Today was the first day that it really truly felt like fall. It was chilly outside! I had to wear a coat! Root veggies and apples are also taking up more shelf space in the stores. This is exciting to me because fall foods are my favorite. I love everything about fall. The cold air, the smell of burning leaves, the foods, the colors of the trees, my birthday... :)

Today's bento takes advantage of a few fall foods:



Chicken, butternut squash (tonkatsu sauce in the piggy for both chicken and squash), garlic-y snap peas, teeny-tiny apple.

Nutritional Information: 144 calories 2g fat, 17g carbs, 14g protein
Whoa! Ok, firstly, you have to know that I pack lunches first and calculate later. This seemed like a decent-sized meal when I finished (and having just eaten it, I'm sated). In light of this, I grabbed a snack on the way out of the door and might partake in a mini bag of popcorn this afternoon. I will make sure I get enough in me today, I promise. :)

That said, my husband's meal was the same size. He got a generous helping of trail mix as well as another snack. He also has access to a small cafe and vending machines (I do not). He'll be ok, too.

( Husband's Lunch )


There is a dinner tonight!

This weekend, I made a whole mess of lunches. It's funny, I frequently used to use leftovers for lunch, but because of my determination to have prepared lunches this week, I made the food for lunch and then will eat the bulk of it for dinners. So dinners are already made, too!




Bottom: concord grapes, fresh figs, cucumber/onion salad (vinegar dressing in fishy)
Top: brown rice, creamy black lentils

Nutritional information: 389 calories 6g fat, 75g carbs, 13g protein


( Husband's Lunch )



The lentils will also star in dinner tonight. Probably with naan instead of rice...and maybe a samosa or two!

Another monotone (on purpose) bento! Again, green is my "poison" of choice when it comes to monotone meals.




Top: spinach tortilla with peanut butter and pickles, broccoli
Bottom: kiwi, cucumber, bell pepper

307 calories, 12g fat, 45g carbs, 11g protein


This was actually my dinner for last Thursday. I'm waaaay behind in making and posting bentos. Since it seemed to work well this summer, I think I shall be doing batch bento making on weekends and Wednesdays. I'll give that a shot this weekend. Time and inertia are my only excuses at this point. I have the desire and I have the food.

It's mid-September, but where's the brisk air? It's far too warm for this time of year. I made chicken chili on Sunday using up a whole bunch of produce from the CSA share: tomatoes, tomatillos, bell peppers, jalapenos (added some onions, tomato paste, chicken, leftover black beans, and spices). It makes an appearance in today's lunch!




Small container: chicken chili
Large container:broccoli (CSA), carrots (CSA), grapes, light ranch dressing in yellow container.

Nutritional information: 276 calories, 10g fat, 37g carbs, 15g protein




( Husband's Lunch )

I was also able to pull together a dinner bento. Don't count the calories (there aren't many) because it's a big celebration week at work and I've been eating too much. I have snacks to keep me up to speed if I feel hungry. :D

This lunch has mapo tofu made without meat (just tofu and sauce). Apparently, this is called "mala tofu"...I'll be verifying that at work tomorrow. In any case, this whole thing (including husband's) came together in 20 minutes.




I've got the mala tofu on some brown rice, broccoli, a veggie egg roll (of the organic, frozen variety), and concord grapes.

Nutritional Information: 330 calories, 8g fat, 54g carbs, 15g protein




( Husband's Lunch )


I have to admit finding it really difficult to get back into the swing of things. Last week there were several lunch time distractions. There are a couple this week, too. With any luck, I should be able to navigate those distractions and still make something good to eat.

This dinner bento was created at the same time that I made my husband's lunch bento for today. I crammed it full of things I like and took the picture and then sat down to crunch the numbers. I had weighed out all of the components (I have a handy digital scale, so this is a light task--just plop it down before it goes in the box), so it was easy for the calculation. It's a very hearty meal clocking in quite low!





Some chicken breast left over from a meal over the weekend, purple new potatoes, carrots (from CSA), broccoli, and champagne grapes. There is also a little container (tucked under the broccoli) that contains some spicy/sweet stir-fry sauce to dip the veggies in.

Nutritional Information: 236 calories, 2g fat, 39g carbs, 19 protein

Unreal, isn't it? Since my lunch was on the high side for fat, the extremely low amount in this meal actually balances everything out. I'm eating this meal as I type and it's really satisfying. I love good veggies. It's also nice to have cooked carrots once in a while. The thick cut is reminding me of carrots in stew, which is awfully nice on a fall day like today.

...you're busy making other plans.
My last bento was actually eaten on Friday rather than Thursday. I didn't realize that I had an important work lunch to attend. And then the prof didn't give us a break in class (we ended up getting out rather early), so my dinner wasn't eaten, either. It's been stashed in the fridge and held up remarkably well, so it's going to be for lunch now!




Bottom: veggie gyoza on top of ginger carrots, wasabi almonds in the container
Top: 1/4 asian pear, champagne grapes, cucumber (from CSA).
Beverage: unsweetened iced tea

Nutritional Information: 517 calories, 27g fat, 58g carbs, 13g protein



( Husband's Bento )


I have to say that it's easy to do this when you're in the groove, but once you get out of it, it can be tricky to jump back in. I just keep reminding myself that it's made some incredible changes in my health and I should keep it up.

Took a couple days longer than I had hoped, but I'm making my version of a bento lunch again! I had a wonderful trip to Yellowstone National Park. I might sneak in a picture or two of my time there in the next couple of weeks. I hadn't been there in 13 years and it was far too long. It's a beautiful, ever-changing place.

What's strange is that when I got back to my job, there was more work than when I left! Go figure! At least I'm needed, eh? Classes have also started up again, so I'll actually have two meals to present for your viewing pleasure today. So let's get started!




For lunch, I shall thoroughly enjoy rice, sesame tofu, broccoli, most of an asian pear, and two Italian plums.

Nutritional Information: 417 calories, 7g fat, 95g carbs, 27g protein



( Husband's Lunch )


Husband is starting a school program this fall. It's unclear as to whether or not he'll need me to pack extra meals for him, so I have to leave it as a cliff-hanger--you *might* see more!!!

Hey folks!
Sorry for the lack of updates. I've been preparing for the vacation that starts tomorrow!
I'll be camping, so no bento to share for a couple of weeks. I'll be back in time for the start of school!!

There has been much of taking time off work, up too late working on homework to make lunch, and work-time lunch distractions in the past week. I missed my nice lunches, but I also had to push myself to get one done for tomorrow. Yes, I'm feeling lazy. When it's all said and done, I'm so glad to have made something! I know all bentoers know the feeling of having a nice, nutritious, delicious, and attractive lunch to look forward to!




At the bottom of the big dish, there is a small amount of brown rice (left over from dinner). Topping that is some teriyaki flavored baked tofu and steamed broccoli and carrots (tossed with a little "general tsao" sauce). The small container has fresh currants and gooseberries.


Nutritional information:368 calories, 6g fat, 61g carbs, 24g protein


( Husband's Lunch )



Also, if you haven't taken a moment to vote in the bento contest yet, please do visit Bento Pet's blog to cast your vote in decision '08! I'm "K.S. @ Kastinkerbell" and I'm sorely behind in the rankings. No pressure. :)

This box was made Monday night, with five bento to make at once, it's nice to have prepared items just ready to plop in. This is my first time using a lock & lock box for myself. I needed to replace the one my husband used because one lunch turned it evil. I figured it had a lot of use over a year and it was time to move on. The only problem was my local source dried up. I bought two online. The only problem was that one was *much* smaller. That's the one I'm using today. It has the same dimensions except for height. It seems that it was designed to hold a regular sandwich--ha!




I put in some rice, edamame, lotus root "salad," and mini peppers.
My sidecar has two lychee, a few blueberries, and two strawberries.

Nutritional information: 276 calories, 6g fat, 44g carbs, 13g protein


Seems small, but there is an office party of sorts this afternoon. It will be chock full of snacks and beverages. After that, I'm going to a baseball game! Small lunch is perfect.



( Husband's Lunch )



In other news: I've made the short list for the contest over in Bento Pet's neck of the woods. Hooray!! Check out all of the top fourteen! The rules did not allow for the overly intricate designs that usually seem to dominate such contests. This was a contest "for us" everyday bentomakers that attempt to make balanced and attractive meals without too much fanfare. Maybe you can draw some inspiration from what you see there!

Ok, not entirely true, but this was the last class period in the classroom. Next week is final presentations, but the instructor will cater that one. :) Ok, so here we go!




In the bottom (bun), I've got a greek salad (cucumber, peppers, onion, olives, feta, dressing), to which I've added some broccoli. The cucumber, green pepper, and broccoli are all from the CSA share.

On the meat patty, I have a few flatbread crackers from Trader Joe's.

On the lettuce layer, I have strawberries and blueberries. Yeah, I got a 6lb container of blueberries at Trader Joe's. They much be used!


Nutritional information: 355 calories, 15g fat, 52g carbs, 10g protein



Class got out a little early and I got home in time to be able to make lunches for tomorrow, but it was really nice to know that they were already done and I could just relax. Particularly nice because it's a really hot/humid day and the kitchen was really warm. I'm glad to be able to spend time in the cooler living room instead. And my cooler, I mean hip. But it is also several degrees lower in temperature. :D


ETA: This is officially the 100th bento made for myself (I don't count my husband's lunches in my running total). No, I didn't go all out and do something fancy. The reason: too much going on. It's more important that I eat a balanced meal than it is to make it cute right now. I still think it's attractive and I looked forward to eating it. I did want to recognize myself for passing that milestone, however.

Sorry folks, it got late last night after making all the lunches for today and tomorrow...and I still had a paper to write. The last one of the semester. As much as I really feel like a slacker and want to say "I just won't do it," it's still worth 10% of my grade. Can't exactly let the slacker drop me an automatic letter grade, can I?

Anyway, I made this for my lunch today and it was delicious:



Curry baked veggie fritters, sesame green beans in a lettuce cup, blueberries and a babybel light.

315 calories, 8g fat, 47g carbs, 16g protein



( Husband's Lunch )


I'll be back in a little bit to post my dinner. :)

I believe I mentioned before that we have a share in some Community Support Agriculture (CSA). Last week was the first week we got a large amount of veggies in our delivery. This weekend, I went crazy trying to cook them up (as well as some other things that had spent too much time in the fridge).




Chicken wing on rice, sesame green beans, lotus root salad, mini sweet peppers, and lychee.


Nutritional information: 328 calories, 9g fat, 49g carbs, 14g protein


The beans are from the share and the other items didn't take much time since they were leftovers: chicken from my batch cooking last week, rice from another meal over the weekend, lotus root salad made from leftovers over the weekend, and the peppers and lychee were ready to go!


( Husband's different lunch )


We pick up our next batch of veggies tomorrow!!

I found a large quantity of organic, free-range (the real deal) chicken wings at the local coop. I swiftly purchased them and then baked them up last night. Most of them have been tightly wrapped and placed in airtight containers in the freezer. A few are in today's lunch and will probably make an appearance in tomorrow's. Chicken wings are certainly not the friendliest item when it comes to eating sensibly, but they are small, convenient, tasty, and easy to eat.



Green beans in a lettuce cup, orange fruit nuggets, baby red potatoes, chicken wings.

Nutritional information: 366 calories, 15g fat, 33g carbs, 18g protein



( Husband's Lunch )

We have also been making our way through our first very plentiful CSA box. In today's lunch, the potatoes, beans, snap peas, and lettuce are from our local farm delivery. Here's another first: I like beans! It's only been about a year since I started liking green veggies. They always tasted "green" to me. The last hold out (can you believe it was *after* broccoli?) was green beans. I knew that I liked the Chinese long beans, but they seemed much different. These were the regular variety and they were blanched and then very lightly dressed in a spicy pepper sauce. It was nice munching on them.

It's just too easy!
You see, the problem is that we pick up our CSA share on Mondays, so shopping on the weekend is tricky because we're not sure what we'll have waiting in our box until Monday night. So it's just best to pick up a couple of things to complement what is already on hand. Thus is the sad tale of today...but how can you really go wrong with mini waffles? It's honestly not too bad, just a bit short on color. I'm sad to say that I picked this box to try and fool you into thinking that the orange "counted."




Large container (left): eggo mini waffles, chicken and sage sausage, hard boiled egg white.
Small (right): blueberries and kiwi.

Nutritional Information: 402 calories, 11g fat, 58g carbs, 19g protein



( Husband's Bento )


It sounds like we'll have quite the haul from our CSA share this week (got the newsletter tonight that indicates what we'll get). With any luck, I'll have a few recipes that will showcase them for lunch!

I've got some ravioli tonight. Not exactly a "pizza pie" but it is amore. These are light four cheese ravioli that taste fantastic. After a bunch of impulse food purchases, we're working at eating the items we already have in the cupboards. This would explain why there is pizza sauce on my ravioli instead of marinara. I mean, heck, it's a tomato sauce with all the same stuff in it. Frankly, I'm not sure why it's "pizza" sauce anyway.




Top (left): the big layer has the fruit and veg. There is a teeny orange, cucumber, and peas. The veg is from the CSA share. The little container next to the orange is filled with parmesan for the...
Bottom (right): light four cheese ravioli topped with pizza sauce

Nutritional information: 387 calories, 8g fat, 61g carbs, 19g protein



( Husband's Lunch )


Tomorrow will be a challenge! Haven't put something together since yesterday and haven't been "real" shopping in ages. I'll have to find awesome ways to use the bounty of my stores!

Yeah...now it's all about being online during class. I look up what the lecturer talks about and I also goof off. Here is the dinner bento I ate during break:





A roll-up (of refried beans, tabasco, light cheese, lettuce), edamame, a teeny orange, yellow baby carrots, blueberry fruit nuggets.

Nutritional information: 441 calories, 11g fat, 65 carbs, 22g protein



Ok, back to learning about print media strategy. I have color flow charts to look at!

Be sure to head over to the contest at On a Bento Frenzy and submit an entry if you're so inclined. :D

...cut off your head! That's exactly what I wanted to do this morning. I had the worst headache I've had in a long, long time. I cried uncle, called in sick, and went back to bed. Since I didn't turn the TV off after turning it on to catch the weather report when I first got up, I realized it was time to face the world when I heard Sami of Days of Our Lives having it out with somebody. Yes, it meant it was after noon. I hadn't had a real lunch prepared for today anyway, so no worries. Tonight I made five bento. With any luck, I'll be able to keep this up until class is done in August.




It's breakfast for lunch! Eggo mini homestyle waffles, laughing cow wedges (light swiss), kiwi and mango, a hard boiled egg white, and some grape jelly for the waffles.

Nutritional information: 390 calories, 10g fat, 62g carbs, 14g protein





( Husband's Lunch )

See you later when I present....dinner!!