Sorry for the horrid picture! My cell is usually better than this.

On the left (bottom tier): brown rice; lemon pepper chicken; baked zucchini fries; ranch
On the right (top tier): my best ever attempt at apple bunnies; ham, provolone, and spinach pinwheels; Babybel; a few candies; some cashews and almonds because I couldn't justify filling that whole space with candy xD

This, to me, screamed for some baby carrots where the candy and nuts are. Too bad we were out. :/



You wouldn't know it, but the box is actually a deep purple. It also came with another white piece that latches onto the other, so you could cover the larger part (where my rice is) and/or add something thin to your lunch while keeping it separate.The lid has latches on either side that clip onto the bottom tier to hold everything together. My other new box is the same style, but it's only one tier.

Both boxes came from My Bento Meal. They had a Groupon a short while ago where you could get two boxes for $18! Not an amazing deal, but still pretty good. They are larger than the children's ones I already had and seem to be durable and good quality so far, so I will consider it a good purchase.

This is the one that went to school with my daughter today. I looked at lots of pictures of Bento before going grocery shopping last night!


My parents went to Japan and brought this new box for my daughter and some accessories back for me as Christmas gifts. The box is actually large enough for me but my daughter seems to have a large appetite so I think it'll be okay. I was disappointed recently when I stopped into the store I'd found the box my daughter has been using that they only seem to have picnic sized ones now.

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Panda Onigiri

Very simple to make even without the kit :)



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New Year's Bento:




In Japan, soba (buckwheat noodles) symbolize longevity and are traditionally eaten on New Year‘s eve. I’m nine days too late but I thought it was time again so I combined the soba with stir-fried gobō (burdock root.. I LOVE this vegetable!) and carrots in mirin and soy sauce and it turned out delicious.
Website: nekoblog.ch

Monday: Rice ball with nori decoration. Tamagoyaki. Broccoli. Cucumber. Mandarin. Blackberry. Third-grader has a tomato.



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Can someone explain why my post of my bento was under moderation? and I see someone else already posted her bento :( It's just bento nothing more!

This week they had a truncated schedule because of parent/teacher conferences. The Kindergartener's "lunch" period was at 10:30; the third-graders, at 10:50. Dismissal was 11:45. Therefore, this week's bentos are all teensy, and I didn't bother too much about making them super balanced, since they had allllll afternoon to fill in any nutritional gaps.

Monday: Mini penne with marinara. Meatball. Broccoli. Mini bell pepper.



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Tuesday: 3rd grader has rice ball with nori decoration, carrots, tomato, grapes, mini bell pepper, cucumber. Kinder has baguette with cheese, grapes, cucumber, mini bell pepper.



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Sorry for cell pic. I have no good excuse other than laziness and lack of time.

Bottom tier: brown rice; lemon pepper chicken sauteed in EVOO; sauteed yellow squash, zucchini, and white onion.
Top tier: a Babybel cheese; some blackberries; a Cutie orange; pomegranate arils.


This lunch was delicious, but I was shocked to discover that I was ravenous by the time I got home that evening! I should have taken a yogurt cup or something to have on one of my breaks.

My 2 year old son goes to preschool in Japan, so every workday I cook bento for him . Here is one of them.

Meatballs, mashed potatoes with cheese, pea pods, crab meat sticks with cheese, yellow mango, carrots.


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So I made another lunch for work. Also, another cell phone pic (that's off center yay!) because I cannot find my camera for the life of me.



Rice ball (brown and white rice mixed) with veggie "shrimp" (yes that exists) in the middle, broccoli, tomato, veggie "chicken" tenders, Walnuts, pomegranate arils, more broccoli, and some steamed veggies with a little cheese.

I usually hang out in this comm for the inspiration, but here's a pic of what went to preschool with my DD this morning. :) She usually has school lunch, but we do get a couple bento days a month. I doubled the usual amount since she always comes home ravenous- I don't expect her to eat it all. LOL

My daughter didn't want any cheese that day so I quickly cooked up the hot dog fish.


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Monday: Pita chips. Hummus in a mini-bell pepper cup. Cucumber. Carrots. Grapes.



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So haven't had much time/reason to make a bento, but I needed a lunch for work so finally had an excuse to pack one (plus, new box added to my eternally expanding collection. In case anyone in the US cares, they have been selling bento boxes at TJ Maxx, near the check lanes).

Sorry for the cell phone pic, I have misplaced my camera.


Contains Beef-less tips with a little mustard, broccoli, cube of cheese, blackberries, yellow pepper, brown rice, walnuts, and another cube of cheese.

I've been making her bentos all year but only have pictures of three of them so far.



The school provides morning and afternoon snacks which tend to be fruit and baked goods so I try to balance that with a less carby lunch.

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Monday: quick cheesey drop biscuit dough shaped into "fingers," with sliced almonds for "fingernails." I used Monterey Jack cheese so some of the fingers had "warts" if the cheese melted just right! Mini bell pepper slices. Spinach leaves. Grapes. Cucumber. Carrots for the third-grader.



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Roast beef and yellow american cheese in a whole wheat pita pocket; pomegranate arils!!; baby carrots; grapes; strawberries; broccoli (my favorite space-filler); a half-bloomed ham flower (my second favorite space-filler).

Been a long time! My hours at work have been crazy, so I have procrastinated making lunches work often. On a bright note, I bought some LunchSkins reusable bags for my lazy throw-it-in-a-lunchbox days. Love them.

I made two others similar to this the same week, but I forgot that I was supposed to photograph them. I remembered that fact when I was about 3/4 through eating both of them. Whoops!

Back after our two-week fall break! I was planning to do Halloween themed bentos all this week and then I kinda lost steam mid-week. Friday's was the best of the bunch so it can be the representative one outside the cut. ( And Monday through Thursday can hide out here.Collapse )Friday: Rice ball ghost with nori decoration. Hard-boiled egg ghost. Bell pepper. Cucumber. Grapes. Tomatoes and carrots for third-grader.