Bento School Lunches

15 Easy To Pack Travel Snacks

noreply@blogger.com (Rina @ Bento School Lunches) — Tue, 12 Mar 2024 12:30:00 +0000

Planning a trip? Don't forget to pack smart with snacks that resist mess and thrive at room temperature! We understand the importance of staying fueled and satisfied during your travels, and that's why we've compiled a list of easy-to-pack snacks that are perfect for on-the-go adventures. With endless options, feel free to pack your own favorites and customize your snack lineup.

1. Trail Mix: A perfect blend of nuts, dried fruits, and chocolate for sustained energy. Most times we grab pre packaged version as we always have those in our home. You can always create your own trail mix.

2. Fresh apples and mandarin oranges (clementines): They withstand travel and provide a refreshing break. We love to pack grapes and cherry tomatoes (my personal favorite), make sure to wash them before you leave.

3. Beef jerky: High in protein, minimal mess, and ideal for on-the-go munching.

4. Granola bars: We personally love the KIND brand and have included them in Nikolai's past lunches. KIND Kids chewy granola bars have a taste kids will love,100% whole grains and no artificial flavors, colors or preservatives.

5. Fruit Strips: They are natural fruit strips which are delicious flavor of real fruit into portable strips. We get ours from Amazon.

6. Fruit snacks: Portable, and made of real fruits which are bursting with delicious taste. We get ours here.

7. Pretzels, crackers, popcorn, and veggie chips: Crispy, satisfying snacks for a delightful crunch. I personally love the SkinnyPop popcorn. Nikolai and my hubby love the Pirate's Booty.

8. Goldfish crackers: This is another family favorite no matter how old we are.

9. Animal Crackers: A fun and tasty treat for all ages, enjoy identifying the animals before munching. This is my hubby's personal favorite.

10. Applesauce: GoGo Squeez Applesauce pouches offer mess-free convenience with various flavors. I have included this to Nikola's lunchbox so many times when we have those low on grocery days (dreading to go grocery shopping days). This brings back memories. This has been our must pack travel snack ( especially to theme parks) as our family love it!

11. Chex Mix: Available both pre-packaged and easy to make at home.

12. Nuts: A protein-packed option for non-allergy sufferers; almonds, cashews, pecans, peanuts and more.

13. Cheese Sticks: An easy-to-eat dairy option; use ice packs to keep them cold.

14. Cheese & Cracker Dips: These cheese and crackers snack packs are individually portioned and do not require refrigeration, making them a perfectly portable, go-anywhere option.

15. Freeze Dried Fruit: Enjoy a variety like dried strawberries, pears, pineapple, apples, mango and more.

We also love using reusable bags for snacks, and Stasher reusable silicone bag is one of our favorites. Remember to pack a cooler for perishables like yogurt, cheese and cut fruits.

Gear up for a seamless travel experience with these mess-free, room-temperature-friendly snacks! From trail mix to cheese and crackers, these choices strike the perfect balance between convenience and deliciousness. Whether you're navigating winding roads or taking in scenic views, these snacks ensure you stay fueled and focused on the adventure ahead. Pack smart, snack smarter, and savor every moment of your journey!

Disclaimer: All the items mentioned in this post are personally used and loved by us. We believe in sharing genuine recommendations based on our positive experiences. This post is not sponsored, and the opinions expressed are entirely our own. We hope you find these suggestions helpful for your travels and enjoy the mentioned products as much as we do!

DIY Homemade Lunchables : Quick & Easy Tips

noreply@blogger.com (Rina @ Bento School Lunches) — Tue, 05 Mar 2024 14:00:00 +0000

While store-bought Lunchables offer taste and convenience on the go, the experience becomes even better when you craft your own. In just a few minutes, personalize your lunchbox with your favorite foods or cater to specific dietary preferences. With complete control, your DIY Lunchables can be the freshest, most delicious, and even more cost-effective than store-bought options. Take an extra minute to cut them into fun shapes, add a touch of decoration, and arrange them neatly in your lunchbox for a meal that's both tasty and visually appealing.

Why DIY Homemade Lunchables?

Customization: One of the main advantages of making your own lunchables is the freedom to choose what goes into them. Tailor your meal to fit your dietary preferences, ensuring a healthier and more enjoyable experience.
Cost-Effective: Creating your lunchables can be more budget-friendly than purchasing pre-packaged options. Buying ingredients in bulk allows you to save money while also reducing single-use packaging waste.
Freshness: Enjoy the satisfaction of using fresh and quality ingredients. This not only enhances the taste but also ensures that you are consuming wholesome, nutritious foods.

Ingredients:

Protein: Start with a base of your favorite protein – think deli meats, chicken nuggets, or even tofu for a vegetarian option.

Cheese: Choose a variety of cheeses such as cheddar, mozzarella, or Swiss. Cube, slice them or cut into cute shapes for easy snacking.

Crackers or Bread: Include a selection of crackers, breadsticks, or even mini pitas.

Fresh Vegetables: Add color and crunch with fresh vegetables like cherry tomatoes, cucumber slices, or baby carrots.

Dips and Spreads: Elevate your lunchable by including hummus, guacamole, or your favorite dip. Small containers or compartments work well for keeping them separate.

Fruits: Incorporate sweetness with fruit slices or berries. Grapes, apple slices, or melon cubes are some choices.

Assembly Tips:

Bento Boxes: Invest in a bento box or compartmentalized container to keep each component separate and visually appealing. Some of our favorite lunchboxes are: Easylunchboxes, Planetbox, Bentgo Kids and more.

Portion Control: Be mindful of portion sizes to create a balanced and satisfying meal.

Variety is Key: Rotate your choices to prevent lunchtime boredom. Experiment with different combinations to discover your favorite mix.

Temperature Considerations: If you're packing lunchables for school lunch or work, consider using an insulated lunch bag or adding an ice pack to keep items fresh.

We have packed many DIY Lunchables over the years, and the joy of crafting our personalized meals never gets old. If you're ready to take control of your lunchbox experience, check out more ideas and tips HERE.

Here's to delicious, customizable lunches that fit your taste, budget, and style!

5 Benefits of Thermos for Hot Lunch + 30 Lunch Ideas

noreply@blogger.com (Rina @ Bento School Lunches) — Tue, 20 Feb 2024 14:00:00 +0000

Happy New Year 2024! Time flies and it's almost March. Since Nikolai is in college, we still need to pack lunches for our selves. Hubby and I love hot lunches and we are using Thermos containers to keep our lunches hot. We have the larger Thermos food containers, but at times I'll still use Nikolai's old ones, lol. I'm sure these Thermos containers can last for a lifetime with proper care.

Let's explore the advantages of packing hot lunches in a Thermos.

1. Preserving Heat for Hours: The primary function of a thermos container is to keep its contents at the desired temperature. Whether it's piping hot soup, a savory stew, or leftovers from dinner, a quality thermos can maintain the heat for hours.

2. Versatility in Meal Options: Thermos containers provide the flexibility to pack a wide variety of hot meals. From pasta dishes to hearty soups and chili, the options are nearly limitless. This versatility allows you to diversify your lunch choices. I'll share what we usually pack in ours at the bottom of this post.

3. Cost-Effective and Eco-Friendly: Investing in a reliable thermos container is a cost-effective choice in the long run. By packing your hot lunch, you can significantly reduce the need to purchase takeout meals. Additionally, embracing reusable containers aligns with eco-friendly practices, contributing to a more sustainable lifestyle by minimizing single-use packaging waste.

4. Healthier Eating Habits: Bringing your own hot lunch allows you to have greater control over your meal choices. You can focus on incorporating nutritious ingredients and balanced portions, promoting healthier eating habits.

5. Time-Saving Convenience: The convenience of using a thermos container extends beyond just preserving heat. Packing a hot lunch in the morning saves valuable time during busy workdays. Skip the lines at lunch spots or microwaves in your work place.

Here are 30 Hot Lunch Ideas for Thermos:

Pasta
Mac and Cheese
Soup
Grilled Cheese
Pizza (cut to fit)
Chicken Nuggets
Bagel Bites
Mashed Potatoes
Ravioli
Meatballs
Chili
Gyoza
French Toast Sticks
Leftovers like Casserole, Steak, Chicken, BBQ Pork, etc
Fish Sticks
Scrambled Eggs
Pancakes
Sausages
Taco Meat (include tortilla wraps or taco shells on the side)
Fried Rice
Fried Noodles
Pot Roast
Quesadilla
Spaghetti
Jambalaya
Red beans or black beans and rice
Gumbo
Chicken Curry
Tortellini
Ramen noodles and more

In conclusion, making the switch to using a thermos container for your hot lunch is a small adjustment with big advantages. From financial savings to healthier eating habits and the joy of enjoying a hot, homemade meal anywhere, the benefits are undeniable.

How to Make A Thanksgiving School Lunch With Cookie Cutter

noreply@blogger.com (Rina @ Bento School Lunches) — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 13:00:00 +0000

Every year, the Thanksgiving holiday brings with it a whirlwind of festivities and celebrations, but for our family, it holds a double significance. That's because Thanksgiving Day marks the birthday of our son, Nikolai, who was born almost nineteen years ago. While our Thanksgiving is always a time of joyful gatherings and party preparations, creating a festive turkey-themed school lunch has often taken a backseat in the midst of all the excitement.

Unable to find a turkey shaped cookie cutter? No problem! I fortunately remembered an idea I had seen on Pinterest using a hand shaped cookie cutter for a turkey! Here is what I came up with.

In this bento school lunch:

Turkey shaped sandwich (cut using a hand shaped cookie cutter), sweet peppers for feather (free hand cut), icing eyes, sweet red pepper wattle, yellow sweet pepper beak and cheddar feet.
Bugles.
Cucumber slices with a turkey cupcake pick.
Seedless red grapes and strawberries. This lunch is packed in an Easylunchboxes container.

You can find more Thanksgiving school lunch ideas that I've created over the years here.

As we wrap up our journey through creating the perfect Thanksgiving turkey school lunch, remember that it's not just about the food; it's about the love and effort you put into it. These festive lunches can create wonderful memories and add a touch of magic to the Thanksgiving season. Happy Thanksgiving and happy lunch-making! 🦃🍂🎉

Easy Pumpkin Pancake Muffins Recipe : A Delicious School Lunch Treat

noreply@blogger.com (Rina @ Bento School Lunches) — Tue, 03 Oct 2023 13:00:00 +0000

As you may already know, fall is my favorite time of year. I love the striking colors of the leaves and the cooler temperatures. Of course, it is also the season of pumpkin.

We found some pumpkin pancake and waffle mix during a recent visit to our grocery store and my wonderful hubby made some pancakes with it for breakfast the other day. I used the same mix and made some of our favorite pancake muffins! These bite-sized pancake muffins are not only delicious but also quick and easy to prepare.

I love the idea of baking several batches at a time and freezing the extras for those super busy mornings when we need to grab and go. These particular ones were baked the day before and I'd left some out for the next morning, the rest went into the freezer. They are very simple to make, and you get the ease of a muffin with the deliciousness of a pancake. They make for a portable, nutritious, and tasty treat.

Ingredients:

2 cups Pumpkin Pancake mix
1 egg
1 cup milk
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
Pam non-stick cooking spray or muffin cups.

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350º.
In medium bowl, stir together pancake mix until moistened. Do not over-mix.
Spoon batter into greased or paper lined muffin pan, filling ¾ full.
There is enough batter to fill one dozen muffin wells.
Bake at 350º for 13-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
Enjoy!!

In this school lunch: A pumpkin pancake muffin, string cheese, granola bar, crackers, nitrate free ham roll-ups in my favorite silicone cup, organic baby carrots and an organic apple. Packed in an Easylunchboxes container.

Happy baking, and happy fall season!

How to Create Halloween Themed Lunches with Cookie Cutters - Spooktacular Creations

noreply@blogger.com (Rina @ Bento School Lunches) — Tue, 26 Sep 2023 13:00:00 +0000

Halloween is just around the corner and what better way to celebrate than by adding some spooky flair to your kids lunchbox? In this post I will share several Halloween themed lunches that I've created with cookie cutters. Here is a link to many more Halloween themed lunches.

Here are some supplies that you may need:

Cookie cutters in various Halloween shapes (bats, ghosts, pumpkins, cats, and witches, to name a few).
Fresh ingredients for your desired lunch, such as sandwiches, fruits, vegetables, and cheeses.
Condiments and spreads (cream cheese, ketchup, honey, etc.). We usually use honey as our food 'glue'.
Cute food picks or food-safe markers.
A dash of creativity and a spooky spirit!

Below is how I created these four lunches.

In this lunch: Main compartment contains a Jack-O-Lantern sandwich and a baby seedless cucumber. For the Jack-O-Lantern I used a two sided cutter to cut the shape of the components and then used the other side for the cut-outs only on the top slice. A bit of crust serves as a stem. I used our lettering cookie cutters to leave a faint (spooky?) BOO impression on the cucumber. In the upper right section there is a mandarin orange with a small celery stick as a pumpkin and stem and below them are some strawberries. In the center I included some fruit snacks. Packed in our leak-proof Yumbox.

In this lunch: For these I used my larger bat shape cutter and added eyes and mouth cut from fruit leather ( a dab of honey to glue the features). Above these bat sandwiches there are organic carrots and celery sticks with a BOO pick, and to the left of those are some bat shaped pieces of mild cheddar and mozzarella cheese. I used the same small cutter for both the cheese and the cut-out of the apple half. In the center are Annie's organic fruit snacks. Perhaps dark pumpernickel bread might have been more typically bat like, but what I used here seems to make the little red eyes a bit more startling. This lunch was packed in a Planetbox Rover.

In this lunch: For this lunch I have a sandwich topped with a mozzarella cheese ghost which I shaped with a cutter and decorated with bits of raisin ( tiny dab of honey used as glue for the features), and using another small cutter, I included a tiny headstone shaped piece of crust and also a "BOO" pick. On the right side I have included some strawberries, cucumber slices, and some chunks of cheese. Packed in our leak-proof Yumbox.

In this lunch: Above a bagel with cream cheese filling I put a flying witch on a broom. The witch was shaped with a cutter, the hat was made from nori, and the broom from a bread crust. For the sides I included some apple slices, some green grapes and some M&Ms. Packed in our leak-proof Yumbox.

These lunches were all very easy and quick to make, but most of all they were really FUN to make!

Halloween Ghost Pizza with Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (Rina @ Bento School Lunches) — Wed, 20 Sep 2023 12:30:00 +0000

Any pizza lovers out there? My hubby and Nikolai love pizza and they can eat them served hot or cold. We baked a batch and saved some for the next day's lunch.

Ingredients:

One tube refrigerated Pillsbury biscuit dough
1 bottle of organic pasta sauce
2 slices part skim mozzarella cheese (for the ghosts)
Sliced olives

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 400°.
Roll or pat biscuits into 2-1/2 in. circles. Place on greased baking sheet or non-stick sheet. I love our baking sheet which has wide handles!
Add pasta sauce on top of biscuits.
Bake for 8-10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned and remove.
Using a small ghost-shape cookie cutter, cut a ghost out of each cheese slice.
Immediately place a ghost over each pizza; add pieces of olives for faces.
Pack in his Laptop Lunches after the pizzas cool down.

You can recreate something similar with different cheese cut outs for sure. I've also made Pizza Mummy and Jack-O-Lantern Pizza with English muffins that you can find here.

How To Cut String Cheese Ghosts For Halloween

noreply@blogger.com (Rina @ Bento School Lunches) — Fri, 15 Sep 2023 16:56:00 +0000

We are back and it's almost October which is my favorite month of the year. This will be a short post, but I'll have another longer post coming up soon. We are doing well and I hope the same for you :-) It's "College Time" for Nikolai and many others. We are naturally very proud of our son's achievements as he goes off for his junior year.

I've created several ghost themed lunches over the years that are very easy and great fun. Cutting the string cheese to look like ghosts is my favorite part. I'll be sharing with you the method I used for the string cheese.

You can make some cute ghosts similar to the ones I made quite easily.

You will need:

String cheese
Paring knife
Toothpick, food safe marker or sunflower seeds

Method:

Cut the string cheese into half.
Using a knife, make a slit in the middle and almost 3/4 way down.
Make a few more additional slits till you get 8 legs or less.
I used a toothpick for these particular face accents. Just poke the toothpick on the cheese to create the eyes and mouth. I've used food safe marker before and I've seen sunflower seeds being used. These are just some ideas, you might have others.

Below are just a few Halloween lunchbox ideas with these string cheese ghosts.

In this bento lunch (packed in a Planetbox): I used a ghost shaped cookie cutter for the sandwich and raisins for the facial details. Honey was used as glue for the raisins. Sides were dye free choc sunflower seeds, Annie's organic crackers topped with a couple of ghost string cheese, seedless green grapes with a ghost cupcake pick, organic baby carrots, organic granola bar and seedless red grapes.

In this bento lunch:

Grapes and strawberry slices watched over by a ghost pick.
Sweet bell peppers carved into jack-o-lanterns above bed of lettuce.
Ghost shaped sandwich topped with provolone cheese, eyes and nose are made from nori with fruit leather letters. Smaller ghosts are from mozzarella string cheese cut into half with sharp paring knife and food safe marker for eyes and nose. Packed in an Easylunchboxes container.

BOO is the first word of the Halloween season and the theme of this lunch. The main compartment of this lunch contains three mini pumpkin shaped sandwiches which I used a small pumpkin cookie cutter to cut out. I used the letter cutters to cut mild cheddar cheese to put on top of these and a couple pieces of string cheese to make the ghosts by first cutting it into half and then making cuts lengthwise for perhaps a little more than half their length and then spreading them apart to give a bit of a spooky look. I simply used a toothpick to make some indentations for the eyes and mouth, but you could also use a food safe marker. I included a piece of granola bar upon which I added letter cookies from IKEA, and in the smaller sections below I have celery sticks and organic baby carrots on the right and a silicone pumpkin shaped cup holding some grapes and a ghost pick. This lunch was packed in an Easylunchboxes container.

Below is my first ever string cheese creation in 2011 (12 years ago)! Wow, how quickly time flies.

In this bento lunch:

Ghost shaped sandwich with turkey ham and Colby cheese. Topped with Asiago cheese and candy eyes
Ghost shaped string cheese
Seedless black grapes
Cheddar crackers behind ghost marshmallow
Organic baby carrots

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

25+ Lunches In LunchBots & Features That We Like

noreply@blogger.com (Rina @ Bento School Lunches) — Tue, 10 Aug 2021 18:50:00 +0000

Hello there, I truly hope all of you are doing well and remain so. For us, it is again back to school with Nikolai already in college. Normally he would be a high school junior this fall, but during the past year he completed his virtual high school classes, and this year expects to complete the requirements to graduate with his Associates degree (he is 16 years old). Of course we are very proud of the way he adapted to all the recent changes with a positive goal and a usable plan.

Early in the spring each year we begin thinking about summer holiday. Almost always we entertain several ideas regarding geography, cultural and historical attractions and routes. We did so again this year, and again we changed it all by departure time. Some how it all works out so that we return mostly pleased with our excellent adventure. This year we visited twenty five states and we enjoyed the local cuisine along the way.

While it isn't rocket science, there are some tips, techniques, and tools that make providing a good lunch easier than many might think. One item that comes directly to mind is LunchBots which is quality stainless steel lunchbox that we really love.

We personally own both the LunchBots Duo and Quad which can be found on Amazon. LunchBots are made of stainless steel, come in various sizes and styles and with lids in cheerful colors. Nikolai has always been a small eater, and he prefers a little bit of of this and a little bit of that in his lunchbox. I have a few lunchboxes which I go to whenever I am in a hurry and one of them is our LunchBots! The main reason is that I LOVE their divided compartments! Also, we have had our LunchBots since Nikolai was in Elementary school, and it's still in perfect condition. It's easy to pack, easy to wash, very durable and I'm confident it will last for many years to come!

Features that we like:

- Divided compartments to keep food separate and not touching.
- The lids are easy to remove even for small hands.
- They are easy to clean, will not retain stains, odors or residues since it is stainless steel.
- Will last for a long time with proper care.
- Lead free, plastic free, BPA free, phthalate free, non toxic and waste free.

You can view my gallery of lunches packed in LunchBots by clicking HERE.

Lunchbots also have insulated containers which are great, and we have been using them a lot for packing hot lunches. When you have prepared a great lunch, it is always nice to know that you can keep it at the best temperature.

Review: Modes4u Cinderella Bento Lunchbox and Cinderella Wallet

noreply@blogger.com (Rina @ Bento School Lunches) — Tue, 14 Apr 2020 18:00:00 +0000

The nice people over at Modes4u generously offered us the opportunity to review some of their products, and I'm excited to bring you this post. We received these wonderful items before we had the stay at home order due to coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19). I picked these two Cinderella themed items for myself this time - initially, we planned a Disney trip for this summer, but that will have to be postponed to some other time for sure.

Modes4u have a wide assortment of bento boxes, one of which I used to pack this lunch for myself. They also offer a great collection of cute stationery, fabrics, wallets, accessories, stuffed animals. and more in addition to their very cute bento items. Their site is a great wonderland and I recommend it as one of those must see websites!

This Cinderella bento box is made in Japan and I love the quality and durability of it. It can be used in the microwave (without the lid), is dishwasher safe and BPA free.

I packed a snacky lunch for myself in this cute bento box. It contains organic celery sticks, organic apples and organic baby carrots with ranch dressing in the small container. Sauce containers, like the little pink bunny one that I used for this bento, food picks, baran dividers, cutters, and much more are awaiting your visit to their accessories pages.

This bento box is easy to open and close, the snaps on the sides are durable and high quality.

Now, lets scroll down and look at this super cute Cinderella horse and carriage wallet which will be perfect for me to use at Disney.

I love this half zip around wallet and it's functionality! The front and back of the wallet is super cute with all the detailing.

Interior has four card slots, two open multi-function full length pockets, two wall long pockets (one on each side) and a zipper coin pocket in the center. It's spacious and it's a slim wallet which is totally my favorite kind of wallet.

Since we are all under stay at home order here in Florida, I may be packing more bento lunches to enjoy without leaving home. Why not make eating lunch at home fun?

Stay safe and stay well, everyone!

Disclosure: Modes4u generously provided me with the products for review without cost to me. All opinions are my own.

How To Pack Hot Leftovers For Lunch & 30 Ideas For Thermos

noreply@blogger.com (Rina @ Bento School Lunches) — Wed, 15 Jan 2020 19:51:00 +0000

Happy New Year 2020! It has been a couple of weeks of back to school action since the holidays. We enjoyed them and I hope you did also. Nikolai has requested some warm, comforting lunches especially this time of year, thus, leftovers in a thermos is the ticket.

Here is how I prep in the mornings when I need to send him a hot meal:

First I fill his thermos with boiling water, close the lid, place it on the counter with the lid on and let it sit for 5 minutes or more while I'm assembling his side dishes such as fruits, veggies and a little snack.
Heat the hot portion of the meal to piping hot.
Then I pour out the hot water and fill the thermos with the hot heated up food.
Secure lid tight and it's ready to go.
Don't forget to add a fork or spoon into your kids lunchbag.

For non-liquid food such as chicken nuggets or pizza, I add an extra step to my prep. After I dump the boiling water out of the thermos, I lay a piece of folded paper towel in the bottom of the thermos to absorb any moisture while keeping the food hot.
Insulated containers are great for leftovers which are mainly dinner foods! We have also packed breakfast for lunch such as pancakes, scrambled eggs and sausages.

We have several insulated jars which we love, and rotate their use quite often. They are our Lunchbots Thermal, Thermos stainless steel insulated jar and U Konserve insulated food jar. We also still have our Thermos Foogo and Thermos Funtainer which Nikolai used quite often when he was younger, and we still use occasionally.

Here are 30 Hot Lunch Ideas for Thermos:

Pasta
Mac and Cheese
Soup
Grilled Cheese
Pizza (cut to fit)
Chicken Nuggets
Bagel Bites
Mashed Potatoes
Ravioli
Meatballs
Chili
Gyoza
French Toast Sticks
Leftovers like Casserole, Steak, Chicken, BBQ Pork, etc
Fish Sticks
Scrambled Eggs
Pancakes
Sausages
Taco Meat (include tortilla wraps or taco shells on the side)
Fried Rice
Fried Noodles
Pot Roast
Quesadilla
Spaghetti
Jambalaya
Red beans or black beans and rice
Gumbo
Chicken Curry
Tortellini
Ramen noodles and more

Here are just a few hot lunches of which I managed to snap pictures. I always include sides with them such as fruits, veggies and snacks in another container (not pictured).

Leftover curry chicken with potatoes, carrots and basmati rice is in the insulated container. I heated the curry and rice in a microwave safe plate and transferred them to his preheated insulated container.

Leftover pasta with ground beef and spinach is in the insulated container. I heated the pasta in a microwave safe bowl and transferred it to his preheated insulated container.

This was packed by dad. Leftover macaroni and cheese is in the insulated container with pieces of baked ham.

Here is leftover steak and mashed potatoes in the insulated container. I heated the steak and potatoes in a microwave safe plate and then transferred them to his preheated insulated container.

Leftover stir fry vermicelli / mei fun is in the insulated container. I heated it in a microwave safe bowl and transferred it to his preheated insulated container.

Leftover tri-color bow tie pasta with ground beef is in the insulated container. I heated it in a microwave safe plate and transferred it to his preheated insulated container.

There are probably lots of other children that enjoy hot lunches. What hot lunches do you send with your kids?

5 Snacky Lunch Ideas For School

noreply@blogger.com (Rina @ Bento School Lunches) — Tue, 22 Oct 2019 15:00:00 +0000

Snacky lunches are fun to make, easy to pack and easy to eat. Lately, besides leftovers, most of Nikolai's lunches are snacky lunches which I often times refer to as homemade lunchables. With the short school lunch time, and of course the need to talk at lunch, snacky lunches are convenient and most welcome. It contains foods that he loves to eat, and we have the foods on hand most of the time.

These lunches are also easy for us to assemble with variety of fruits, vegetables, crackers, cheese, meats, breads, etc.

Our snacky lunches mostly contains any of the following:

Bread, crackers, croissant, bagel, tortilla wraps, muffins, pretzels.
A variety of cheese either in slices, sticks, wheels and at times cut into fun shapes from block cheese.
Sliced deli ham, turkey, roast beef, salami.
Fruits such as apple slices, seedless grapes, berries, peaches, watermelon, orange slices, and at times apple sauce.
Vegetables and dips (ranch or hummus).
Extra treat - Granola bar, rice krispies, popcorn, chips.

Here are 5 snacky lunches which Nikolai enjoyed recently.

Lunch 1: Cheese and ham roll ups, peach slices, seedless grapes in our favorite square silicone cup and tortilla chips in his leak-proof Ecolunchbox bento splash box.

Lunch 2: Croissants, lefse with cinnamon and butter ( hubby is part Norwegian so we enjoy lefse occasionally), grapes, crackers and elderberry vitamin gummy. Packed in our Planetbox rover.

Lunch 3: Nitrate free pepperoni and crackers in the main compartment. Sides are apple slices, celery sticks with dip in the small container, a yogurt covered star, cheese stick above a granola bar. Packed in our Planetbox rover.

Lunch 4: A couple of turkey and cheese wraps secured with cute food picks, a granola bar, apple slices with cinnamon and crackers. Packed in our Easylunchboxes urban.

Lunch 5: This was packed by dad a.k.a my awesome husband. Sandwich cut into half, crackers, orange slices, cheese slices and I believe he hand cut the N for Nikolai's initial.

You can always assemble a snacky lunch with what you have on hand, and include foods that your kids love to eat. They are quick and easy to pack! For ideas on DIY homemade lunchables, you can find them here.

4 Grab and Go Muffins For School Lunch Box (with Recipe)

noreply@blogger.com (Rina @ Bento School Lunches) — Tue, 24 Sep 2019 17:00:00 +0000

This school year I've been packing muffins quite often for Nikolai's school lunch. I'm definitely not a morning person, and we have to wake up way earlier since school starts earlier. You'll never find me waking up earlier than I have to, standing in the kitchen baking or cooking in the wee hours of the morning. Most days I'll pack his lunches the night before or he has to pack them in the mornings.

We usually make a batch of muffins during the weekend ( sometimes from scratch and sometimes from the box), eat some and freeze the remaining. They are super portable and will last in the fridge for days or in the freezer for months. They are especially great for busy mornings when you have to race out the door and need a grab and go breakfast, and perfect for the lunchbox, after school snacks or for anytime of the day. These lunches are packed in our Easylunchboxes container.

Below are just a few lunch ideas with muffins included.

These ham and cheese casserole muffins are our favorite muffins lately, we have made them so many times that I remember the recipe by heart now, lol.

Ingredients:

3–4 pieces whole wheat bread, torn into small pieces
3–4 slices deli ham, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
8 large eggs
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons ground mustard
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease muffin tin well.
Drop bread pieces evenly in muffin tins until they come about 2/3 of the way up the tin.
Sprinkle ham pieces evenly in each tin.
Sprinkle cheese evenly in each tin.
Whisk together eggs, milk, ground mustard, and pepper.
Pour egg mixture evenly in each muffin tin.
Bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown on top and cooked through the middle.
Enjoy!!

Bento lunch 1: A couple of ham and cheese muffins from the fridge
(Nikolai doesn't mind eating them cold, but you can also heat them up and drop them into a thermos if you prefer them hot), a granola bar, organic baby carrots and seedless grapes. Packed in our Easylunchboxes container.

These blueberry muffins are from the box, follow the instructions on the box and it's so easy and turned out tasty.

Bento lunch 2: A couple of blueberry muffins from the fridge, just pop them in the lunchbox with a granola bar and a cheese stick in the main compartment. Sides are apple slices sprinkled with cinnamon ( Nikolai's favorite way of eating apples) and seedless green grapes. Packed in our Easylunchboxes container.

It's pumpkin season once again, and we love everything pumpkin! Of course we had to make some pumpkin muffins.
There are so many recipes out there, almost all are quite similar, but this one works for me, it's simple and I usually have most of the ingredients on hand.

Ingredients:

2 cups Pumpkin Pancake mix
1 egg
1 cup milk
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
Pam non-stick cooking spray or muffin cups.

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350º.
In medium bowl, stir together pancake mix until moistened. Do not over-mix.
Spoon batter into greased or paper lined muffin pan, filling ¾ full.
There is enough batter to fill one dozen muffin wells.
Bake at 350º for 13-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
Enjoy!!

Bento lunch 3: A pumpkin pancake muffin, string cheese, granola bar, crackers, nitrate free ham roll-ups in my favorite silicone cup, organic baby carrots and an organic apple. Packed in our Easylunchboxes container.

Bento lunch 4: Turkey and cheese wrap, a couple of blueberry muffins, a granola bar, apple slices with sprinkle of cinnamon, grapes and crackers.
All of these lunches are packed in our Easylunchboxes container.

Do you have a favorite muffin recipe?

10 Quick and Easy School Lunch Ideas In Planetbox

noreply@blogger.com (Rina @ Bento School Lunches) — Tue, 27 Aug 2019 17:00:00 +0000

It's been a few weeks now since school started for us. I must admit that it was difficult to adjust to the new earlier wake up time, but we are getting used to it. We are super happy that Nikolai was selected to attend a collegiate high school, one of the best here in Florida, at which he will only study two years of high school and will then move to college course work for the next two. The effect is to complete both high school and the first two years of college at the same time which is like getting two years of free college. Another feature we all like is that it's a smaller school with excellent teachers, principal and staff. He wanted the challenge and we are confident that he will succeed. He loves it there! Happy child means happy parents. 😄

I've been packing lunches daily which is honestly a joy since I'd thought he might prefer school lunches in the future. They have been mostly lunches which were simple, quick and easy. Nikolai has always been a small eater, and he prefers a little bit of of this and a little bit of that in his lunchbox. I have a few lunchboxes which I go to whenever I am in a hurry and one of them is our Planetbox! The main reason is that I LOVE their divided compartments! Also, we have had our Planetbox since Nikolai was in Elementary school, and it's still in perfect condition. It's easy to pack, easy to wash, very durable and I'm confident it will last for many years to come!

I've combined several lunches I have packed for Nikolai in his Planetbox into this one post. They are quick and easy lunches which he had enjoyed a while back.

I'll try to describe what we included when packing each of these lunches.

Bento lunch 1: Main compartment contains a sandwich with bear shaped cheese cut outs. I usually switch around the cheese and lunchmeat for his sandwich fillings. Sometimes it may also be PB&J, cream cheese or other spreads. Sides are apple slices, cucumber slices, baby carrots, Annie's organic fruit snacks and goldfish crackers.

Bento lunch 2: I believe this was packed by my hubby, he loves to cut the bread into this shape. Sides are applesauce, baby carrots, yogurt star and cheese crackers.

Bento lunch 3: Chococat topper on a simple sandwich, celery sticks (dip not pictured), apple slices, crackers and Annie's organic fruit snacks.

Bento lunch 4: It was half day at school and we packed a small lunch. Sandwich with a robot cupcake ring, grapes and crackers in our favorite square silicone cup. This lunch was packed in our smaller Planetbox Shuttle.

Bento lunch 5: Low on groceries lunch = pack what we can find in the fridge and pantry! Sandwich, crackers, string cheese, fruit snacks and rice krispies treat.

Bento lunch 6: Tortilla wraps and a cheese stick in the main compartment. Sides are grapes, peach slices, fruit snacks and goldfish crackers.

Bento lunch 7: Another low on groceries lunch! High five stamped on sandwich, applesauce, cheese stick, Annie's organic fruit snacks and cheese crackers.

Bento lunch 8: Superman themed lunch with superman cupcake ring, yogurt, grapes, Babybel cheese and baby carrots.

Bento lunch 9: Panda mini pocket sandwiches which I used our Cutezcute stamper/ cutter to create, grapes with cute Panda picks, choc chips, popcorn and yogurt.

Bento lunch 10: Again, either we are low on groceries or running late. Crackers, cheese slices, grapes and strawberry crepe.

As you can see, I do not always pack fancy lunches. Most days are leftovers or breakfast for lunch which I never bother taking pictures.

Below is a collage that I made for those who might like to pin. All packed in our durable Planetbox.

20 Best Lunch Boxes For School + Thermos and Bags

noreply@blogger.com (Rina @ Bento School Lunches) — Thu, 08 Aug 2019 16:07:00 +0000

Looking for the best lunchbox or insulated container for school? I've got you covered with this *long* post. Since I have packed many lunches and like to alternate among the many lunchboxes in our ever growing collection, I'll share my impressions of some of them along with the features that we like and some things to consider. I personally enjoy the variety of lunchboxes available and have a nice collection of them, but you need only those that meet your own needs.

So, let's get started! This list is in no particular order.

1. Planetbox Rover

The Planetbox Rover has five compartments and comes with both big and little dippers. It measures 10” x 7.5” x 1.5”

2. Planetbox Shuttle

The PlanetBox Shuttle has two compartments and one dipper. It measures 7.75" x 5" x 2"

3. Planetbox Launch

The PlanetBox Launch has three compartments and one dipper. It measures 10.3" x 7.5" x 2"

Each come with a colorful magnet set, perfect for personalizing. The lid is the hinged type and is secured with a metal snap-type latch, so it all remains together.
The price tag is on the high side but if you’re looking for a box that will last for years to come and that is completely plastic free, high quality and durable, this is the one for you. While the price is a bit more than some alternatives, the value more than justifies it when its quality and all of its many features are considered.

Features that we like:
- Made of stainless steel and there’s no worry about BPA.
- Dishwasher safe, eco-friendly and should last indefinitely.
- Compartments which provides variety and versatility.
- Cute magnet designs to choose from.
- The dippers are great containers to hold sauces, dips, yogurt etc that fit perfectly inside the Planetbox.

Things to consider:
- It's a little on the heavy side compared to other lunch boxes.
- Not for use in microwave.

**You can see my gallery of lunches packed in PlanetBoxes by clicking HERE.

4. Yumbox Panino

The Yumbox Panino has a four compartment removable food tray which you can choose either with illustration or without illustrations. It is truly leak proof and I've sent yogurt, applesauce and dips without any problems.The main section is large enough to fit a sandwich or two cups of pasta, brown rice, salad or more. Two more half cup sections are ready to hold your sides and then there is a one ounce circular shaped section for any topping, dip, or treat. The removable tray is also ideal for meals or snacks at home. The box measures approx. 8.5 x 6.5 x 1.8 inches so it fits nicely in a standard size lunch tote.

Features that we like:
- It's leakproof! It seals very well to prevent wet foods from leaking onto other foods.
- It has an overall size which is convenient for backpacks or lunch totes.
- The removable tray is divided into sensible sized sections.
- It is dishwasher safe.
- All materials are BPA-free and phthalates-free.

Things to consider:
- Although I have never had the need or desire to microwave our Yumbox, their website claims that the Tritan tray of the newest version (after May 1, 2013), but not the outer shell, is microwavable.
- When using a dishwasher, Yumbox recommends using top rack only.

**You can see my gallery of lunches packed in Yumbox Panino by clicking HERE.

5. Easylunchboxes

The Easylunchboxes container provide three sections for food which makes packing lunches easy.

Features that we like:
- The containers are microwave, freezer and dishwasher safe and they are made from BPA free, FDA approved, food-safe polypropylene plastic.
- In case you are wondering whether these are similar to those disposable ones sold in stores, the answer is NO. The Easylunchboxes are much higher quality, more durable, the lids are not flimsy.
- The lids come in fun colors.
- Easy to open and close for small hands.
- They are quite economical, a set of four for around $14. The sets come in classic and brights colors. The newest are the Urban colors which we love.
- The insulated lunch bag is great and I have even used it for carrying other boxes.

Things to consider:
- The boxes are not leak proof and do function best when carried in this Easylunchboxes insulated lunch bag.

**You can see my gallery of lunches packed in Easylunchboxes by clicking HERE.

6. Bentgo Kids

The Bentgo kids has five compartments; largest compartment is good for sandwiches, leftovers, pasta, salad and more. The other compartments are perfect for fruits, veggies, snacks, yogurt, applesauce and dips.

Features that we like:
- It's leakproof! It seals very well to prevent wet foods from leaking onto other foods.
- Drop-proof, rubber-coated edges and sturdy design.
- The removable tray is divided into sensible sized sections.
- It is dishwasher safe.
- All materials are BPA-free and phthalates-free.

Things to consider:
- It's a little on the heavy side compared to other lunch boxes.

You can view my gallery of lunches packed in Bentgo Kids by clicking HERE.

7. LunchBots Duo

8. LunchBots Quad

We personally own both the LunchBots Duo and Quad. LunchBots are made of stainless steel, come in various sizes and styles and with lids in cheerful colors.
We own the LunchBots duo for nine years now and it is still in perfect condition, well worth the price.

Features that we like:
- Divided compartments to keep food separate and not touching.
- The lids are easy to remove even for small hands.
- They are easy to clean, will not retain stains, odors or residues since it is stainless steel.
- Will last for a long time with proper care.
- Lead free, plastic free, BPA free, phthalate free, non toxic and waste free.

Things to consider:
- The containers are not leak proof.
- Not for use in microwave.

**You can see my gallery of lunches packed in LunchBots by clicking HERE.

9. Go Green Lunchbox

The Go Green lunch box is a generously sized five compartment food container which even comes with a bottle that will hold eight ounces of your preferred drink.

It is truly leak proof due to their innovative design. Due to it's size, it fits best with the lunch bag that comes with it. The dimensions are 13in x 8in x 3 in.

Features that we like:
- It's leak-proof. The “turn n lock” knob and soft silicone bands were designed to make it leak-proof and airtight.
- The top and bottom are tethered together so I don’t have to worry about the lid getting lost or being forgotten at lunch.
- The drink bottle fits neatly inside the box and the bottle is stainless steel.
- Easy to unfasten retention clips allow lid to be separated for cleaning.
- It is BPA-free, Lead-free, PVC-free, and Phthalate-free.

Things to consider:
- Not recommended for dishwasher.
- It's best used with their own lunch bag since it's size is larger than most standard bags.

**You can see my gallery of lunches packed in the Go Green Lunch Box by clicking HERE.

10. Ecolunchbox Blue Water Bento Splash Box

Ecolunchbox blue water splash box is a leak-proof lunch box. Measures 6 1/2 by 4 3/4 inches by 2 inches tall.
Silicone lid and stainless container are free of plastic, BPA, and phthalates. The Splash Box’s blue lid is embossed with an ocean-inspired wave design. It also features easy-to-grip corner tabs for opening and closing. As for clean-up, all parts are dishwasher safe. The quality of this lunch box is excellent and I am sure that it will last for many years with proper care.

11. Ecolunchbox Solo Cube

12. Ecolunchbox Solo Rectangle

The ECOlunchbox is a stainless steel container and we own both the Solo Cube and Solo Rectangle versions. The Solo Cube measures 5 1/4 inches square, 1 7/8 inches deep, with 600ml capacity and the Solo Rectangle measures 4 3/4 inches wide, 6 3/4 inches long, and 2 inches deep with 850ml capacity.

Features that we like:
- Easy to open and close for small hands.
- Stainless steel will not retain stains, odors or residues and will last for a long time with proper care.
- Dishwasher safe.
- Lead free, plastic free, BPA free, phthalate free, non toxic and waste free.

Things to consider:
- The containers are not leak proof.
- Not for use in microwave.

**You can see my gallery of lunches packed in ECOlunchboxes by clicking HERE.

13. Thermos FOOGO - 10 oz

14. Thermos Funtainer - 10 oz

15. Thermos Stainless King - 16 oz

Insulated containers are great for leftovers which are mainly dinner foods! We do soup, tortellini, pasta, gyoza, chicken nuggets, chili, meatballs, fried rice, fried noodles, mac & cheese, pizza (cut to fit), Jambalaya and more. We have several thermos jars, the FOOGO has 12 oz capacity while the Funtainer is 10 oz capacity. We also have the Thermos Stainless King which holds 16 oz.

16. LunchBots 16oz Thermal Stainless Steel Wide Mouth Thermos

The 16 oz LunchBots thermal has a bowl like shape which is both easy to fill with foods such as chili, stews, pasta, soups and also makes it easy to use when eating. I love the inside of the lid which is stainless steel and without plastic coming into contact with hot food.

17. Warm and Tote Heated Meal Totes

This lunchbag helps keep food warm or cold for hours with the Microcore pac. There is plenty of space in the Warm and Tote, and with two compartments separated by an effective thermal divider, you can keep the lunch warm in one while you keep fruits or a beverage cool in the other.

18. Warmables Food Warmer Sleeve

Warmables Neoprene Food Warmer Sleeves keep meals warm for hours.Their heat packs are filled with natural cherry pits, and do a truly remarkable job of retaining heat when used with the sleeve. The size of the sleeve is about 8"x 9", uses a Velcro closure, and is easily washable.

19. Planetbox Carry Bag

The Planetbox carry bag is one of the bags that our son uses daily. It's designed to comfortably hold your PlanetBox Rover or Launch lunchbox or any other lunchbox that you have. Outside water bottle pouch holds water bottle with a 3-inch diameter or less. Outside snack pocket. Inner mesh pocket fits the ColdKit ice pack to keep your foods cold and inner elastic straps holds utensils.

20. OPUX Premium Lunch Bag

This premium medium capacity insulated lunch bag with shoulder strap is leak proof and thermal insulated. There are also side pouches to store your water bottle and front pocket to store extra items such as utensils and napkins. Available in many colors.

The above are just a few lunchboxes from our collection and this list does not include the many double tiered bento boxes, some of which can be seen HERE, or some really cute ones which can also be found on this blog.

Do you pack lunches for your kids or for yourself, and do you have a favorite lunch box?

Below is a collage that I made for those who might like to pin.

Review: Warmables Food Warmer Sleeve

noreply@blogger.com (Rina @ Bento School Lunches) — Tue, 06 Aug 2019 13:00:00 +0000

The great people at Warmables generously offered us the opportunity to review their Food Warmer Sleeve, and I'm quite excited to share my experience with you in this post.

The photo below shows the beautiful pink sleeve and the two natural heat packs. The color is gorgeous!

The photos below show:

Photo 1 shows leftover shrimp fried rice in a 26 oz. container which easily fits into the sleeve. I heated the leftovers in a microwave safe plate before transferring them into the lunchbox.

Photo 2 shows that the sleeve opens wide for easy packing.

Photo 3 shows the container in the sleeve with the natural heat packs.

Photo 4 shows the sleeve packed, closed, and ready to go!

This great sleeve is perfect for keeping foods such as leftovers, meatballs, pasta, chicken nuggets, pizza, fried rice, and more warm, which kids and adults alike prefer.

The combination of their sleeve and heat packs do an excellent job of keeping foods warm until lunchtime, and you won't have to search out and wait your turn at a microwave when you should be enjoying your meal. It's a great idea for school, but also for the office, picnic or when traveling.

In the photo below you can see how nicely everything fits into our Warmables neoprene food warmer sleeve. Not only do I love how my food stayed warm till lunchtime, I also love the color of the sleeve. Y'all may already know that pink is my favorite color.

The sleeves from Warmables are manufactured by them in the USA using first grade insulated neoprene like that used in deep sea diving suits. Their heat packs are filled with natural cherry pits, and do a truly remarkable job of retaining heat when used with the sleeve. The size of the sleeve is about 8"x 9", uses a Velcro closure, and is easily washable.

Their kit is very easy to use. Simply fill a container which fits into the sleeve with your chosen hot food, then as the instructions describe, heat the cherry pit bags for 30 to 90 seconds (depending on microwave) removing them at 30 second intervals to test for temperature after a gentle shaking to even the heat. Then put the container along with the cherry pit bags into the pouch. At lunchtime you or your child will be able to enjoy a warm and tasty lunch just like you desired!

Currently Warmables has a special offer at their website. They have a coupon for 10% off orders over $50 when you use the coupon code 'warm' at checkout. I think you will really enjoy shopping at their site which has lots of fun and clever ideas. Shipping is free on their website.

Disclosure: Warmables generously provided me with the products for review without cost to me. All opinions are my own.

Review: Sailor Bags Imperial Backpack and Briefcase

noreply@blogger.com (Rina @ Bento School Lunches) — Thu, 18 Jul 2019 19:08:00 +0000

The wonderful people at Sailor Bags have sent us a couple of high quality items from their newest collection. We have had, used, and loved their bags for years, and I believe they are as fine as any bags you could ever hope to find.

They truly make beautiful bags. The fabrics are very tough, colors are great, and the styles are classic yet with all the latest features. Inside you'll find lots of pockets for all your things, those with zipper closures work very smoothly.

You'll notice, from the photo, that the strap on their Imperial small backpack has one of those zippers that converts easily and quickly between a single shoulder strap for a quick dash for the bus or train, and a double strap for school, a hike or the lake. Inside there are two main compartments with double zippers and waterproof linings with plenty of smaller pockets both inside and out to keep things organized. It is 12 inches high, 9.5 inches wide and 3.5 inches deep. Nikolai has taken this bag all over the country and we have found it to hold up to its name and exceed our high expectations, from the New York City subway to the peaks of the Smoky Mountains.

It has a simple, yet elegant appearance on the outside, and they pay very close attention to useful details inside. Some of these include the zipper enclosures and pockets, as mentioned previously.

Their Imperial briefcase is soft sided but very rugged. It has a padded section perfect for your laptop, a full length zipper, plenty of pockets inside and outside for accessories or other things and those adorable zipper pulls. It has outside dimensions of 12 inches high, 15 inches wide and 3.5 inches deep.

As you can see from the photos below of Nikolai taken during a recent trip, Sailor Bags have an enduring classic style that compliments rather than clashes with your personal fashion or favorite colors.

As great as they look, and you should really have a look at their entire selection of sizes, shapes and colors, these are seriously useful bags, which are thoughtfully designed and constructed of the best materials and hardware. With Sailor Bags you are always ready to pack and go whether around town or around the world. We really love ours, and I believe you will love yours too!

Disclosure: Sailor Bags generously provided me with the items for review without cost to me. Other than receiving the items, I have not received any compensation to write this review. All opinions are my own.

Why We Love Miami Beach and Fun Things To Do

noreply@blogger.com (Rina @ Bento School Lunches) — Thu, 27 Jun 2019 18:35:00 +0000

Greetings, and welcome to a new feature for this blog we'll call 'Travel'. As many of you already know, bentos are not only for school. The same concept and techniques used for preparing a healthy and enjoyable lunch for school days can also be used when preparing for work or other activities. One of our favorite other activities is traveling. We've had the joy of traveling to many wonderful places, some close enough to reach in an hour or two, some half way around the world. This new feature will be where we will share some of our favorite destinations as well as tips and tricks that might help you maximize the joy from your travels.

Let's begin with one of the classic favorite destinations....

Summer is finally here in Florida, and to celebrate the start of this splendid season, we took a weekend trip down to Miami Beach for Memorial Day weekend. It's hard to believe that we live so close to Miami, yet we don't visit as often as many would think we do when we mention that we are from Florida. However, each time we visit, we always find something new to do!

The Hyatt Centric, seen from a parking garage.

During our weekend trip, we set up our "base camp" at the Hyatt Centric in South Beach. The hotel had a great view and was close to everything, including the beach and some great food.

The Las Olas Cafe, where we had breakfast.

We had breakfast at the Las Olas Cafe, a local favorite. I highly recommend the Cuban sandwich, as it is one of the best in Miami, and probably high-ranking in the state. Another favorite among us was the cafe con leech, which translates directly to coffee with milk. It kept us going to our next stop, the beach.

The Avalon and Beacon hotels on South Beach.

Some walking and Art Deco observing later, we finally reached the beach, where the Memorial Day air show was going on.

A plane flies over the ocean during the Memorial Day air show.

Nikolai enjoyed the sunny weather and watching the planes fly by, but we left after about an hour so we could get to the Lincoln Road Mall, a mile-long pedestrian road lined with shops ranging from Anthropologie to Zara.

My Vineyard Vines hat and a Starbucks Pink Drink.

It got quite hot on the walk from the beach to Lincoln Road, so we stopped into Starbucks, where I had a trenta sized pink drink (Walking around 3 miles off of a cup of coffee makes you pretty thirsty haha). You may already know how much I love pink.

The National Geographic Fine Art Gallery on Lincoln Road.

One of our favorite stops along Lincoln Road was the National Geographic Fine Art Gallery, a place everyone, especially photographers, should visit to cool down or just to enjoy the wonderful photography displayed here. Another great place to stop in is Books and Books, a local bookstore with multiple locations around the Miami area.

Ladurée on Lincoln Road.

Before we headed back to the hotel, we stopped at Ladurée and got a few macarons, which we couldn't find back home due to there being not many store locations in the country. The macarons were one of the best my son has ever had, according to him, and we couldn't agree any less.

These are some of the activities we enjoyed during our weekend in Miami, however there is so much out there to discover. If you plan on visiting, remember to bring sunscreen. However, if needed, there are sunscreen dispensers around the beach.

And there you have it, our vacation highlights during our trip to Miami. Do you have any favorite activities to do in Miami? Let us know via social media or in the comments below!

10 Non-Sandwich School Lunch Ideas In Easylunchboxes

noreply@blogger.com (Rina @ Bento School Lunches) — Tue, 12 Feb 2019 13:55:00 +0000

Well, hello there! I hope everyone is doing well. We are in fantastic good cheer, though it has been just a little hectic like everyone else, especially during the holidays. Now we are planning a fun trip to Disney; it's high time that we use the free tickets which we received from them last year.

I'm still been packing lunches daily, with Nikolai packing his own at times, though often I don't bother to snap photos of them. To be sure, not ALL of them are wildly photogenic if you know what I mean!
I have combined several of Nikolai's lunches which were packed in his Easylunchboxes in this one post. They are non-sandwich lunches which he had enjoyed a while back. You can see that Easylunchboxes is one of the lunchboxes that we used quite often and it's one of our favorites. It's easy to pack, easy to wash and they are still in great condition after all these years.

I'll try to describe what we included in each of these lunches.

Bento lunch 1: Main compartment contains a cream cheese bagel which I added a couple of eye picks to look like a face and a cheese stick. Sides are cucumber slices and orange slices.

Bento lunch 2: French toast from our freezer stash (Eggo brand) with a dragonfly pick and a spoon for his applesauce. Yes, there are hectic days or low on grocery days and we pack what we can find on hand. Sides are Babybel cheese on cheddar crackers and organic apple sauce in our leak-proof mini dipper.

Bento lunch 3: Mickey and Friends kebabs, crackers and organic granola bar in the main compartment. Sides are cucumber and apple slices.

Bento lunch 4: Main compartment contains ham roll ups topped with a baran sheet, cheese stick and crackers. Sides are seedless grapes and organic baby carrots.

Bento lunch 5: Homemade choc chip pancake muffin, baby carrots and I forgot what is in the small container (raisins maybe?). Sides are ham roll ups and watermelon chunks with a cute pick.

Bento lunch 6: Main section contains a cream cheese bagel, cheddar crackers and a granola bar. Sides are grapes and baby carrots.

Bento lunch 7: DIY homemade lunchables. I've been packing similar ones lately. Main compartment contains cheese slices and crackers in my favorite square silicone cups, nitrate free pepperoni slices and granola bar cut into half. Sides are blueberries and grapes.

Bento lunch 8: Pita (stacked) with a cute panda baran sheet, granola bar and cheese crackers in the main compartment. Sides are applesauce and grapes.

Bento lunch 9: Breakfast for lunch - Mini waffles, a cheese stick and a couple of eye picks...does this look like a butterfly? Sides are cheese crackers and grapes.

Bento lunch 10: A large crescent with eye picks and a granola bar in the main section. Sides are some crackers and apple slices.

These lunches are also quick and easy to pack!

Below is a collage that I made for those who might like to pin.

5 Ways To Make Halloween MUMMY Themed Lunches

noreply@blogger.com (Rina @ Bento School Lunches) — Tue, 09 Oct 2018 19:30:00 +0000

One of our favorite months of the year is here, October, which brings us cooler weather and Halloween! It's also time that we start thinking of fun foods to create, from cookies or cupcakes to school lunches.

Here are five ways that I've created Halloween MUMMY themed lunches in the past.

The first two are quite similar, one I used a bear shaped cookie cutter and the other a gingerbread man cookie cutter.

In this bento lunch 1: Bear shaped sandwich topped with mozzarella cheese bandages, candy eyes and a spider cupcake ring. Organic baby carrots with a monster hand cupcake pick, Annie's organic fruit snack, seedless black grapes, orange yogurt topped with fruit leather which I free hand cut to look like Jack-O-Lantern. I included a Lunchbox love note with this lunch which was packed in a leak-proof Bentgo box.

In this bento lunch 2: Mummy shaped sandwich. I used a Gingerbread Man cookie cutter for the sandwich, candy eyes on nori face. Stripes of Provolone cheese for Mummy's wrappings. Seedless black grapes and cantaloupe. Sliced organic carrots and sliced cucumber.

Pizza is always popular with Nikolai, he doesn't mind eating them either hot or cold. I found a great recipe for pizza mummies from Weelicoius site and I found her instructions are very easy to follow. These pizzas are made from English muffins and the result was very tasty indeed, but I've also made some out of Pillsbury biscuit dough which you can find here.

In this bento lunch 3: English muffin pizzas. The one on the left is Jack -O-Lantern with mozzarella cheese cut with my Jack-O-Lantern cutter. The other is a mummy pizza for which I used strips of string cheese and a couple slices of a black olive. Above and to the left are some organic baby carrots and to the right is a container of apple sauce decorated with a mummy cupcake ring. This lunch was packed in a Bentology living lunchbox.

In the next lunch, instead of using thin strips of cheese as I did before for the bandages, I tried something a bit different this time. I used tortilla to make some roll-ups and then cut another into thin strips to make the bandages. I found that it helps to stick them in place at the ends with just a tiny dab of honey or some other sticky condiments.

In this bento lunch 4: A couple of Mummy tortilla roll-ups with candy eyes. Top right: Seedless black grapes with a cute Mummy cupcake ring.
Bottom right: Edamame (Eat-a-mummy?) in a spider silicone cup.
Far right: Mozzarella string cheese, I used food safe marker for the facial details.

In this bento lunch 5: Mummy sandwich cut with a circle cookie cutter, provolone cheese cut for wrapping strips, nori and candy eyes.
Apple sauce with a grape big spider (body is one half of a large black grape, the other cut into legs). Peach slices. Edamame with a mummy cupcake ring. I also included a Lunchbox love note from the joke edition. LOL! What did the mummy say to the detective? Answer: Let's wrap this up!! This bento is packed in our ECOLunchbox Solo Cube.

Happy Halloween, everyone!

10 Fall School Lunchbox Ideas

noreply@blogger.com (Rina @ Bento School Lunches) — Wed, 19 Sep 2018 19:30:00 +0000

First Day of Fall is around the corner. It's one of my favorite seasons of the year where food is concerned, lol. I love all fall flavors from pumpkin spice latte, pumpkin pie to pumpkin soup! It's also time to create some fun fall themed lunches for Nikolai.

It was great fun looking through all of the lunches which I've posted over the years. Here are 10 Fall School Lunchbox Ideas.

These lunches are not in any particular order. I love them all because they were packed with love, and Nikolai enjoyed them!

Fall leaves themed lunch is easy to create, all you need are a few cookie cutters. This lunch is packed in our leak-proof Bentgo Lunchbox.

Details of this lunch can be found HERE.

Mouth watering looking at this lunch now. Couscous and shu mai lunch of which you can find the details HERE.

Fall acorns and leaf bento lunch. Packed in our Easylunchboxes container. The details of this lunch can be found HERE.

Maple leaves themed lunch, the cutter/ stamp is so easy to use and I love how the sandwiches turned out. This lunch is packed in a stainless steel Planetbox.

Find the details of this lunch HERE.

Here is a squirrel and acorns themed lunch. Nikolai told me that the tail looked like a skunk tail! LOL! It's sometimes fun listening to his feedback. This lunch is packed in our Laptop lunches, now Bentology lunchbox. Details for this lunch can be found HERE.

Here is a fall leaves and acorns themed lunch for which you can find the details HERE.

I love how the pumpkin sandwich turned out with the pumpernickel and rye bread. This lunch is packed in Easylunchboxes container.

Details for this lunch can be found HERE.

What a friendly scarecrow! I think it's cute and not a bit scary! This lunch is packed in our Easyluncboxes.

Details can be found HERE.

Here is a simple FALL themed lunch for which you can find the details HERE. This lunch is packed in our Ecolunchboxes stainless steel lunchbox.

Squirrels, acorns and leaves, all in this cute fall themed lunch. Packed in bentology lunchbox.

The details can be found HERE.

Happy Autumn, y'all!

25+ Lunches In Leak-Proof Bentgo Kids & Features That We Like

noreply@blogger.com (Rina @ Bento School Lunches) — Tue, 28 Aug 2018 19:03:00 +0000

It's been two weeks since back to school for us, and we made it smoothly. I'm so glad that next week is Labor Day and we have a long weekend to take a short trip. Travel is a shared hobby or interest for our family and we seldom miss an opportunity for any kind of adventure. Nikolai once claimed that he learned to read from road signs and billboards besides books...could even be true! LOL!

Bentgo Kids is another leak-proof lunchbox that we have. Since the tray is removable, I believe you can use it as soon as a child is able to eat solid foods on a high chair. It has five compartments which are great for a variety of foods. The largest compartment is good for sandwiches, leftovers, pasta, salad and more. The other compartments are perfect for fruits, veggies, snacks, yogurt, applesauce and dips.

Features that we like:

- It's leakproof! It seals very well to prevent wet foods from leaking onto other foods.
- Drop-proof, rubber-coated edges and sturdy design.
- The removable tray is divided into sensible sized sections.
- It is dishwasher safe.
- All materials are BPA-free and phthalates-free.

You can view my gallery of lunches packed in Bentgo Kids by clicking HERE.

Below is a collage that I made for those who might like to pin.

10 First Day Back To School Lunches

noreply@blogger.com (Rina @ Bento School Lunches) — Wed, 08 Aug 2018 13:00:00 +0000

It's the time of the year when we transition from sleeping late to adjusting back our alarm clocks to school days wake up time. It always feels that summer passes by quicker each year....I guess time flies when you are having so much fun.

Our school here in FL starts this coming Friday, and since it's TGIF, I'll be packing Nikolai a simple first day of school lunch, maybe recreate something from a previous year, I'm not sure for now. It's always nice to make a fun and special lunch for the first day of school, it's just one more way of letting Nikolai know that I'm thinking of him.

Here are 10 first day back to school lunchbox ideas. You can view the description of each HERE.

I hope y'all had a great summer, wish all of you a great start to another school year and your children great success with their studies!!

Below is a collage that I made for those who might like to pin.

200+ Lunches In Easylunchboxes & Features That We Like

noreply@blogger.com (Rina @ Bento School Lunches) — Wed, 01 Aug 2018 13:00:00 +0000

Easylunchboxes, the name says it all! Their user friendly design makes them a family favorite lunchbox. It's one that you will be happy to have when it is time to grab, pack and go.

The Easylunchboxes containers provide three sections for food which makes packing lunches easy. The proportions of these sections is well thought out and, as you can see from the lunches I've packed in them, they seem perfect for a wide variety with enough capacity for a great meal. We own all three sets; the classic, brights and urban colors. In case you are wondering whether these are similar to those disposable ones sold in stores or imitations sold online, the answer is NO. The Easylunchboxes sets are much higher quality, more durable and the lids are not flimsy.

These are features that we like:

- The containers are microwave, freezer and dishwasher safe and they are made from BPA free, FDA approved, food-safe polypropylene plastic.
- The lids come in fun colors.
- Easy to open and close for small hands.
- They are quite economical, a set of four for around $14.
- The insulated lunch bag is great and I have even used it for carrying other boxes.

You can view my gallery of lunches packed in Easylunchboxes by clicking HERE.

Below is a collage that I made for those who might like to pin.

150+ Lunches In Planetbox & Features That We Like

noreply@blogger.com (Rina @ Bento School Lunches) — Thu, 26 Jul 2018 12:45:00 +0000

Planetbox may be Nikolai's favorite lunchbox! Frankly, I'm sure we have packed more lunches into them than this post title. I still have a backlog of lunches which I need to post.

We own all three of the Planetboxes ( Rover, Shuttle and Launch). The one we have used most is the Planetbox Rover, then the Shuttle and after that the Launch. If you need a larger capacity box, then I would suggest the Planetbox Launch. Nikolai is a small eater and prefers variety, thus, the Planetbox Rover with its many sections is perfect for us. Of course, if you have all three sizes you will find the perfect time or circumstance for each.

The Planetbox Rover has five compartments and two dippers. The PlanetBox Shuttle has two compartments and one dipper. Each come with a colorful magnet set, perfect for personalizing. The lid is the hinged type and is secured with a metal snap-type latch, so it all remains together.
If you’re looking for a box that will last for years to come and that is completely plastic free, high quality and durable, this is the one for you! While the price is a bit more than some alternatives, the value more than justifies it when its quality and all of its many features are considered.

Features that we like:

- Made of stainless steel and there’s no worry about BPA.
- Dishwasher safe, eco-friendly and should last indefinitely.
- Compartments which provide variety and versatility.
- Cute magnet designs to choose from.
- The dippers are great containers to hold sauces, dips, yogurt etc that fit perfectly inside the Planetbox.
- The insulated bag is both sleek and functional. On the outside there's a place for a water bottle and a pocket for a napkin or a small snack box. On the inside is a mesh pocket for a PlanetBox cold kit or similar ice pack, and a couple little straps that secure utensils or a cute note from home.

You can view my gallery of lunches packed in PlanetBox by clicking HERE.

Below is a collage that I made for those who might like to pin.