Berbere Meatball Bento

Back with a few bentos while I still can take a picture in natural light. I got the idea of berbere meatballs, on Lunchbox Blues he uses many different meats for his meatballs and such. I had to try some bison to see what it was all about. I picked up a roast from Whole Foods and prepared it in my Le Crueset French oven, almost like you would short ribs. It was very tasty, but very expensive.  Anyway I don't use ground beef so I used ground pork here in these meatballs. You could really use whatever you like, chicken, turkey, lamb, if you like it you can use it.

I didn't have a Berbere spice mix so after I cleaned out my spices, and re-labeled them and such, I had a clear view of what I had and what I needed. I like to use the stainless steel spice jars, they have a clear glass top, but I still think I can keep most of the light out from them. I mixed my own Ethiopian spice blend and I loved it. I know I will use it in many things not just stews and such. I will post the spice blend recipe for you later. These meatballs were quite addicting, he was lucky to get any in his lunch!

Today's bento:  Berbere meatballs, on a bed of organic mixed greens, enoki mushrooms. Strawberries and cherries. Mixed rice and grains pilaf with flowering chives. Some sweet and spicy mustard tucked in there and I send along some organic black cherry yogurt.

Mine was simple with the same meatballs, a couple slices of sesame crepe, strawberries. carrots, and the same yogurt. I didn't need to dip them in anything!

The berebere spice blend I just made. Recipe to come.

I thought I would share a few photos from yesterday while we were out on the ICW this is one of my favorite houses...there are many along the way that I could see myself living in...

A stop for lunch at The New Pass Grill, a perfect view, just don't feed the gulls!

Another favorite house...I see a theme here.

aaaaahhh, enjoying a relaxing Sunday on the water, with some friends. A swim at the sand bar, a good place to loose your anchor, lucky we could find it in shallow water.

An Osprey was just watching us as we went by, it's not easy getting a clear shot moving in a rocky boat as you are zooming in! Even if the boat wasn't moving it's rocking back and forth!

He flapped his wings for us, or maybe it was "she" but didn't leave the post

Casual Bento

I usually pack my husband a lunch and sometimes a nice looking bento. Co workers would look at his lunch and wish they had it...said they would eat out next door either if they brought a lunch like that. Well, my husband has opened his own business and told be I didn't have to pack a bento lunch anymore because no one was there to see it...except himself that is.

I do pack his lunch but maybe a little more casual than normal. He also has a fridge and microwave if he needed to use it. A simple bento of a sandwich, fruit and a little greens.

Just trying out my new camera and my zoom lens. I can take a photo of our neighbor's cat who thinks he lives at our house and he doesn't even know it.

We had to trim back our tall night blooming cereus peruvianus after the tropical storm Debby. What a relief getting rid of the two oh-so-tall stalks that were leaning over the driveway.

Shortly after Debby left us we went to Siesta beach to check on how it looked out there...after all these lifeguard stands were all over the weather channel as a video was shown trying to move them to safety.

It looked pretty clear, but amazing to see where the water had been.

It is a large beach, not many around here have such a long distance to walk over the sand to get to the Gulf of Mexico.

It is always a beautiful walk.

Green Mango Bento

After Debby blew through and left plenty of my mangoes on the ground, I decided to collect them rather than have the squirrels have a feast on these delights. On my food blog The Tiny Skillet I asked if anyone had some ideas what to do with the green mangoes. Here is one of the suggestions green mango salad it came out quite tasty and my whole family loved it.

Not only that, it worked out so nice in a bento! Along with the green mango salad I have some ginger, lime shrimp, good fresh raspberries (which is hard to come across here in Florida) and some fish shaped Korean mixed grains onigiri on shiso leaves.



Another recipe I made with the green mangoes are some Indian pickles, that recipe will be coming to The Tiny Skillet soon.





My large prickly pear cactus fell over from the weight and the thoroughly saturated ground from all the rain that Debby brought to us. We were having drought like weather up until now. Usually we just get the afternoon thunder showers...not 3 days and nights straight of a steady rain.

Here is the same cacti from the other side. I had just asked my husband to trim it back the day before because it was leaning and getting so big Now it's all gone the yard men took care of it for us. I saved a few stalks to replant, it will grow from a pad that has fallen on the ground.

We have a fun weekend coming up, with the off shore boat races in town and going to St Pete to a Tampa Bay Rays game. I'll bee back soon, I promise!

Fresh Bento

Well I can't believe I've made bentos all winter and didn't post one. That's what happens when you get up early before anyone else is up, and make lunches in the dark....no not totally dark I do turn some lights on, but not many. I make my coffee, just one cup at a time with some organic blend that is bold enough for one cup a day. Then I start on the lunches, sometimes my daughter will let me use the Hello Kitty bento for her but she won't let me do anything too cute....you know how it is at her age. Anyway photographing food before the sun comes up is not easy and then there is the time restraint. If we are not running behind I will start making breakfast, then it is my turn in the bathroom.




So often we will enjoy our bentos at poolside on the weekend where we can relax and enjoy the. That is if we aren't trying new regional cuisines that we've come across.


In this bento I've used some leftover squash, local orange slices, grape tomatoes, marinated green beans, little Mediterranean chicken patties with feta and 7 spice, carrots, and shallots
and a touch of arugula.


So I am back sharing my day...


...from early morning...

to late evening...



I plan to be back with you all soon!

Quick Summer Bento -

Not much bento making this summer

I have been trying to get things done around the house, and on my three blogs. I am using some Lock N Lock containers for this bento I also ordered some lunch box bentos and sent some to my niece for her wedding.

In the two left sections I have some sushi rice with shiitake mushrooms, wasabi, pickled ginger and black sesame seeds to top. The right top section strips of blanched snow peas, carrots, strips of Japanese omelet, crab stick, sauteed mushrooms.
Some black sweet cherries in the bottom right.

Simple and quick for summer...hopefully more to come when I get back to work when schools starts back up.

But before summer is over when did some sightseeing again in our own city...

Got some photos lounging at the Ca de Zan, and many more among the beautiful grounds.

wouldn't this would be great for entertaining? and it's right on the water.

I'll have to check what kind of tree this is, many blossom still on the tree as well as the ground.

I can't resist looking up at tall palms and snap a picture!

Speaking of snap...as we were walking to the rose garden we heard a crack and boom, this branch fell near us just as we were walking by...it was a large branch...

only a few roses in this time of year, many were on the tail end until the next bloom for the cooler months.


In my back yard I've been watching my ginger blossom, these little flowers work their way up, kinda like a pineapple blossoms.

and a few mangoes picked at the same time off the same tree (we only have one mango tree).

and a new daily visitor to our house, Talon is a little more of a climber. He was sitting on the windowsill just watching as I was washing dishes. He peaked around the corner, but would sit for a pose.
Thanks for stopping by!

Summer Snack Bento

We were going up to Palma Sola to jet ski, so many places have been closed off due to the high rent areas want the water view to themselves. Money talks I guess. Anyway it's kinda fun up there because they will still allow horses on the beach there and many will bring their horse on a Sunday afternoon and have fun with the family.



We bring the pop-up so we can have shade, which we use year round here in Florida. I think I set a phobia in my daughter's head about staying out of the sun...hey she will thank me years from now when her skin is still so beautiful and cancer free.

I didn't get many pics of the horses most of them were on the other side of the causeway. That is where our friend went with her horses. My camera was acting up :(


Here is a snack bento that I brought along, some California rolls with brown rice, broccoli rabe, carrots, rotisserie chicken. Nothing special just a quick snack.,and I had another one with some sesame snacks, cheddar, poppy seed, and garlic onion. I used my new Lock and Lock lunch box. I am almost getting as obsessed with Lock N Lock as Not Exactly Bento is...almost, but she has been collecting longer.




Just a few things to share from my yard, my turmeric is popping up nicely...I have some in a pot too that is bigger.



my pineapple has just seemed to stall, maybe it's too dry or too wet for it...

... this ginger in the backyard that I don't harvest... I let go to flower...


...these Lilly flowers smell so strong you wouldn't think they would...I'll have to find out what kind they are.

Have a great day! Thanks for sticking with me.

Kafta Bento in a Tiffin?

I have been off for the summer until school starts back up in August, I go back to work a week before the kids come back. I can't believe it's already July, and here I thought I'd be posting all my bento lunches. I have taken some pics, but they seem to be nothing new so they never made it up. We are finally getting the rain we needed so desperately. Otherwise we've been so dry our lawn was "crunchy" and this is our rainy season!


The last time I was in Michigan visiting family I picked up the small tiffin box...

... from the same place where I got my Indian spice box...which I absolutely LOVE! (Well I actually did buy my spice box my sister got it there for me for Christmas awhile ago) ... I wonder if you use a tiffin for a bento box is it a bento lunch in a tiffin? I guess if it was warmed and delivered to me it would be a tiffin lunch! :D

The other day I made some Lebanese 7 spice blend and posted it on The Tiny Skillet. The spice smelled so good I had to use it right away so I made kafta, they're like Lebanese lamb meatballs on a stick. They were good hot off the grill, warm and even cold the next day! perfect for a bento!

I have here some fried rice on the bottom, steamed snow peas and carrots, topped with kiwi. The top layer is some nice organic lettuce, cucumber slices, kafta with the yellow spiral skewers, some fresh pita bread, and tzatziki , the cucumber yogurt sauce that tasted so good on the kafta in the red silacone flower cup. All that's missing are the tomatoes. I wish I had some, can't really grow them well here in Florida!

Or maybe it's just me...I can grow a few herbs like the mint in the bento! My rosemary does the best, I also have chives, basil, sage, ginger, and just started to grow turmeric. I'm excited to see how that goes...or "grows"!

Later for dessert we had some Plum-Ginger Granita. It was wonderful...I made sure it had plenty of flavor, yummy! Perfect for summer so refreshing and not too sweet!


Everyone have a wonderful 4th of July!!!