Pickled Beef

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Weekly Words Challenge 69!

The "words" for this week were Circle and Town Tourist.

How did you interpret them?

Circle

Town Tourist
(From the archives)

(Other Random Photos)

A Tree Eating a Candy Cane?

Ginger, the Miracle Puppy

She's the one that ingested rat poison two years ago Christmas.

(Bento!)

Bento for Hoop 1-22

Clementines, kiwi, cookies and crackers, brown rice and burger with peppers.

Bento for Hoop 1-26

Strawberries, kiwi, brown rice and chicken with lentils and tomatoes.

Bento for Tink 1-26

Bento for Hoop 1-27

Strawberries, tangelo, and homemade pizza.

If you haven't joined the fun yet, go here for details. We also have a Flickr group for easy shareability. Not only do you get to add "Lowly Foon" to your resume, but you get to find out the new words at least an hour earlier. Happy snapping!

The words for next week are:
M
and
Jump

Daily Etsy Pick:
Personalized Mug Shot Signature Stamp
Mini Luck Dragon (From "The Neverending Story"!)

WTF Etsy?:
Tree Ghosts
Smoking Toilet
Chunky 'N' Cozy, Cowl
Ronald McDonald as a Pirate?
Knitaliscious Thong

Somewhere In Between:
Monster Cupcake

Labels: Bento, I Heart Etsy, WWC

Friday, January 23, 2009

Bentō

I don't know exactly how it started. Maybe it was just one of those random things, like a purchase suggestion from Amazon. "We see you like to buy books on Mythology. Maybe you would like to purchase this 'Invisible Pink Unicorn Lapel Pin' too?" My interest quickly escalated from admiring Bento photos on Flickr, to actually aspiring to make some of my own. I don't mean the fancy Bentos either (kyaraben), which are elaborately designed to look like people and scenery. I just wanted to make healthy, pretty lunches. Something other than the same boring soup I was eating every day.

Bento (ben-toh; Japn. ben-taw)
–noun, plural. a meal, usually served in a lacquered or elaborately decorated box that is divided into sections for holding individual portions of food. Also called Obento.

Tink's Holy Grail of Bento/Lunch Box Sites:
Vegan Lunch Box- Jennifer also has a book out. Although neither Hoop nor I are vegetarians, I found the suggestions and recipes on her site (and in her book) very resourceful.
Adventures In Bento Making- Not only does Pikko have beautiful pictures and posts that make even a noob like me feel like I can do something cool with food, she hosts contests every 100 posts for free Bento items!
Anna The Red's Bento Factory- Scary-good kyaraben that almost looks too cool to eat.
Just Bento- Mouth watering recipes and free downloadable spreadsheets for easy lunch planning. Check out the "Bento Basics" section for how-to-start tips.
My Bento Diet- Healthy recipes for American bento meals.
Lunch In A Box- Although not updated very often, this site has proven to be a wealth of information. It has guides on everything from how to clean lunch gear, to what size bento box you should buy.

Where To Buy Bento Supplies:
Ichiban Kan- Super cheap Japanese supplies.
Sugar Charms- This is where I purchased the Bento box featured on Wednesday's post. But be warned, traditional Bento boxes are shockingly small. Remember, the Japanese eat mostly rice, meat and vegetables. Trying to fit traditional American food, like a sandwich, in one of these boxes will NOT work.
JBOX- The authority on Asian goods. Check daily for updates.
I Love Obento!- Pricey, but home to some hard-to-find items.

Don't forget to check any local Asian markets you might have before paying to ship something from one of these sites. I've heard that Ebay has some good shops too. I would also like to mention that expensive import boxes are not required to make Bento. Hoop and I found divided Tupperware at Target for $6! Rubber cupcake holders, found at any kitchen supply store, make good dividers as well. If you think creatively enough, supplies can be found all around you.

Labels: Bento