Oops. Forgot it was Minimum Day

She'll probably never eat all of this, since 'minimum day' offers only one opportunity to eat.

Guacamole flavored chips w/sour cream and avocado. Orange juice jello hearts and wedges.

Peaches and strawberries (farmers market was yesterday!), veggie corndog.

What is up with that smarmy little Hello Kitty and all her secrets?

Boring Bear Tuesday

Salami bears and cutouts, havarti dill bears, black sesame crackers.

Pizza ice cream cone, squares and bears (leftover).

Orange juice jello stars and wedges.

Bento Thief

Someone (hint: someone under two) was trying to snitch a little cracker out of Supergirl's lunch this morning. He couldn't wait. He got the cracker.

Monday's Polka Dot Bento: dried apricots, dried cranberries, honey peanuts, monster cheese cutouts, a blueberry-filled marshmallow (Japanese).

Raisins, protein bar, cucumber flowers, rice thins.

Food Dyes = Bad Kids? (oh yes, and lunch too)

On Fridays, if she has earned it, Supergirl gets a special treat and a juice box (100% juice only, ever) in her lunch.
We have suspected that she is sensitive to artificial food dyes, as her (usually predictable) behavior often spins out of control after ingesting something with them. One thing I love about Japanese snacks and treats, is that many of them are colored with natural colorings - beet, paprika, etc. And so I feel I can offer Supergirl special treats with a little less guilt over the ingredients. (IMO, processed sugars are one small evil, while chemically enhanced (colored) food is pretty damn evil)
Check out this article, which reports on a study conducted in England, that showed that many children have behavior issues and hyperactivity (redundancy?) after ingesting these artificial colors. What? Really? Who knew???
(we knew)

What's in Supergirl's lunchbox today?
Rice thins, salami and monster cheese stars, bear-shaped egg, cream cheese+jam flower, cottage cheese, raisins. Snack box: Furikake container (the girl loves anything with seaweed), a fake 'ice cream cone' snack, and shelly senbei (lightly frosted rice crackers from Hawaii).
Oh yes, there was a juice box - organic cherry - not shown.

This probably took me way too long....

...But I had a very full day, and sometimes making Supergirl's bento is a very zen experience. That's what I needed tonight. And, after our rough afternoon together, it was clear to me that she needed an extra good lunch. Or a good smack. I went with the lunch.
And yes, there was wine involved.

Snack container with celery, blue cheese dip, carrots and cauliflower. Pretzel and pickle-cheese (otherwise known as havarti dill) heart 'sandwiches', leftover breaded chicken nuggets, strawberry pocky, HK furikake container with kosher salt one side/furikake the other..(to go with)..the star-molded egg, avocado half, treat! Another snack container with watermelon.

phew.

Week 2, Minimum Day

Hello Kitty is saying 'sshhhhh - there's a cookie in the spork compartment!'* Surprise!

Woven wheats, monster cheese gingko leaves, summer sausage flowers (i know they look disgusting, but she loves them -gag), cauliflower, apples, duh.

*Supergirl's mother would like you to know that she does not share this spot in her heart for hello kitty and Supergirl's mother does in fact, think hello kitty is lame.

First Grade, Week 2

I was thinking about how much little Pickygirl Supergirl eats these days, and I am giving an official way-ahead-of-time-heads-up: This could get really boring. There, I've said it.

Dried apricots, carrot stars, cream cheese+jam flowers.
Tofu with soy pig, herbed almonds, leftover smoked gouda pizza.
Snack container: nori maki, rice thins.

Icky Blue Bento

Day two of first grade - the first full length day. And as far as Day Three? I forgot to take a picture. But it was awesome. Trust me.

Top layer: Annie's spread, raw tofu, cucumber moons, soy sauce filled pig (hiding behind the box of spread).

Bottom layer: Herbed almonds, raspberry yogurt covered pretzels, rice thin crackers, chocolate cupcake. (not shown: snack container of smoked gouda popcorn and fruitabu)

Supergirl does not like this dragonfly bento box. Thursday (as I stuffed it in her backpack) was the first I had heard of this. She claims it is 'a strange color of blue'*. And 'please don't use it anymore', thusly becoming mine.

*This, coming from a child who will tell you that her favorite color is periwinkle.

First Bento of First Grade

School started on Wednesday. There were some who questioned my attention span last year and wondered if Supergirl would be getting bento lunches in first grade.
(((Ahem. you know who you are)))
Wednesdays are early dismissal days at our school so just a hearty snack is required.

What was in Supergirl's lunchbox?

Monster muenster cheese teddies, cheddar cheese stick, teddie 'skeletons' and woven wheats (TJ's equivalent of triscuit). Freeze-dried mango slices, rice thin crackers, cucumber moons, chocolate mini cupcake.

What IS a Gwendobento?

A Gwendobento is a Gwendomama who got carried away with an inspired waste-free lunch concept for a certain kindergartener (aka Supergirl).
The 'cute food' obsession got to the point where it warranted its own blog. I know there are some out there that are slightly snobbish about offended by the word 'blog' being used as both a noun and verb. I, however am not one of them. Write it, blog it, hit publish; it's all the same to me.

So, henceforth, when I blog about bento, I will blog it here on this blog.