3 Bento #236 - Three's Company! (Teacher Lunches)

...aaand I'm spent.  Maybe this should be titled Bento #236-7-8? I happily volunteered to do our teacher appreciation lunch yesterday.  I wasn't initially going to do bento boxes, but I remembered I had recently picked up these two large snap-style boxes which are really cool.  I cracked them out of their packages and went to town.  I didn't want to make them too cutesy, but I also wanted them to be a little fun. :-)

First, Ella's lunch.  I gave her chicken teriyaki pineapple and jasmine rice leftover from dinner, as well as a jasmine flower onigiri.

Flower cucumber centers!  And grapes!

The teacher lunches were both the same, with jasmine rice, (and a flower onigiri each) sauteed spicy Italian chicken sausage, roasted mixed veggies in balsamic butter sauce, and fresh grapes.  The three savory ingredients were meant to be able to be mixed with any one of the other items, if desired.  I gave them each a couple of deco picks to keep if they wanted.  The boxes were also theirs to take home!

There was also lemon creme cake for dessert.  I was at a loss as to what to pack it in, so I channeled my inner [misfit] Martha Stewart and used some large cello bags, and tied them with ribbon.  I also added a pink fork to each bow, but I didn't get a pic of that (of course.)  Probably not the most practical way to eat cake...but it's cake!

All together now!

I LOVE the carrying handles on these!  I hope I can find more the next time I go back to Super H Mart.  Before anyone asks me where to buy them...I looked everywhere on Google and could not find anyone who sells this particular box.  It's a Korean brand called KumHo Chemistry/Komicomo Wellbeing Brand and the box is called Quarter Lock.  Do let me know if you come across it!

All packed up in an Easy Lunch Box cooler.  Fit both of them PERFECTLY!  I can't get over how roomy they are.

Anyway, I hand-delivered the boxes that morning.  Hope they enjoyed them!  Ella got a kick out of having almost the same lunch as her teachers. :-)

Bento #236 - [Ella] Aidell's teriyaki pineapple chicken meatballs, jasmine rice and caramelized onions, grapes, and cucumber flowers. Snack - Clemetine (not shown.) [Teachers] Spicy Italian chicken sausage, jasmine rice, grapes and roasted veggies in balsamic butter.  Dessert - Lemon creme cake.

4 Plantable Recycled Flower Paper

This week our school is celebrating Earth Day, and we've been doing special activities to learn about how we can be more environmentally conscious by reusing and recycling everyday items.  I prepared a really neat center last Wednesday with recycled newsprint and we made hockey puck-like plantable shaped flower paper. It was pretty simple, and extremely inexpensive.  

You'll need:

Shredded newspaper (or any non-glossy paper.  Printed paper will yield a grey product, and white paper...white, etc.)

water

food processor/stick blender/blender

strainer/colander

flower seeds (I used a wildflower mix I got from Target for $1)

towels 

cookie cutters (optional)

Pictured below were some of the items I was bringing with me to school, some leftover shredded newpaper, the seeds, towels and cookie cutters

First, put the shredded paper in a large container.  There are two ways to do this.  One is a fast way which involves boiling the paper for a while until it starts falling apart, (which is what I did and will be describing) or a slower method which involves soaking the paper overnight, but might be harder on the pulp-ifying kitchen electric you've elected to employ.

Boil with the lid on over about medium heat for a couple hours. (EDIT:  Please, add water first.  Enough to cover it two or three inches.) Yes, I realize this wastes energy, but I didn't want to totally ruin my stick blender.  It's a trade off.  I want to mention that I was irrationally fearful of the whole thing catching fire because it was PAPER in there.  Nevermind that it was completely soaked in water. I would start watching TV, and then all of a sudden the alarm in the back of my mind would start going off, and I'd jump up to check to make sure the kitchen wasn't in flames.

This picture was taken just before I decided to blend it.  It looks pretty good and soggy.

Next: blend.  I used my aforementioned stick blender with no ill effects, barring the grey film that covered it afterwards from the soy inks.

During blend.

After blend!

Grab your colander and carefully strain the water out.

Yep, it's a big, grey, pulpy mass.  I flipped the mass over a few times and let it drain.

Next, I used my wooden spatula and pressed some more water out.

This is pretty much as far as you need to go.  I went ahead and vigorously squeezed the rest of the paper out by hand, but discovered it actually needs some water content and had to add some water back in, so just stop here.  You don't want it sopping wet, but you do want it to be mixable.

Now, here's the fun part for the kiddos.  I gave each of them a cup and a fork, and had them add some flower seeds and mix it in.

They each chose a small cookie cutter shape, and scooped the pulpy, seedy mass into it, and pressed it down with their fingers.  Here's where the towels come in.  After it's pretty flat from the fingers, you now use a towel to press down and squeeze as much water from it as you can.  If it's left too wet...well, the puck will sprout.  Which may be cool, if that's what you're going for, but we wanted them to dry out and be plantable later.  For faster drying, I placed a towel underneath the mold while pressing the top with another towel.

Pretty neat, huh?  The teachers reported that they had all dried over the weekend, and will be ready for planting whenever the kids want.  You can also punch a small hole and thread a string through with a tag explaining what it's for and how to plant, and give as a neat, earth-friendly gift!

2 Bento #177 - School of Fish

This elegant fish is a whole wheat tortilla filled with organic peanut butter, honey and dried blueberries, a blueberry eye and cranberries for the fish lips.  Pretty cute!  I made it with a heart-shaped cookie cutter and a round.

Bento #177 - Whole wheat tortilla, dried blueberries, craisins, organic peanut butter, salami, Colby jack cheese, and cucumbers.

1 Bento #174 - Turkey Sushi & Snap Pea Garden

So in our house we have a nice big 2 lb bag of sugar snap peas.  We love sugar snap peas, and it's both a blessing and a curse that they keep so long and hardy in the veggie drawer.

Here are the five stages of sugar snap peas.

Stage 1:  Hooray!  Sugar snap peas are back, good golly and joy to the world!
Stage 2:  Yum, sugar snap peas, they sure are sweet.  And snappy!
Stage 3:  Goodness, look at all these snap peas.  I'm thankful for the fiber.
Stage 4:  Wow, sugar snap peas...again?
Stage 5:  So, do you think we can plant these suckers outside?

Today's bento is a veggie and fruit garden on the left, with sugar snap peas as the flower stalks, yellow bell peppers as the flowers, a cheddar cheese butterfly and some grape "hyacinths" (...eh, it's a stretch.)  It was inspired by my trip to the Atlanta Botanical Gardens this weekend with my husband and friends who are photography enthusiasts (...or in my case, amateur.  E went to the zoo with her Nana.)  On the right we have turkey & cheese "sushi" tortilla rollups, also with finely minced yellow bell peppers inside.  E isn't hugely keen on bell peppers yet, but we are getting there.

Spring in the South!

Bento #174 - Sugar snap peas, yellow bell pepper, red grapes, turkey & cheese on a flour tortilla and salad dressing (not shown.)

4 Bento #131 - Flower Power Quesadillas

These were a big hit, mainly because of the shape, though they are very yummy too.  I used the last of the roast chicken, shredded it, and then combined it with cheese and fresh spinach into these nice flower-shaped tortillas.  Just used a big cookie cutter.  Threw them into my panini press for a couple minutes, and voila!  Some very cute flowers filled with goodness.

Coming this weekend:  A decadent new bread pudding recipe made with apples...and Kahlua!

Bento #131 - Chicken & cheese flower quesadillas, fresh strawberries, and salsa sour cream dip.

1 Bento #85 - Octopus Party

So right about now my husband and I are driving a few hours north to enjoy the anniversary present I gave him back in April.  We will be taking a 70 mile country tour in a Lamborghini Gallardo, a Porsche 911 Turbo and a Nissan GTR a BMW M3.  He will be driving, and I will be doing my best to keep my mouth shut.  ;)  We're going to try to hit a winery tour beforehand, because the drive isn't until 4pm.  I'll make sure the alcohol consumption is kept to the bare minimum.  Don't drink and drive, kids! (and especially not in cars that cost in the six-figure range!)

But for now I give you the bento I made yesterday for Miss E.  An octopi party!  Is there anything better than an underwater shindig?  I think not.  I used the big veggie cutters for the first time, and the cucumber flowers turned out beautifully!  But all E wanted to know was where the octopus eyes were.  I'll get right on that.

Bento #85 - Kosher beef octopi hot dogs, mozzarella octopi, "sea" cucumber flowers, Goldfish crackers, fresh raspberries and ranch dip.

0 Bento #4 - Ham n' Cheese Flower

Bento #4 - my take on a fun grilled ham & cheese sandwich in star flower shape. It's not actually burned ;)

Today was meet the teacher day at E's school, so when we got home I made her lunch.