Saturday, October 9, 2010

Every Day Bento ~ for real ~

I am so impressed with all you creative super bento moms that can have everything all organized and planed out enough where you can make 3 bento box lunches with all the cute details and artistic flair! Then photograph it beautifully! I thought I could do that, but I'm not 100% on the planing ahead. I often have a lot on hand for my bentos, but sometimes when I get a nice looking tiny fruit, or an interesting color vegetable...my lettuce is wilted...or the bread is moldy :( or everything ends up the same color! Then try to get a good photo when it is still dark out so you just have to use the flash on the counter in front of you not having the time to set it up to look nice...

But I trudge on trying to get a lunch together that they will at least eat and put it in a nice, if not pretty reusable "green" container or bento.

This is often what I will end up with for the everyday...I have to get up at 5:30 and make 3 lunches bento.
In one I have some Spinach Alfredo pizza, babybel cheese, some really nice cheddar, and cauliflower. The other one is Genoa salami, Champagne grape, and cauliflower. Easy peasy...sometimes the best I can do on a busy weekday morning. I'm not making excuses because my daughter is fine with a sandwich of her choosing and some little snacks and tidbits, and she is happy with her lunch!

Show and Tell Time again!
I don't know if you remember my cactus flower buds here. The cactus is called Stapelia and I believe is originally from South Africa. It is also call the Starfish plant, Carrion Flower and a few other names. Well here they are when the blooms are open...
It is an interesting plant because it is considered a "stinky" flower. The flower is about 8-10 inches at it's widest part and smells like meat (I never smelled it). It is hairy and attracts flies for pollination. The lizards love hanging out around the flowers when it's dinner time! It is an easy plant to care for, it like sandy soil and you can pretty much ignore it. It spreads but it is easy to control. It works well for a house plant because the plant it's self doesn't get very tall, not like my San Pedro Cactus. It can bloom even if it's in a planter.

8 comments:

  1. That catcus is gorgeous! And I always find your bentos so creative and inspiring. It would be lovely to get that done every single day - but in this day and age, not too easy. :) I'm not much for planning ahead anymore either - that part of me wore off somewhere but I'm not sure where.

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  2. Thanks Betty Ray (it seems so funny calling you that). I'm always impressed on what all you get done, and your kids are smaller. I do enjoy making my bento lunches, but it was easier when I had the time and the daylight. If you have your bento stash set up, some can be pulled together quite quickly.

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  3. I love this idea! My boys are adults now. I did pack their lunches many times but put them in paper bags. They never brought lunch boxes home!!

    Best,
    Bonnie

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  4. Oh wow, finally, they bloomed! Such gorgeous flowers. Thanks for sharing the photos. And no worries, your bento looks good & yummy! Have a great day.
    Cheers, Kristy

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  5. Yummy! I love the champagne grapes too. :)

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  6. The blooms are beautiful!
    I applaud you for even taking the time to play around with the bento boxes. I want to do it too but it keeps getting pushed back into the category of scrap-booking and crafts that I never seem to get around to doing. Life is just too busy these days!

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  7. Wow, exotic cactus looks very cool...FL flora so different from Nothern VA! You put love and color in your bentos making them special...and that you are an amazing cook helps, too!

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  8. Ha, I totally have bentos I don't upload. We've been jokingly calling them #bentohallofshame on twitter. :) If it's tasty, who cares, right? :)

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I love my bento friends and I love to hear from you. I appreciate your input, thanks!