The Bento That Was Forgotten

pictured above: Vietnamese chicken salad; teriyaki chicken and jasmine rice; orange slices; cucumbers, carrots and ranch dip; carrot and broccoli stalk stars and ducks for garnish.

I made two bentos last Thursday night, but only one was eaten. Husband, amidst such stress at work, forgot to eat his bento. I even called him at 3 PM (because I know him), to remind him to eat it, or to see how it was. I didn't want him to spoil his appetite for our dinner out that night. He admitted that he hadn't eaten it yet. What he didn't admit until during dinner was that he totally forgot about it (even though it was on his desk) and rushed off to make it to lunch before the cafeteria closed.
Arrrrggh....:(

Son, on the other hand, ate most of his bento. I noticed that the juice box was unopened - he said he was too busy eating to ever open it! I could hardly believe it!

Latest lesson: bentos really only are fun to make if the majority of ingredients are totally ready for consumption, ready to pack. I had to cook the chicken that night and that really added on to the time needed to make the bento. I had to do it all the night before, because I knew Husband was going to leave early for work. Turns out, we all overslept, and then, he didn't even eat that bento!

Hummus on Thomas

pictured above: whole wheat English muffin with hummus and lettuce; cucumbers and feta, grape tomatoes, and Annie's Sour Cream & Onion bunnies

bento bento bento, I love you every day
bento bento bento, I love you every way.

bento bento bento, you're the lunch for me
bento bento bento, how healthy we will be!

Bento Beginnings!

pictured above: whole grain tortilla wrap with smoked turkey, American cheese, pesto and lettuce; Banilla yogurt with strawberry hearts; cucumbers and feta cheese, and more strawberries.

I did it! I've done 3 bento lunchboxes in a week! I actually think I could keep this up. And I love it! I would never have known that making lunch is fun. I barely get by with the basics without making Son and Husband lunch...but as long as it is a fun thing to do, I think it might last.

So here's my first one on the latest roll - I made one once before for Son, but this time I'm really putting my heart into it! (Sorry, I didn't realize the visual pun.)

Son is SO excited about taking lunch. He couldn't wait to use the new laptop lunchbox, and it took awhile for me to be organized and start it up, but now I'm totally hooked. For months I've been reading bento blogs, and wanting so badly to be the kind of organized mom who makes lunches.
(See my feed - cookingcute.com - she has links there of lots of lunch blogs.)

Son loved his lunch so much. His friend wanted to try it, and also loved the turkey pesto wrap. He said he wanted me to make him lunches too! Ha! I AM a great mom.