Lammas Feast Bento

First of all I would like to wish a Happy Lughnasa/Lammas to everyone!
Lammas is the first of three Harvest Festivals. This is the grain harvest where all the wheat, corn, and other grains are harvested, as well as Tomatoes, Blackberries (Raspberries, and Blueberries). And other fresh fruits and vegetables are popping up at Farmers Markets and your local Grocery Store, or if you are lucky enough to have one, you will notice plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables in your garden around this time of the year. (For people in the Northern Hemisphere, I do not know about the Southern Hemisphere right now).

To celebrate the abundance of fresh food and because its such a wonderful time of the year, I have planned a feast.
First off I made (Gluten Free) Cornbread! It's gluten free because I just started a gluten free diet to determine if I have a gluten sensitivity or intolerance. Not such a good thing to start on Lammas since it is a festival that puts a lot of emphasis on grains and breads.

This is the cornbread fresh out of the oven. I am so proud with how it came out. So beautiful! I mixed in about 1/2 cup of Corn kernels when I was mixing the batter, so there should be a nice texture and crunch when you bite into it. I also used Egg beaters instead of eggs because I love egg beaters, and it brings the calories and the cholesterol way down. Also I used Almond Milk instead of dairy milk because I'm a bit Lactose Intolerant, and it is lower in calories then regular milk as well.

Next I have a Quinoa and Roasted Corn dish that I copied out of a Vegetarian Cookbook (I don't remember the name of the cookbook, sorry). Quinoa is a Gluten free grain-like seed that is cooked much like rice, and can be used a lot like rice as well. I have eaten Quinoa before, but this is my first time cooking it. Oh this recipe is sooooo good. I couldn't stop eating it.

• Quinoa (cooked in Veg broth instead of water)
• Roasted Corn
• Black Beans
• Tomatoes
• Green Onions
• Lime Zest, Lime Juice, Cumin, Sugar, Oil, Cracked Pepper

I also made Blanched Green beans because the grocery store had some wonderful fresh green beans on sale, and I love fresh vegetables. Blanching the fresh green beans is probably the best way to eat them because it makes them vibrant and beautiful to look at and also crunchy and fresh tasting, and it brings out the true flavor of the bean instead of covering it up with some sauce or a ton of butter.

And Finally I made some BBQ Chicken breast. Although the Quinoa has plenty of protein in it, and I could eat just that for dinner, I knew the meat eaters in the house would need some extra protein to round out their meals.

For Dessert we have Blackberry Jello served with Whipped Cream...

 And Dark Chocolate covered Pomegranate Seeds that I bought from Trader Joe's. I love these seeds, they are so very yummy, and I am glad that I found them.