The Year of the Rabbit Bento

Lunch time!

Jumbalaya with Andouille sausage and Cajun-spiced shrimp, mini corn muffin, edamame, broccoli, and corn
Strawberry flowers, grapes, mango, apple bunnies, and dark-chocolate covered cashews

Kenny and I had this jumbalaya the other night. We used a homemade mix that we bought at an arts and crafts fair awhile back, then added the sausage, shrimp, tomatoes, and a few more spices. Andouille is pretty spicy by itself. Paired with the shrimp, this has some serious kick! Pretty great for a rainy day. The corn muffin is from a batch made with good ol' Jiffy mix. Easy peasy.

As for the strawberry flowers... I'm just ready for spring! I'm definitely an autumn person, but spring is always so wonderful after a long, dreary winter. (My birthday doesn't fall on the spring equinox this year, but it often does.) Expect to see lots of flowery details in future bentos, because my package from JList finally came!

Along with these cutters, I also bought a trio of silicone cups (one is housing the cashews), imitation Pocky chopsticks, mini bottles for soy sauce/salad dressing/etc, and my new bunny-themed bento box!

(Ugh, glare.)

I adore this box. I wanted something cutesy, but more functional than my Kokeshi bento. This one came with a matching bag, a pair of chopsticks, and inner dividers to keep food separated. Plus, it has a rabbit! Who doesn't like rabbits?! I also love the sakura (cherry) blossoms, and the space theme that's on the box/bag. In Japan, it is said that a rabbit resides on the moon (similar to the "man in the moon" we have here in the United States). In Sailor Moon, the titular character's name is Usagi Tsukino, or tsuki no usagi - literally "rabbit of the moon". If you've ever watched the TV show or read the manga series, you might have noticed lots of bunny imagery.

Happy Chinese New Year!

- Mother Nature Mom