How can I find time to make these super-arty lunches

pavlovs_dog

me again... do you sense this could get addictive

4) if you are packing something smelly, dont forget a mint or some gum to freshen up afterwards. stinky garlic breathe just aint nice!

5) egg slicers will make fast work of chopping soft fruit

6) scrambled egg/ omlettes, macaroni cheese cooled and cut into wedges and polenta offer alternatives to sandwiches. on the subject of eggs, if THIS doesnt show dedication to bento, then i dont know what will :rotfl: if you're not that skilled, your little ones need not miss out; perhaps THIS or even THIS would be within your abilities?

7) they aint leak-proof but at £2.99 for a 17 piece set, these ikea tuppaware boxes are a fair bit cheaper than lock n lock tubs, and would be fine for dry food. a possible option for those of you who dont want to shell out a small fortune on official bento stuff?

astep70uk

pavlovs dog - i often give my son omelette rolled up with a slice of ham, and then cut into slices - gives a nice pinwheel effect. I also put in some kind of sauce for him to dip into, and the little bento picks hold the rolls together nicely.

This is sooo addictive - my little girl is only 5 months old but already i'm looking forward to making 'toddler bentos' in a Hello Kitty lunchbox :rotfl:

astep70uk

Sorry - me again

As pavlovs dog suggested, I buy everything in large bags/tubs now and decant into the smaller containers/silicone cups for his lunchbox. Large tubs of yoghurt (really should make my own), large packets of dried fruit.
Also soft cheese/philadelphia is cheaper decanted into a small pot for dipping/spreading. My son loves crackers, and now sometimes takes them for his lunch, along with soft cheese, which he spreads on himself.

On the odd occasion he also takes hm chocolate sauce for dipping his fresh fruit into, usually when he has strawberries.

If you been looking at bentos on the net, you'll probably have seen 'spaghetti cups'.
The thought of these is quite horrid but they're actually quite nice. Cold spaghetti bolognese curled up in a silicone cup and sprinkled with parmesan.
As you'll know when the spaghetti goes cold, it sticks together, so can be eaten like a cake. Quite tasty

Yategirl

astep70uk - do you have egg moulds??

I am becoming addicted to bento and purchased some egg moulds which arrived yesterday... my first egg cracked and looked a mess... plus was horrible around the edges where is caught in the mould.. the second one was better but didn't really show the markings from the mould.... am hoping you or someone may have some tips!!

How did you pick up your tips for making your bento's? some i know are obvious but I keep seeing some with sushi rice or from ss_biggies blog and I just wouldn't know where to start!!!!

lazy_daisy

Oh B****r! Something else to feel guilty about!

My kids have a squashed ham roll every day and the same b****y apple goes backward and forward to school all week!

Yategirl

lazy_daisy wrote: »

Oh B****r! Something else to feel guilty about!

My kids have a squashed ham roll every day and the same b****y apple goes backward and forward to school all week!

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: why not get the kids to help you make lunches and make it easier on yourself?? it is not a competition... do what is right for you and your kids

lazy_daisy

Thanks Yategirl. Sorry, didn't mean to sound critical of your enthusiasm, just feeling a bit poo today. Probably the weather. The thought of other Mums doing lunches like works of art made me feel even more pooey! I'll be back to normal soon, I hope.
:sad:

Yategirl

lazy_daisy wrote: »

Thanks Yategirl. Sorry, didn't mean to sound critical of your enthusiasm, just feeling a bit poo today. Probably the weather. The thought of other Mums doing lunches like works of art made me feel even more pooey! I'll be back to normal soon, I hope.
:sad:

:grouphug: hope you feel better soon

now.. don't be daft!! my dh and ds's lunchboxes are far from works of art and dh is quite happy taking the same lunch day in day out as he has done ever since he started school :eek: but I used to hate sandwiches (and dm used to try and give me a variety of different lunches but I used to get teased at school shame I didn't know what I know now about doing things for me rather than following the herd!!) I just don't want my sons to feel the same way as I do about sandwiches but rather enjoy them as part of a varied lunchbox

just get a box and maybe add some chopped veg or fruit to start with instead of that apple that doesn't get eaten!! start small and do what your children like - ask them what they think of their lunches and what they would like...

mind you... I put in loads of effort and ds1 still comes home asking for crisps or dairylea lunchables as his friends have them -ds's have never had them and I don't intend to give them now!

astep70uk

yategirl - i have the dairylea lunchables pressure too - thats kind of how i started doing bento style lunches for DS. You can always do a similar by using a cookie cutter and cutting bread, ham and cheese into the same shapes which stack together. Or sometimes I just cut the bread, ham and cheese into squares and then he can make his own sandwiches as he pleases.

Oh, and egg moulds! I've got 4 which I bought on eBay, but I always buy large eggs for baking. They are WAY too big. I tried making a rabbit and he ended up with what looked like his guts all squirted out of the side of the mould. I think my son would have been horrified had I sent him to school, so I chopped him with some mayo instead :rotfl:

I've got some medium eggs in so will try one of those tonight. (I think eggs in Japan must be quite small)

astep70uk

OK - i've just made a boiled egg car and it came out fine :j

DH saw it on the kitchen bench and wondered how I'd done it (he hasn't seen any of my bento stuff and isn't interested, so I didn't enlighten him )

I did a couple of things differently this time:
1. I used a medium size egg so it didn't squish out of the sides
2. When I put the egg into the mould, I pushed it in very slowly, allowing all the trapped air to escape.

Yategirl - I think this may have been your problem with the markings from the mould not showing up properly. Air may have been caught between the egg and the sides of the mould??

Was going to take a photo but didn't get chance as DS scoffed it slathered with mayo!! (He won't normally eat a boiled egg, so another bento result :T )