Bento Corner

Couple of things I am currently hooked on:

Tokyo fashion trends There is an English menu, so you can navigate if you don't read Japanese.

And this:

Do you know the Kewpie doll? These versions are miniature keychain size and they are in costume (cosplay). I'm usually not into super cutesy things*  but this, I cannot resist.

*I make cute bentos for my kids, but the bentos do not reflect my persona at all. I'm quite obsessive, yes, but cute I am not.

Cinnamon is made of cheese, imitation crab, and nori. Underneath is a tuna salad sandwich.

Basic recipe for tuna sandwich is as follows:

• Can of tuna (packed in oil tastes better, but I used the non-oil type)
• 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice
• salt
• pepper
• 3 Tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1.5 Tablespoons chopped onion
• lettuce
• bread

Drain tuna and  mix with lemon juice, mayo, and onion. Add salt and pepper to taste. Adjust taste and consistency by adding more or less of certain ingredients. Toast the bread lightly and spread with tuna salad, top with lettuce.

Bento also includes cut kiwi and apple cut into round flower shapes. Apples are dipped in citrus juice to keep from turning brown.

You may notice that Cinnamon's tail is a bit detached -- it was added after everything was done. I first had a short tail on Cinnamon but the girl informed me that Cinnamon has a long tail which curls in a circular pattern. And then continued the lecture, at length, to tell me what characteristics make Cinnamon unique.

Indeed.

Not much sank in except this:

• At  7:30 am, I need coffee before anyone lectures me.
• Next time, Cinnamon must be created as a bodyless character.
• Man, is this what it feels like to be my husband? Oy.

Entering this into Margot's Wholesome Lunchbox Event.

If I had my act together I would have first created the caterpillar bento and then the butterfly bento. The operative word here is if.

The caterpillar bento is a variation of this bento. Bento also includes chikuwa (fish cake) stuffed with cucumbers, kabocha croquette (frozen item) and prunes. The caterpillar is made with nori, cheese, kinako (ground soy bean mixed with a bit of salt and sugar to taste), sakura denbu (fish flakes mixed with sugar), and vegetable furikake.

You should have heard my son while I was putting this bento together.

Well, I guess the problem was that you couldn't hear him... 

me: Son! Are you causing trouble?!

son: No, I just looking! *holding the candy stash in my purse*

me: Son, that's not yours.

son: I just looking, mama.

me: Put it back, please!

son: *adamantly* MAMA! I JUST LOOKING! *fists now tightly wrapped around the candy*

me: OK, no eating.

son: OK

me: Just look.

son:  Awwight!*huffs*

Now you know what's coming. I know he isn't holding onto some candy just observing. It's quite obvious it's going to end up in his mouth eventually. But there are times when I just want him to be occupied so I can just get some peace and quiet to get things done without having to hear him whine and cry about how he just wanted to innocently look at that candy.

Unwrapped.

Apparently in his mouth.

His 5th piece.

Butterfly bento with sausage, edamame, and strawberries.

This bento was all made the morning of, including the cheese parts. I highly do not recommend creating bentos like this during your kids' waking hours -- unless you have kids who quietly occupy themselves. Mine don't ever do that -- unless they are conspiring to do some great evil (ie, "helping" organize critical documents,  pounding on the laptop until they can find nickjr.com, etc ).

I got a set of new molds which are super tiny and made for baby hands:

OK I know they don't look too small in the above photo, but to give you some perspective, the strawberries in the bento are cut into quarters and one onigiri (quarter wing of the butterfly) is equivalent to that size. About the size of the top of my thumb.

The bento shuffled about in transport but it was still recognizable with a little shift according to the girl. She was even the first one to finish her bento amongst her classmates. Quite the accomplishment for her snail-paced self.