Kitten Bento

This bento is Kitten Themed because my fiance and I are getting a Kitten this month. Right now he is only 5 weeks old, so he is not old enough to leave his mother, but after a few more weeks, we will be taking him home with us.
Anyway, I made kitten themed bentos today in honor of our new baby boy.

Here is my fiance's bento lunch

• Kitty faces with M&M eyes and nose (Grilled Cheese Sandwiches)
• Cat Toy with star cutouts (Mini Babybel Light Cheese)
• Litter Box (Rice Crispies Cereal, Brown M&Ms, Chocolate Peeps Cat)
• Meow (Apple with letter cutouts)
• Cat Toys (M&Ms)

 Here is my bento lunch, All gluten free!

• Kitty Face (GF Sandwich with Turkey, mustard, tomato, lettuce, pickles, and M&M face)
• Cat Toy (Mini Babybel Light Cheese)
• Litter Box (GF Rice Crispies Cereal, brown M&M, Chocoleate Peeps Cat)
• Meow (Apple with letter cutouts)
• Cat Toys (M&Ms)

And now, Introducing Sage Johnson Our 5 week old Kitten.

Isn't he the cutest?

Remembering 9/11

If you haven't read the above statement in the picture, please do so. Hate is our enemy, and we must remember that. We are not doing ourselves a favor when we turn on others for being different.
I remember where I was 10 years ago. I was sitting in my French Class in high school. We were in the computer lab that day doing some word exercises in French. An announcement came over the PA and everything in the school was put on hold. We had a very long and frightened Moment of Silence. Frightening because no one knew what was happening or who was hurt.
I remember going home and turning on the TV. There were videos of planes crashing into the World Trade Center, and then the towers collapsing. Chaos.
I was 14 at the time, and very emotional. And I cried for the people and the families that were affected. I still am an emotional person, and writing this is making me tear up again.
I am grateful that my family was not affected on that day. I feel lucky that no one I personally knew lost there lives because of this. I feel for the families and friends that have lost loved ones.

Sandwich Bentos

I made a couple of sandwich bentos for lunch today. It was my fiance's first day back at school. Only one more class left, and then graduation! So because it was a early day today, and we came home feeling starved, I made some sandwiches because they were quick and easy.

My fiance has two Bunny Sandwiches as well as some chips.... It's a special occasion, so chips are OK.

• Bunny Sandwiches (Light White Bread, Mustard, Lettuce, and Pastrami)
• Mini Babybel Light (With a heart cut out)
• Kettle Chips
• Cherry Tomatoes
• Grapes
• Baby Carrots
• Hummus

 I had bird shapes sandwiches in my bento, but it's kind of hard to tell that in the picture. also mine were made on Gluten Free Bread.

• Birdy Sandwiches (Multigrain GF Bread, Peanut Butter, Banana)
• Cherry Tomatoes
• Grapes
• Trail Mix (Cashews, Almonds, Craisins)
• Apple Sauce (With a Cinnamon Heart)
• And my Penguin Spoon.... because it's a bird themed bento.

I hope you enjoyed! And good luck to everyone with their first day of school.

Bunnies in the Garden and Apples Galore

Here are a few bentos using some of my new bento accessories. After the bentos I also have a mini review on the Apple Shaped Sauce Bottles as well.

Here is my Bento today. I call it 'Bunnies in the Garden' because I have lots of bunnies and lots of vegetables.

• Leftover Gluten Free Veggie Pizza (from Uno's) I cut each slice with my Bunny Food Cutter
• Large Cherry Tomato (fresh from the garden)
• Spring Lettuce Mix
• Gluten Free Turkey Sandwich (UDI's GF bread, mustard, turkey, lettuce, tomato, cut with bunny cutters)
• Apple slices with cinnamon and flax (and one of my new apple food picks I used to eat the apples with)
• Apple Rabbit
• Baby Carrots
• Blueberries

 Here is my Fiance's Lunch... I called it 'Apples Galore' but there really aren't many apples in it.... Oops.

• Leftover Shrimp, Spinach, Goat cheese Pizza (from Uno's... also with cute Apple food picks)
• Grilled Cheese Sandwich (with Mozzarella)
• Blueberries
• Cherry Tomatoes (Disguised as mini apples using Leaf food picks)
• Apple Rabbits
• Spring Lettuce Mix (as decoration)

And now, I have a little review on the new Apple Themed Sauce Bottles I got. You can find more about them Here.

Yesterday I went out to eat with some friends, and I wanted to bring some Gluten Free soy sauce and teriyaki sauce with me. I love Thai Food, but some restaurants do not offer many gluten free options, so I decided to use my new bottles to see how they worked as well as have some gluten free sauce to put on my plain food...

The Apple Shaped Bottle was pretty hard to fill. I found that the opening on tip was the same size as the pipette, so I had to be very careful filling it with soy sauce so that the soy sauce didn't go everywhere. Because the pipette didn't fit nicely into the top of the bottle, it took me a long time in order to get the bottle half filled with soy sauce.
I accidentally deleted the picture of me filling the apple shaped sauce bottle... :(

The other Apple bottles were a bit easier to fill because the pipette fit right inside the sauce bottle... But The sauce I was using (Teriyaki) was a little too thick for the pipette to suck up. So it took me a while to fill this bottle half way with sauce. If I used this bottle for soy sauce it would have only taken me a few seconds to fill it all the way to the top.
So I love the shape of the apple Shaped Sauce Bottle More, but the apple Covered sauce Bottle was easier to fill using the pipette. The Apple Shaped Bottle was easier to squeeze the sauce out of though.
They were both pretty easy to clean, but if the sauces were thicker or oilier then it would be harder to clean them.
Because of the time it takes to fill the bottles, I will probably only use them for special occasions, or if I have more time to make bento. Though I might keep using them to bring my own gluten free sauces to restaurants with me. I put both bottles into a plastic bag and tossed it in my purse. Neither one of them leaked, and they were small enough that I didn't feel awkward using them at the restaurant.
Now I know why people fill their sauce bottles all at once, then just keep them in the refrigerator until they need to take one out and pop it into their bento box. That's a good idea if you often use soy sauce or other sauces with your bento.

Here are my Vegetable Fresh Rolls. The sauce on the bottom left is the Peanut sauce they came with... Super yummy, and I think it was gluten free because I feel fine today after eating it.
The next sauce is the teriyaki sauce I packed and brought.
and the last is the soy sauce I brought...
I also but my sauces on the order of rice I got as a side dish to my rolls.... though I think the rolls were enough food for me.

YUM! You can see my little Apple Themed Sauce Bottles in the corner of the picture. lol

Cookbook and Apple Bento Accessories

My brother David's birthday party was yesterday and he gave me a birthday present. I know, he gave ME a present on HIS birthday. Such a sweetie. We haven't seen each other in months, so It was great to see him again! But anyway, back to the birthday present. He gave me a bento cookbook and a bunch of cute Apple Themed bento accessories! The first thing I thought when I saw them was that my fiance would love them. She loves Apples, and I can't wait to make apple bentos using these cute accessories. I'm so excited to share them with you!!!!!
First I want to show you the box my present came in.

This is after I opened it up and pulled everything out... then I realized I should have taken a picture before ripping it open... I couldn't help it, I was excited!
I managed to put it back together, albeit a bit sloppy, but pretty nonetheless.

Here are the super cute bento accessories he gave me! I love the Apple Theme, perfect timing for all the fall themed bentos I'll be making this Autumn... I can't wait to go apple picking and make apple rabbits....
These sets come from the Lunch&Party Collection designed by Shinzi Katoh.

My personal favorite are these Apple Shaped Sauce Bottles... complete with little Smiley Faces, Leaf Caps, and an Apple pipette.

  Even the pipette has a smile on it! A pipette is what you use to get the sauce into the bottles. You gently squeeze the pipette while the end is submerged in the liquid sauce of your choice, the sauce will travel up into the rounded end of the pipette, then you can gently squeeze the sauce into the top of the apple shaped bottles. These are great for bringing soy sauce or other thin sauces in your bento box... and it adds a cute and decorative factor as well.

The package comes with

• 4 Smiling Apple Sauce Bottles with Leaf Caps
• 1 Apple shaped Pipette

Next is a different kind of Apple Themed Sauce Bottle, also with an Apple Pipette!

I don't know if you can see the faces in this picture, but each bottle has a different face. :) Soooo cute! These bottles look like they would be better for holding something like a thin (oil based) salad dressing.

This package comes with:

• 1 Apple Shaped Pipette
• 2 Green Apple Bottles (1 ^_^ and 1 v_v)
• 2 Red Apple Bottles (1 :) and 1 *o*)

Sorry.... I'm not that good at using emoticons.... so I did my best!

 And last, but not least are the cute Apple People Food Picks!

These Food Picks will be great for adding a cute factor to any bento lunch, and they can be used to pick up small foods.

There are 4 different faces (2 picks of each)... let me try to do my emoticons again to show you.

• 2 *o* faced picks
• 2 v_v faced picks
• 2 ^_^ faced picks
• 2 :) faced picks

These cute bento accessories came from a store called essentials you should check it out!

Next comes the cook book. I haven't had a chance to read it yet, but I've looked through it and took a few pictures to show you! I'll be making a few recipes from this book, so stay tuned for more info on it.

The cookbook is called Cute Yummy Time 70 recipes for the cutest food you'll ever eat by La Carmina.

Little Lam Chai Muffins

Hot Dog Croc

Mouse Macaroni And Cheese

Panda Tofu Soba

Citrus Salmon Bunnies

Panda Shrimp Rice

These are super cute recipes that I can't wait to read more about. There are plenty of yummy and cute recipes, and from what I looked at they are very healthy as well!

And now I must be on my way, Some friends and I are going out for some Thai food and I'm going to use some of my new sauce bottles to bring some Gluten Free Soy Sauce and Teriyaki sauce with me!
I hope you all have a wonderful day!

Fall Leaves Bento

Technically it's still summer.... but the chilly weather lately is making me think Fall! Also because School supplies are in stores, and Halloween decorations and candy are also being sold... my mind is screaming AUTUMN!
So I made a Fall Themed Bento for today's lunch

• A Jack-o-lantern (Peep) Sitting in...
• A pile of Leaves (Coco Pebbles Cereal)
• Cranberry Trail Mix (Cashews, Almonds, and Dried Cranberries)
• Pumpkin (Clementine with a leaf pick)
• Chicken Sausage and Spaghetti Squash (Recipe Here)
• Fall Leaves (Cheese with Ketchup 'veins')

 My fiance has much the same, except she has a Pear instead of a Clementine, as well as a few halved grapes.

I love all the fall colors, Oranges, Yellows, Dark Red and Dark Purple, Browns and Beige, and Dark Green.

Blueberry Breakfast Bento

I realized I haven't been making many breakfast bentos lately, so I decided I would make one today. It's much of the same thing I used to eat for breakfast... but surprisingly I haven't been eating it as much as I used to. Anyway, here is my Blueberry Breakfast

• Yoplait Light Very Vanilla Yogurt
• Milled Flax Seed (heart)
• Blueberries
• Rice Chex Cereal

So I hope you enjoyed it. I know I did *rubs belly*.
Anyway, I have another bento planned for lunch, so please stay tuned for that one as well!
Thanks. :)