Vegan Rice Pudding

This Rice Pudding is Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Egg Free, and Vegan. Plus, it is super easy to make in your rice cooker!
Makes 4-6 servings (depending on how much add-ins you mix into it)

 In your rice cooker combine:

• 1 Cup Medium Grain White Rice (Use the measuring cup that came with your rice cooker. It is about 3/4 of a regular measuring cup)
• 4 Cups Unsweetened Almond Milk (Again, use the measuring cup from your rice cooker)
• 1/4 Cup Granulated Sugar (Use a regular measuring cup for this. You can use a sugar substitute but I personally do not care for sugar substitutes)
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1-2 Tbsp Ground Cinnamon (I love cinnamon so I use a lot)

Put aside

• 1/2 Cup Unsweetened Almond Milk or Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk (Use a regular measuring cup for this)
• Optional Dried Fruit or Nuts to stir in after cooking. (some good ones are Raisins, Golden Raisins, Craisins, Plum Amazins, Sliced Almonds, Chopped Walnuts)

Make sure you stir the ingredients well before closing your rice cooker. Then set it on the simple white rice setting. Mine took between 20-30 minutes to cook, but it depends on your rice cooker.
When the rice cooker beeps to let you know it is done, scoop the pudding into a container with a tight fitting lid.
Stir in an additional 1/2 cup (using a regular measuring cup) of unsweetened almond milk (or unsweetened vanilla almond milk). I like my pudding to be a little on the thick side, but if you want it thinner you can add more milk until you get the right consistency. Now is the time to stir in your dried fruit or nuts. (My fiance doesn't want anything in the rice pudding so I add whatever I want to my bowl before I eat it, and she eats her's plain.)
Chill the rice pudding in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Serve cool.
Some people like theirs warm out of the rice cooker.

 I stirred in 1/8 cup of Plum Amazins (Diced prunes without added sugar) to my bowl.
Yum!
ENJOY!

Pancake Breakfast Bento

I found some frozen gluten free pancakes at the grocery store last week, and I grabbed then to try. I usually make my own pancakes when I'm in the mood for them, but I thought these frozen ones would be a quick and easy option that I could have when I don't feel like making a mess in the kitchen or spending a long time making breakfast.

I do not eat pancakes like most people do. I never put Maple Syrup on them! Instead I like to add different things to my pancakes each time I eat them. Usually some kind of fruit, and sometimes a little butter and powdered sugar on top.

• 3 Gluten Free Dairy Free Pancakes
• 1 Tbsp Teddie Chunky Natural Peanut Butter with Flaxseed
• 3 Strawberries
• 3Blackberries
• 1/2 Small Banana

The pancakes were ok. Definitely nothing like the ones I make myself.  But for a quick heat up breakfast, These pancakes weren't bad. The flavor was good, but the texture was gummy or chewy... Maybe I can heat them in the toaster oven longer next time and see if they crisp up a little bit.
I loved the peanut butter and banana combination for pancakes though. Maybe next time I make pancakes I'll mash some banana into the batter and serve with warm melty peanut butter on top. Yum!

Red Bento

I totally missed making a green bento for the Theme of the Week... but I'm not going to miss RED. I have so many red foods that I can use (I have a ton of green foods that I can use too, so I'll make a green bento anyway.) Besides, Green is one of my favorite colors, so I HAVE to make a green bento.
But today's bentos are Red.

 My Bento has

• Red Apple Slices
• Red Strawberries
• Red Cherry Tomatoes
• BBQ Pulled Pork (sitting on top of Coleslaw mix)
• Coleslaw mix (just plain coleslaw mix without dressing so I can mix it with the pulled pork)

 And here is my fiance's bento. I'm so glad I was able to make a bento for my fiance again. She's been busy and/or sick a lot lately, so I haven't been able to make her many bentos. By the way, Red is my fiance's favorite color.

• Apple chunks
• Strawberry halves
• Cherry Tomaoes
• Coleslaw mix (dry)
• Light Ranch Dressing (in the bottle; for the coleslaw)
• BBQ Pulled Pork (I picked out all the onions for her because she doesn't like them)

Pulled Pork Bento

I made BBQ Pulled Pork for dinner, and I decided to put it into a bento to show it off. I've been on a real bento kick lately... if you haven't noticed. lol

 Here is the delicious dinner bento I made myself. It turned out really good, and I'm so glad. It was my first time making pulled pork. And I got to use my crock pot again! Yay, I love my crock pot.

• Coleslaw (with homemade dressing)
• 3 Baby Carrots
• 6 Cherry Tomatoes
• 1 Blueberry Flower
• 1 Sandwich Pickle
• BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich (On Udi's Gluten Free Bun)

 I wrote OINK using corn tortilla I cut out with my mini letter cutters, and I used the purple foodsafe markers. I wrote OINK not just because the sandwich contains pork, but because I eat like an oinker when I eat Pulled Pork. lol!

 Here is a close up of the other details.

And I snapped a picture of the pulled pork before I ate it. I didn't realize the picture came out yellow, or else I would have taken a better one. This pulled pork was made with onions and semi-homemade BBQ sauce. I'm not giving away my secret recipe though because it turned out very yummy!

Midnight Snack Bento

This bento is a continuation of my earlier Night Sky bento found Here. I made a snack bento using my Midnight Black cat snack bento box, and I made another night sky, but this time I used Blueberries as the Sky and Ricotta cheese as the Stars.
This bento is a bit of a play on words.

This is a super simple snack bento (by the way I did not eat it at midnight if that's what you were thinking. it was between lunch and dinner time).

• 1/4 cup Fat Free Ricotta Cheese 'Stars'
• 17 Blueberries 'Night Sky'

Here is a close up... it looks kind of like a flower to me, and I may use that to my advantage in later snack bentos.

Chocolate Night Sky Bento

I have been suffering from insomnia lately, so needless to say I have seen a lot of the night sky in the past few weeks. Usually I love seeing the sky at night because I love the moon, and I love looking at the beautiful stars, but recently I haven't been able to enjoy it as much because looking out the window when you are very tired is hard to do.
Anyway, I decided to make a (semi-ironically) breakfast bento of the night sky... and this is what I came up with. It looks more like a giant brownie then a night sky, but oh well it was delicious!

It does look like a giant brownie doesn't it? Well it's actually oatmeal, but it tasted delicious so I'll let you know what's in my oatmeal.

• Chocolate PB Banana Oatmeal 'Night Sky'(1/2 cup gluten free oats, 1 1/2 cups water, 1 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, 1/8 cup diced prunes, 1 tbsp unsweetened chunky peanut butter, 1/4 mashed banana, 1 tbsp milled flax seed) [The banana and the prunes really sweeten the oatmeal so sugar is not needed. plus the peanut butter, vanilla extract, and coco powder gives it a TON of flavor]
• 1/8 cup Slivered Almonds 'Stars'
• 1 slice Banana 'Full Moon'

 Here it is in darker lighting... it looks a little more like a night sky... but it still looks like a brownie to me.

And here I was trying to capture the steam coming out of my oatmeal as I ate it. The steam isn't really visible in the picture but it was billowing out. And now you can also see that it isn't really a giant brownie after all... Is anyone else in the mood for a giant brownie now? lol

Emily the Strange Bento

I am a fan of Emily the Strange, and I recently started reading 'Emily the Strange The Lost Days' as well as playing the Emily the Strange DS game (both Christmas presents I got from a friend). Anyway, It occurred to me that I've never made a Kyaraben (a character bento), and there is also an appalling lack of Emily The Strange Kyaraben... so I made one!
If you've ever read the book or looked at the artwork, the main colors are Black, White, and Red... so those are the colors I used in this bento.

• 1 Strawberry
• 6 Cherry Tomatoes
• 10 Beanitos Chips (Pinto Bean Chips)
• 1 Babybel Light Cheese (with Star cutout. Stars are a symbol for Mystery, the cat featured in the bottom tier of the bento)
• Salsa (over a layer of Spinach and Baby Carrots)
• Decorations (Made out of Corn Tortilla and food safe markers. I cut out the letters with mini food cutters, and the other shapes I cut freehand with a knife)

 Another picture of the awesome bento!

 Close up of Mystery, my favorite of Emily's 4 cats. She's the oldest of the 4 and the only girl. She helps solve mysteries, and she can be told apart by the others with her one curled whisker and the star on her collar. she also sometimes has a star on her left eye.

Mystery and Emily.

Gluten Free Dark Chocolate Crepes

Crêpes sans gluten de chocolat noir et fraises! Gluten Free Crepes with Dark Chocolate and Strawberries!
That's right, I made Gluten Free Crepes today! I have been meaning to try making crepes using my favorite gluten free pancake mix, and today I went for it.

 Here is the Dark Chocolate. I used Lindt 70% Cocoa Dark Chocolate (The only Lindt chocolate I can eat because it's the only one that doesn't list Malt in the ingredients. Such a shame... I miss those chocolate Truffles.)

 Strawberries, I made two into Fans for garnish, and I sliced the rest of them for the filling. So yummy!

Here is the Gluten Free Crepe Batter. I sifted the mix so there weren't any lumps, then I added extra Almond Milk (I use almond milk instead of milk, and egg beaters instead of eggs). I let the Batter rest so the air bubbles could dissipate and make the batter smooth.

I sprayed my pan with a little Pam spray and I added the Batter. It was better to add the batter to the pan while the heat was off, so the batter could spread evenly, then cook on medium heat until no longer wet. It is almost impossible to flip these without breaking them (I made a huge mess of two crepes before deciding to not flip them at all), so I just cooked it on one side and slid the crepe onto the plate.

Excuse the mess. I messed up a little on the Cocoa Powder. But they tasted amazing so it doesn't matter.
Gluten Free Crepe filled with Dark Chocolate and Strawberries, garnished with Cocoa Powder, Powdered Sugar, Strawberry Slices, Fat Free Ricotta Cheese, and drizzled with Dark Chocolate.

 J'espère que vous avez aimé mon blog délicieux. Bon Appétit!

Bunnies in the Berry Patch Bento

I made Tofu Stir-fry for dinner last night. It was Chinese New Year, and I felt like making some Apple Rabbits for my bento today to say goodbye to the Year of the Rabbit. (I was born in the Year of the Rabbit.)
Anyway, I was making Strawberry Flowers and I had lot of fresh berries, so I decided to put my Rabbits in a Berry Patch, and The bottom Tier has the delicious Tofu Stir-fry that is very colorful and full of veggies so that can act as the garden.

Here is my Bento:

• Apple Rabbits
• Strawberry Flower
• Blackberries
• Blueberries
• Fresh Spinach
• Tofu Stir-fry (Tofu, Brown Rice Noodles, Bean Sprouts, Zucchini, Summer Squash, Red Cabbage, Carrots, and I used Gluten Free Soy Sauce in the marinade)

It came out very colorful, and in fact has all the colors of the rainbow... I guess Spring is on my mind. Winter Just started and it's snowy and cold outside, but I'm looking forward to spring!
Here is another picture

Roses & Tea Sandwiches Bento

My fiance is really into Tea and Tea Sandwiches (Embracing her English Heritage), as well as Roses. She puts Rose water into her tea as well. So today I made Cucumber sandwiches and Roses to go with her tea.

 Here is her Bento:

• Cucumber Roses
• Apple Leaves
• Strawberry Rose
• Blackberries
• Grapes
• Cucumber Sandwiches (Whole Wheat Bread, Light Cream Cheese, Cucumber)

And here are a few close up pictures of the detail in the top tier of the bento. I hope you enjoy!

Kat's Gluten Free Sweet & Salty Party Mix

I felt like having popcorn, but I didn't want plain or buttered popcorn, so I was looking in the cabinets for ideas for flavors when I saw some Honey Nut Chex cereal, and some Gluten Free Pretzles. I grabbed those and some Sliced Almonds, and I had the makings of a super delicious and Super Easy Party Mix (party for 1 that is. lol)

This Party Mix is gluten free, but if you are not sensative to gluten, feel free to make it with regular pretzels instead.
Kat's Gluten Free Sweet & Salty Party Mix

• 4-6 Cups Air Popped Popcorn(No un-popped kernels! They are a safety hazard if you bite down on one or swallow them)
• 1 Cup Honey Nut Chex
• 1 Handful Glutino Gluten Free Pretzel Sticks (About 15 Pretzels, Broken in half)
• 1/4 Cup Sliced Almonds

This recipe is super easy, all you have to do is Mix the ingredients together in a large bowl, and enjoy! For a large party multiply the ingredients as much as you'd like. It'll be delicious no matter how much or how little you make.
The heavier ingredients will sink to the bottom of the bowl, but since I am eating this by myself I don't mind... but if you are having this at a party then I suggest serving it in large shallow dish/platter so the mix is spread out and the popcorn isn't covering everything else.
I don't mind all the other stuff falling to the bottom of the bowl when I am eating it by myself because I like when the popcorn is almost all gone and all the goodies are left to eat by the handful. lol ;)

Now this party mix is pretty healthy because there is no added sugar or salt or oil in the form of a glaze that most party mixes have.
Air Popped Popcorn is very low in calories, fat, cholesterol, sodium, and sugar and high in dietary fiber.
Honey Nut Chex are high in iron and vitamins B6 and B12, and also have vitamins A and C and calcium, but it also has lots of sugar so I only use 1 cup.
The Glutino Pretzels have no sugar and no cholesterol, but it does have a lot of sodium, so I only use a handful (about 15 pretzel sticks).
And the Sliced Almonds are low in sugars and high in protein, and also have calcium and iron, but the calories can add up so I only use 1/4 cup of them.
So there you have it, a snack with Protein, Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamins B6 and B12, Iron, and Calcium. And it will satisfy your sweet cravings, salty cravings, and satisfy your hunger! Plus it's Gluten Free!

Chinese New Year Bento

Gong Xi Fa Cai! Today is the first day of The Year of the Dragon. Goodbye Year of the Rabbit (I was born in the year of the Rabbit).
Anyway, I made a bento using my new Foodsafe Markers! It's so exciting!!! I have all the colors of the rainbow plus black, so now I can start drawing on my food, and adding more details to my bentos.

• Lg Strawberry
• 2 Blackberries
• Sunflower Seeds and Pumpkin Seeds
• Rice Pudding with Cinnamon and Golden Raisins (Red + Gold Envelope)
• Clementine (Pink Plum Blossom)
• 2 Sunsweet Ones Prunes
• 1/4 Cup Brown Rice (Gong Xi Fa Cai)

The details were made with Corn Tortilla and Foodsafe Markers. I used my mini letter cutters for the letters, and I hand drew and cut out the envelope and the plum blossom.

I looked up what is traditionally eaten on Chinese New Year, so I could make my bento. Fish is usually eaten or displayed, so I used my Yellow Fish Spoon (but unfortunately the fish was cut off in the picture). Mandarin Oranges are traditional, but I only had clementines, so that is what I used. Sunflower and Pumpkins Seeds are also eaten, so I added some in... unfortunately my sunflower seeds were stale and I ended up tossing them outside for the birds to enjoy. Nian gao is a type of rice pudding that is eaten, so I added my No Sugar added rice pudding to my bento. Sweets and Dried fruit are also given as presents, so I added Golden Raisins, and Prunes to my bento. These sweets are usually kept in a red and black box so I added a Red Strawberry and Blackberries for color.

I wish you all Prosperity in the New Year!

Stew Bento

Last night I made Beef Vegetable Stew for dinner, and I had enough left over to make myself a Stew Bento for lunch.

• Beef Vegetable Stew in a Cabbage Leaf bowl (with 3 different Beans)
• 2 Cherry Tomatoes
• 1/2 Orange
• Unsweetened Applesauce (With Cinnamon and Flax seed)
• 14 Cracked Pepper and Herb Crackers (Gluten Free 7 Grains)

Here is a picture of the cabbage bowl before I put the Stew in it. I used the Cabbage leaf so the tomatoes from the stew wouldn't make a mess of my bento.

Kat's Bento Love Calendar

Some of you might remember me talking about a special surprise sometime in December. Well Here it is. I made a few people Calendars featuring pictures of some of my favorite Bentos.
I took pictures of the calendar so I could share them with you.

 Cover Page

 January

 February

 March

 April

 May

 June

 July

 August

 September

 October

 November

December 

So what do you think? It didn't come out as good as I was planning. I had it all planned on the computer, but when I went to the store to order it there were some problems, and I had to redo it all with different backgrounds and make it smaller. But I'm still happy I made them.