese, green pepper shamrock
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Shamrock Sandwich: Peanut butter and apricot jam sandwich on wheat bread with shamrock cut-out, sugar snap peas
Harp: Cheddar cheese with spaghetti, green M&M’s (this was an experiment – the spaghetti stayed hard and would not be suitable for young children and it is not a good idea to put M&M’s in the same container as cheese – it discolors)
Pretzel sticks
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Pumpkin seeds
Apple: Mini shamrock cut into the skin, I put some lemon juice on it to prevent browning
Salad: Spinach and lettuce leaves with carrot shamrocks, Nishiki rice shamrocks (used cookie cutter and plastic wrap to shape), snow pea shamrocks
This lunch was previously published here.
This lunch was previously published here.
Linking to:
I will be in Japan for Hinamatsuri (Girl’s Day) this year. I made this in advance for my 15 year old niece. She helped place the black sesame seeds on the radish flowers and said that she prefers my more traditional bento. I enjoy making them but I need more practice. I pretty much copied this bento made by Mahiro Mama.
Container: ECO Lunchboxes
Emperor and Empress: Cooked Nishiki rice molded into shape with plastic-wrap. Hair and facial features (spinach), bodies (bell pepper), baton and fan (cheddar cheese), the empress has a crown pick in her head
Also in the box: Rice, carrot flowers, radish flowers with black sesame seeds, snow peas, strawberries, lettuce, and carrot
I made this lunch for my 9 year old nephew. He is interested and very knowledgeable about ancient weapons such as a Mace. He helped me add the spikes (almond slivers) to the baked bread.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Fruit: Strawberry shield with chocolate details, red grapes
Vegetable: Sweet mini peppers, some cut into chains
Spears: Cheese with food marker details
Mace: Shaped french bread, slivered almonds
Linking to:
It has become my tradition to make something lamb and lion themed to celebrate the arrival of March. This year when I happened upon these very cute Mini Sheep Shepherd’s Pies from Kitchen Fun with My Three Sons, I knew what I was going to make this year. I was inspired to make my own version of potatoes (white and sweet), vegetables, and cheese to make this cute lamb and lion dinner.
I was so pleased with the taste and look of these vegetarian – potato, cheese, and vegetable lion and lambs. You can make them as a side dish, bake in silicon cups and send for lunch, or make a meal out of them. I received many complements at dinner.
Lion & Lamb: Fill 8 oz ramekins with thawed frozen mixed vegetables. Add 1 oz of shredded sharp cheddar cheese to each ramekin.
Lion: Baked sweet potatoes – mashed, eyes (lima beans), nose (black bean), whiskers (thin slices of celery), mouth (black olive – sliced, then cut in half)
Carefully spread mashed sweet potato over vegetable and cheese mixture. Use a pastry bag with a large star tip to pipe the mane on the lion. Decorate lion face.
Bake in oven at 350 until heated through and not too brown (20 to 30 minutes).
Lamb: Mashed white potato, head (black olive), ears and hooves (black olives)
Use pastry bag and large star tip to pipe little stars to cover vegetable and cheese mixture. Decorate lamb face.
Bake in oven at 350 until heated through and not too brown (20 to 30 minutes).
Note: If you bake the lambs with the black bean decorations, the black beans will most likely burst open a little. I tried putting the beans on before and after baking. If you put them on after, the decorations will sit on top of the crust and may move a little.
Since I wanted natural sunlight to photograph these and I was not going to be home just before dinner, I made these in advance. I microwaved them to heat up just before eating. It made for a delicious and cute make ahead dinner.
If you make your own version of these, I would love to see them!
In celebration of Valentine’s Day I am joining my Bento Bloggers & Friends on a Valentine themed bento blog hop. Please use the button at the end of this post to see what the other bento bloggers made.
I made this meal for my husband.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Fruit: Strawberries cut into hearts
Cookies: Heart shaped sugar cookies
Pizza: Heart shaped pizza (I used a cookie cutter with homemade dough), green pepper wording, lettuce and carrot background, ranch dip in Mini Dippers
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Yogurt: Plain Greek yogurt with frozen yogurt heart (plain Greek yogurt mixed with strawberry jam)
Pistachio Nuts: I was inspired by these footballs created by Becoming a Bentoholic. I used a food safe marker to draw hearts on pistachios.
Potato Salad: Potato and red pepper hearts with olive oil and Trader Joe’s Pomegranate Vinegar
Please click on the button below to see Jenn’s creation at Bento for Kidlet.
I like any excuse to make cute shaped bread. I made this meal with Valentine’s Day in mind.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Heart Bread: French bread dough, strawberry cream cheese (cream cheese with strawberry jam and strawberry hearts garnish)
Heart Strawberries
Red & Yellow Bell Pepper Hearts
In celebration of Olympic athletes and their countries I made this flag themed meal. I am joining eight bento friends on a Winter Olympics themed hop. Please click on the button at the end of this post to see how each lunch maker interpreted the theme.
Flag Pizzas: I used Pillsbury Classic Pizza Crust for these pizzas. The toppings vary depending on which flag I re-created. In the bento box are flags from Macedonia (tomato sauce and yellow bell pepper) and Bulgaria (mozzarella, spinach, and tomato sauce). On the lid are flags from Italy (spinach, mozzarella, and tomato sauce), Poland (mozzarella and tomato sauce), Canada (tomato sauce, mozzarella, and red bell pepper), and Ireland (spinach, mozzarella, and cheddar).
Torch: I made a torch out of aluminum foil and covered it with yellow tissue paper. Inside the torch are Twizzlers Rainbow Twists.
Olympic Flag Colors: Blueberries, olives, raspberries, clementine, and kiwi
Flag Pizzas Before Baking
Please click on the button below to continue on this hop and see Jean’s fun creation at Bento Days.
Each of these meals are vegetarian or vegan and contain about 400 calories. (The calories in these meals range from 347 calories to 450 calories.) I created this set to show that meatless, low calorie meals do not need to be boring.
I used EasyLunchboxes and Mini Dippers (when applicable) for each of the meals in this article.
I am not temperature sensitive with food. I often enjoy cooked food at room temperature. When I want to heat part of a meal I use silicone cups to make removing an item easy. Sometimes I put the item to be heated in a silicone cup. Sometimes I put the item I don’t want to heat in a silicone cup. I also use silicone cups to separate items.
Rice and Beans
I used a cookie cutter to cut a heart shape from a green bell pepper. It added a fun element to this vegan meal.
This recipe makes 6 servings. I halved the recipe so that it made 3 servings.
1 serving Low Calorie Rice and Beans (259 calories)
11g TJ’s Freeze Dried Cranberries (40 calories)
10 (14 g) Pecan halves (100 calories)
Total: 399 calories
Vegetarian Chili and Cornbread Muffin
I used a cornbread recipe to make cornbread muffins. The muffins were delicious with the vegetarian chili.
The cornbread recipe makes 16 servings. The optional ingredients in the recipe were not counted in the calorie count so I did not use the whole corn but I did use some jalapeno pepper. I halved the recipe and divided the batter into 8 muffin cups. I baked the muffins for about 10 minutes.
I made a few changes to the chili recipe. I only used yellow bell pepper, did not use the brown sugar, and did not use pinto beans.
1 cup Chunky Vegetarian Chili (257 calories)
1 Cornbread Muffin (86 calories)
1 Orange (60 calories)
Total: 403 calories
Dijon Lentil Salad
This meal could easily be vegan if you replace the chocolate with something else.
The recipe included Dijon mustard in the directions but not the ingredient list. I did not measure but put in quite a bit of Dijon. It added an robust flavor to this salad.
1 1/2 cups Dijon Lentil Salad (326 calories)
14 small (40 g) Grapes (30 calories)
1 square Ghirardelli Dark 60% Cacao (53 calories)
Total: 409 calories
Assemble Your Own English Muffin Cream Cheese Pizza
I enjoyed making and eating this vegetarian non-traditional pizza meal. Assemble these pizzas at lunch and eat it in any combination that pleases you.
3 English Muffin Halves (180 calories)
1 oz 1/3 Less Cream Cheese with dried dill and garlic powder to taste (70 calories)
1 oz Low Moisture Part Skim Mozzarella cheese (80 calories)
10 Snow Peas (14 calories)
1 Orange Bell Pepper (35 calories)
1/4 cup Freeze Dried Crunchies Blueberries (20 calories)
Total: 399 calories
Hummus and Pita
I purchased individual packs of Sabra hummus and whole wheat pita to make this delicious vegan lunch. The panda picks added a touch of whimsy.
Hummus (150 calories)
1 Wheat Pita (150 calories)
1/2 cup Spinach (4 calories)
1 medium Tomato (22 calories)
1/2 cup Mandarin Oranges (90 calories)
Total: 416 calories
Peanut Butter Sandwich
I do not often eat sandwiches with store bought bread but this vegan lunch was quick to make and satisfying. I used celery and star picks as garnish.
2 pieces of Wheat Bread (130 calories)
2 tablespoons Peanut Butter (200 calories)
80 g Celery (12 calories)
100 g Apple stars (53 calories)
1/8 teaspoon Cinnamon (0 calories)
Total: 395 calories
Polenta with Spinach and White Beans
This vegetarian meal is one of my favorite meals from this article. Usually I make my own polenta but I followed the recipe and used packaged pre-made polenta. It made the recipe quick to make and was delicious.
2 cups Polenta with Spinach and White Beans (249 calories)
1 cup Raspberries (60 calories)
1/2 cup Snow Peas (21 calories)
7 Hazelnuts (70 calories)
Total: 400 calories
Quinoa with Dried Cherries and Pistachios
This vegan meal with quinoa made a fulfilling lunch.
I made a few changes to the recipe. I used onion instead of shallots, vermouth instead of the white wine, and did not use mint.
1 cup Quinoa with Dried Cherries and Pistachios (341 calories)
1 Kiwi (42 calories)
1 cup Spinach (7 calories)
2 Radishes (2 calories)
Total: 392 calories
Vegetarian Salad Shells
I developed the recipe for these vegetarian salad shells. It was a visually appealing and satisfying meal.
Cook extra pasta shells because some will break while cooking. Divide ingredients among pasta shells and place extra ingredients around the filled pasta shells.
4 cooked large Pasta Shells (140 calories)
1 cup shredded Lettuce (5 calories)
6 small Black Olives – sliced (25 calories)
1 oz Feta cheese crumbled (70 calories)
1 medium Tomato (22 calories)
3 (36 g) Strawberries (12 calories)
1/2 cup air-popped Popcorn (15 calories)
Pomegranate Vinaigrette (122 calories)
Total: 411 calories
Pomegranate Vinaigrette
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
1 teaspoon TJ Pomegranate Vinegar
Combine olive oil and vinegar. Put in a small container with lid. Shake to combine and then pour over salad shells before serving.
Persian Rice Stuffed Zucchini with Pistachios and Dill
Try this beautiful vegan meal for lunch or dinner.
2 Persian Rice Stuffed Zucchini (265 calories)
1 oz Pretzels (110 calories)
1 Kiwi (42 calories)
Total: 417 calories
Spaghetti with Broccoli and Cheese
This quick vegetarian meal was easily made with ingredients found in my house.
1.5 oz dry Spaghetti (cooked) (189 calories)
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese (40 calories)
1 cup Broccoli (31 calories)
3 oz Carrots (35 calories)
1/2 Grapefruit (52 calories)
Total: 347 calories
Garbanzo Beans with Tomato and Peppers
I used a cookie cutter to cut a star shapes from a green bell pepper. You will feel like a star for eating this healthy vegan meal.
1 cup Garbanzo Beans with Green Pepper and Tomatoes (345 calories)
20 g Dried Apricot (55 calories)
16 Pistachio Nuts (50 calories)
Total: 450 calories
Garbanzo Beans with Green Pepper and Tomatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 small onion – chopped, 1 medium green pepper – chopped, 16 oz tomato sauce, 15 oz can garbanzo beans – rinsed
In a medium frying pan, heat olive oil until medium hot. Saute onion and pepper until tender. Add tomato sauce. Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes.
Add garbanzo beans. Cook over low heat for about 10 minutes.
Sweet Potato with Spinach and Walnuts
This vegetarian meal contains many flavors. I created the star shape by filling a cookie cutter with with hot paprika.
6 oz baked Sweet Potato (146 calories)
Breakstone’s Individual Cottage Cheese (90 calories)
2 tablespoons chopped Walnuts (100 calories)
1 cup Spinach with 1 teaspoon Olive Oil pan fried until wilted (41 calories)
1 Kiwi (42 calories)
Total: 419 calories
Baked Falafel
I made baked Falafel for this satisfying vegan meal. When forming the falafel balls you do need to make them carefully as the recipe suggests. I used a small ice cream scoop to form the Falafel.
3 Falafel balls (154 calories)
1 Wheat Pita (150 calories)
1 medium Tomato (22 calories)
1 oz Sprouts (7 calories)
1/2 cup sliced Cucumber (8 calories)
1 tablespoons Hummus (25 calories)
14 small (40 g) Grapes (30 calories)
Total: 396 calories
Disclaimer:
I am not a nutritionist. I planned these meals based on previous knowledge and internet research. Since many sources have varying nutritional information for the same item, I do not guarantee the calorie counts.
For many of the recipes I used my food scale to weigh items. If you care about calorie counts I recommend buying a food scale. If you do not have a food scale, you can make the same meal in an EasyLunchboxes. You can then reference my photos for food quantities when making your meal.
Here is a simple but delicious bento. I used this decorative cutter set.
Container: Blue Box from Japan
Top Tier: Jasmine rice, red bell pepper, pepper jack cheese, red pepper flakes
Bottom Tier: Kiwi, Goji berries, walnuts
I have a tradition of sharing my favorite bento from the year. This year I am joining my Bento Bloggers & Friends in a Top 13 of 2013 link party. Please use the button at the end of this post to see some amazing bento ideas.
This bento delighted me. I thought it was so cute that I almost did not want to eat it. So of course it made my top 13.
I picked this one to include because it seems unique. I assembled a lemonade stand from tortillas and used candy for the pitcher and lemonade. The pasta is lemon pasta and of course I had to add lemon tartlets and raspberries.
This is another one I choose because it is different than the others. I polled my readers to see what type of bento they wanted me to make and they picked “interesting colorful food layout (not character)”. I was happy with the result.
I love working with homemade bread. This bright spring lunch is my favorite homemade bread lunch from the year.
This is a favorite because of the pussy willows. I was so pleased that I was able to recreate them out of food. One set is savory and one sweet.
The result of this birthday lunch was different from my original plan but it ended up being better than my plan. The pretzel twists looked like candles so I added cheese flames.
I make a lot of quesadilla lunches because it is so easy to make tortillas cute. I love how this Australian flag turned out.
When I started to think about my top 13 this oak leaf potato salad was an easy one to put on the list. I loved cutting out and eating the potato and bell pepper oak leaves.
It probably is obvious from the name of my blog, I love sheep and lambs. Last May I shared a series of nursery rhyme themed lunches that included sheep. I picked this one as a favorite because I love the mashed potato sheep and blue cheese boy.
This Mr. Potato Head is my favorite from a twice baked potato series. I flipped him upside down. It made for a fun and filling meal.
I picked this one because it was fun to make and stands out from the others.
A very simple lunch but I loved the result.
This was made for Dinosaur and Volcano day during my special preschool camp. I made several versions of the volcano pizza and this was my favorite.
Linking to:
Just in time for the season I made this basic meal. There is something very satisfying about homemade bread with peanut butter and fruit for lunch. I deviated from including a vegetable (besides lettuce) and added two servings for fruit. I love the colors and they are reminiscent of wreaths.
I am guessing that not many would notice but there are some white specks on the tablecloth I used for the background. They are snowflakes. My favorite natural light place to take photos is on my side porch. While I was outside in the cold taking photos, snow blew in and ended up in the shoot.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Wreath: Homemade french bread dough braided into a wreath, with bread dough ribbon, food marker details, leaf lettuce background
Fruit: Kiwi and strawberries
Peanut Butter: In Mini Dippers
I am happy to join my Bento Bloggers & Friends on this Santa Claus Is Coming To Lunch themed hop. Please use the button at the end of this post to continue through the rest of this Santa hop.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Santa Quesadilla: Santa and candy cane cheddar cheese quesadillas with food safe marker details, on a bed of lettuce, Santa hat kabobs – fresh mozzarella cheese and cherry tomatoes
Fruit: Kiwi and Strawberries
Dessert: Pepperidge Farm chessmen minis
I made a second lunch for this hop because I wanted to use my Santa plunger type cookie cutter. I also thought it would be fun to make a Santa themed lunch for an adult. I don’t have a child to share the tradition of Santa but I believe that we are never too old for Santa.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Santa Pasta: Penne pasta with pesto, cherry tomatoes, and Santa toast (Santa stamp cutter with wheat bread, brushed with butter and baked at 350 for about 10 minutes until lightly browned)
Caprese Salad: Cherry tomatoes with fresh mozzarella, little bit of olive oil, salt and pepper
Fruit: Kiwi and strawberry
Please click on the button below to see Liezl’s creation at Love Peace Bento.
I love crafting with food. Here are 21 suggestions for playing with rice. See the end of this post for a simple visual tutorial and information about the three types of molded rice featured here.
1. Having a celebration for your superstar? Make rice with black beans and garnish with snow peas and stars.
I made these for a party and they were very popular. I received many questions about the green garnish. Guests liked it but did not know they were snow peas.
To make the filling sauté a small onion in olive oil until tender. Then add a can of black beans and a small can of diced tomatoes. Cook until the tomatoes juice a little. Pack some hot, cooked rice into a custard cup, add some filling, and then pack some more rice. (See the tutorial at the end of this post for how to make the rice shape.) For the garnish, slice snow peas lengthwise and use a small star cookie cutter to cut carrot stars.
2. Are you a fan of broccoli and cheese? Make this simple dish.
Pack some hot, cooked rice into a custard cup; add some cooked broccoli with shredded cheddar cheese; and then pack some more rice. (See the tutorial at the end of this post for how to make the rice shape.) Add a garnish of broccoli and a cherry tomato cut in half.
3. X marks the spot with this asparagus garnish on tomato rice.
This is a plain one but you can spice it up according to your taste. Pack some hot, cooked rice into a custard cup, add some sliced cherry tomatoes, and then pack some more rice. (See the tutorial at the end of this post for how to make the rice shape.) Add asparagus for the garnish.
4. Need an idea for Meatless Monday? Try making this beautiful rice with mushrooms.
I am not a mushroom eater but my husband loves them. As a practically lifelong vegetarian I don’t have experience with gravy. This was my first time making gravy and it worked out great! The only change I made to the recipe was that I used butter instead of margarine. My husband enjoyed being the taste tester for this mushroom dish and decided to eat it for dinner two nights in a row.
To make the filling, remove the stems and chop baby bella mushrooms. Sauté the mushrooms in butter until done. Pack some hot, cooked rice into a custard cup, add some filling, and then pack some more rice. (See the tutorial at the end of this post for how to make the rice shape.) Make mushroom gravy using this recipe. For the garnish sauté a mushroom slice in butter and add a spring of fresh thyme.
5. This cheesy rice is delicious with any meal.
This meal came about because I had some leftover rice balls and I wanted to do something different with them. It was delicious cold and made a fantastic lunch.
Pack plain hot, cooked rice into a Japanese rice mold. (See the end of this post for information about Japanese rice molds.) Put shredded orange cheddar cheese on top of rice shapes and broil until melted and bubbling a little.
6. On a diet? Try this attractive dish.
Make some plain, shaped rice. (See the tutorial at the end of this post for how to make the rice shape.) Place shredded cheddar cheese on top of your rice. Put it in a microwave to melt. Surround the rice with cooked broccoli and cheddar cheese. Garnish with a sliced cherry tomato and spring of fresh thyme.
7. Want a unique farewell party theme? This fun salad is a breeze to make before your friend flutters away.
My niece is a fan of butterflies. This salad was a beautiful collaboration.
Pack plain hot, cooked rice in a butterfly shaped cookie cutter. Use plastic wrap to help protect your hands from the heat and stickiness of the rice. (See information about shaping rice with cookie cutters at the end of this post.) Garnish with pistachio nuts and heart-shaped sprinkles.
The salad has fresh spinach leaves, butterfly-shaped watermelon, and pistachios.
8. Perhaps not ideal for a date, but this corn and garlic rice will leave you satisfied.
Sauté minced garlic and corn in butter. Mix corn with cooked rice and pack it into your mold. (See the tutorial at the end of this post for how to make the rice shape.) Sprinkle the top of the rice with paprika. Garnish with a slice of radish cut with a Linzer cutter flower shape, a green pea with a small piece of angel hair pasta to hold it in place, and kernels of corn arranged around the shape.
9. Cheesy chicks are a cute dish for a barnyard-themed meal.
Pack hot, cooked rice into a chick-shaped cookie cutter. Use plastic wrap to help protect your hands from the heat and stickiness of the rice. (See information about shaping rice with cookie cutters at the end of this post.) Put shredded orange cheddar cheese on top of rice shapes and broil until melted and bubbling a little. Add blue sprinkles for the eyes.
The background for the chicks is sautéed baby zucchini and sunflower seeds.
10. Want a simple side dish for dinner with a loved one? Garnish your rice with sage and a carrot heart.
Pack plain hot, cooked rice into a mold. (See the tutorial at the end of this post for how to make the rice shape.) For the garnish, fry a fresh sage leaf in olive oil for about 5 seconds on each side. The leaf should remain green and not turn brown. Use a small cookie cutter to cut a carrot slice into a heart shape. Place the fried sage leaf on top of the rice and add the carrot heart.
11. Try this attractive side dish for any occasion.
My young nephew designed this one to look like a Coat of Arms.
Pack plain hot, cooked rice into a Japanese rice mold. (See the end of this post for information about Japanese rice molds.) Garnish with long slices of snow peas.
12. Celebrate Fall with this edible orange leaf.
I used carrot for this one because I wanted the orange color. Try this one if you enjoy the earthy taste of carrot.
Mix finely grated carrot with some hot rice. Pack hot, cooked rice into a maple leaf-shaped cookie cutter. Use plastic wrap to help protect your hands from the heat and stickiness of the rice. (See information about shaping rice with cookie cutters at the end of this post.)
13. This simple corn flower is “growing” to put a smile on anyone’s face.
Pack plain hot, cooked rice into a mold. (See the tutorial at the end of this post for how to make the rice shape.) For the garnish, arrange corn and pea into a flower shape and place a rosemary leaf beside the flower.
14. Having a home cooked Chinese food night? Make this yummy broccoli and water chestnut rice.
Cook small broccoli florets and chopped water chestnuts in a little olive oil and then add a vegetable bullion cube and some water. Cook until broccoli is tender. Combine broccoli mixture with some hot rice. Pack the broccoli rice into a mold. (See the tutorial at the end of this post for how to make the rice shape.) Garnish with a slice of water chestnut and a broccoli floret.
15. Try this beautiful cinnamon rice for an elegant brunch at home.
I loved the taste and look of this one! I came up with the idea to make rice with fruit. I researched and found this Superfood Fruit & Nut Salad which became my inspiration.
Mix some cinnamon with hot, cooked rice. Pack the cinnamon rice into a mold. (See the tutorial at the end of this post for how to make the rice shape.) Surround the rice with orange segments cut in half, cut kiwi, and pistachios. Garnish with kiwi and dried goji berries.
16. Dyeing Easter Eggs? Make this vibrant rice egg with natural berry dye.
Pack hot, cooked rice into an egg-shaped cookie cutter. Use plastic wrap to help protect your hands from the heat and stickiness of the rice. (See information about shaping rice with cookie cutters at the end of this post.) Microwave a few frozen mixed berries to obtain juice. Use a pastry brush to paint the rice egg with juice.
17. Chocoholic? Try this chocolate rice with oranges for a snack or light meal.
Pack hot, plain cooked rice into a mold. (See the tutorial at the end of this post for how to make the rice shape.) Sprinkle rice with cocoa powder. Surround the cocoa rice with orange segments cut in half. Garnish with a cut orange segment. Serve with a drizzle of honey.
18. Star Wars movie night? Invite Stormtroopers and Darth Vader for dinner.
I used small teddy bear shaped rice molds for my take on Star Wars Stormtroopers and Darth Vader. (See photo of my rice molds at the end of this post.)
To make the Stormtroopers: Pack hot, plain rice into a teddy bear-shaped Japanese rice mold. (See the end of this post for information about Japanese rice molds.) Use this Stormtrooper Rice Stencil and sprinkle a little bit of paprika. (I was a little overzealous with the paprika.) Carefully lift off stencil.
To make Darth Vader: Grind some black sesame seeds in a coffee grinder. (You can clean the grinder immediately after by running pieces of bread through it, but you may want to have one dedicated grinder for spices.) Mix the ground sesame seeds into hot, cooked rice. Pack rice into a teddy bear-shaped Japanese rice mold. (See the end of this post for information about Japanese rice molds.)
19. This zesty orange rice for breakfast will help you wake up and meet the challenges of your day.
I was inspired by this post from Healthy, Happy, Life. I added a lot of orange zest because I wanted a vibrant color. It was too zesty for my husband. At first he said he couldn’t eat it. But I gave him some honey and he ate it all.
Zest an orange then mix into hot, cooked rice. Pack the orange rice into a mold. (See the tutorial at the end of this post for how to make the rice shape.) Surround the rice with orange segments cut in half, cut kiwi, and pistachios. Garnish with kiwi, orange, and goji berries.
20. Snoopy fan? Charlie Brown and Lucy rice are perfect for a Charlie Brown movie night.
I used spinach for details instead of the traditional dried nori seaweed because I prefer spinach to seaweed.
Pack hot, cooked rice into Charlie Brown and Lucy-shaped cookie cutters. Use plastic wrap to help protect your hands from the heat and stickiness of the rice. (See information about shaping rice with cookie cutters at the end of this post.) When working with detailed shapes make sure your rice is well packed. Carefully release the rice from the cutter.
21. Need themed food to celebrate the 12 days of Christmas? Make this “Swan a Swimming” rice.
Rice and blueberries may sound like an odd combination, but I thought it was delicious. I made this as part of my 12 days of Christmas lunch series.
Pack hot, cooked rice into a swan-shaped cookie cutter. Use plastic wrap to help protect your hands from the heat and stickiness of the rice. (See information about shaping rice with cookie cutters at the end of this post.) Garnish the beak with pumpernickel bread and carrot.
To keep it simple I only used Nishiki rice for all of the dishes in this post. Nishiki is a premium medium grain rice which sticks together when packed into shapes.
I featured three types of shaped rice in this roundup: ramekins/custard cups, Japanese rice molds, and cookie cutters.
Ramekins/Custard Cups
As pictured above, I used three different sized ramekins/custard cups for the rice featured in this post. Different sources provide varying calorie counts for cooked rice. Rice Calorie Counter gives 241 calories for 1 cup of cooked white medium-grain rice.
Below is a simple tutorial for molding rice in a custard cup with plastic wrap. Of course you can try to do this without plastic wrap, but I find that with plastic wrap it works every time. It is especially helpful when you add a layer of ingredients in-between the layers of rice. I did try it without using plastic wrap and sometimes the top layer stuck to the mold.
Step 1: Line your mold with plastic wrap. Spoon hot cooked rice into the mold.
Step 2: Fold over the plastic wrap and press down on the rice. Open up the plastic wrap.
Step 3: Invert your mold onto a plate.
Step 4: Remove the mold and plastic wrap.
Japanese Rice Molds
The photo above shows my collection of Japanese rice molds. I received these over the years from a close friend in Japan. A good online source is Bento USA. Search under rice mold. It is easy and fun to use these rice molds. Wet the rice mold, fill with rice, put on the cover, push down to pack and then remove the rice from mold.
Cookie Cutters
I collect cookie cutters. But as my regular readers know, my collection is not just for display. I frequently use them, mostly for savory food. Cookie cutters allow for endless possibilities because of the variety of available shapes. Shapes with tiny details are not as good because it is difficult to release the rice in one piece. Wet the cookie cutter with water, put it on a plate, fill it with rice, press down with plastic wrap, and then carefully remove the cutter.
Have Fun!
I hope that these ideas inspire you. When crafting with rice, you are limited only by your imagination and food preferences.
Once again I was inspired by the weekly theme at the Bento Blog Network.
This Elf themed meal can be a lunch or snack depending on the needs of the person eating it. My 15 year old niece helped me make this silly elf. We used a circle cookie cutter for the head and a Santa hat cookie cutter for his hat. He is a quesadilla painted with food color and water. My niece used food safe markers to draw his mouth.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Elf & Background: Cheese quesadilla with ears (carrots), and eyes (candy eyes)
Fruit: Raspberries
Vegetable: Carrots
For several years I have wanted to cross stitch a cell phone case. But I did not have a popular smart phone model and it was difficult to get the right type of case. I could not even find a clear case to fit my phone. Now that I have an iPhone 5 it is easy to get a case that fits. I found this kit at Hobby Lobby and had to get it. I know that this style will get dirty quick but I do not care if I only have it for a short time. I normally do not enjoy counted cross stitch but it was so much fun to stitch through the silicone case. I found it relaxing to stitch but it took a lot longer to complete than I expected.
When this case gets too dirty I can remove the stitches and stitch something else or get a clear case and maybe embroider something to put in the case. I love an excuse to stitch something new.
Cross Stitch Case in Progress
Kit from Hobby Lobby
Back of Kit from Hobby Lobby
Some Resources:
There are lots of kits available. Just Google to see if a kit is available for your phone. Below are some patterns that I may adapt in the future.
weelittlestitches has a tutorial for stitching a pattern to put under a clear case
The Purl Bee has some cute patterns.
Dream a Little Bigger created a pattern that she shared. She also provides a blank pattern if you want to create your own.
Today I am joining my Bento Bloggers & Friends on this Winter Wonderlunch themed bento hop. Please use the button at the end of this post to continue through the rest of this 13 blog hop.
This snowflake themed lunch was simple but special and satisfying.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Snowflake Salad: Lettuce, hazelnuts, blackberries, cheddar cheese, snowflake crouton (wheat bread, snowflake made with pastry cookie cutter and stamp brushed with butter and baked at 350 for about 10 minutes or until lightly browned, after baking I used a little bit of blue food safe marker to highlight the details)
Snowflake Crackers: Wheat Thins Holiday crackers
Snowflake: Plain Greek yogurt frozen and cut with snowflake cookie cutter, blueberry Greek yogurt
Please click on the button below to see Venia’s creation at Organized Bites.
Sometimes I don’t know what inspired a particular theme. In this case, I know that I wanted to do another shaped bread. I also wanted to make a holiday themed lunch. Somehow I came up with candy cane. Again, I was fortunate for my cutter collection as I had a mini candy cane cutter.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Candy Canes: Homemade french bread dough with a little cherry juice in one half. I did not want it to taste too much of cherry so the color difference is subtle. Mini candy canes (cheddar cheese with food marker details)
Mini Candy Canes: Apple
Vegetable: Radish with actual candy cane
Linking to:
When I put a call-out for shaped bread suggestions, a friend suggested that I make giraffe shaped bread. I was up for the challenge. When I told my Mom about it she suggested that I make a Mom and baby. My baby did not turn out as small as I would have wanted but I still think it is cute. During the process of making this lunch I remembered that I had mini giraffe cutters. Thanks to my cookie cutter collection, I was able to make giraffe shaped carrots.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Giraffes: The Mom and young giraffe are made from homemade french bread dough, with food marker details (after baking), background and vegetation in front (snow peas), cheddar cheese
Vegetable: Carrots
Fruit: Dried apricots
My 9 year old nephew requested the theme of this lunch – Pyramids. He wanted the background to be tortillas to look like the desert. I broiled mozzeralla cheese on the tortilla chips and then transferred them to my EasyLunchboxes. I happened to have a Pyramids cookie cutter. It came in a set with the Eiffel Tower I bought for a recent Paris Party. So this ended up being an easy but fun lunch.
Container: EasyLunchboxes
Desert: Tostitos Thin & Crispy Tortilla Chips with mozzarella cheese melted on top, cashews
Pyramids: Raspberry jam on wheat bread, food marker details
Fruit: Clementine
Vegetable: Carrots
As a vegetarian, the holiday of Thanksgiving does not thrill me. Some years my family has prepared ethnic vegetarian food instead of the traditional turkey. Usually my focus for cute Thanksgiving themed food is the cornucopia made out of bread. This year I wanted to make a turkey themed lunch and use my turkey cookie cutter. So I made a vegetable turkey. I hope that you can tell it is supposed to be a turkey. I was very pleased with the look and taste of my Three Sisters vegetable side dish. I actually heated this in a microwave before eating. The applesauce was good warm.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Turkey: Broccoli turkey (I filled a cookie cutter with broccoli and packed rice around it), assorted mini peppers for body, eye (food marker), Nishiki rice with some paprika sprinkled on top
Fruit: Applesauce with some cinnamon
Three Sisters: Corn, kidney beans, and zucchini. The traditional 3 sisters squash is winter squash. I used green summer squash for my squash because they looked good at my grocery store and it is easier to cook than fresh winter squash. I enjoyed the combination.
Today was Charles Schultz birthday. I was a fan of Peanuts when I was a child. When I found these cookie cutters at Michaels. I knew that I had to use them in a bento lunch. I placed hot cooked Nishiki rice in each cookie cutter with a spoon, then I used plastic wrap to press down to pack the rice. I carefully pushed the rice through the cutter. Charlie Brown was easier than Lucy because he only has one arm.
This was my first time using this set of special cutters for facial features. It worked fine with spinach leaves. I used special tweezers I reserve for food to place the tiny features. I cut some of the features with small scissors.
These were so cute and special to eat!
Container: ECO Lunchboxes
Charlie Brown & Lucy: Cooked Nishiki rice packed in cookie cutters (pushed down with plastic wrap), spinach details
Fruit: Pomegranate seeds
Vegetable: Broccoli, radish, spinach leaves (underneath)
Beans: Chickpeas
Related Post:
Eclectic Lamb 
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