Bento (112) - Halloween Cupcakes

Okay - these probably don't qualify as bento . . . but I wanted to show them off anyway. I managed to scrape together enough energy to make some cupcakes for the potluck at work. I'm glad I didn't try the werewolf cupcakes I was thinking of - I would have been up until 2 am instead of 11 pm :P :P :P


Close up of the bat:

The bats would have been much cuter if I could "notch" their wings. However, the type of cookie I was using crumbled with alarming frequency . . . so after destroying 14 sets of wings by trying to add further detail, I gave up and settled for cutting the cookies in half.

Close up of the spider:

The spiders were fun and easy to make . . . except for applying 8 little sprinkle legs to each. Yikes!

Close up of the starry sky (with full moon!):


Easy to make - and great as a background for other things (like bats!). I bought blue decorative sugar and a shaker of "pearls" - mixed the two together in a bowl, and gently rolled a frosted cupcake in the mixture. Press on a yellow M&M for the moon and - voila! starry sky!!

Unfortunately, this has been a bad year for the fuzzies . . . much of my absence from blogging is due to caring for sick kitties. My apologies and hope to be back on schedule within a few months. I miss my bentos more than anyone else! LOL! So does my middle - I think I've gained a few pounds :P :P :P

Bento (111) - Mama Bunny and Radish Flowers!!

I always thought that radish flowers would be difficult. Turns out, they're one of the easiest things ever!! You simply cross-hatch the top with a paring knife and then make two straight slices on each side (all four corners . . . if radishes had corners . . . ) then soak in cold salted water until they open. Whee!

I also decided to try the usual treatment I give my miniature quail eggs on a full-size chicken egg - which is how I got Mama Bunny. Mama Bunny was delicious - but also took half a cup of soy sauce :P Might have to figure out some use for slightly contaminated soy so I'm not throwing out all the sauce . . . hmmmmm.

Bottom level was fried noodles with sauteed onions and carrot flowers. And the lettuce garnishes provided a perfect salad at the end of my meal!

Om nom nom.

Bento (110) - Panko Chicken!

What is panko? Panko is breadcrumbs. Just breadcrumbs. But super-nummy-fluffy-crunch-fried chicken breadcrumbs. I will now always have a box of panko hiding somewhere on my shelves.

I decided to add more veggies to my diet, so a forest of stir-fry veggies replaced some of the space I normally use for rice. And I used leftover veggies to separate the fried chicken pieces. Fruit is strawberries with cheese stars. I brought my teriyaki sauce in a separate container, since I like more of a teriyaki soup, and the standard sauce holders weren't quite big enough.

Bento (109) - Soy Bunnies in a Field of Edamame

Soy bunnies! Edamame! Not as much protein as I would like in this bento, but it was super nommy. Top level was the standard apple/sweet potato salad and some leftover noodles (and sweet soy sauce). Bottom level was a trio of soy bunnies and edamame in the shells - topped with carrot flowers. I didn't have time to take the photo as I rushed out of the house - so I took a photo at work (which is why the background is a mahogany table . . . :P). And I just noticed one of the bunny ears wasn't straight. Too late to fix it now!

Bento (108) - Noodles N' Beef

Top level is beef in sweet soy sauce (why yes - it is one of my favorites) garnished with lettuce and accompanied by noodles and a kawaii pink bear food pick. >.< Bottom level is apple/sweet potato salad and yogurt topped with mandarin oranges.

Bento (107) - New Kitty Welcome Bento

No - I have not forgotten about my blog. I finally decided to get a new kitty (after losing my small black tortie in February). Unfortunately, new kitty came with kennel cough, antibiotics, and a thicker instruction manual than the one that came with my cell phone. Her presence did inspire me to try making a black kitty charaben. Not too bad for my first try . . .

Objects above the kitty are a boiled egg cut in half and topped with carrot stars. Kitty is made out of nori and cheese. Top right is apple/sweet potato salad. Bottom right is avacado dipped in salt water to prevent discoloration and a container of rice vinegar with a dash of salt to soften the flavor.

Bento (106) -Panda in a Cucumber Forest

What can I say? I liked how the title sounded - even if it isn't quite accurate . . . but I may have to try making a cucumber forest shortly! Top left is slices of cucumber and slices of roast chicken. Bottom is rice topped with cucumbers and accented with a panda soy sauce holder. Top right is grape/kiwi salad topped with cheddar jack cheese stars, and bottom is potato salad with pickled plum. YUM!

On an unrelated (or sort of related) side note - I went to Applebees with Goose - and when it came time to tuck our leftovers away, I realized they had given me a small white box and pretty food. SQUEE! So I attractively arranged my leftovers :P :P :P And other ways to annoy family and friends. Heh.