5 Bento #229 - Gyoza & Baby Bel

More Baby Bel!  I got myself an X-Acto knock-off (hello, it was PINK and retractable) and so I experimented a little.  I used some deco cutters to make a light imprint in the wax, and then traced it.  It's really not precise, but I think I just need some practice.  Or have my hubby do it.

And *gasp* another chocolate treat!  I fully blame my mom for this.  She sent us a HUGE - and I mean massive - box of chocolates in the mail yesterday.  So E got a chocolate nut cluster in today's lunch.

The gyoza are not actually burned, just FYI.  

Bento #229 - Chicken gyoza, ponzu sauce, celery sticks, ranch dip, dried cranberries, Baby Bel cheese, chocolate nut cluster and pretzels.  Snack - whole grain apple snack bar.

19 Bento #142 - Beary Good Bento

Pardon the corny title, it's late and my husband is whistling "The Chicken Dance" as he does the dishes, and it's a bad influence on me.

Yesterday I was online browsing luggage stores and came across this totally adorable lunch bag!  I have a real soft spot right now for owls (E's class is called The Owls and their class mascot is named Whooo.)  This one's by Skip Hop, and has a matching backpack.  Hold me back!  Utter cuteness.

As for today's bento, as the title suggests, I have some cute bear friends holding hands.   Right now World Market has their cookie cutters on sale, BOGO free, and they are the perfect size for a slice of cheese.  I made a loaf of sandwich bread today and that's what the bread in this bento is, Mr. Brown Bear was made using the heel piece.

You'd think that buying a fresh fruit salad is a waste of money on a small scale, however I've found recently that they've been a very cost-effective way of getting a variety of fruit that I'd not otherwise get, especially this time of year.  It's a huge bonus that it's already cut and prepared.  I bought a 2lb fresh fruit salad bowl this evening for $5.92, and I know I spend that much on just one type of fruit, let alone the five or six types that are included.  It just makes sense!

Bento #142 - Homemade bread, Monterey Jack cheese, celery sticks, homemade chocolate chip cookie and fresh fruit salad.

10 Bento #136 - Puzzle Ham & Cheese

I got my new Lunch Punch puzzle cutters last week, isn't this so cool?  I've found that cutting each individual layer of the sandwich works best for preserving the shapes.  What's nice is that the cutter is the perfect size for cutting a standard slice of cheese, with little waste.  What are your favorite sandwich shapes?

Bento #136 - Ham & Colby cheese on wheat, red grapes, baby carrots, edamame, ranch dip and a Hershey's Kiss.