The Newest Adventure

Last May while at Disney, we purchased a nifty little lunch box from the Japanese Pavilion at Epcot and a cookbook on "Bento Boxes". The book, Just Bentos, came home with my cute little collection of boxes held together with a red elastic band. They found a home in a kitchen corner and on the bookshelf until this week.

I don't know what inspired me to find the book, travel the web, and start trying my hand at making some bento box lunches. It could have been it's May and I am tired of Lean Cuisine. It could be that I am feeling sluggish from poor food choices and too much snacking. It might be that my garden is starting to prosper with all the good rain. It might be that I am trying to practice my belief that less processed, local, seasonal food is the best. Probably all of the above. 

So I discovered a recipe for curried quail eggs in a bento box lunch and instantly all the bells and whistles went off. I have lots of quail eggs! Perfect for a bento box! So with some help from Just Bentos and my husband, I prepared my first Bento box! (I can't call it a hidden Mickey as it's not really "hidden") What fun! I ate with chopsticks while my co-workers wondered what screw came loose this time and a little bit of envy. Of course, now I am inspired to do and try more Bentos. 

What are bento boxes? A Bento box is a packed lunch box that is artfully arranged and follows the principals of Japanese cuisine. There are some really beautiful and crazy food art out there for your perusal on the World Wide Web. I am not ready to jump into creating octopi out of hot dogs or bunny sandwiches out of bread. But I do want to prepare edible art that comes as much from my own garden as possible with as little processed food as I can manage. 

Are they filling, my first and second boxes left me satisfied on what I thought was very little food. I don't do calories, so I don't know the numbers. However, I was not looking for a 2:30 snack from the office of my school's guidance counselor. I was looking for a stress ball. They are not for throwing at students is what I was told as I was handed a squishy ball. Fine. 

Back to Bentos, I love this new adventure. I think tomorrow we will journey into Houston for a couple more boxes, some tools, and some pantry items. There are things that I just can't get in Magnolia, Texas. It's been a fun challenge on many levels. Contrary to popular belief, I can cook and I like to cook and bake. Normally, I don't have to do much because he's better at it than I am. So we are beginning our Bento adventure!