A Bento, a Wedding and Spring Flowers

Hi everyone, I'm back!!
In the nurses office at the elementary school that I work at they have us call it the health room. I guess it's not legally a clinic because no doctor works there and of course we can't diagnose anything. We need to tell the parents that, (oh yeah we do) they always send thier kid in to see us for something that happened at home and wants us to do something about it.

Anyway we have a senior in high school that has an internship with us in the health room, because she wants to go into nursing. She would come in and eat snacks and her second lunch that her boyfriend's mother would pack for her. On my computer my screen-saver is a collection of photos and a couple are of my bento boxes. I like the kids to see what a healthy lunch looks like and how much fun it is to ear. Alysia saw my bentos and was intrigued and so I made her one...

It was just a small one because this was her second lunch, but she ended up eating the fruit and taking the rest home. I used the Longhorn pick because that was one of her favorite pigout places restaurants. I also had another little box with a salad for her. She was thrilled...and it is so simple. She said she never had rice noodles like this before. She thought my dumplings were scary.
Last Saturday we were in Grand Rapids, Michigan for my nieces wedding. Maranda and I were able to fly up for a long weekend. The weather was unusually cool for this time of year and it was even cold for them. The day of the wedding there were blue skies.

Not a good shot but the lighting was better in this one. I had to fight the back lighting of windows during the wedding (I was asked to video tape it for them) and here at the reception. This was just before the toast.

The tulips are usually in full bloom at this time...in Holland, Michigan I believe the Tulip Festival was moved up to this week because in the past they were almost done because it was too warm. Go figure Mother Nature!

These were in my sister's yard...

they had some beautiful purple full hyacinths decorating the chapel for the wedding.

A quick shot of my family without the kids. Me, dad, mom, uncle and aunt. Then cousin, younger sis, her husband, older sis, her husband and my cousin's wife.

The weeping cherry trees were almost in bloom, this one was outside after the reception. I'll bet it wasn't long after we left that they were in full bloom.

Back home in Florida this is what we woke up to...our San Pedro cactus in full bloom. It's a shame the blossom only comes out at night and then closes in the morning and that's it.

Hope you all have a wonderful Mother's Day!

Sunday Snack Bento

Hi all my bento friends out there, how have you all been? It's a busy week at school last week due to the FCAT testing, that's The Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test, and is administered to students in grades 3 - 11. Although I am not in the classroom anymore and working in the clinic I get a chance to see what nerves and working too hard can do to these grade schoolers. Anyway I really needed to relax this weekend and get ready for two more days of testing for the 5th graders. This year Our Spring Break was so early and testing is later than it has always been. I think as far as sickness, colds and allergies the later testing is better, but you still have kids coming in to school sick so they won't miss it....please stay home and take the make up test!!!

I finally used my new adorable bento box that my sister gave me for Christmas. Of course I got it in February because that's when she come down to Florida to visit. I love it, and I can't wait to use the fish onigiri mold. I also can't wait to get a new camera...I really want two. But bills have to be paid first.

The tier on the left I have some crispy curry tofu, some mini almonds, marbled cheese, grape tomatoes, cauliflower all on a bed of kale. I have some asparagus spears tucked in on the left but you can't see them. The little candy in the first pic is from my friend who brought a bag of little candy bars from South Africa.

The top tier: the last of some of this season's Florida orange slices green grapes with some of the pick my sister gave me, baby bella mushrooms, and oatmeal bread cut in a flower with cream cheese and peperoni spread with a chipotle rubbed, boiled lotus root on top.

I could not get this camera to focus on the baby pineapple. I wanted to show you how it has tiny purple flowers that start to bloom at the bottom and later near the top. ..

My camera is now really acting up, because I used to be able to focus pretty close... There is also a catch in the aperture, but I hope you get an idea of what it looks like.

My husband rode his motorcycle to Ft Lauderdale to a jet ski race to promote his new business that he just started last week. So Maranda and I decided to walk the beach early...we grabbed our coffee and flip flops sunroof open and headed out to Siesta Key...

We had our coffee and so did this guy...

We usually avoid going to the beach until after Easter when most of the snow-birds and tourist leave us, and we can have our beach back, and things get back to normal.

It is still a little early to see any turtles nests, nesting season is May 1, through Oct 4. We were thinking of volunteering to join the daily patrols during nesting season to help monitor the eggs and hatching of the baby turtles. Here on Turtle Beach you'll find many nests.

We were there early enough so the beach was still empty, and the waves were beautiful...so peaceful just to be there and listen...

The crystal clear blues skies really helped to show off the blue water, then we came home to walk the dog and sit by the pool and enjoy our snack bento....

Ready for the week?

Tiny Hippo Bento

I know, I haven't graduated to cutting out a hippo fro cheese or egg sheets yet, but using this container as a guide I might just be able to pull it off. I found this cute little container perfect for dips and dressings, so I filled it with Jason's Deli style fruit dip, you can get the fruit dip recipe here. I also tucked in some veggies, steamed romanesco, carrots, snow peas. A little arepa sandwich with salmon, cream cheese and dill. Sharing a little of my work place. Some of the kids artwork that is hanging in the office next to the health room door (where I work). I love these... ...it's painted on crumpled up brown paper bag paper. The colors are so vivid. I should take some more photos of it I was in a rush when these were taken. We have so much beautiful art that the kids do hanging around the school.

The colorful crazy socks of one of our regulars that we see each day. She comes in to check her blood sugar and to get some insulin after she eats lunch. When I first saw these I told her I wanted a picture of it...she giggled. I bring my camera quite often to work, so this time when she wore some crazy sock I was ready. She loved posing, I wish I could show you her cute smiling face!

Here is Marina Jacks at Sarasota Bay front, we like to go here and have breakfast, there is a park, fountains for the kids, beautiful view, and dogs are welcome to tag along with their owners. There are always plenty of dogs and it's so nice we can take him to breakfast at O' Learys. I think I've already posted picture of that before, if not I'll be sure to. It's so nice that in outdoor restaurants we can bring our dogs with us We do have to follow the rules, but of course our dog is well behaved. :D

Tucker met a new friend, she is just under a year old and very well behaved too. Tucker has mellowed in his old age. When we are finished eating breakfast we have to take him around a little bit more... ...after all there are so many good dog smells to check out.

Hope everyone has had a wonderful weekend!

There will be more to come...

Arepa Riena Pepuada Bento~

I have been busy with family, taking classes and studying to pass this Paraprofessional test that I had to take to keep my job, or at least stay at the school that I now work in which is 3 blocks from my house, and with the economy the way it is I can walk to work and not get much gas in my Honda, but I only fill it up every other week as it is....

Okay enough run on sentences...on one of our ventures my daughter and I went up to Tampa to use her gift card that she got from my sister for Christmas. We don't have an Abercrombie and Fitch here is Sarasota, hence the trip north. I had to check out this spice shop which ended up not being too impressive, but on the way out I spotted the Sanrio store! Yipee! I was thrilled, at least if I drove an hour for Maranda I could maybe find a bento for myself...which will be used for her lunch too, anyway...

This is what I found, a cute hot pink Hello Kitty Bento...

I picked up these beautiful baby blue floral luncheon chopsticks and it came with a carry case too! What fun!

I do want to apologise for my bento. I had special made these mini arepas just for a bento so I wanted to use them and I wasn't happy. I felt like I just threw things together. I also got some cute picks from my sister, so I tried to fit them in too. Here is the balloon picks, I had some grapes with the flower stem picks, but it was too much so I took them out.

On the right under the lotus root I have some tabouleh, strawberry candy. On the bamboo pick from Jenn (thank you very much) red grapes and mini sour oranges we picked from our neighbor's house (with their okay to do so). Then some grape tomatoes, sugar crackers (I just love these) I picked up some more this weekend. Laughing cow wedge and finally my mini arepa riena pepiada (arepa sandwich with chicken and avocado) on top of a baby spring herb salad.

Now I do enjoy those post that others post when they have a failed recipe or something just didn't turn out the way they expected. It shows us what not to do or asks what we can do different. It all a learning thing!

We have been having outstanding weather lately and we still try to squeeze in watching the sunset.

It is more difficult to find a place to park this time of year with all the snow birds, out of state visitors and spring breakers. So if we time it right we are good to go...Or we just wait until they all leave. I had to share a photo of this resident that I just couldn't resist taking a photo of when we pulled up at Turtle Beach. After all he wanted to enjoy seeing the sunset too!

Interesting huh? It takes all kinds.

Dukkah Crusted Salmon Bento ~

I grabbed a shot of my Bird of Paradise and the sun was already setting when I noticed it. I wanted to get a picture before the freeze if we should get it. The colors were so vibrant, and I got it in the bloom before it had some of the die offs. I love how it has the purple which looks brighter in person.

I just popped in to let you know that I am still here. I've have been posting more on my recipe blog, but my heart is here on my bento blog. For those of you who read both I hope you don't mind if you see a few repeat photos.

A little while back I posted my Dukkah Crusted Salmon and it was quite a large piece of salmon. For bento makers this is okay because you can always use it in a bento for lunch. I make my own dukkah and it makes a lot so I keep it in the freezer and just pull it out when I want to use it. It is great with some crusty bread dipped in a good olive oil, or toss it on top of a salad. It works wonderful with chicken too you can check out my chicken breast with goat cheese and dukkah.

The left over salmon was what I used for this bento.

I have here broccoli, apple half, star fruit (which is so nice for bentos) I loved this one the flavor was so good. In the pink flower cup I have a handful of umbrella cookies from the Asian store, I love these because they are not very sweet.

The salmon and grape tomatoes are sitting on a watercress salad ! In the side dish I have My mom's rice pilaf . I didn't realize I had used so many recipes that I've already posted. Well that makes it easy if you want to make it yourself!


We've had some very clear days this winter, which I guess we usually do. The summer is when all that warm air builds up the clouds that come across the land and afternoon showers come falling down. Not now though...crystal blue skies, over white sand beach, what could be better? Crescent beach is the closest beach to our house, about 5 minutes away. We really should ride our bikes there.

For some reason this time of year is when we can find the sea urchins washed up on shore. Then I need a bag to carry these. They are not alive, the ones that I take home.

My mom's rice pilaf has sliced almonds and rosemary, vermicelli and broth make it oh so nice, perfect for company, and great for leftovers!

There were a lot of sponges and little conch shells on the beach too that day, but I didn't take any conch since they were still alive.

I thought the seahorse pick would work well here, it came with a coral, and shell pick...you'll see those another time. Actually they are corn cob picks, or holders.

Last year I made this "jellyfish" from a sea urchin shell, I've made many into sea urchin shell snowmen.

I've added a photo of my sea urchin "snowman"

Shell angels I make from the scallop shells that I collect throughout the year...I have many of those too.

Another sea urchin shell, but not from around here. I picked this up at The Green Turtle, it was so pretty and pink!
The shells are so pretty when the lights shine through all the little dots and designs that nature gave it.

I hope to be around more often or you can see what I've been up to on my other blogs!

See you soon!

Casual Snack Bento - and a boat trip

A quick post of a fun little (I should say "tiny") bento. Jasmine rice with some furikake, pickled plum with a pick, and basil flowers. Oven roasted chickpeas sprinkled with chipotle powder and sea salt, grape tomatoes, sliced persimmons, tiny eggplant, fresh rosemary, and baby romaine leaves tucked in.

I try to fit in a few bentos here and there. Most of them are just functional and really not photo
worthy!

Here are a few shots of Maranda's birthday outing last weekend. She invited a few friends for a boat ride. We went down the inter-coastal waterway from Turtle beach in Sarasota to Venice, where we stopped for lunch.

She got to open her gifts on the way...it was a little overcast, but plenty warm.

I actually got a chance to get a close up photo of a dolphin friend who peeked up to see what was going on.

He was swimming right next to us...I'm sure looking for food, but just got some hellos, and ahwwws instead! We often will see dolphins, but I usually will catch the tails or fins in the photos. They move so fast you have to guess where they'll pop up next. He hung out pretty close to us for a little bit, but it's still hard to photograph because the boat moving too.
I am adding him to this weeks Camera Critters.

Lunch at the Marker Four restaurant in Venice Florida...

I didn't bring this bento along this was from the day before! Just wanted to share the whole weekend with you all!