I finally started making bento lunches again, and here's today's:


This is one of the two authentic bento boxes I picked up from Noble Fish, the oriental grocery store in the neighborhood.


The top layer of my lunch was simple steamed white rice and green beans.


The bottom layer was my first attempt at tamagoyaki, over chicken salad.

Wasn't the most creative looking lunch, but it really tasted good. I am now absolutely in love with tamagoyaki!

I guess I'm on a roll! Here's another bento I did, today's meals. Covering two of them today, lunch and a light meal to tide me over until I get home this evening to my real meal.

( Using up more sprouts... )

I am working on a guild for www.gaiaonline.com relataed to the awesomeness of bento box lunches. If any of you are members of gaiaonline, or are willing to join, please stop by!
Here's the link:
http://www.gaiaonline.com/guilds/?guild_id=73457

Also, is anyone good at creating banners? I'm looking for a banner for the guild, but mine never quite satisfy me...so if anyone else out there would be willing to help, I would really appreciate it! 

The banner needs to be no larger than 200x40 pixels, which is where I have my problems. If it were bigger, I'd have one, no sweat...

A little about Gaia:

"Founded in 2003, Gaia Online is the leading online hangout on the web. More than seven million visitors come to Gaia every month to make friends, play games, watch movies in Gaia Cinemas, Gaia's virtual theaters, and participate in the world's most active online community. Gaia provides a fun, social environment that inspires individuality and creativity. With everything from art contests to discussion forums on poetry, politics, celebrities and more, to fully customizable profiles, digital characters and cars, Gaia is a place where teens can create their own space and express their individual style. For more information, visit www.gaiaonline.com."

Obligatory-- Major lurker, first time poster! I've always liked making fun food (especially for others to eat!) and have been wanting to get into bento making =O

I just got my first actual bento box in the mail today (so glad I caught Ichiban Kan's online store before it closed down!!) , and I was so excited that around 1am I decided to prepare a lunch for my fiance to take to work.... and discovered we didn't have crap in the kitchen. Uh oh.

( What followed.. )

( Now to my question... )

I think I'm getting a bit better at making my Bento attractive, though it still hasn't hit the OMG SO CUTE! stage of things by a long shot...

( Tuesday's Dinner )

Hello everyone! I lurk here...a lot. :p


Not my first bento, but it's the first I've taken a picture of before I lost all control and gobbled it up.

( What I ate for lunch )

Hello, I'm afraid I've been a bit of a lurker on here, looking at all the pretty bentos lol, I'm a complete newb when it comes to bentoing, but about a week ago I  got my first bento :3 and I  have been looking for recipies and putting them all together in a little notepad hehe.
I'm out for the day tomorrow, so I have decided to attempt my first bento n_n unfortunatly we don't have much in the cupboards so I couldn't try something cute, and our pans broke *cries* so the tamokyaki? failed...epically...and turned into a scrambled spinachy mess hehe.

Anyway here is my first bento and box, please be kind :3, and if anythings wrong or could do with improving please let me know, as I still have L plates on with bentoing :3

I am starting back for a third degree(job retraining!) after being out for many years and I have a 7 year old daughter. She's going to a day camp (for the first time) and needs to bring her lunch. She is otaku (as we all are) about all things Japanese and so I've learned to make onigiri and she has a cute bento set (we all do, but parents get leftovers). There is no refridgeration where she'll be though the meals are kept inside in air conditioning. I only want her to have peanut butter sandwiches 1 time a week and I'll make onigir on Sunday nights for Mondays. I don't have lots and lots of time to make her meals so I'm looking for quick healthy options since I'm in school from 7-1, she's being dropped off by Dad at 8, he's at work until 5 and I have to study every spare minute (it's an accelerated program). Of course there's all the other regular stuff to do like house upkeep and dinner for everyone. I worry about giving her leftovers because of the refridgeration issue, is it an issue?--it will be without refrigeration for 3-4 hours.

Ok..sorry for the rambling, it's hard to send her out into the world, I've been a SAHM for years and she's had great school lunches 4 times a week(no really!) I'd like to make her lunches more regularly (because she loves showing off her bento (she has a randoseru too and is learning Japanese so I REALLY want to be encouraging:-)

Eek I do go on. Thank you muchly for your help!

Made bentos when our family went to the summertime Lunch Bunch at our local library. Eating and stories, what bliss!

From the left: hosomaki made with unagi, veggie shumai, radish pickles, edmame-in-pod, Botan rice candies and a little container of ponzu for dipping.

( Notes... )

Here are my second attempts at bento making! I was much lazier this time. They are basically just ordinary packed lunches but they have onigiri so I call them bentos! hehe :)

I didn't make them very cute this time either AND I only have fuzzy web cam pics :(

For me:
- 2 activia yogurts
- small container of whole grain tostitos on top of a lil container of cheese wiz for dip
- hard boiled egg shaped like a car! even though you can't tell.. I swear it is! :)
- 3 onigiri made with tuna that I fried with an egg and mixed with a small amount of mayo
- green container has soy sauce
- blue container has left over tuna/egg and rice
- filled up with celery sticks, grape tomatoes, and raisins :)



For hubby:
part 1:
- 2 onigiri
- 2 hard boiled eggs. They were SUPPOSED to be a heart and a star...
- celery sticks



part 2:
- more celery sticks and some grape tomatoes
- a nutella sandwich
- pop rocks
- oreo thinsations

A couple of Bento from last week

This one is smoked salmon and celeriac gratin, salad with cherry tomatoes, cherries, blue container of vinaigrette, a cheddar babybel and some chocolate.



The second is a sandwich bento; mortadella, cheese and pickle sandwich, goldfish crackers, strawberries and a strawberry full of sugar for dipping and some chocolate. I love the grass dividers, it stops my sandwich from getting strawberry juice on it!

I had just a light snack for today as it's too hot where we live these days to eat much.



From left: 2 onigiri, one with white rice and one with brown; an egg "bunny;" a small piece of dark chocolate Toblerone wrapped in foil; black bean, roasted corn and onion salad, crackers and more pickled radishes.

( Notes... )

Cleaning out my photo archives and I found a pic worthy of posting!



From top left, asparagus salad, cheese stick, sourdough bread, some chocolate mini eggs, salami, pickled radishes and roasted chickpeas.

( Recipes... )

 Hello there!

There you go, a little video ;-)

Learn how to make basic things like cute shaped veg, octopus sausage, onigiri, apple bunny



Be careful not to cut your hands! XD

If you remake this bento or use it in any way, please post a picture with 'cooking with dog' in your title! ^_^

Cooking with dog has lots of fun recipes to show, and lots of tutorials, even tofu dango! Check them out!

Ok, so I'm down to my last few finals now (ooooh, graduation!) and when I'm stressed, I cook/bake.
Because I prefer to cook/bake foreign food, and because I'm going to study Japanese after graduation, I'm making Japanese food. A lot.

Now there's a question to you all: Would you like a picture tutorial about making say...sweet Hanami dango?

(if I EVER find a recipe for sweet bean paste, otherwise it will become mitarashi dango)


( Oooorrr... )

So, is anyone interested?

Oh, and on a different note: are there some Japanese here with tips to add, or their own recipes to share? Message me, and I can post the different versions together! (Or post your own after mine ;-))

Even thought this is technically my second bento, I like to count it as my first.
Even though I rushed and it's isn't cute T.T
I am posting this to Bento Lunch as well, so if you see it there it isn't a mistake.

I'm sorry about the picture quality; all I had was my camera phone at the time.



( ~Inside the newbie bento~ )

This is my first bento ever, I'm not sure I'm doing it right, and now sure where to go from here for tomorrow. I made some more hard boiled eggs for another day I suppose. Normally I just eat Peanut butter and Jelly's every day!
Any ideas or help would be great! I'm kinda pick and not very creative when it comes to food (which is why i eat PBJ always).


From Left to right: 2 Normal sized carrots cut, Cheddar Cheese Slices, Hard Boiled Egg, Wheat Thins, and Strawberries