This Week in Bento: August 17-21

Alright, so it was another busy week and I haven't posted, I know.. I know... but hey, I made a bunch of bentos!  (If only I could make more things has habitual as bento-making is for me... I'd get so much done!)

August 17

Steve got a bento full of goodies from our anniversary dinner for the first day of his work week!  A couple delicious slices of that Mediterranean flatbread pizza (and yes, I gave him the last of it... that's how you know I truly love this guy!), lamb and red onion kebab, and two mini chocolate chip brownie bites (with pink salt on top.. mmmm).  Then I made a little cucumber salad with dill to tuck in the back corner there.. you know, to get a least some veggies in there!

Mine had some leftovers from a hangover-inspired meal from the weekend.  We'd gone out with some friends on Saturday night, so the next day I decided to make a heaping batch of adobo-glazed chicken wings and beef lumpia (both recipes c/o Burnt Lumpia).  The rest of the lumpia I brought to one of my favorite coworkers who was born in the Philippines, but I brought the wings for myself!  And of course, you can't have wings without blue cheese dip!  There's also sesame bok choy, sekihan rice with gomashio, and chocolate-cherry Almondina cookies.

August 18

I usually start work at 6 in the morning, which is difficult because I'm not a morning person.  It's especially difficult when you went to see your friend's band the night before and didn't get home until, say, 1:30.. maybe 2 am?  Luckily, I'd packed a lunch before I left for the show, and when lunchtime finally rolled around, I really needed it.  This, I should add, is one of my favorite things about bento:  getting a tasty, nice-looking treat to brighten up a long work day.  It really makes a difference.  Anyway, here's yet another caprese salad.  This is the mango radicchio caprese that I love.. I believe I'd had it in another bento not so long ago.  Way in the back is the last of the lamb with red pepper and a cucumber salad, and in the middle is orzo with sun-dried tomatoes, kalamata olives, and rosemary.  And finally, a little cup of raw trail mix.

August 19

I get very excited when I find small foods to fit into my bento boxes.  I was at the market looking for a ripe avocado the other day, but had no luck.  Then I saw a bag of tiny ones, and it was only 99 cents!  Sold!  They were so itty bitty that I fit this one in the smallest Ms. Bento container and still had room for some roasted corn!  The centerpiece here is a halibut taco with a napa cabbage slaw, pickled onions, cilantro, and queso fresco.  And then there's the fruit: mango, kiwi, and blueberries.

August 20

Hello, my name is Megg and I'm a caprese-aholic.  I know, it's a serious problem.  But yes, here's yet another caprese salad in my lunch.  Having a basil plant on the balcony is not helping.  But it's just so darn tasty!  Oh yeah, and the other stuff.. orzo salad, steak slices, garlic scape pesto mini biscuit, and blueberries.  But that caprese... so good....

August 21

At the end of my work week, I decided to keep it light and simple.  Salad bento (and a regular green salad this time, believe it or not!).  It's made with artisan green oak lettuce, scallions, tomatoes from a friend's garden, and queso fresco.  In the back is saffron rice with scallion and red pepper.  And in the middle, a tasty combo of blueberries, mini peanut butter sandwich crackers, and chocolate chips.  All in all, a great way to welcome the weekend.. I made it!

A few shout-outs to wrap it up here... first of all, I was just as surprised as Steve was when I came home with a carton of blueberries the other day.  I like them alright, but I usually hate blueberry-flavored stuff, and I really don't think I've ever actually bought blueberries.  Strangely enough I had been craving them, and it was all because my friend had depicted them so beautifully in recent bentos.  Food photography can do the strangest things to me.. make me want foods I don't even usually like!  It also makes me salivate over foods I like very much... and if you want some seriously tasty-looking eye-candy (or should I say eye-cupcakes), check out her blog: Open Mouth Insert Cookie.

And finally, I'd like to thank my friend's band, Sawbuck, for a great show!  It was worth only getting 3 hours of sleep!  Check out their site!

Alright, time to start dreaming up my bentos for next week... see you soon!