Good Morning Piggy!

Here is another sweet potato bao bento.  The cute piggy is to make up for the fact that A-chan isn't getting school pizza this Friday.  My sacrificial offering (this one was supposed to be my bao) seemed to be accepted with much pleasure.

In the bento: Sweet potato bao, carrot flowers, blackberries, veggie hot dogs, apple chunks and steamed broccoli.

The piggy face was made with pink egg sheet, provolone cheese and nori.  All the pieces were 'glued' on by a tiny bit of mayo.  The tiny little cheeks were the cutouts from the nose - I didn't want to waste them!  The flowers on the apple chunks are provolone cheese with more tiny egg sheet cutouts for the centers.

I'm not sure why but bentos that contain pink egg sheet never show the real color in the picture.  One day I hope to get a perfect pink bento picture!  If you have any suggestions, I'm all ears.

The last time I posted a sweet potato bao bento I was asked for a picture of the package.  I thought it might be a good idea to post it for everyone to see - it's much easier to identify in the store if you know what you're looking for!  To cook this bao I put it into a microwaveable bowl from the freezer, covered it with plastic wrap and microwaved it for 50 seconds.  Beware cooking it for too long because it will turn into a pink rock.

Hot Dog Ballerinas

For child-size mouths eating a hot dog in a bun can be a challenge.  Cutting them into hot dog and bun rounds is one of my favorite ways of making it a little easier.  Instead of applying ketchup liberally to the bun like I normally would, there is instead a dipping container.  I gave them cute little faces out of nori but didn't try to make them look like anything in particular.  A-chan dubbed them ballerinas and pointed out how the bun parts looked like raised arms.  I loved it!

In the bento: Vegetarian hot dog and bun rounds, a halved cherry tomato, an orange wedge, blackberries, steamed broccoli, corn on the cob and cheddar cubes on musical picks.

The entire hot dog would not fit into the bento without getting smooshed so the remainder became part of my lunch.

One owl, two owls, hoot hoot hoot!

It's a beautiful day with bright blue skies and amazing sunshine.  I learned with this bento that owls are not as easy to make as I expected.  In fact, the idea of 'owl' in my head does not resemble the real thing very much.  That's okay because these guys will be very tasty no matter what they look like...or don't look like!

In the bento: Two inari zushi owls, a mashed kabocha ball, steamed broccoli, corn on the cob, orange slices, apple slices and provolone cheese flowers.

The owls were made from provolone cheese, nori and carrots.  I used a leaf shaped cutter for the wings which would have been better if it had been just a smidge smaller. A-chan reminded me that owls have ears so I remedied the lack with more provolone cheese hastily cut out and attached.

The Nose Knows

Sometimes having a big nose is a big asset, especially for this guy whose nose is so cute!  A-chan asked for an onigiri for lunch today and I was delighted to oblige.  Actually, she first requested fried tofu but was denied and then decided on onigiri.  Moms have to make these tough decisions for the good health and well being of our children.  I told her she would understand in 20 years, but I don't think she believed me.

In the bento: Bunny onigiri, baby carrots, apple slices and a pick of green peas in the main compartment.  The smaller compartment contains steamed broccoli, an apple bunny, a pick with green peas and carrot slices, orange slices.  

The bunny's face is made from soy bologna, nori, and pickled ginger.  

A Funny Bao

One of our favorite things to buy at Super H mart are sweet potato bao.  We buy them frozen and save them for treats and fun bentos.  The outside is a mix of pink and purple and is so soft when they are steamed, just perfection!  Spring is here, the sun is shining, birds are tweeting up a storm outside so today is a perfect day for a little sweet potato treat.

In the bento: Sweet potato bao, steamed broccoli, half a cherry tomato, tofu and edamame on a pick, blueberries and orange slices.

Taking inspiration from Sherimiya's bao creativity, I cut the ears from the top layer of the bao using an exacto knife.  It wasn't as easy as I'd thought it would be!  The eyes, nose and mouth are provolone and nori, the cheeks are soy bologna.  Simple, tasty and fun :)

My Friend Hello Kitty

It is possible to make a bento using only one hand.  Barely.  With a bunch of cheating. Using my left hand for things has been an adventure today!  If anyone ever tells you thumbs are over rated, don't believe them.  Since I am impaired I fell back on my favorite bento character to decorate A-chan's lunch today.

In the bento: Two cheese sandwiches, steamed broccoli, apple heart, blueberries on a pick, veggie hot dog, baby carrots and a cherry tomato.

Hello Kitty is made from provolone cheese, nori and a veggie hot dog bow.  The tools make it very easy to create Hello Kitty and I love the way she makes A-chan smile.

Singing Friends

Wow ~ this morning was tough!  Spring break was wonderful but the return to reality is just so...realistic.  Today's bento was very simple to make and nice for my poor muddled sleepy brain to figure out because I'd  remembered to plan the night before, yay me!

In the bento:  Three inari zushi, a cherry tomato, two picks with blueberries, kabocha, steamed broccoli, strawberries and orange slices.

In the past I've recommended cooking the kabocha and the inari skins in the same pot because they are both very yummy using the same ingredients.  However, I can't recall if I've said which order to cook them in.  Definitely cook the kabocha first and then add the inari after the kabocha pieces are removed.  This morning's mixture was my favorite flavorings: water, soy sauce, mirin, brown sugar.

The middle inari has cooked kabocha mashed and mixed into the rice.  I think it tasted divine and hope that A-chan thinks the same.