Continuing with my Featured Ingredient meal series – Watermelon. I made this for myself.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Savory Watermelon Salad – I made it single serving and didn’t use the olive oil, yellow watermelon, fennel or basil
Top Right: Watermelon dipped in melted chocolate and covered with chopped pistachios
Bottom Right: Watermelon Cupcake – This idea but I used ricotta on top
I made this for dinner when my parents visited. The tart was flavorful!
Chickpea Caesar Salad Kit
3 Cheese Polenta Tart with Cherry Tomatoes and Basil
Over the years, I have made many butterfly themed food. Here is my collection!
SNACK
Apple, Cheese, and Crackers Butterflies
Carrot, Tortilla Chips, Cucumber, and Cantaloupe Butterflies
Cheese and Crackers Butterflies
Cheese, Crackers, and Apple Butterflies
RAVIOLI
Ravioli, Vegetable Butterflies
MAC & CHEESE
Mac and Cheese with Rainbow Carrots Butterflies
Watermelon and Bow Tie Pasta and Carrot Butterflies
WAFFLE
Waffle, Cucumber, and Cinnamon Butterflies
PEANUT NOODLES
TERRARIUM
RICE
Rice with Carrots and Beans Butterfly
Rice with Pistachios and Sprinkles Butterflies
Corn-Pea Rice with Carrot Butterfly
FRUIT SALAD
Cantaloupe, Crackers, and Carrots Butterflies
BREAD
Cucumber, Cheese, and Bread Butterflies
Bread with Cream Cheese, Jelly, and Snow pea, Carrots, Watermelon Butterflies
QUESADILLA
Quesadilla with Food Coloring Marker Details Quesadilla
PIZZA
Cheddar Pizza, Carrot Butterflies
MASHED POTATO
Mashed Potato, Blue Potato, Carrot, Watermelon Butterflies
VEGETABLES
Watermelon, Carrot and Cucumber Butterflies
Vegetable and Fruit Butterfly Girl, Peach Butterfly
Rice and Broccoli Butterfly, Yogurt Frozen Butterflies,
POLENTA
Polenta, Cheese, Pesto Butterfly, Kiwi and Carrot Butterflies
CHEESE
Cheese over Tortellini Butterflies
VEGETABLE POTATO SALAD
Continuing with my themed peanut noodles, today I have airplanes.
Container: Cloud box from Japan (set of 3)
Large Box: Airplanes – cucumber cut with a cookie cutter, peanut noodles
Small Box: Plain Greek yogurt, blueberries
Today I have easy and fun hasselback tomatoes.
Hasselback Tomatoes – sliced small tomatoes, fresh mozzarella ball slides
Pasta Alla Vodka
Roasted broccoli with garlic
I made this meal for my parents and me at their Lake House. It was fast to prepare and delicious! This recipe is a keeper!
Open-Face Goat Cheese Sandwich with Tomato & Avocado Salad
I made this meal for my Mom as part of my Vegetable Potato Salad series.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Boats – Roasted potatoes, orange cheddar cheese, orange bell pepper all cut with cookie cutters, blue cheese mixed with some cream cheese
Top Right: Cashews
Bottom Right: Life Preserver Ring – Radish with paprika, blueberries
This year around my birthday, I decided to host a Fruit and Vegetable themed party with Appetizers and Desserts. 6 of us were able to attend (Mom, Dad, Carol, Deborah, Renae and me). I asked my Mom to make a floral arrangement in a carved cabbage as a vase. She did an amazing job!
TABLE:
MENU
Drinks
Appetizers
Desserts
My critique of the meal:
I put more effort into garnish than usual and my guests noticed! The pistachio butter was easy to make but was a surprise hit. I tried many new recipes for the first time including adding dried cherries to my normal bagels. I loved the baked zucchini. The only thing I would not make again is the carrot fritters. They had a nice flavor but I wanted them to be crispy and didn’t enjoy making them. As usual for a party with frozen desserts, we scooped and portioned ahead of time and put back in the freezer. It made it easy to serve the dessert course. I think that all in attendance enjoyed this unusual themed party!
These adorable rice pandas were inspired by our visit to the Ueno Zoo to see the pandas.
Container: Wooden box purchased in Kyoto at Bento&co.
Contents: Pandas – rice formed with this set, spinach details, Bamboo – asparagus, blueberries, broccoli
Inspiration photo for my Panda bento
Here is a bell pepper and tortilla pagoda set against the Tokyo night sky. See photo below.
Pagoda – red bell pepper, Roof pieces – tortilla brushed with espresso and water, Sorin – tortilla with circles drawn with food coloring marker, Night Sky – mashed potatoes with butterfly pea powder
Inspiration photo for my Senso-ji pagoda food
After a wonderful day trip to Takumi-Shuku (Traditional Hand Crafts Art Center) in Shizuoka, we took the Shinkansen to Tokyo. A language partner Maho met us and spent the evening with us. After checking into our hotel, she brought us to Senso-ji. It was my first time there and beautiful at night!
Wednesday July 10
Thursday July 11
Friday July 12
Here is my completed Suruga Bamboo Lattice Vase. I took a class and assembled it myself. I think it is beautiful!
When planning our trip to Japan, it was important to me to take some traditional craft classes. My language partner Mariko found Takumi-shuku (Traditional Hand Crafts Art Center) in Shizuoka. Mariko was kind to make our initial reservations for us by phone. I fine tuned our reservations with the staff via email. We reserved 3 classes each. They offered classes in Suruga bamboo lattice ware, fabric dying, wood working, lacquer, ceramics and plastic models. The center was beautiful and the staff were helpful and friendly. I loved this place! It would make a nice side trip between Kansai and Tokyo (we did it between Nagoya area and Tokyo).
Wednesday July 10
Here is my version of historical buildings for textile weaving in Tamanoi. See the photo below.
Buildings – quesadilla made from Swiss and Gyuyere cheeses with flour tortillas, Siding – espresso and water painted with a brush, Windows – cheese with food coloring marker details, Foliage – broccoli
Inspiration photo for my historic fabric buildings quesadilla
We left Maki’s apartment in Osaka and traveled to my language partner Mariko’s home in Aichi prefecture. We have met weekly over video to practice language for nearly five years. For lunch we all went to a traditional café with a former language partner who is friends with Mariko and lives nearby. We stayed one night at her home and spent time with her two sons and young dog. It was a fun time!
Tuesday July 9
My moss statue from mashed potatoes and green dyed cornflakes is not great but I am pleased with my espresso dyed radish lantern. To understand my inspiration, see the photo below.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Moss Statue – Mashed Potatoes sculpted by hand with crushed corn flakes dyed green, diced carrots
Top Right: Peanuts
Bottom Right: Stone Lantern – Red radish peeled and cut and carved into lantern shaped, attached with spaghetti, brushed on espresso powder mixed with water, spinach leaves
Inspiration photo for my Moss Statue Bento
I am very happy with my Hedgehog cheeseball bento! I was inspired by this cookie recipe.
Container: Wooden box purchased in Kyoto at Bento&co.
Contents: Hedgehog – cream cheese mixed with finely cut shredded cheese formed by hand into a hedgehog shape, melted chocolate, chopped pecans, butter lettuce, green beans, blackberries, honey roasted peanuts
Inspiration photo for my Hedgehog Bento
We checked out of our hotel in Kyoto and took a train to Osaka to meet my language partner Maki. She was kind to meet us on the platform of first train station in Osaka so we did not need to transfer on our own. We stayed with Maki and her cat Kinchun at her apartment for two nights. Before the trip I provided Maki some things we wanted to do in Osaka. Maki planned an itinerary for all of us that included my ideas and added other unique and fun experiences to do together! It was an enjoyable and memorable two days!
Sunday July 7
Monday July 8
Today I have a bento inspired by my photos from visiting Lake Biwa (not far from Kyoto). See the photo collage below.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Torii – tomato sauce, lake – mashed potatoes with butterfly pea powder
Top Right: Fish – radish cut with a cookie cutter, food coloring marker details, aquarium rocks – Brazil nuts, slivered almonds
Bottom Right: Blueberries, slivered almonds
Inspiration photo for Lake Biwa Bento
My language partner Yuri and her husband offered to show us around their area of Lake Biwa. I had traveled to Kyoto many times but it was my first time seeing the lake. We had a wonderful time seeing their area of the world and meeting their young family (2 year old son, 6 year old daughter). Besides seeing Lake Biwa and area, other first experiences for me were visiting a tea farm to learn how to pick and make tea with a tea farmer, served lunch by a robot, and spent time at the Lake Biwa Museum (Aquarium).
Saturday July 6
Here is my rudimentary food version of Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion). The vision in my mind was much better than it is in reality. I had trouble with the shapes, especially the roof shapes. I had other things going on at the time of making this (my central air conditioning unit died and I was dealing with quotes for replacement – big $$) so I did not spend a lot of time with this creation. Hopefully you can tell what it is supposed to be before seeing the inspiration photo below.
Pavilion: polenta, Bottom of Pavilion: cheddar brushed with espresso powder and water, Roof Pieces: tortilla brushed with espresso powder and water, Background: spinach
Inspiration photo for Kinkakuji Bento
We stayed at the Hotel Granvia Kyoto Station hotel for 4 nights but we only had 2 days to tour the city. We arrived at night and one of the days we toured the Lake Biwa area with my language partner Yuri and her family. I have been to Kyoto many times but we were able to do some things for my first time and several were only my second time seeing them.
Thursday July 4 – AM Arashiyama
Thursday July 4 – PM Arashiyama and Kyoto
In the afternoon a language partner, Ayumi who I have known for over 10 years and met in person in 2017 toured with us and showed us her city. We reserved a taxi to take us around for the afternoon. It was the best way to see many sites in a short time and easier with the heat and potential rain (we had almost no rain!). We topped off the day with a delicious pizza dinner with Ayumi’s family at a beautiful restaurant!
Friday July 5 – Nara and Kyoto
We spent the morning in Nara, the afternoon walking around Kyoto, and in the evening my Niigata friend’s daughter Erisa who lives in Osaka joined us in Kyoto for dinner and shopping.
I know this is not very good. It was actually my third try coloring and shaping the mashed potatoes. At first a Japanese friend didn’t know what to say when she looked at the photo. Then, she said it looks sexy/naked. That was not my intention, I created lines to indicate the folds of cloth. I asked if it appeared disrespectful and should I not use it. She then said that it was cute and I should use the photo. This is not my first time attempting Buddha in food, years ago, I made a quesadilla Buddha. Another time, I used a cookie cutter to make a Buddha shaped tortilla chip on top of a Buddha Bowl meal.
Reclining Buddha – Blue and green food coloring – it also has specks of spinach in it since I first tried to dye it naturally, Peanuts
Inspiration photo for my Reclining Buddha Food
When we first started to plan our trip to Japan, my language partner Maki lived not far from Fukuoka so we planned to visit her for 2 nights. My niece researched places to visit in Fukuoka and found the reclining Buddha which we became excited to see. Then, my Maki’s work transferred her back to Osaka. In reorganizing our trip, we still wanted to see the reclining Buddha and I was excited to get off the island of Honshu and visit Kyushu for the first time. We decided on a day trip to Fukuoka. Therefore we left Niigata, flew to Fukuoka, visited Fukuoka for about 5 hours, then took the Shinkansen (bullet train) to Kyoto all in the same day!
Wednesday July 3
Add Katriel’s wall photo
This bento was inspired by the tower at Shibata castle complex in Niigata Prefecture Japan.
Castle: Rice, Roof: tortilla with melted chocolate and Pokey, Windows: tortilla with food coloring, Rock wall under castle: cheese painted with espresso and water, Background: roasted broccoli
Inspiration photo for Castle bento
After landing in Tokyo, my niece and I took the Joetsu Shinkansen (bullet train) to Niigata to begin the first leg of our trip. My long time friends (since I was 19 years old) live in Niigata. My friends kept us on a very busy schedule touring their area, especially since we lost our first day in Japan due to a flight being cancelled. I visit them every time I am in Japan, but I was especially touched by their hospitality and efforts to show me and my niece their beautiful prefecture of Niigata. Our first night they made reservations at their favorite conveyor sushi restaurant. Every 5 plates, customers are eligible to win a prize. It was fun! They even found cheese sushi for me!
If I write details for everything we did in Niigata Prefecture, I will not complete my Japan series in only a few weeks. I will simply list the locations and websites if applicable.
Sunday June 30
Monday July 1
We took the 6 am Car Ferry to Sado Island. Friend was kind to drop us off at the Ferry terminal. I rented a taxi to take us around Sado Island for 5 hours as it was my second time to Sado Island and I knew that it would be the most efficient way to spend our time. The time passed quickly. Our driver was kind and escorted us around the beautiful island. We returned to Niigata by the Jet Foil (faster boat). Then we spent some time at a Niigata Summer festival before returning back to my friends home.
I didn’t take any photos of our picnic lunch near the cliffs. It is a special memory.
Tuesday July 2
As my long time readers know, I am passionate about creating and eating cute food. Japan is the land of cute food. During my 2024 trip to Japan, my friends and I planned opportunities to try cute food. Here is a sampling of the cute / attractive food I looked at and ate during my 2024 trip to Japan.
The photo above was from Cafe de Pojagi in Korea Town – Osaka. The bear is ice cream, the base is shaved ice with chocolate. It was delicious and a joy to eat!
I wanted to try 3D Latte Art. I found the Saryo-Suisen Cafe in Kyoto that had Green Tea Lattes with 3D art.
I ate this delicious Peach Parfait at Saryo-Suisen Cafe in Kyoto.
My niece ate this Tiramisu Parfait at the Saryo-Suisen Cafe in Kyoto.
My friend in Niigata took us to the Penguin Bakery from Hokkaido with lots of cute shaped bread. The above photo and three below are bread I looked at but did not eat. The penguin bread is the one I tried.
This Penguin was a beautiful, soft, and delicious chocolate bread. From the Penguin Bakery.
In Arashiyama, my niece, friend, and I ate cute Miffy bread along the river from the Miffy Bakery. Mine had red bean jam inside.
I found This is Shizen in Kyoto with beautiful Wagashi flowers on top of ice cream. My niece and I shared it since we had other cute food locations planned that day. I choose Morning Glory. They also has Hydrangea and Rose.
I ate the Bing Cherry parfait on the left. My Niigata friend’s daughter lives in Osaka and met us in Kyoto. She ate the one on the right. At the Sir Thomas Lipton Teahouse at Kyoto Station.
Delicious pudding cake from a cafe near Kappabashi.
Cheese bread from Anderson Bakery Ueno.
Panda cookie from Anderson Bakery Ueno.
Panda shaped cream bread from Anderson Bakery Ueno.
Walnut bread from Anderson Bakery Ueno.
I took this photo in a department store in Osaka. It was a sweet for Tanabata.
This trip to Japan has inspired me to recreate and create new cute and attractive food. I expect to feature inspired creations here in the coming months.
My 2024, trip to Japan was unlike any of my prior 6 trips to Japan but each trip is unique in its own way. During this 7th trip I covered more distance and visited more locations in one trip than ever before. Also, I took longer to plan it and planned it in more detail than in the past. The main reason for my extra planning was I went with 25 year old niece. I wanted to provide her with the most experiences possible and show her what I love about Japan. As with my cute food creations, I often put in more effort when it is for someone else.
I created experience and food bingo pages for my niece. It was difficult to keep them to only one page but I did. For the food, I am a vegetarian and she is not. I wanted her to try a variety of Japanese food. I think that we were successful with that.
In the coming days / weeks (goal is to be done by August 12) I will share photos from each location and my inspiration food if applicable. Similar to what I have done with past travel. When the post is live, I will link to it in the list below.
FLOWERS / NATURE
Usually I go to Japan in the winter. It had been awhile since I was in Japan during a green month (1992). I was impressed by the beauty of nature in the summer. I took more photos than usual of rice fields since they were full of living plants. Regrettably, we were unable to see Mt. Fuji (cloudy) but that is more typical in the summer. I have seen it many times in the winter.
In the winter, I visited gorgeous daffodils at a festival and viewed beautiful plum blossoms. I hoped to see hydrangea and lotus flowers during this trip. I was concerned that we would be too late for the hydrangeas and too early for the lotus. My concerns were unfounded. The hydrangeas and lotus were gorgeous!
HYDRANGEA
LOTUS
MANHOLE COVERS
While in Japan, I like to photograph manhole covers. This year I was in more different towns than ever before during one trip. I took a lot of photos of manhole covers.
STAMPS
Before our trip, I asked my niece if she wanted to collect stamps while in Japan. Rubber stamps and ink pads are at many train stations and other tourist locations around Japan. She said yes so we ordered Eki (station) stamp books from Amazon and had them in hand when we started our journey. I had noticed stamp tables during past trips but didn’t collect them. We easily filled up our books.
Our stamp books. Mine is on the left.
Niece testing a stamp at Niigata Station. Below I include photos of some of my favorite stamps.
Keeping with tradition, my niece and my Mom made this breakfast when at the Lake House.
Bees – Chocolate chip waffles cut with cookie cutter
Bee Hive – Chocolate chip waffles cut with cookie cutter
Others in this series:
Bear, Bunny, Groundhog, Camel, Cows, Dinosaurs, Ghosts, Moose, Raccoon, Sloth, Squirrels
Continuing with my fascination for hasselback food, here are some strawberries. I was inspired by a salad Renae made for me awhile ago.
Hasselback Strawberries – Mascarpone between the slices
Spinach, toasted almonds, feta cheese, Wegmans Poppyseed dressing
When I am asked to use three words to describe myself, two of my words are usually organized and dependable. These traits enabled me to keep creating and sharing content here for 13 years!
Container: Prep Natural Glass Meal Containers
Left Side: 13 – Fresh mozzarella cut with a cookie cutter, pesto pizza
Right Side: Lace – Cheddar cheese cut with a cookie cutter, salad
The traditional gift for 13 years is lace. I included cheese lace in this meal to represent the intertwining of my life and creating for this space. Knowing that I wanted to share my creations often influenced what and how much I created for the people in my life. As I have shared in other blogiversary reflections, my life has changed during the time of this blog. That is normal as a friend recently told me… situations are temporary. I am thankful for the ability to share my temporary here as a memory to view later.
I made this beautiful butterfly meal for myself.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Butterfly – Polenta cut with a cookie cutter, Details – Black bean sauce, pesto, Cheddar cheese, pesto
Top Right: Butterflies – Kiwi cut with a cookie cutter, blueberries
Bottom Right: Butterflies – Carrot cut with a cookie cutter, pistachio nuts, lettuce
I don’t carve melon or make fresh fruit cakes very often but I am satisfied with the result when I do. They are beautiful and delicious! Here is my collection.
Updated: 2/15/2025
FRESH FRUIT CAKES
Watermelon and Fruit Birthday Cake
CARVED WATERMELON
Under the Sea Watermelon Bowl with Shark
These are supposed to be fireworks rockets. I’m not quite sure what they look like. But as usual it was fun to make and eat.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Rockets – Pizza dough cut with a cookie cutter, spread tomato sauce on top, bake, after baking cool a little, then add mozzarella stars cut with a cookie cutter
Top Right: Almonds
Bottom Right: July 4 – Radish cut with cookie cutters, hummus, celery
In my challenge to make an American flag from ingredients different than I made in the past, here is a blue mashed potato flag.
Container: Prep Natural Glass Meal Containers
Left Side: American Flag – Blue mashed potato, cheddar stars, cream cheese, salsa
Right Side: Raspberries with white chocolate chips
I made this simple meal for myself. I made it easier by not baking the bread and I bought the bread already sliced from Wegmans. I expect that this meal will be part of my regular rotation.
Chickpeas Alla Vodka – I substituted baby spinach for the kale
Continuing in my tortellini series, today I have some simple cheese flowers.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Flowers – Cheddar cheese cut with a cookie cutter, blue food coloring and water painted on with a brush, tortellini with pesto
Top Right: Almonds
Bottom Right: Raspberries
Continuing in my quest to hasselback a lot of vegetables and fruit, here is eggplant. My parents and I enjoyed this meal at their lake house.
Mediterranean Salad Kit – Trader Joes
In 2013, I first started making Featured Ingredient meals. I serve them in EasyLunchBoxes and I make one main and two sides that each use the Featured Ingredient. Here is my collection!
Updated: 1/21/26
NUTS
CHEESE
HERBS
FRUIT
VEGETABLE
I made this fun but easy meal for myself. (I also ate the scraps).
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Hot Air Balloon – Cheese quesadilla cut with a cookie cutter, food coloring marker details, broccoli
Top Right: Almonds
Bottom Right: Fresh mozzarella balls
My tortellini post inspired me to make more meals featuring tortellini. Thoughts of butterfly encouraged me to create the Karner Blue butterfly. I’m surprised that this is my first time to feature the blue butterfly. In the 8th grade I did my science fair project on the Karner Blue butterfly and it’s unique habitat in the Albany Pine Bush. My parents assisted with filming the butterflies in their natural habitat. It was long before cell phones and everyone had the capability to film in their pocket. Maybe it was my extensive and organized research with a multi-media component in a time that it was rare but I won the Science Fair that year. My little cheese butterflies don’t look like the Karner Blue and lets not talk about how messy my chocolate dipped pretzels look but this was a fun meal to make, eat, and reminisce.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Karner Blue Butterflies – Cheddar cheese cut with a cookie cutter, blue food coloring and water painted on with a brush, tortellini with pesto
Top Right: Hazelnuts
Bottom Right: Pretzels dipped in white chocolate with blue food coloring
A long time ago, this roasted vegetables with goat cheese was part of my normal rotation. I found it recently when going through some paper recipes and decided to make it again. I still think it is “Great” but I roasted the vegetables a little too long this time. I don’t make roll-up/swirl food often but the zucchini is so cute this way!
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Roasted Vegetables with Goat Cheese (recipe is below), I used spinach instead of arugula, basil leaf garnish
Top Right: Zucchini Roll-ups – Zucchini strips sliced with a vegetable peeler, spread reduced fat cream cheese mixed with Vermont Country Seasonings, roll-up
Bottom Right: Sliced Strawberries
I had some fun with frogs and made this meal for myself.
Container: Prep Natural Glass Meal Containers
Left Side: Frogs – Cucumber cut with a cookie cutter, peanut noodles
Right Side: Frogs – Green apple cut with a cookie cutter, strawberries
My parents and I celebrated my niece’s 22nd birthday with her this year. As usual, it was special to celebrate with her.
Decorations: My mom and I had various decorations and I refreshed some.
Flower Napkin Rings
Tablecloth and Napkins: Floral
Paper Centerpiece: I made last year.
Menu:
Continuing with my Featured Ingredient meal series – Cheddar. I know this doesn’t look like much but it was fun to create. This was my first time trying broiled avocado. I loved how it looked and while making it thought it would look great with a salad but I prefer to eat cold or room temperature avocado.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Broccoli Cheddar Casserole – I added more sour cream and didn’t chop the broccoli
Top Right: Sharp Cheddar, dried apple rings
Bottom Right: Cheddar Broiled Avocado – I used crushed red pepper instead of the chipotle
Today I have another meal in my hasselback series.
Toasted Hazelnuts
Hasselback Carrots – I loosely followed this recipe. (didn’t use cumin, coriander, olives, or parsley and used smoked paprika)
Mediterranean Feta
I enjoy taking a type of food or theme and exploring how many fun variations I can create. Today I have Butterflies in my Vegetable Potato Salad series.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Butterflies – Red bell pepper, Cheddar, blue potato cut with a cookie cutter then roasted, hummus
Top Right: Sunflower seeds
Bottom Right: Butterflies – Strawberries cut with a cookie cutter, melted chocolate, strawberries
Sometimes I make and share waffle meals. Here is my collection!
Updated: 8/31/24
HOLIDAY / SEASON
ANIMALS
GAMES
FOOD
TRANSPORTATION
FLAGS
DINNER WAFFLES
Ice Cream with Sour Cherries Waffle
Cheese Mashed Potatoes Waffle
OTHER WITH WAFFLE IRON
PLAIN WAFFLE MEALS
Homemade Waffle with Strawberry Butter
I don’t enjoy wearing pants. Each year, I look forward to when the weather is warm enough to wear dresses and sandals outside. I made this meal to celebrate.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Dresses – Red bell pepper, Cheddar, potato cut with a cookie cutter then roasted, hummus
Top Right: Marcona Almonds with Rosemary
Bottom Right: Dress – Cheddar cheese cut with a cookie cutter, strawberries
When my parents visited, I made this ravioli meal for the three of us. This doesn’t look like much but my parents enjoyed.
Leaf Ravioli – I used my favorite pasta dough, and added some spinach leaves that I chopped in my food processor, filling – Ricotta, Asiago, Fontina, salt and pepper. I cut with a leaf cookie cutter. I prepared and put the filled ravioli in my freezer a week before the meal.
Black Bean Sauce – Black bean sauce I just threw together in the food processer. Can of black beans, some garlic power, pinch of salt, splash of balsamic vinegar, olive oil, some salsa.
Flowers Vegetables – Orange, yellow, and red bell pepper cut with a cookie cutter, snow peas, sautéed in a little butter
I made this meal to use leftover blue potatoes and to celebrate flowers and warmer weather.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Watering Can – Blue mashed potatoes, Flowers – yellow bell pepper cut with cookie cutter, dried blueberry center attached with spaghetti, green peas
Top Right: Marcona truffle almonds
Bottom Right: Flowers – Kiwi cut with a cookie cutter, blackberries
I made this simple fun meal for myself.
Container: Prep Natural Glass Meal Containers
Left Side: Fish – Rainbow carrots cut with a cookie cutter, blue mashed potato
Right Side: Mermaid – Apple cut with a cookie cutter with cinnamon tail, blueberries
For Mother’s Day this year, I served crepes at my parents lake house. I made the crepes at my house before going to the lake. This meal was quick to assemble and prepare at my parents house. The 3 of us enjoyed!
Sautéed Snow Peas – Sautéed in a pan with a little garlic powder and salt
Strawberry Fool – Didn’t use the table sugar and reduced the powdered sugar by half.
I made this prehistoric themed meal for myself.
Glass Container with Lid
Dinosaurs – Carrot cut with a cookie cutter, cashews, roasted asparagus
Dinosaur – Polenta cut with a cookie cutter, Eye – dried blueberry, pesto
I made this meal for myself as part of my continued Featured Ingredient series.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Parmesan Risotto
Top Right: Chocolate covered Parmesan
Bottom Right: Salad in Parmesan Cheese cup
Over the years, I have made a lot of cold peanut noodle meals. Usually I make them for lunch and don’t create a theme and don’t photo. Sometimes I am a little more ambitious and use peanut noodles in a theme. Here is my collection of mostly themed cold peanut noodle meals.
Updated: 2/22/25
CHARACTER
ANIMALS
Zucchini Whale Carrot Water Spout over Peanut Noodles
Cucumber Turtles over Peanut Noodles
Cucumber Alligator over Peanut Noodles
Carrot Rabbits over Peanut Noodles
Cucumber Frogs over Peanut Noodles
Cucumber Bamboo over Peanut Noodles with Cheese Panda
Carrot Camels over Peanut Noodles
BIRDS / FLYING
Cucumber Eggs Birds Nest Peanut Noodles
Cucumber Hens Carrot Rooster over Peanut Noodles
Cucumber Butterflies over Peanut Noodles
Black Radish with Butterfly Pea Powder Flamingo over Peanut Noodles
FLOWERS / LEAVES / NATURE
Cucumber and Carrot Flowers over Peanut Noodles
Cucumber Leaves over Peanut Noodles
Cucumber Tulips over Peanut Noodles
HOLIDAYS
Cucumber Ghosts over Peanut Noodles
Cucumber Angels over Peanut Noodles
Cucumber Hearts over Peanut Noodles
Raspberry Radish over Peanut Noodles
Cucumber Shamrocks over Peanut Noodles
Radish, Carrot Snow Peas Koinobori over Peanut Noodles
Cucumber Stars over Peanut Noodles
Daikon (Radish) Statue of Liberty Cucumber Stars over Peanut Noodles
Daikon (Radish) USA over Peanut Noodles
TRANSPORTATION
Black Radish Bicycle over Peanut Noodles
WEATHER
Black Radish Clouds, Umbrella Radish over Peanut Noodles
SPACE
Sweet Potato Planet over Peanut Noodles
CELEBRATION
Cucumber Candle over Peanut Noodles
Daikon (Radish) Dancer with Carrot Skirt over Peanut Noodles
SOMEWHAT ORDINARY
I made this dinner for myself. It does not look like much but it was delicious and the wonderful smell filled my house for awhile.
Tomato and Cucumber Salad
Zucchini Waffles – I didn’t use the nutritional yeast and used dairy milk. I topped with a little salsa and pepper jack cheese.
Happy May! This year for May Day, I have a basket with handle and vegetable flowers.
Basket: Flower tortilla, cheddar cheese, skillet cook until brown and melted, fold
Handle: Flour tortilla
Flowers: Bell pepper and radish cut with different sized cookie cutters, attach flower and dried blueberry with piece of thin spaghetti.
My other May Day food is here.
I made this for Renae on a day in February when we went to the Dutch Connections flower show at the George Eastman museum.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: Tulips – Carrot cut with a cookie cutter, snow peas, peanut noodles
Top Right: Pistachio Nuts
Bottom Right: Tulip – apple cut with a cookie cutter, blueberries
I made this fun meal for myself. (I also ate the scraps). Go here to see more of my space collection.
Container: EasyLunchBoxes
Left Side: UFO – Cheese quesadilla cut with a cookie cutter (Renae printed it for me a few years ago.), blueberries
Top Right: Alien – Apple cut with a cookie cutter with cinnamon details, walnuts
Bottom Right: Stars – Carrot cut with a cookie cutter, lettuce
Eclectic Lamb 
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