Obligatory Back to School Bento Post

Full disclosure: I am not adhering to bento style lunches as much as I am committed to sending waste free lunches in cute little bento boxes. When my regular teaching schedule resumes in October, I will probably not be as committed or able to pack and/or photograph lunches. Rest assured, my children will never show up at school with a lunchable.



The first step to getting back into the groove was to organize and inventory the bento supplies.


Wow, that was easier than I thought. I have a ton more shit than I thought I did.

Okay, next step was to pack lunches that my starving children will actually eat. I say 'starving' because that is what they choose to do. Starve themselves and force me to throw away literally tons of organic delicious food every single year.

For Bubbles' first preschool pre-packed lunch, he got the three foods he will always eat, and a few wild cards for luck.

Pirate booty, rice cake and dried snap peas, bacon, fruit leather strips, and a Japanese rice cracker.

Supergirl got what I would consider a delicious lunch:

Snack container of popcorn, PB&homemadeJam, fresh strawberries and cherry tomatoes.

Supergirl later declared this lunch as being 'too red'. Mmmkay.

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.