Bento lunch

I pulled out some leftover homemade pizza for J's lunch. I did not want him to eat just pizza so i threw a plate together for him.


J's plate has bbq chicken pizza, pretzels, grapes, carrots and ranch.

My bento had sugar snap peas, carrots, pretzels, cheese, grapes and ranch.

Today's bento lunch

This bento box is fun. I love the shape.

Inside the bento top level we have hummus carrot sandwiches shaped like bears, carrots, and sugar snap peas.
Second level has sugar snap peas (under the grapes) ranch in the cup, grapes, and chocolate covered almonds.

Homemade popsicles

I'm still sick with a cold. I've had this cold for a week now. My throat is quite sore. I thought about buying some popsicles but then i remembered our popsicle mold. I've tried several molds and this one is the best so far. The ones I bought from the dollar store never worked well. I can not remember where we found this one but i think it was between $2-$4.

We used lemon aid mix for the first batch. J followed the mix's ratio of powder to water. Those popsicles were not very flavorful. They still felt good on my throat. This time i took my Mango drink mix, bottled lemon juice, and far less water then the recipe asks for. This made the drink super concentrated. So much so that it would taste terrible to drink. But it made delicious popsicles.

I'm going to keep playing around with the mold to see what makes yummy popsicles. I have fun playing mix master, and i enjoy the finished product. Not to mention its a great way to use up groceries. Like a lemon aid mix purchased in bulk that is only halfway used up. . .

Bento packed without special bento equipment.

I wanted to make a bento without using any special bento equipment. Using items available at common stores. I used the $2 box bought at Grocery Outlet. I used one of the muffin liners from this post, they sell in a 6 pack for $1 at Target. I also used a mini muffin liner I'd purchased in a pack of 12 for $3 at World Market. The cookie cutter come from the thrift store and it cost .45 cents. Total equipment cost $6.45 (although this is slightly misleading because I only used 2 muffin liners not all 18)

This bento has sugar snap peas, carrots, hummus carrot sandwich, grapes, cheese and ranch.
If i was packing this bento to travel, I would not put the ranch in a muffin liner. I do have dip cups that were not purchased in a specialty store, but they are huge.

Everything used here sells in common stores. It is possible to make fun bento lunches without buying special bento equipment. But I like the special stuff.

Snack bento

Last night I craved some crunch. Instead of heading for the popcorn (air popped but butter coated, yum) I thought a veggie snack might be a better idea. And of course, an opportunity to use my bento supplies! I picked the sandwich box because it has nice sides. And because I never get to use it. My wheat bread is too large for the box. I wish I had put the lid on the dip container, its one of my favorites.

Because we ate this at home I did not have to worry about packing everything in and closing the lid. My husband was happy to help eat the snack. :)

Are you excited???

As hubby and i go through the process to adopt from Africa we get asked that question a lot. And frankly, no I'm not. Because its going to be SUCH a long process (18 months). Not to mention the roller coaster of foster care and all the heart break involved there. I can't afford to get excited! I cope by focusing on the tasks we need to complete. If i focus on the baby, and how amazing the experience is going to be its far too rough on my heart! Please if you know someone who has suffered through infertility, failed adoption opportunities, and is now adopting again don't be surprised if they are not jumping with joy. They are probably afraid to get excited.

On the logistics side of it we are waiting on our dossier. We were able to pay off $3,000 of our $17,000 debt!! Slowly but surely the process moves forward.

How do you bento without a special bento box?

You don't have to have fancy equipment to bento. I like the pretty boxes, picks, and cups. But they are not strictly necessary. Some people do not have access to a Japanese store. Or find the prices on ebay or an import store unappealing. That does not mean you can not bento. I found this box at grocery outlet. (they have some good deals if you know your prices, but don't assume everything is a good deal)

The box is made by Farberware. Sized 820ml. Microwave/freezer safe. With tight fitting lids. (I have not yet done the water test to check just how tight) All for $2. If you wanted to make your bento a little cuter you could use the muffin cups from this post. They came from target and cost just $1. Or you could use the silicone bake ware as food cups, and the dip cups from this Dollar Tree post. Adding another $1-$2 onto the box's $2 price. I've seen cute food picks at Joann fabric (in the Wilton aisle) and at World Market. Having access to a speciality store is not necessary to bento. But they sure are fun!