Easy Bentos

Just Keep Swimming

2010-11-17T13:18:00.000-06:00

This weekend, we were trying to nip a cold in the bud so there was lots of vegging on the couch and watching movies. Getting Munch to actually sit still long enough to watch a scene or two of a movie is pretty big so when she was glued to Finding Nemo, I was excited. At lunchtime, I kept the momentum going with a fishie themed lunch!

Big compartment of the EasyLunchbox container holds sandwich sushi (cream cheese & jelly on whole wheat bread), a babybel with a fish shape cut out of the wax, hummus & ranch dip for the carrots in the bottom right compartment. I put the fish cut out of the Babybel wax on top.

In the top compartment are some goldfish crackers swimming in the blue ocean (or silicone cup).

This post was linked to What's For Lunch Wednesdsay.

Time's Almost Up!!

2010-11-10T13:59:00.000-06:00

Today is the last day to get the free cooler with any order of one or more container sets at EasyLunchboxes. Don't miss out!!

Plain Jane lunch

2010-11-04T14:48:00.000-05:00

Nothing too exciting about this lunch I had last week. I have a salami sandwich with cheese and lettuce on a Pepperidge Farm Deli Flats. Above the sandwich are green pepper slices and the ranch dip for them is in the bottom compartment on the right. The top little compartment is filled with what Munch calls "Octagons" or Vermont White Cheddar Wheat Thins.

This is packed in one of my trusty EasyLunchboxes. I told you back in September about the wonderful problem they were having at EasyLunchboxes. They had seen such high demand that they were out of stock!! To thank their customers, they were offering a free cooler for every order that included the lunch containers. They have more stock coming so the offer is coming to a close. You have until November 10th to get a free cooler bag with your order of lunch containers. You do NOT want to pass this up!!

Salad Bar

2010-11-03T13:08:00.000-05:00

It's Wednesday and that means its time to show off What's for Lunch!!

The lunch I'm showcasing today is a yummy salad!! I packed each element separately and combined them at lunchtime to keep anything from getting soggy.

I used the lunch container I got from Avon and filled the big section on the right with salad greens. I chopped up some leftover grilled chicken and laid that in a baggie on top. Over on the right, I have scraps of cheddar cheese from the Halloween lunch I made for Munch. I wanted some sunflower seeds in my salad and had to get creative to find a container that would fit in my lunchbox. My eyes came across the plastic Easter eggs that haven't found a home yet and it was perfect!!. Next to those, a pumpkin carrot cupcake and salad dressing. An apple rounds out the lunch but obviously didn't fit in the container.

Halloween lunch

2010-11-01T15:34:00.001-05:00

I'm a week late on the Halloween Muffin Tin Monday theme but Munch got such a kick out of this yesterday, I really wanted to share.

In the top row I have all the Halloween-y things you'd find in the sky - Ghosts & Bats - made of bologna and cheddar cheese. In the bottom row are Witches' Hats and Pumpkins on either side of the compartment with Ritz crackers.

Munch had so much fun with this for as simple as it was. I looked over and at one point she was "flying" the ghosts in the air. So silly!!

I realize I haven't been updating the blog much lately. Thanks to those of you who are still stopping by!! I'm still making fun, bento-y lunches and plan to be posting more regularly soon! Stay tuned!

Unrelated but important

2010-09-12T08:00:00.000-05:00

Munch and I will be participating in the 20th anniversary Susan G Komen Race for the Cure in Houston on October 2nd. This year takes on special meaning for us as Munch’s grandma is currently going through her second bout with breast cancer.

I realize that you don’t know us personally but if you see fit to help us raise funds, we would gladly accept and appreciate it at our Race Center.

Did you know that every 68 seconds, somewhere in the world, a woman dies from breast cancer - the most prevalent cancer among women today.

EasyLunchboxes Announcement

2010-09-11T08:00:00.000-05:00

Sales of the container sets are going so well that they are SOLD OUT!!! Kelly Lester, the smart mama behind EasyLunchboxes, is so appreciative of her customers for giving her this “problem”, she is offering a FREE cooler bag with every order including a container set (which are currently on back-order). You can’t pick the color (but c’mon its FREE!!) and the cooler bag will ship with the rest of your order when the containers are back in stock which should be around mid-October.

Click the image to take advantage of this AWESOME deal – not sure how long it will last!!!

Munch gets her turn

2010-08-27T22:33:00.000-05:00

I had bought these containers with Munch in mind, but had taken the first crack at it for some snacks at work. Last weekend though, I put lunch for Munch inside one so she could go dippin’ crazy!
Along the left side are cream cheese/jelly sandwich sushi rolls, some apple slices for dipping in the peanut butter in the middle compartment and in the top corner, Annie’s Organic White Cheddar Bunnies.

In this lunch:

Weekend Picnic

2010-08-19T11:00:00.002-05:00

Last Saturday, Munch and I had some fun stuff planned and I didn't want to take the time or spend the money looking for food on the run. So I packed us a lunch to take!!

On Nature's Own Whole Wheat Rounds, I have a turkey and cheese sandwich and Munch has PB&J. Also in the large compartment is a Babybel for her. Going clockwise, we have some cheddar cheese chunks and red seedless grapes. Next up are some Annie's cheddar bunny snack mix.

I packed it all up in our Easy Lunchbox cooler. We were able to fit the Easy Luncbox container, two bottles of water and a sippy cup of ice.

Ready for our picnic lunch!!

What's For Lunch Wednesday - Debut of Laptop Lunchbox!!

2010-08-18T11:00:00.021-05:00

I ordered my Laptop Lunch set quite awhile ago and have used the individual containers here and there. However, I was having trouble seeing myself using it at work. The appeal for kids is obvious but would it be weird for a grown-up? I didn't get the carrier, just the box, so transporting was also a challenge.

Then last night I made a quick fruit salad and really wanted to include it in my lunch today. A quick glance through my super-modest bento box stash and the best option was the Laptop Lunch. So I went for it.

In the top container is some fruit salad, next to that the last of the vegan banana nut bread. It was so good!
Below that turkey & cheese on a Nature's Own Sandwich Round and then pretzel sticks and chunks of cheddar and monterey jack cheese.

I was very impressed with how well everything stayed put inside. Munch likes to carry my lunch bag (I found one to fit my Laptop Lunch!) and as you can imagine it was tipped, swung around and probably dropped on the walk from our door to the car. Nothing inside was out of place!

Since its back to school time, Laptop Lunches has released their new 2010 styles. You should definitely check them out!

This post is linked to What's for Lunch Wednesday.

Hole in One

2010-08-17T11:00:00.003-05:00

Were you expecting a golf theme? Nope! Just a new container I came across in the Dollar Spot at Target. It has a nifty compartment right in the center for dips!! It even has its own separate lid. Munch is a huge fan of dipping so I thought it would be perfect for her!

Bummer for Munch I got to it first!! I had some leftover pasta for lunch but wanted to have a snack or two for later. I'm still infatuated with hummus so I knew I definitely wanted to include it. Ding ding!! What an opportunity to use the new dippy container!!

In the middle compartment is spinach & artichoke hummus, around the sides are honey wheat pretzel sticks and a couple pieces of the vegan banana nut bread Munch and I picked up at the farmer's market this weekend.

With the lid to the middle compartment off

It was an awesome snack!

Also used in this bento:

Muffin Tin Monday - I heart U

2010-08-16T15:14:00.000-05:00

Things are slowly getting back to normal at our house. Hubby's family was visiting last week and we're starting to remember our old routine again!

I got a new muffin tin from Avon and was excited to try it out. It's actually a muffin TOP pan!

As you can see, Munch was excited too and didn't want to wait for me to get a picture!

I used pretzel sticks to make the "I" & "U" and a heart-shaped cream cheese & jelly sandwich in the middle to complete my message. Below that are some Annie's organic cheddar bunnies , a Babybel (Munch LOVES opening them all by herself!) and some blueberries.

This post is linked to Muffin Tin Monday at Muffin Tin Mom.

Taking a small timeout

2010-08-05T13:05:00.000-05:00

I am not sure how much I will be posting for the next little while. My grandfather passed away last week. Munch and I flew up to MI to be with before he left us and Hubby joined us for the funeral. We got back late Monday night and since its was such a rush to leave, things at both work and home are beyond backed up.

Hope to be back to posting soon!

Wrapping up the week!

2010-07-23T13:11:00.001-05:00

Yay for Friday!! This week has been crazy and I'm not quite sure why. Munch is in a "fun" whiney stage and by the time I've gotten her down to bed, I am ready for bed myself! So I'll admit I've been lazy with the photos of my bentos after I make them and you have another camera pic today.

Chicken hummus wraps and small container of ranch for dipping on the left. Munch likes to snack on frozen peas & corn (still frozen!) so I thought I'd give it a shot and put a Babybel cheese on top. Below that is a mix of baby carrots & cherry tomatoes.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!!

Blurry Bento...oops!

2010-07-22T14:32:00.000-05:00

Please excuse the blurry, taken-at-my-desk-before-I-chow-down pic taken with my cell phone camera!! I'm trying to convince hubby that I need an iPhone...have not been successful!!

I gave my new lunch container from Avon another shot on Monday. I'm determined to figure out the best way to use them. My original thought was to stick with sandwiches in the big half and extras in the other. On the other hand, I've really been craving a salad and we had some fixins' that needed to be used so I decided to give it a shot. At lunchtime I was pleasantly surprised and relieved to find that nothing was spilled save a few sunflower seeds but I can deal with that!!

I've also started keeping an eye out when we eat at restaurants or get take out for things I can reuse in my bentos. Below you'll see a condiment cup I re-purposed for my salad dressing. I've also held onto some picks that were used to keep burgers together at lunch Saturday. I'm hoping to use them for some fruit kebabs soon!

On the left: yummy salad with carrots, grape tomatoes & cheddar cheese w/ ranch dressing

On the right: croutons & sunflower kernels to add crunch to my salad, half a cookie, leftover chicken drumstick and a babybel cheese.

For this bento, I used:

What's for Lunch Wednesday - Getting Creative

2010-07-20T22:20:00.001-05:00

Now that I've started building my bento arsenal, I can start working on the aesthetics a bit more. Cute shapes, more colors, etc.....

In the top left compartment of an EasyLunchbox, cinnamon apple multi-grain crisps, below that is strawberry yogurt with chocolate chips sprinkled on top.

In the big compartment, leftover roast chicken on a Nature's Own Multi-Grain round. Marble cheddar flower on top of the sandwich and strawberries above it.

In this bento, I used:

This post is linked to What's for Lunch Wednesday.

"Heart"-y Breakfast for Munch

2010-07-20T14:22:00.000-05:00

Last Thursday was another physical therapy morning so that means I get to pack a breakfast for Munch! I had a banana that was getting mushy so I put that and 1/2 cup peanut butter into the pancake batter. I like having mix-ins in the pancakes because it eliminates the need for syrup or other toppings. That gets too messy in the waiting room. I meant to sprinkly with powdered sugar in the morning but I think I forgot.

3 heart pancakes and strawberries

For this bento, I used:

What’s For Lunch Wednesday – Day At The Zoo

2010-07-14T22:00:00.000-05:00

While hubby and I were in New Orleans, Munch spent the night with a friend. They had plans to visit the zoo with one of her friends and her son. I packed up some snack bentos so they could keep the kiddos happy.

In an EasyLunchbox, strawberries and banana halves in the big compartment. In the top compartment we have marble cheddar cheese cubes and nectarines in the bottom compartment.

And for some crunch…

Annie’s organic cheddar bunny snacks & Earth’s Best Apple Cinnamon graham cracker sticks in the Sassy box.

This post is linked to What’s For Lunch Wednesday.

Muffin Tin Monday

2010-07-12T11:39:00.000-05:00

Hubby took me to New Orleans this weekend so I am posting a lunch from last weekend. I do have some snack bentos to share that I put together for Munch and the wonderful friend who watched her while we were out of town.

No theme for this Muffin Tin Meal...just a quick weekend lunch for Munch. She didn't want to wait for me to get a good picture before she ate so I guess I put together some yummies!!

Turkey pepperoni, ranch for dipping, goldfish crackers

hard-boiled eggs, baby carrots, strawberries

She was ready for some dipping!

This post was linked to Muffin Tin Monday.

Bento Buys – Neat Avon items

2010-07-08T08:44:00.000-05:00

As I was browsing through my Avon brochures a couple weeks ago, I came across some neat Bento-able products!!

Triple-Decker Food Container

Fun Appetizer Party Picks

And as featured in my post yesterday....

Go Anywhere Lunch Container

These are neat containers...however I haven't quite figured out how to close them without fumbling and almost spilling one side or the other. It is probably best used if you just have a sandwich in the big side and other items in the other. I'm going to keep working on it though!!

**I am Independent Sales Rep for Avon. I will earn commission on any purchases made through links included in the below post. I was not asked to recommend these items. I came across them and thought they looked cool! :o)**

What's For Lunch Wednesday - July 7, 2010

2010-07-07T14:47:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful 4th of July weekend!!

I love having short work weeks but it seems crazy that its Wednesday already! That means its time for What's For Lunch Wednesday!!

I had a chicken sandwich on Nature's Own Multi-Grain rounds. Below that is a hard-boiled egg and baby carrots. To the side are Wheat Thin Flatbreads and next to them are pieces of the raisin bread I made in my breadmaker.

This was more than enough food for lunch. I actually had a couple pieces of the raisin bread for a morning snack and then the egg and one more piece of raisin bread for an afternoon snack.

I'm hoping to post about the new container I'm using soon. The jury is still out on it but I may just need some practice using it.

Breakfast Bento - Pancake Sandwiches

2010-07-01T15:34:00.000-05:00

It was a physical therapy morning so we took breakfast for Munch to eat in the waiting room.

I made leftover pancakes into peanut butter & jelly pancake-wiches. Filling out the empty space are strawberries.

I really thought that these pancake sandwiches were going to be terribly messy. Luckily, crumbs were the worst of it!

This is packed in our new Sassy box. Munch is modeling it for you here:

Munch and I found this on a random stop at Babies R' Us. This has 9 pieces. 1 big outer container & lid, 3 small inner containers & lids and a spoon that snaps on the inside of the outer lid. I thought it was a great deal for around $5-6!!

*Post includes affiliate links.

Today's lunch

2010-06-29T14:13:00.001-05:00

Sorry for the not-so-great camera phone pic. While I'm getting pretty good at making myself put lunches together at night, I still tend procrastinate with the picture-taking.

Nothing too fancy here...sliced chicken, cheese & romaine lettuce on a kaiser-type roll. Pretzels as my crunchy element and some sliced strawberries for dessert.

Muffin Tin Monday – Bits and pieces

2010-06-28T09:00:00.000-05:00

I’ve wanted to participate in “Muffin Tin Monday” for awhile but just haven’t had any good ideas for themes. Still haven’t come up with any great ideas but one night this week I had no great ideas for dinner either so I threw together a little bit of this and little bit of that for Munch.

She had apple slices with peanut butter below for dipping. Next to the apples are cheese cubes and cucumbers. Below the cheese is grilled chicken and for dessert, Organic cookies from Earth’s Best.

Yummy!!
This post is linked to Muffin Tin Monday.

Swaggin' my way to bento loot!

2010-06-24T13:00:00.000-05:00

Have you heard of Swagbucks? Its a search engine that rewards you for using it! Type in your searches just like you would on Google or Yahoo! and you will randomly be rewarded Swagbucks that can be redeemed for cool merchandise or my preference, Amazon gift cards!!! To date I have earned $25 in Amazon through Swagbucks as well as donating to relief efforts for Haiti and their Holiday Toy Drive. I'm planning to use the gfit cards I earn at Amazon.com to buy some bento accessories or cookbooks.

There are other ways to earn Swagbucks: voting in polls, Twitter trivia, special offers, and one of the best for referring others!!! So I hope you'll check it out and if you find it as rewarding as I do, pass it along to your friends too!!