Fall in the Orient Bento

Note: I'm just now getting around to posting this bento lunch from last Thursday. I had the pictures on my phone, but had serious upload issues! Finally had to resort to ol' Facebook. Oh well! Next time I'll be sure to bring my camera!

Lunchtime!

- Oriental chicken, pineapple and brown rice, plus a cheddar pumpkin with sesame seed details on a bed of spinach and radicchio in the bottom tier
- Steamed baby carrots and broccoli on a bed of purple lettuce, plus an attempt at an herbal tea egg (a Chinese recipe that usually calls for black tea) in the top tier
- Blackberries and red grapes in the bowl (brought in a small canning jar)

I'd say this is a pretty balanced and healthy bento, wouldn't you? Fruits and veggies, grain, protein, and even a little dairy. Not bad, self, not bad.

Everything in this bento was either made from leftovers or pulled straight from my fridge with the exception of the tea egg. I saw a recipe for easy tea eggs on Just Bento and had to try it, but didn't have any black tea! So, I decided to us the last of my dwindling supply of Wild Sweet Orange herbal tea from Tazo instead. (We used to sell it at Starbucks, but no more!) I thought the orange would compliment the soy sauce better than the other teas I have. Unfortunately, when I cracked the shell, I didn't break through the membrane that separates the shell from the egg itself, so I didn't wind up with the pretty marble-y look that you see at Just Bento. Oh well! Maybe next time. I still want to try it with black tea, so I'll probably get some from work this weekend. (Hooray for free coffee and tea!)


As far as the cheddar cheese pumpkin goes, this is probably the "cutesy-est" I'll ever get with any of my bentos! I just don't have the time to go all out with these things, but I saw an inexpensive set of Hallween mini cookie cutters at Kroger and immediately thought, "Bento!" Couldn't resist. The minis are the perfect size for bentos, and I'd love to find different shapes for different holidays/seasons. Eventually, when Wyatt goes off to school (tear!) I want to make bentos for him as well, so I don't feel so bad about buying little things along the way. Plus, they make mini cookies, which means I can eat more of said cookies and not feel guilty. =)

I decided to sit outside and eat lunch. Campus is beginning to (finally) look a little bit like fall.

Hope you're enjoying lunch as much as I am!

- Mother Nature Mom

PS - I apologize for the photo quality. I was only equipped with my phone!