First Bento

I think bentos (the american sort that housewives make for their toddlers- none of the foods touch and veggies and fruits are selected for their decorative colors, both of which encourage picky eaters to eat their food) are neat. I have had bento boxes for about two years but I just use them as cute lunch containers rather than getting super cute about it. But then I realized I could use my dining hall meal plan for a "snack to go" container and stuff it with olives, cherry tomatoes, cauliflower, and all that colorful stuff bentos need without driving to the grocery store or spending money (it's part of my housing contract that I buy a meal block of 55 meals per quarter, but I have a hard time enjoying dining hall food and the dining hall nearest my dorm is under construction so it's a bit of a walk getting to one.)

So here it is. Al the veggies except the lettuce are from the dining hall. I used my little cutters to make a carrot bear, and I used a knife to make the checkered apples. On the right are salmon rice balls (yum!) that I made and a little container of soy sauce. I did not actually eat the cauliflower but I did eat the cherry tomatoes. So the picky eater thing works to an extent. I should have packed a little sauce for the cauliflower, which smells kind of bad.

Also I discovered that I love onigiri (rice balls) for an out-and-about snack. I made more for my valentine's picnic (moved indoors and held on the 12th) and I have even more in my freezer. I wish I had a small rice cooker so I could have fresh rice every day but I am using my housemate's one.

I bought nori at safeway since I made this and that will be cute and yummy. I'm dying to buy quail eggs in chinatown this weekend, just to see what I can do with them. Apparently they're half as expensive as chicken eggs and perhaps 1/5 the size. It's weird how much I am willing to put effort in to making something cute and healthy for myself as opposed to something delicious and healthy. I absolutely never try new recipes when cooking for just me. I'm not sure why except that my staples (baked potatoes, pasta, salad, popcorn, chicken) work just fine.