Here we have the first bento in a long time! It really isn't anything spectacular... and I almost didn't even photograph it... but in the end, it is still a bento! This one is in Jason's 'Zojirushi Mr. Bento'.
So, we have home made miso soup; rice with beef steak root, sesame seeds, and furikake (which were supposed to be in cute little shapes...); then we have my famous teriyaki salmon (one of Jason's ultra favorites!); and some strawberry cream sandwich cookies for desert.
All in all, not that impressive... but I have to get back into it some how!

Wow! Things got crazy there for a long time! Jason started school again, and with a different schedule that didn't allow for much bento time! I am going to get back to business soon though!

Happy Halloween everyone!
Sorry no bento posts last week. I have had party after party to go to! I'm planning a nice little bento for tomorrow though! Can't wait to show you all!

Elsa

Here we have left-over pesto noodles, left-over rice, carrot sticks and a heart shaped egg. Nothing fancy, just good food.

This is my Banana theam bento. I love the little bananas everywhere. There is also some good 'Engrish' on it.

Here we have Jason's lunch in his Zojirushi Mr. Bento.
In the soup bowl: Heart, Star, Flower naruto, rolled kombu, Shitake mushrooms, and somen noodles in bonito soup stock;
In the rice bowl: A very angry Bento-san!!!
In the main dish bowl: Fettucini in pesto (Not so Japanese...)
In the snack bowl: Fish sausage, carrot sticks, and a heart boiled egg.

Here is my lunch:



Less fancy... On the left I have cheesy-sesame rice and Fettucini in pesto, and on the right I have carrot sticks, frozen raspberries, and a boiled egg in the shape of an ice-cream cone... but you can't see that in the picture...oh well...

This box is one of my favorites! The picture doesn't do it justice. Look at the corners of the box... it really adds a nice effect!

Today, we had curry and rice... again. We also had some eggs seasoned tamago style, and scrambled really small mixed into our onigiri. Above that, we had another great recipe from Cookingcute.com; chicken dumplings! They are just about fantastic, and my husband loved them just as much as hers did!

Here is the box. It isn't anything fancy, but I liked having a neutral toned design. Everything else I have is very vibrant... it was nice to have something a little more subdued

Here we have Curry and Rice in one, and imitation crab nigiri, and musubi in the other.
I put mine and Jason's bentos together for this picture. This illustrates the large difference between his and my appetite. This bento is the only one that I have found that is big enough for him. If anyone knows of any others... in black because he will eat out of no other color, pleas let me know!

Here they are together again, closed. I love my pink and black bento. I got it off of Jbox.com

Here we have Curry and rice, with a beef-steak root heart in one dish (Jason got a heart too... awwww!!!) and lime jello and mandarin oranges and vanilla pudding in the other dish.
I know that jello isn't really a Japanese dish, (Unless it is made with Kanten, instead of gelatin) but I really like it! It is so colorful, and giggly... I looks good in a bento!

Here is the bento set, a cute polka-dot design. I have one in blue too. (I have a sickness... It is called the 'collect them all mania'. If there is a set to be had... I must have it.)

When I make curry, I make enough for a small army. The good thing about curry, however, is that it is even better the next day. So, for that reason, I don't mind making a heaping vat of it.
There is a down side, unfortunately, and it has nothing to do with getting sick of the curry, because I never do get sick of it. My co-workers don't really care for any international food... at all, and it takes Jason and I about 2 weeks to finish my tub-o-curry. After 2 weeks of the kitchen at work smelling like curry, my co-workers start to give me the stink-eye. I usually make it in 3 month intervals for that reason!

Here is a picture of this bento set. Jason only has his one bento, so I show mine in the pictures for variety. (He would have more, but I have only found one that is big enough so far.) This set is nice because it has a little box for an oshibori!

Jason has to work today, but because it is Saturday, and where he works is closed on Saturday, I can come with him. I packed an identical lunch for me as well. We will get to enjoy our lunches together today!

The menu for today is sticky-rice cylinders topped with alternating toasted sesame and beef-steak root; teriyaki salmon and for desert Pina-colada rice. (I got the recipe for the desert from www.cookingcute.com and modified it a little. Thanks Cooking Cute!)

Recipe:
Teriyaki Salmon:
One Piece Salmon
1/2 Tablespoon cooking Oil
2 Teaspoons Sake
2 Teaspoons Mirin
½ Teaspoon Sugar
2 Teaspoons Soy Sauce
Some flour for coating
Salt & Pepper to taste

1. Cut the piece of salmon in to bite sized pieces. Season with salt and pepper, and coat lightly in flour. Sauté salmon in cooking oil.
2. Mix Sake, Mirin, and sugar. Add to pan, and cook on low heat until decreased by half.
3. Drizzle Soy into pan. Lightly shake pan to coat fish with glaze.
4. Cook until done.

This is my new bento log! I have been wanting to start one for a long time. I love to make bentos for my husband and I for lunch, and I sometimes end up with really cute ones. I've been to the other bento blogs online, and always thought, "Well that looks like fun!" But, something would always get in the way, and I would put off starting a blog.
I shall procrastinate no longer!!!!! Here it is, in all it's simple and interesting-to-only-bento-fans glory!!!
(By the way, the picture is of my Sun Conure, Mango. She likes Japanese food to. I want to buy a little bird motif bento for her when we go to the park! Kawaii!!!!)