Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Peer Pressure Exists For Adults, too! Bento Box...Here I Come!

Yes...Peer Pressure exists for Adults, too!  A while back Opal blogged about Bento Boxes and I was intrigued!  I think for days (or even weeks) after reading her post I thought Bento Boxes were a 'special box'...but after doing some online research I found out it can be any box, really, because Bento Box literally means "Meal in a Box" or "Boxed Meal".  (I don't know WHY I assumed that - Opal didn't mention that it was a 'special box' in her post!  Eeeek!  Silly Me!)  To further the Peer Pressure I randomly stumbled upon a few bloggers who focus on Bento Box Blogging!  How Trendy!  I was hooked and I didn't even have one...YET!  The only thing is since I don't have kids I don't think I would do the super creative CUTE and FUN looking ones that I have seen online thus far.  Instead my REAL reason for caving is because I tend to bring leftovers or a dish I made the night before for my lunch the next day but I want to focus on incorporating more foods for a compete meal...and not just eating a whole bowl of one thing, I guess.  Call it a mini goal if you will! 

Well, this past weekend I was able to locate a great deal on a Bento Box of sorts that would fit my needs.  I didn't want to spend a lot of money on one until I knew more about them and wanted to see if I would use it as much as I hope.  I ended up finding TWO of the kits along with an insulated bag/carrier for about $30.  Most of the ones I saw online were $30 for 1 of them and with less compartments.  I figured IF I really got into it - I could always buy another one...a more involved one, you know!?  So here is what the first one looks like!  Along with my very first assembled Bento Box attempt!  Woot!  Starting at the top you will see 1/2 of a Tomato - diced, with Hemp Hearts/Hemp Seeds sprinkled on top.  They are marinating in Balsamic Vinegar as well.  To the right...simple Mandarin Oranges...the large container - at the top as a section of sandwich spread LEFTOVERS I made (more on that later today or tomorrow), below that is small triangles of Whole Grain Pita Bread, then in the center is leftover Pinjur that I finally finished, more triangles, and leftover rice towards the bottom.  You may also see 4 small Apple Cinnamon "chips" in each corner leftover from my dehydrating attempts.  Then on the other side is Corn that I added just a little bit of Basil Pesto Grapeseed Oil to with Cashews outlining the top.  It was interesting because the moisture from the corn was soaked up by the cashews and they tasted wonderful!

I think this may have been RubberMaid Brand and if it wasn't it was a close knock-off of the brand.  I also bought a salad kit one that I will most likely be blogging about tomorrow or the next day!  Also as a mini goal I hope to blog about my adventures with Bento Boxes and Meal Portions often so you will probably see a lot more of these types of posts.  Another thing I like about this set I bought is that the little compartments snap into place.  It also fits nicely into this insulated bag carrier I found in the same row at the store.  NOT Pictured here but included in each set is a freezer pack that snaps to the bottom (or top).  As you can see in this photo there is plenty of room left over for additional items in the bag!  This made me happy because I have been struggling with remembering to eat breakfast and I think I can account for that, too!  So far I am very happy with this purchase as well as my first attempt!

Here you can see my Oatmeal packets (I just add water) and fruit cups.  I know store bought isn't the best - fresh is - but I had them and am trying to use them and not waste them plus they are good in a pinch!

Apparently I had an insanely productive weekend because I have about 5 other things to post but I think I will wait until tomorrow!

Be sure to keep scrolling because I have a few other posts that might be of interest, today!  Question of the Day...what are some of your favorite Adult "Brown Bag" or "Bento Lunches" for the office and/or workplace?

46 comments:

  1. Great job, Jennifer! I can't wait to see what you pack next .... and when you go in search of new gear there are affiliate links in my sidebar for AllThingsForSale (which is the greatest bento store EVER!) ;)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for the visit, comment, and encouragement :)
      I will check out that link! Thanks!

      Delete
    2. And I may have shared your link with 85 or so other bento bloggers .... so be prepared :)

      Delete
    3. OMG! Thank you so much! Looking forward to it :) You are great!

      Delete
    4. Great job Jennifer and Karen did share your link with 85 or so other bento bloggers. lol What a yummy lunch!

      Delete
    5. Hi Amy! Thanks so much for encouraging me :) Karen is wonderful! You all are! Thanks again!

      Delete
  2. Interesting combination of food. Now I want to try hemp seeds.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for the visit and comment! If you search my blog you can see a bunch of other posts and info about Hemp Seeds AKA Hemp Hearts :) Thanks again! I'll be visiting your place as well!

      Delete
  3. Looks very yummy. I love packing bentos for myself and my kids

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Sarah! I hope to concentrate on adult lunches in the workplace since I do not have children (well, of the human variety, anyways! LOL)

      Delete
  4. Oh look I found you through a bento friend! What a small bento world :p

    For a first bento it sounds delicious!!! My first bento looked and was generally a lot worse than this!! You'll be a bento super star in no time!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hiya! Was it Karen!? She's been GREAT! Thanks for visiting!? I did one for today, too, and will post before the day is done :)

      Delete
  5. Welcome to bento mania! :D Looks like a great yummy lunch! ,

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Myra! Now I understand why it has a cult following of sorts! HA!

      Delete
  6. Down the rabbit hole... Beautiful lunch. I really should start packing breakfast and lunch together on work days. Great idea!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I hope to start doing that more since I am at work more than I am at home :) Thanks for visiting, commenting, and the encouragement!

      Delete
  7. Yay! Welcome to the world of bento :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Anna! It REALLY is a WORLD - isn't it!?

      Delete
  8. LOL!!! No, thank you. It all ends up in the same place, anyway.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Do you have school box lunches over there, Suituapui!? What do the kids do for lunches at school!? Just curious!

      Delete
  9. Great bento! Welcome to the world of amazing homemade lunch boxes!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks so much! I'm sure I will quickly become addicted to them!

      Delete
  10. They are quite the craze, aren't they? : )

    I occasionally pack a bento style lunch for my little daughter & myself in the super simple compartmented box by Ziploc. But - I haven't gotten into the upscale bento-ing yet.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I had no idea, honestly! But once I started looking OMG! I guess so! LOL I went 'cheap' for now...time will tell if I will get more or upgrade...perhaps I will just stay with what I have!

      Delete
  11. Thanks for visiting Bento Blog Network. I look forward to seeing more.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That site is WONDERFUL! So much info and ideas! I will be over often!!!! Thanks for visiting and commenting :)

      Delete
  12. Great looking lunch! Bento is a fabulous, but slippery slope...better clear a cabinet now for boxes and tools. ;) So, glad to have found you, thanks to Karen!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I don't know how creative I will get with them since they are just for me and not a kid but I am looking forward to using them :)

      Delete
  13. Nice work. Look forward to see what next. Perry from Dreams, Schemes, and Bento Themes

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! I will be visiting you all soon! You guys are GREAT!

      Delete
  14. Welcome to the Bento world! your lunch looks healthy and yummy :) Ariani@www.bebento-kids.blogspot.com.au

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks so much! You guys really ARE quite the community! Thanks for the warm welcome!

      Delete
  15. Very creative and fun lunch! I usually pack leftovers in boxy containers for lunch, I guess that counts. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  16. Hi Jennifer,
    I too love the clean, simple, organized elegance of bento boxes. I got my first bento box lunch kit back in my "macrobiotic" days when lunch was really a multi-food meal, so this stainless steel bento box included containers for my obligatory miso soup, brown rice, seaweed, steamed veggies, beans or tofu. I would drink a cup of kukicha twig tea with lunch--served from thermos I also carried. It was awesome! I actually still have it tucked away in the uppermost reaches of my kitchen cabinet. Your post is inspiring me to take it down, clean it up and use it again. I love your bento box's thermal carrying case with room for dry ice packs. Thank you for sharing this inspiring post at the Special Holiday Edition of the “Healthy, Happy, Green & Natural Party” Blog Hop! I really appreciate it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sounds similar to the one Opal got! So far - with my attempts - I'm finding it's helping with leftovers and meal portions nicely!

      You should get back into it and join the online network! They are super welcoming and encouraging!

      Delete
  17. Oh cute!!! Love this. I think I kind of already do this. I always pack a lunch to go and I have a bunch of cute, little pyrex containers and always pack fun & cute lunches in them =)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. YESSSS! I think it all counts! You should get into it and blog about it and join the online crew! They are cool!

      Delete
  18. Wow that is awesome! I love Bento boxes - but like you haven't wanted to spend a lot of money..... just haven't found the right ones for me yet ;-)
    Look forward to seeing what you fill them with

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! I was SHOCKED at being able to find this locally and only spending $30 and that was for 2 kits AND the insulated bag! You should do it! Or you can even make your own, probably, too! I think it all counts, really!

      Delete
  19. Congrats and welcome to bento!! They have some really nice and cute boxes on amazon and bento and co if you ever want to get more boxes. I love bento too (:

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for the welcome and encouragement! I hope to post a new one very soon :)

      Delete
  20. So cool to see that your post & my post are twin features tonight over at Healthy, Happy, Green & Natural! It's like we're sisters! : )

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I just saw that too! YAY! Congrats! Blogging Buddy Sista's!

      Delete