Merry Christmas !!

Okay so here's another non-food item... but they just look so darn cute! My sons Elias (left) and Orion (right) are sporting the new Christmas PJ's I made them. The one for Elias was a little big, but that's okay he still looks adorable, it keeps him warm, and he'll fit in it longer tehe.

Lunch Time!
Okay so here we have a couple of Grilled Cheese Sandwiches... used Honey whole wheat bread with Colby/Monterey cheese, Tomato's and Green onions grilled on the skillet. Carrot sticks and baby garlic pickles on the side.

Steak and Tatters Variation

Top: Green Olives, Chimichurri Marinated Beef, Baby corn, Fancy cut carrots.

Bottom: Baked crinkle cut fries, Edamame steamed in the pod with a small shaker of Sea Salt to sprinkle over the bean.

Okay so this Bento wasn't planed, really... I just started dinner to late and my husband had to get to work, so I just dumped dinner into his bento box lol. I know cheater.

Snacks!

Late night snacks Mmmmmm.... I made a Grilled cheese sandwich with tomato's and wasabi on wheat bread. And had Baby corn, fancy cut carrots, and green Olives on the side. Quick, easy, yummy, and pleasing to the eye.

Steak-n-Taters on the Go!

Left: Baby Corn, Fancy cut/cooked carrots, Red Radish, Shiitake Mushrooms, Sweet baby Pickles, Green and Black Olives, Yellow Bell pepper.

Right: Seasoned Steak strips, Home made Corn Bread, Roasted/Seasoned baby baker Potatoes.

eHappy Birthday to Me...e

So for my Birthday I wanted to try something new. Cook something I'd never cooked before. So the winner was... Crab!

This dinner was Soooooooooooooooo yummy! There's steamed King crab legs, Mixed Veggi, lightly buttered with a touch of garlic and pepper white rice, and of course the drawn butter.

It was accompanied of course by White Grape Juice, and a sourdough bread. *drool*

Mommy's Get well soup

My hubby woke up today feeling misserable. But unfortunately he can't miss work, I hate sending him in when he's sick. So I did the best I could for him... made him get well soup for lunch!

Chicken broth with noodles, carrots, mushrooms, green onions, and Garlic. With fresh ground pepper to taste. Hope you feel better quick love!

KernDra's BentoY

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!

My friend Kerndra (online name) has been watching my blog and asked me if I would make him a bento too. For his birthday I thought... why not?! So although he lives far away and can't enjoy eating this bento :( I made it non the less. Hope you like it Kern! *hugs*

Top: Cucumbers, Radish pyramid and pin wheel, sliced Kiwi, baby Corn, baby Garlic Dill pickle, Mushrooms (sorry I didn't have any shiitake ones left), Butternut Squash, Green Onions, and the dip is Pineapple mango chutney sauce with a sprig of Italian parsley.

Bottom: Sticky Rice with radish peel initials and smiley, Jumbo Coconut shrimp, Italian parsley sprig.

Left: Small cup of Banana flavored tofu dessert with banana slices as garnish.

Trick or Treat!

Okay so not a kitchen creation but it's a creation non the less. This is my oldest son who went as a Pirate for Halloween this year. We made his costume mostly. Made his tunic, vest, eye patch, necklace, treasure chest. The Sash is an old scarf, the sword a thrift store special, and the captains hat is a Disneyland memento from my trip there back in High School. Finishing touches are the eye liner pencil mustache/beard and you can't see it in the picture but he has a skull and cross bones tattoo on his arm. Also not pictured is his paper towel roll telescope. "What does a pirate say?" ARRRRG!!

My youngest son was also a Pirate, kinda. He was a pirate monkey! Again we made the vest, necklace, eye patch and treasure chest. He also has the skull and cross bones tattoo on the back of his hand. He also had a toilet paper roll telescope. The monkey suit was a store pick up, and yes that is a banana on his head. Both my boys had a blast dressing up and playing around, getting candy wasn't to bad ether of course lol. Okay so there we go, got my little brag moment outta the way tehe.

Combined Effort!

My husband and I worked together to make this dinner... He cooked the meat and I made the rest.

Garlic and herb pork cutlets, Home cut oven baked spiced fries, Green beans with carrots, Butternut Squash, and a Red bell pepper accent.

Snack Lunch!

Hokay so I think I may have been taking just a few pictures of food lately. I set out a snack lunch for my boys today and my eldest son asked me over and over "Mommy take a picture of my food too!" So to make him happy we did... then he said "now put it on da puter Mommy". LOL! So here it is just for him *smiles*

We had hot dogs with catchup/mustard, Colby cheese sticks, baby dill pickle and raisins. (not shown: his sippy cup of "awple duce")

Bento = "Edible love in a box"

So I was in a flirty kinda mood so I played on that a little when making my husbands bento.

Top: Sticky rice with carrot sprinkles and red bell pepper heart, and breaded chicken bites.

Bottom: Asparagus spears, sweet pickled ginger, Butternut squash, red bell peppers, baby dill and sweet pickles, baby corn, sliced carrot wall, cottage cheese with raisins spelling the word "LUV".

My husband said it made him smile when he opened his bento that night, so it did it's job *smiles*.

Dinner by Husband

Okay so it was the hubby's night to cook and I really liked the way he did the pototo's so I naturally took a pic! We have chimichuri beef steak, Marinated potato's with carrott shreads, and peppered cut corn. It was very yummy and very filling. Go Honey!

Bento with Dessert!

Left: Mushrooms, Green bell peppers, Butternut squash, Sweet pickled ginger, Baby corn, Baby Garlic pickle, Kiwi and Banana flavored tofu dessert!

Right: Sticky rice with Beef-n-veggie stir fry.

Dinner Time!

I actually remembered to snap a picture of dinner before we ate it lol.

Here we have boiled butternut squash with a thin square of butter over top. Mashed potato's with mushroom gravy and a few mushrooms as garnish. Home grown Tomato, Baby corn, Broccoli with cheese sauce, and Oven baked breaded chicken breast with a bit of mushroom gravy over top.

NEW WINE

Also known as "Church Wine" or "Grape Juice".
This is a picture of this years New Wine freshly canned. It tastes okay now but give it 6-12 months to age and *muah* it's delicious!

Salsa

Bowl of hot out of the canner home made salsa... Where's the chips?! This is the first year I've made salsa on my own. I like to add a bit of shredded cheese over top and dip those chips!

Good Ol' Fashion Pumpkin Pie

A big yummy slice of Pumpkin pie topped with whipped cream and milk chocolate shavings. My favorite! Course it's also excelent warm from the oven with vanilla ice cream.

It's a Pizza Pie!!

Mmmmm... Who doesn't like a nice pizza once in a while eh? This one is topped with pepperoni, chedder and mozzerella cheese, Green bell peppers and walla walla onions. Magnafic! *muah!*

I learned some fun new food cuts that make for

entertaining and visually fun food!

I've learned something new again! Today's bento features flowers!

Left: Sticky Rice, Green onions, Strawberry soysauce bottle, and hotdog flowers!

Right: Beets, Bean spouts with twisted cut carrots, Garlic and sweet pickles, fresh mushroom, baby corn, and sweet pickled ginger.

*** PIE!! ***

Okay so here's a 'Boiled Cream Custard Tart' that I made for Dragon's Key Feast! Dragon's Key is one of the biggest events we have in the MCRS (Medieval Chivalry Reenactment Society). It celebrates their Majesties wedding anniversary. The pies were very yummy I'm told as I wasn't able to attend Feast due to other plans. But it was fun to learn a new recipe! The pie it's self tastes a lot like Cheesecake. I sprinkled a little bit of ground ginger and sugar on top with a few Raspberries and Blackberries for color and decoration.

It's a hot night tonight so I kept the foods cool.

Left: Noodles with mixed veggies and chicken chunks.

Right: Bing Cherries, Cantaloupe, Daikon radish, Green Onion, Tomato, Baby cut corn, Garlic pickle, and Sweet pickled ginger.

This one's Fresh!

I just finished making this bento for my husband's lunch tonight! (my husband works nights if that confused anyone) I loved the colors here, very fun.

Top: Coconut shrimp, Sticky rice, garnished with yellow bell pepper/carrot/green onion.

Bottom: Mini carrot sticks, Sauteed walla walla and red onions, puzzle cut Daikon radish, Green onions, Yellow bell peppers, black olives with carrot in center, Sweet pickled ginger, and Pineapple mango chutney sauce with green onion garnish.

~Child's Bento~

My 3 year old son requested that I make him a bento. Why not?!

Heart shaped PB&J sandwiches, Bear shaped riceball (green onion face), Banana peppers, Black olives, Mushrooms, Baby garlic pickle, and chedder cheese cubes.

And yes he did eat everything. He especially loved his "winnie the pooh" riceball.

Sharing Bento's with friends!

So some friends of ours loved seeing and hearing about these fun bento's that I make. We were meeting for lunch one day and I offered to bring the lunch. My husband did a lot of the putting together on these, joint effort always gets things done faster yay! So there were two individual bento's made and one larger size for our friends to share. So rather then point out where each item is in each bento I'll just list what was used in them.

Sticky rice of course! Green Onions, tomatoes, black olives, banana peppers, baby corn, Mushrooms, Tomagoyaki, Fresh grated ginger, Pears, Tori Misoyaki (chicken marinated in sherry and miso), and of course the cute little soy sauce bottles... Bear, Lion, Panda, Chicken, and Bunny.

More Orange flowers!

Top: Green bell peppers and carrot sticks, Mushrooms and Bamboo shoots with carrot bits on top, Green onion stalks, the shredded looking stuff in the middle is green onion as well, Baby garlic pickles, Tomatoes, banana peppers.

Bottom: Sticky rice, carrot flowers with green onion stem/leaves, chopped polish sausage.

You don't need a fancy Bento box from Japan to make a nice looking lunch!

On the left hand side you have the sticky rice topped with green onions and very thin carrot slices. On the right hand side there is leftover rib eye steak, the green onion bottoms, more thin carrots, Chopped tomato, sliced radishes, a small bunch of green grapes, and of course the little pink bunny soy sauce bottle lol.

Hokay...
Left: Tamagoyaki, Green onions, thin carrot sticks, Bing cherries, and Chopped baby garlic pickles... Hidden under the green onions are mushrooms.
Right: Sticky rice with banana peppers over top and Dinner sausage.

Angel Themed Bento!

I had some fun with this one. I had some extra time while preparing my husband's bento this night so why not?!

Top: Garlic and herb Angel hair pasta, Angel shaped three layer Tamagoyaki with cheese, Daikon radish angel on top, and two yellow bell pepper stars.

Bottom: Fresh mushrooms, some sweet pickled ginger, Tomato slice with Daikon radish Angel cut out on top, thin carrot sticks, Daikon radish angels, Baby corn, Garlic pickle, Black olives, and another yellow bell pepper star.

I really loved the way this one turned out, it was so much fun and a neat surprise for my husband. Who said food had to stop being fun just because we grew up?! LOL.

Okay back to the bento's lol... Playing with more shapes.

Top: Sticky rice topped with tree shaped lettuce and banana pepper sunshine rays, shredded seasoned pork, Lion soy sauce bottle and parsley garnish.

Bottom: Tomagoyaki with green onions, Angel shaped cheese pieces, Asparagus spears, Banana peppers, Radish men, cut baby corn, more parsley for garnish.

NOT A BENTO! LOL

This is the birthday cake I made for my baby's first birthday! My boys were part of a Pirate themed summer reading program at the local library. So we made a pirate cake! The frosting on the small personal cake to the right was suposed to be gold (as it was a gold coin) however I don't do well with those cheapy liquid food dyes.

However my baby enjoyed it, and that's what matters. Just for fun I've added in few pictures of my little pirates and the birthday boy enjoying the bootie!

Spring flowers @-->----

Top: Fresh mushroom, thinly sliced carrot sticks, black olives, baby garlic pickles, Tomato slices, Lion soy sauce bottle (placed inside a black olive), garnished with fresh parsley.

Bottom: Sticky rice with carrot flowers and green onion stems/leaves, Meat loaf (told you he requested it again lol), water chestnuts, sprinkled with carrot bits.

Faces!! 8-P

Top: Bamboo shoots, Garlic baby pickles, Mushrooms and black olives, pinapple chunks, pink bunny soy sause bottle, baby corn, and some freshly grated ginger.

Bottom: Sticky rice with raddish skin laughing faces, Dinner sausage alternated with Raddish slices.

Simple yet yummy...

Top: Mushrooms, a cheese divider, sliced kiwi, a cheese divider, and ripe red tomatos!

Bottom: Meat loaf (I didn't have a recipe for this so I just started putting things together with the *this might taste good* attitude, and hubby loved it so much he requested it again yay!) , Sticky rice with a little pink bunny soy sauce bottle tucked in.

This is actually a Bento made for me by my loving husband. It was so very yummy!

Left: Tomato slices on a bed of lettuce with a few sprigs of green onion, Tamagoyaki with chives, Oreo "coral reef" cookies, hot dog crabs, and a bit of sticky rice.

Middle: Sticky rice topped with green onions, sunflower seeds, and cheese.

Right: is the lid to my bento with the little chopsticks to finish the set lol.

Sea Themed Bento!

Top: Little hot dog Octopi, Peanut butter and Jelly Dolphin shaped sandwiches, on a bed of shredded lettuce.

Bottom: Pickles with sliced beets, Sticky rice, Mandarin oranges.

I had just purchased some fun sandwich cutters for my son and couldn't resist making a bento with them lol.

Left: Tamagoyaki alternated with Dinner sausage, Sticky rice topped with carrot pieces.

Right: Cottage cheese with almonds, Mandarin oranges, Banana slices, and Kiwi slices.

My husband has recently started having a fascination with the oriental culture. In particular the Japanese. It started off harmlessly watching Japanese Animation. My husband being the curious person that he is saw the cartoon characters doing certain things often. So that led him to question "why do they always say this?" "why do they always do that?" and TADA! He's now actively learning all about their culture, traditions, and of course food! I love to learn how to cook new dishes, and styles. So one of the fun things that the Japanese do particularly are decorative Bento Boxes. "Bento" is the the Japanese word for "Lunch box". As a gift to my husband for his birthday I purchased a few of these neat little boxes and promised him "Bento's" for work. He's loved them and I've had lots of fun creating them. The picture here is of my very first attempt at Bento. It's not traditional Japanese food, but it was what I had on hand and was lots of fun. Most of my pictures which will be posted here are of the Bento's I've made for my husband.

Okay! So I'll describe what's in this bento, keep in mind it was my first attempt lol...

Top: Tomagoyaki (fried sweet rolled egg), Sticky rice with green onion stars.
Bottom: Chicken nuggets, Spinach rolls, Sliced beets with mushrooms.