Thanksgiving Leftovers Bento

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and if you didn't celebrate I hope you had a wonderful regular day! lol
Anyway, I packed all my Thanksgiving leftover in my mini crock pot and brought them to work for lunch the day after Thanksgiving (I know this post is late, I've been busy with work and taking care of my wife who had wrist surgery and gallbladder surgery this month).

 I made the bento in layers and rows... The first layer was all the side dishes,

• Corn with Butter Sauce
• Gluten Free Cornbread Stuffing (Homemade by me)
• Peas
• Squash
• Mashed Potatoes

 The next layer was a thick slice of Turkey Breast from my mom's turkey. I stoll some of her leftovers when I went to visit because her food is the best!

Finally I topped it off with Gluten Free Turkey Gravy. YUM! gravy used to be on of my favorite foods. Stuffing as well. But seriously, I used to drown my food in gravy and then I licked the plate clean...

This bento was my favorite! The gravy kept everything moist and I ate a little bit of everything with each forkful.Isn't that the best way? I love having a little bit of everything in each bite... my wife is the opposite and eats everything separately.

GoPicnic Review

My sister gave me a bunch of these GoPicnic boxed meals and they are sooo cute I thought I'd do a review of one of them.

She gave me 3 different kinds, Sunbutter and Crackers, Hummus, and Crackers, and Black Bean Dip and Plantain Chips. This review is for the Sunbutter and Crackers GoPicnic Box that is Gluten Free, Dairy, Free, and Peanut Free!

 When I first opened the box I wasn't sure what to expect, but then I saw all these single serving packets.

 Not only was there a packet of sunbutter and a packet of crackers, but there was also a bag of seed mix, a fruit snack, and a chocolate chip cookie.

 I've never had sunbutter before (except in a chocolate sunbutter cup candy that I didn't like) so I wasn't sure what to expect. The crackers were Crunchmaster, and they are my all-time favorite crackers... so I knew that even if I didn't like the sunbutter I'd still have the crackers to eat.

 I opened the sunbutter and squeezed some onto the crackers, and boy was it tasty! I prefer the taste of peanut butter and other nut butters, but this is delicious as well... if a little high in calories. The salty crunchy crackers paired well with the smooth nutty flavor of the sunbutter.

 Next I opened the seed and fruit mix. There were sunflower seeds, raisins, chocolate chips, pumpkin seeds, and dried mango (I believe, I can't quite remember).

 This was my favorite part of the meal! YUM! I love trail mixes, so I figured this would taste good, but the crunchy seeds, sweet chocolate, and chewy fruit mixed so well together. You can pick pieces of it to eat seperately, or you can pour it into you mouth and enjoy all the flavors and textures together.

I was looking forward to the fruit snack because I usually love these, but I was not a fan of the flavor of this one (Mango? Tropical? Something like that). I kept thinking it tasted a little coconut-y even though I don't believe there was any coconut in it. I was disappointed with it, but it wasn't bad... just not what I was expecting.

For dessert there was a Crunchy Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookie. It was certainly crunchy, and it was pretty good, but it wasn't anything to write home about. Great for people with food allergies though.

And after you eat your lunch there is a Sudoku puzzle inside for your entertainment. How thoughtful! I love Sudoku and I had fun playing.

All in all I think this was a pretty good lunch. It was very convenient for me to bring to work and eat throughout the day, and I can see myself bringing these with me on a road trip, traveling, camping, or on a picnic because they do not need to be refrigerated and they are pretty well rounded. Though I'd probably grab a few carrot sticks to add some vegetables as well.

Healthy Fast Food Bento

My wife wanted chicken nuggets and fries for lunch, and since we don't eat fast food I made a healthier bento instead.
I know you are wondering how I could make Fries and Chicken nuggets healthy... well check it out!

Fries and Chicken Nuggets Bento

• Sweet Potato Waffle Fries (Baked in the oven)
• Gluten Free Chicken Nuggets (Nitrate Free, Antibiotic Free, Baked Chicken Nuggets)
• Lettuce

I bought Applegate Farms Gluten Free Chicken Nuggets, and Alexandria Sweet Potato Fries and I baked them at home, I filled the bottom of the small bento box with lettuce leaves then I added the crisp fries and crunchy nuggets. She didn't want any dipping sauce, so I didn't get to add a cute sauce container. Oh well.

Chocolate Fluffinutter Popcorn

Peanut Butter, Marshmallow Fluff, Chocolate, and Popcorn could only mean one thing...
Chocolate Fluffinutter Popcorn!

This is a simple recipe that I didn't use any measurements with. So use as much or as little of any ingredient you'd like.

• Air Popped Popcorn (Can use Microwave popcorn if you don't have an air popper)
• Peanut Butter (I used unsweetened natural peanut butter)
• Dark Chocolate Chips
• Marshmallow Fluff
• Sea Salt (Optional)
• Pam Spray

Directions

1. Pop popcorn and salt it if desired. you can use Pam spray to get the salt to stick.
2. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and spray it with Pam. Spread out the popcorn in a single layer.
3. In a microwave safe dish, melt the chocolate chips stirring occasionally to prevent burning.
4. Using a spoon drizzle the melted chocolate over the popcorn.
5. In a microwave safe dish warm the peanut butter stirring occasionally until smooth.
6. Drizzle the peanut butter over the popcorn.
7. In a microwave safe dish warm the fluff for about 10-15 seconds. stir vigorously until smooth.
8. Drizzle thew fluff quickly because it'll clump up fast.
9. Place the pan of popcorn into the refrigerator for about 5 minutes until it hardens.
10. Break up into chunks and serve in a large bowl.

 Enjoy!

Cute Z Cute Cutter

Look at these super cute food cutters by Cute Z Cute... This can only mean one thing...

I won the Cute Z Cute Cutter Giveaway and my package finally arrived in the mail!!!!
How exciting!! :)

 When I came home to find this package I jumped for joy!

 Inside I found my very own set of Cute Z Cute cutters. It came with 4 animal face cutter/stamps and one outline cutter, as well as a tool to help loosen the food you cut from the cutter.

 My Favorite, not surprisingly, in the Cute Pig.

 Next we have the Winking Cat

 The Smiling Frog,

 And the Happy Panda.

 Here is the outline cutter that fits on all of the faces.

And the Cute Z Cute tool to help loosen the food from the cutters.

I am looking forward to making cute sandwiches with my new cutters soon! :)

Cloudy Night Snack Bento

• Night Sky (Cocoa Pebbles)
• Stars (Brown Rice Krispies)
• Clouds (Marshmallows... they are actually ghosts that I turned on the side)
• Moon (Marshmallow)

Pig Pen Bento

Oink Oink, Here is another Pig themed bento. I found some Pig shaped gummy candies and I couldn't resist buying a couple so I could make a Pig Bento.

I used a Garden Lites Souffle and carrots to make the Pig Face.

• Pig Face (Pizza Souffle and Carrot Slices)
• Pig Pen Mud (Cocoa Pebbles)
• 2 Gummy Pigs
• 1 Chocolate Pig (GF Cookie)
• 1 Vanilla Pig (GF Cookie)

This Pig Pen snack consists of Unsweetened Applesauce and Pig Sprinkles. Aren't they cute?

Aquarium Dessert Bento

I had a few gummy lobsters and a gummy shark so I was planning on making an under the sea bento, but then my work got in some chocolate caramel turtles, and I found a mutant gummy worm that looked like an octopus so I got the idea to make this Aquarium Bento.

• Water (Gluten Free Brown Rice Krispies)
• Gravel (Cocoa Pebbles)
• Seaweed (Cabbage)
• Octopus (Gummy Worms stuck together and rolled up)
• Lobsters (Gummy Lobsters)
• Shark (Gummy Shark)
• Turtles (Chocolate Covered Caramel)

I know the cabbage isn't really a dessert, but I wanted to add at least one healthy thing to this bento to help break up all the sugar.

Mouse Bento

Eek! A Mouse crept into my bento box....

I found a sweet potato that had a tail and looked a little like a mouse so I knew what I wanted to make for this bento.

• Vegetable Medley (Sauteed Zucchini. Summer Squash. Carrots, and Mushrooms)
• Nutrition Heart Healthy Nut Mix
• Raisins Mini Box (with the corner 'nibbled' from the mouse)
• Mouse (Sweet Potato body, Apple ears, Raisin eyes, Toothpick whiskers)

I  made a sweet potato pig before, and I had fun making this mouse, I think I'll keep an eye out for more sweet potatoes that I can turn into animals. :)

Wrist Cast Bento

My wife had wrist surgery the other day, so today I decided to make her a bento lunch with a wrist cast sandwich.

• Wrist Cast Sandwich (Ham, Dairy Free Cheese, and Lettuce on whole wheat bread, decorated with food safe markers)
• Carrot
• Raisins

I wrote on the cast using food safe markers signing a few names and drawing a Triforce. I also wrote Get Better and I <3 you.

Apple, Ham & Cheese Kabobs

Have you ever had a Grilled Ham and Cheese? Or a Grilled Cheese with Apple? What about all three?
Well that is what inspired these kabobs. Apples go well with pork, and they go well with cheese, so I thought why not make a sandwich with all three? But instead of making a sandwich I grabbed my funbites cube it and cubed the apple so I could make cool kabobs.

• Kabobs (Apple Cubes, Ham, Dairy Free Cheese)
• Lettuce Leaves
• Marshmallows
• Apple Cubes with Apple Pie Spice (Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Allspice)

Votemeal Election Day Bento

It's Election Day today, are you going to Vote? How about Voting for your favorite Oatmeal recipe? I have several recipes for Oatmeal, and I want to know what was your favorite. I am going to post them and you can choose your favorite then tell me what it is in the comments.

I made a special breakfast today using the Berries n' Cream recipe I just posted.

This bento was made with the Berries n' Cream Oatmeal recipe, but instead of mixing in the berries I kept them frozen and decorated the top of the votemeal...

Now onto the Oatmeals:
#1. Berries n' Cream Oatmeal

 A mixture of Strawberries, Wild Blueberries, Vanilla Pudding Mix, and Almond Milk

#2. Peaches & Cream Oatmeal

A mix of Fresh Peaches, Vanilla Soy Milk, and Cinnamon

#3. American Flag Oatmeal

Patriotic Bento with Fresh Berries and Sliced Almonds

#4. Cinnamon Apple Oatcakes

Pancakes made with Oatmeal, Cinnamon and Applesauce.

#5. No Bake PB Oatmeal Bites

No Bake Cookies using peanut butter and dried fruit.

#6. Maple Almond Oatmeal

Justin's Maple Almond Butter, Almonds, and Dried Fruit make this a hearty breakfast

#7. Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal

What better combination than Peanut Butter and Bananas?

#8. Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal

Canned Pumpkin and Spices make this a delicious breakfast on a chilly morning.

#9. Mardi Gras Oatmeal

Tri-colored oatmeal with 3 complimenting flavors.

#10. Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal

A thick chocolatey oatmeal that was more like a brownie/dessert than a breakfast.

#11. Magic Reindeer Food Oatmeal

A cute Christmas breakfast to make for your kids.

#12. Cinnamon Apple Oatmeal

So warm and comforting, and fills your house with delicious smells of apples and spice.

#13. Apple Crisp

Apples and Spices topped with a crumbly Oatmeal crust.

#14. Loaded Oatmeal Brunch

Oatmeal with lots of nuts, dried fruit, and fresh fruit

Now, once you vote for your favorite, I'd like to know what kind of oatmeal you'd like to see next? Please let me know in the comments. Thank you
And don't forget to...