Bento Corner

This bento is a variation of the rolled sandwich and pancake sandwich.

The pancakes were super easy to roll -- I have never made roll sponge cake or jelly roll  cakes, but I imagine it's a miniature version of that. I actually prefer the taste of these over the rolled sandwiches. The pancakes were made fresh in the morning so that might have added to the better texture.

First spread the cream cheese all over the pancake and spread the jelly only on the edge of the part you will roll -- like you would roll maki-sushi. It was less messy to roll this way -- the jelly does spread out a bit but it makes for a cleaner, prettier roll in the end. Plus they were pliable enough that they kept their shape without the use of saranwrap to help hold the log roll shape.

Super easy lunch to pack and knocked out both breakfast and lunch in one shot -- always a plus for us slackers! My kids love pancakes so they can eat them for days without getting bored.

Bento also includes sausages, apple slices, and edamame.

In other news, it's White Day today and my daughter got a return gift from Yun-chan and everyone in the family cheered. Then my husband started in...

husband: Hey, it's White Day today?

me: Yes...

husband: What am I getting?

me: ??

husband: I got you a Valentine, remember? Where's my gift?

me: *grabbing one of Yun-chan's chocolates* Here you go, honey! Happy White Day!!

husband: *silence*

So obviously, I suck in a big way. I offered to make him a bento as an afterthought but he wasn't impressed.

Any ideas out there? If you have a rock star idea please share. My husband is a S/W Architect and his interests are anything technical, cool gadgets, Dilbert, South Park, and Dr. Stephen Hawking.

For the best idea, I'll send you a couple of the Kewpie keychains of your choice. On second thought,  to make it more democratic, I'll enter your name in a drawing and have my girl pick out a name -- that's pretty fair, right? Just comment below and I'll collect ideas for one week and then we'll do the drawing.

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.