All organized and ready to go!

So, after making bentos yesterday, I decided it was time to organize my gear once and for all. Yesterday we stopped at Target and bought baskets to go in my unit I had bought when we first moved a month ago.

I took out all of my boxes and washed every single one of the 15 sets that I use for food. I have a few decorative ones that I don't put food in, those are another story.

After that I had to fit all of it on my little unit. Here's what it looks like:


The unit itself was super cheap at Kmart. The baskets are from Target, about 13 dollars each, which is more than I wanted to pay, but I like them so... there.

I still have my spice boxes for the little stuff. I managed to empty one by reorganizing everything. I'm pretty happy about that because one of the box was bent and difficult to open. Not cool early in the morning.


The purple box is from a pair of flats I bought a few weeks ago. I thought the box was pretty, and it's the perfect size, so there.


I used that box to put the "over flow" of stuff. Extra things that don't fit anywhere else. I overbought a little last year because I didn't have easy access to Ichiban Kan and Daiso. Of course, now it's not a problem anymore! So happy!

The top drawer has the spice boxes with the stuff I use less, my bento cloths, bags and insulated bags.


The middle drawer has the boxes I use the most. Most of them are microwave safe and leak proof (well mostly).


Finally the last drawer has my fuffier, less user-friendly boxes and those I just use less.

Notice that there is space for more in there, not that I WOULD buy more, of course I wouldn't, just that if I came across a very interesting box, I COULD fit it in there if needed. ;op

I'm pretty happy with my storage solution for my bentos. It's a lot of little things, and in a small place, I needed a compact, easy to work with solution. I think I got it.

Now I feel like I'm home... ;o)

Happy Bento Everybody!!

I found my Bentos!!!

Hello there!

Offaah, nothing like moving to throw you totally off your routine! I've been taking a vacation, but enough is enough. If I want to take another vacation sometimes, I have to get back to the grind.

So today, I reconnected with work (I'm alive guys, really!) and took out my bento stuff! Since we moved on March 8th, I've tried to make a few bentos, but it didn't really work. Without my cutsy tools it's not nearly as much fun. Still I did make a few, here's two mentionable ones:


Ok, I know, it's Tupperware, not a bento! I was trying to "think bento" and see how I could pack a lunch for my husband since we had such good leftovers. Clockwise starting to the top left corner:

Shredded Green Beans, with lemon-lime zest and snipped chives, bell pepper pieces, leek-potato soup, Red kidney beans with jalapeno link (TJ).

In the middle is a tomato dip I bought from the Pakistani guy who's trying to pass himself off as Indian at the Ferry building Farmers market.


I packed the whole thing in a cooler bag with my husband's trusty snack: a banana!


This was on Monday April 13th: Falafel (Costco, I freeze them), carrots and cucumber pieces, precooked lentils (TJ), bulgur, steamed peas and leftovers tomato-onion dip (from Great India... well, they deliver!).

Notice that I signed my work on that one with a big W on the bulgur. I was just cracking up saying "Dude, I've lost my mind!"

Today I had delicious leftovers to work with, and I wanted lunch to look good. So I trotted out my bento stuff, and made "real bentos".


Vegetables: I have flower shaped carrots and cucumber. The bits and pieces that were left from the cutting are mixed in a salad that is under the flowers!

I also have steamed broccoli and peas leftover from last night. I had no broth, so I put garlic powder and rosemary in the water. Very tasty.

Grain: I have a very simple citrus couscous with rosemary.

Proteins: I made Orange chicken last night. It was delicious and since the thighs were small, no need to cut them up to fit in the box!


This is my lunch ready to go! I had planned on having lunch on the beach, but it's already very hot and I'm sunburned from the weekend, so I'll skip for today. The bulge on the right is an orange, my new obsession.


My husband has exactly the same lunch. He does have 2 chicken thighs because he's a big boy and needs more food than I do.

So there we are! Back to bento making! We're having dinner out so bento making might be complicated tomorrow, but I'll figure it out.

Happy Bento Everybody!!!