Bento (96) - Turkey Rolls Accompanied by Green Giraffe

The giraffe was probably overkill, but I couldn't resist since I finally found a bento where he seemed to fit in. Tee hee. Today's bento was peach yogurt with blueberries, tomato and turkey skewers, apple and sweet potato salad (nommy!), and rice with pickled plum. Green is a lettuce separator. I ran out of honey and used maple syrup on the apple/sweet potato salad for an American touch. It worked out quite well. I will definitely do that again!

Bento (95) - Fishcake Bunnies!!

Another five minute bento! Top left is kamaboko bunnies with black sesame seed eyes. The orange sauce container is holding soy for the rice and bunnies. Top right is frozen mango and cherry salad (I've found using the frozen fruit helps keep them "in stock" - and as they thaw, the juices flow down and mingle the flavors.) The rice is topped with cheese flowers and peas for some quick decoration.

Bento (94) - Corned Beef

And at long last - I advance to bento level 3 . . . now that I have conquered the art of attractively arranging meat! MU HA HA. Okay . . . I probably can't consistently reproduced the cuteness, but I did at last finally get an attractive meat-bento!

Left side is rice, lettuce, corned beef (cut into slices - and attractively arranged >.<) with carrot, cabbage, and cilantro flower. Far back right is kamaboko stuffed with pickled plum (will have to carve out more room for the pickled plum next time - but this was nommy!) and lower right is mango, kiwi, and half a cherry.

Om nom nom nom om.

Bento (93) - Fried Soba and Other Things that Make Me go Squee!

What can I say? I love cute food! The only thing I would change in this bento was adding cilantro "trees" where the wasabi peas were filling some awkward holes by the sauce container. Unfortunately, I didn't have cilantro. LOL!

Bottom level is soba noodles (fried with onion, carrot, 2 Tbs of Hon Tsuyu soup stock, and 2 Tbs of water) topped with red kamaboko slices. The top level is cucumber and carrots cut into flower shapes, and a small silicone cupcake holder with mango and a red cherry heart (slightly mangled). The red watermelon container holds additional Hon Tsuyu sauce, and I used wasabi peas to fill the extra space.

And in other news . . . I dropped by Pacific Mercantile to pick up some Pocky and other treats for a get-together with some friends . . . and found . . .

SQUEE!!!!!

Little chadango erasers! SQUEE!!! I tried to resist the compulsion to buy . . . but the tea cup . . . look at the tea cup! Kawaii!! >.<
I'm not sure what the two items wrapped in leaves are (one is a dark green leaf around something white - the other is a light green leaf around ham/spam(?) with sweet bean filling (?)) . . . if you know their name, please let me know! I'd love to try them sometime.

Yes. I need professional help.

Bento (92) - Fun with Rainbow Mochi . . .

MMmmmmMMMMmmmmm. I love rainbow mochi. My recent bentos have been missing their "cuteness factor" - so I decided rainbows and pink bunnies were in order, with a side of soy bunnies and a fishie egg. >.<

The fishie is being protected from two frozen cherries by a barrier of flower-shaped cucumbers. I'm not sure why the cherries turned out black on film - they were actually a brilliant red.

The edamame were slightly wrinkled, but they were also the last of my edamame. ::sniffle:: I sense another trip to the Pacific Mercantile approaching rapidly!

Bento (91) - Gyoza

This bento becomes much more impressive when I mention I put it together in under 10 minutes. The bottom is still lacking . . . color. A few furikake sprinkles or chopped up carrots would have helped! Oh well. Top level is imitation crab over avacado with a kiwi/rasberry salad. Bottom level is rice with a Japanese pickled plum, 3 gyoza, and a penguin sauce holder propped up with a raspberry.