Ani has begun! She needed next to no help with all her own creativity and ultimate ocd packing skills. It was fun to watch her create her amazing first bento.

Ani's Bento! Spinach salad with carrot and cheese flowers, dipping sauce cup and dumplings accompanied by mandarin oranges, dried cranberries and apple stars and flowers with cheese dots.

All Packed Up

My "background" bento. So, I was "showing" Ani how to make a bento, but it turns out, she didn't need much in the way of showing, so I made my own! Apple flowers, mandarin orange, dumplings, sweet peas and a heart container of dried cranberries.

Being that I have been a bit slow in posting bentos in this here blog, I am creating a rather picture centric entry. These are most of the fall blogs of 2009, all the way through Christmas.

Last Bento of the School Year! Angel Sandwiches with mandarin oranges, Kamaboko Trees and Stockings including cherry tomatoes.

Christmasy Bento! Mini Christmas sandwiches on cherry tomatoes with apple trees and carrot soldiers surrounding a cup of tomatoes and Kalamata olives.

Fall Leaves! I made another bento that I named that last year... well, that was girl in leaves, this one is more just leaves. Heirloom tomato and Kalamata olive salad with white mozzarella oak leaves and a pumpernickel sandwich accompanied by sweet peas and grapes.

The Final Flower of Summer! Pressed egg flower over basil leaves surrounded by carrots and grapes with a tomato cheese salad.

I Heart Bunnies Bento! Mini Bunny sandwiches on carrots and sweet peas and tomato roses with cheesy hearts with a heart pressed egg on a carrot ribbon, mandarin orange and blackberries.

Bunny Sandwich! This bento has a whole sandwich in it. Something Annie usually shuns but she liked it as long as it was on sourdough. A lettuce salad with cheese heart filled tomato flowers and a bunny sandwich with mandarin orange and carrot slices. The little cup is dip for the carrots and the black pig bottle is balsamic for the salad.

Bear Bento! Kamaboko bears, bug and frog covered dumplings, mandarin oranges, sprout and sweat peas.

Yesterday was good but turns out, the lunch provided by the ranch is
McDonalds! Annie, of her own accord, requested a cold lunch. Yay! She
also requested the snack NOT be a Bento. Oh well, at least I can still
make a lunch one. In this one, there is a turkey, provolone, tomato
and olive sandwich on whole wheat bread with a little mayonaise. It's
been cut into a bunny shape with olive eyes and is resting on some
carrot grass and flowers. On the other side are sone cherry tomatoes,
raspberries from the back yard and a treat, some Newman's Own mint
creme filled cookies! Here's to a great 2nd day at horse camp!

Tomorrow Annie will be back in the saddle again, literally. She's
headed to horse camp and although they'll provide lunch, they
requested a snack. Woohoo!!!! It's bento time in the summer!! Even if
it's just a snack one. In this bento, I reverted to one of my favorite
standbys, tomato roses with cheese hearts. Learned a little lesson
though, sharp cheddar cheese does not like to keep it's shape when
cut. And there's another standby, carrot flowers with a Hello Kitty
container of ranch dressing. Since she is also bringing a strawberry
yogurt drink and tube, Annie requested strawberries. Finally, I threw
in some cheddar bunnies. Ride well Annie and eat even better!

This shows the food! Most important part of a Bento of course. In the deeper container is a mini cinnamon raisin bagel partnered by strawberries and raisins. In the shallower one there is a mixture of Annie's Chocolate Bunnie Grahams and Cheddar Bunnies with a container of cream cheese for the bagel. What a great idea the girls had. Hope Ani enjoys it!  Oh, I almost forgot, there is dessert! A Pumpkin Kiss tossed in with the bunnies, yum!

It has seriously been too long between Bentos. Cousin Ani got a new
German Shorthair puppy named Olivander (yes, from Harry Potter but
they call him Oli). Today, she is taking the girls park hopping and as
a treat, the girls wanted to make her (as well as themselves) Bentos!
Here is Nissa's. I don't think I've ever posted a picture of hers.
It's accompanied by a Hello Kitty container of Pirate Booty.

Today I learned, due to the fact that I almost forgot again that it
was a bento day, that Chinese dumplings don't need to be boiled but
can be nuked! In this bento is an Easter egg, olives, grapes, fruit
leather, fishy oyster sauce bottles, bamboo pick and the nuked
dumplings! Enjoy Annie!