sixty-six.

for daddy!

Big box: Salami and italian sausage calzone - leftovers from dinner out
Sidecar: pineapple and orange
Styrofoam cup: marinara sauce, leftover from dinner

We were working at the renaissance faire this weekend, and we went out for italian food tonight after we got home to take the dog home so we didn't have to take him into a restaurant. So Erika, Dad and I split an order of lasagna and a large calzone, and this was what was leftover. Sooo good (:

65.

for dad.

Left: Octdogs, broccoli, sweet potato + butter, mustard in the watermelon cup.
Right: Lettuce, bleu cheese, heart egg, salt in the apple, ranch in the orange cup, blackberries, watermelon, grape tomatoes, orange
Outside: A note for my dad to PLEASE not microwave/throw away/anything of my sauce cups/divider cups, etc.

63.

dad's.

Big: rice, chicken with white wine cream and cheese sauce, squash and broccoli
Little: orange wedges, watermelon chunks, grape tomatoes as filler, chocolate chip cookie.

sixty.

dad's.

Big container inside: Sauteed zucchini, spaghetti w/ creamy spinach sauce, chicken, creamy spinach sauce.
Outside inside container: orange, mixed nuts, chocolate chip cookie.

55

oranges and celery w/ creamy peanut butter
half a bean and cheese burrito, sour cream, cherry tomato.

Threw this together because I felt like making lunch after finishing Erika's blanket. So it was well worth it (:

47

Left to Right: Chocolate chip cookie, mixed nuts, teriyaki chicken on sticky rice, orange segments
Sidecar: Teriyaki carrots

So I had some chicken breasts that mom had de-boned when she was making fried chicken, so I threw in some brown sugar, rice wine vinegar and some soy sauce and let that marinate for a few days and it's pretty tasty.

44 - 45 - 46

Mine!

Lid: Chocolate Pocky
Top: Carrots, green beans, orange
Bottom: Potstickers
Tight seal: Sweet and sour pork, sticky rice

Sort of a version of the one I made for dad last night. And especially since I haven't had any second helpings of the sweet and sour pork until now. Meaning, I only had it when it was originally served for dinner.

mine.

Left to Right: 2 Steak and cheese taquitos, 2 beef and cheese mini tacos, green bean divider, orange segments
Bowl: Refried beans with cheese and sour cream for the taquitos and tacos.

Just a quick dinner bento I threw together while I was making my dad's dinner tonight. I had subway at like 4, and I wasn't hungry until not too long ago. And my god, that subway was AMAZING. One of the best i've had. But also, most of these were leftovers or stuff from the freezer.

daddy's!

Top: Mini cherry pie, Chicken noodle soup with rotini noodles and carrots
Main box: Mayonnaise, orange segments, salt, corn, roast beef, green beans
Outside bottom: Shepherder bread

I felt like doing a soup and sandwich bento for my dad. Yes, I know this is a lot of food, but my dad doesn't eat dinner with us most nights, unless we have dinner early for him [around 3pm or so]. My mom found that little cherry pie at Wal-Mart and thought it would be perfect for his lunch. And I thought so too. (:

42 + 43.

for me.

Top tier: Fruit and nut trail mix, fruit by the foot, mini tacos.
Bottom tier: Roast beef sandwich, quartered.

So after a weekend [thursday - monday afternoon] of being at my friends house, I came home, shucked my clothes, since my friend has cats and my mom is allergic to them, into a laundry hamper, showered and got into pajamas, I felt like making a bento. Partially because I was hungry, and partially because I wanted to. So this was the remains of what sounded interesting to me in my house. I made this while my mom was out shopping, so I didn't have any of the stuff she bought to use. Still yummy though.

for papa.

Round ziploc container: Cinnamon sugar cooked apples
Lock&Lock: Sweet and sour pork, sticky rice
Large ziploc container [top to bottom]: pan fried potstickers, soy sauce, orange segments, asparagus spears

I was going to make some teriyaki chicken for my dad for lunch tonight, but I realized that I didn't have the chicken marinated, so I threw some rice vinegar, brown sugar and some soy sauce into a bag with the chicken and threw it into the fridge to mingle for a few days while it gets nice and oh so tasty.

So I just threw together some leftovers, pretty much. Put the rice in the lock and lock and put the sweet and sour pork on top. Chopped up the apples and threw them in a bowl with cinnamon sugar and a bit more sugar with a little water, threw it in the microwave for 4 minutes, and then stirred them when they were done and then put a bit more sugar on it after tasting it and then put the apples, juice and all into the ziploc.

While that was going on I heated up a pan and cooked the potstickers, throwing them in the pan, frozen with some oil, letting them warm up a minute or three and then put 2/3 cup warm water in the pan and covered them for 8 mins to cook. Easier than microwaving them, I think. And they taste so much better. I also put some soy sauce into a little dixie cup and when the potstickers were done I put them on a plate to cool a little bit, and then tucked the soy sauce next to the potstickers.

I then peeled an orange, and peeled the orange segments apart to fan them out and look pretty, after putting a piece of foil down, so the orange didn't taste like asparagus in the morning. And then I decided I needed something green, and I found some leftover steamed asparagus in the fridge.

Now, I have no idea why, but my mother steams veggies past their peak. Like, normally broccoli is kind of a brownish nasty green. But I've been educating her recently that the longer you cook veggies like that, the nutrients get sucked right out of the veggies. But she does. And it kinda irritates me. Oh well.

Then put that all together and got some of our laquered wood [I think?] chopsticks so mom could put it with his lunch in the morning so he could eat it with that.

I hope he likes it! He generally does like the things I make for his lunches. I try to make them more like dinners, because due to his acid reflux, he can't eat past 4pm or so without feeling yucky. ):

39 - 40 - 41 [3 BENTOS TODAY!]

mine!

Top tier: Smashed hard boiled egg w/ butter + salt + pepper [microwaved], mini brown sugar cinnamon bagel w/ cream cheese
Bottom tier: Impromptu rice pudding!

So I woke up around 11am this morning [i'm a college student, can't you tell? going to bed at almost 3am and waking up around 11am] and I came downstairs and opened the covered pot on the stove and discovered rice. I ask my mom, "Is this sticky rice?" and she just smiles. And so I decided to make a breakfast bento, since I'm not in school for the week, and I just felt like it!

mine, again!

Left tier [sidecar]: cheesy bacon egg scramble
right tier [sealable box]: chocolate chip banana pancakes, chunky peanut butter in the silicon cup.

So I wanted to make breakfast for dinner. And I did, because i'm allowed to, and I was really craving eggs and pancakes. So I got a bit creative. I threw some chocolate chips in the batter, and then sliced some banana and placed that on top as soon as I got the batter down on the griddle. Then I flipped them and let them cook until done on the other side. I made 6 total and ate the other two with just straight butter. I honestly think that was better than the peanut butter.

Then after I got the pancakes made, I threw a couple eggs in a bowl with some cream and salt, mixed those until scrambled with a fork, sprinkled a bit of bacon bits and shredded cheese into the raw egg mixture. I then threw that into the pan for it to get nice and scramble-y [is that even a word?] and then let some sliced cheddar melt on top of it after I thought that it was done enough [I absolutely HATE runny eggs, which is why I will not eat sunny-side up eggs, over easy only or scrambled please]. I then just decided to throw them into my box instead of putting them on a plate. And I put some peanut butter into the divider cup there (:

for my papa.

Top box [left to right]:taco meat, refried beans, spanish rice, shredded iceberg lettuce, diced grape tomatoes, chocolate chips, banana walnut muffin
Outside box+Lock&lock: flour tortillas, orange segments, shredded cheese, medium salsa, sour cream

I was going to make some enchiladas for my dad, but since we didn't have any leftover shredded pork [country style ribs] or beef [pot roast], I just decided to do a make your own taco box. I think he'll quite enjoy it.

Man, I can't believe I made 3 bentos today. Just, wow. I mean, the second one wasn't THAT hard, but still...

thirty five.

lunch for papa.

Left to Right: Salami, cheddar cheese, orange slices, grape tomatoes, green grapes, black grapes, triscuits in the ziploc.
Not pictured: Chocolate chip cookie

Bento 7+8

So tomorrow my mom and I are going to Amtgard (A fantasy-style LARP... Basically real life dungeons and dragons [yes, the tabletop rpg, and yes, im a nerd]) and so I thought i'd make lunch for the both of us. And this is how it turned out:

momma's.

Left to right: Natural no sugar added applesauce, 1/2 orange, rice crackers, green beans, brie, tuna salad on bed of rice with freehanded cheddar cheese lettering

mine. i'm not really proud of it since it just looks blah, but oh well.

Left to Right: 1/2 orange (sliced) green beans, tuna salad, rice crackers, brie and rice
not pictured: chocolate pudding cup.

I got an email tonight from ichibankanusa.com saying that my order is being shipped, and it should be here on the 24th (tuesday). I'm very excited, and all of this has encouraged me to make my dad's lunch also, as well as plan it. He's also excited too. I think he's tired of getting a sandwich, apple and cookie for lunch every day. And it'll take a load off my mom, since she's always doing things around the house.

They're somewhat similar, but as I make my dad's and my lunches, you'll see that they're going to be very different day to day.