Waiting....

I haven't forgotten about the blog. I'm looking for a tripod so I can post a video tutorial. I know that pictures can only show so much and I would like to show you what I am doing without accidently missing a step.

Before you even begin.....

I've been making bentos for almost 7 years, since I moved to Okinawa. About 4 years ago the bento made its way into the homes of the people across the States. Since I couldn't read or speak Japanese it was really hard for me to create the lunches I wanted for my kids. When I returned to the States I was so excited and happy that many blogs and websites about bento making popped up. The thing I disliked and still do, is hardly anyone explains how they made the bento or the recipe(s) they used. As you may have noticed from previous posts mine are simple. I really don't do extravagant bentos even though I would love to learn. I saw this amazing Kiki's Delivery Service bento where Kiki was holding her broom and Jiji was walking along some fruit. What did they use? How did they do it? Was it an edible print out? Did they draw it on some American cheese? Don't know. The caption stated something like my awesome Kiki. It took awhile but it was worth it. I especially love the cherries!...... How oh, bento master, did you make this masterpiece? No response. Anyways.... I've been asked by a couple of family members and a few friends exactly what you need to do before you get started.

Before you even open a bento box there are somethings you need to know.

• Cleanliness is the key. Most bentos are kept at room temperature until eaten. If you were touching your face while packing your food you have a greater risk of bacteria and germs growing. As a rule I gather EVERYTHING I need before I start cooking or cutting. To avoid contamination I usually have 3 cutting boards, 1 for fruits/veges, 1 for meats, and 1 for the cooked food. Any pots, pans, cooking utensils, cups, picks, I mean everything I need, I'll have set out.
• Wash your hands. I can not stress that enough. Touch your face; wash your hands. Move the hair out of your face; wash you hands. Touch the trash can; wash your hands. I think you get the drift.
• Make sure your food is completely cooled before placing food into the box or putting on the lid. 
• In Japan once the food has been prepped they touch it as little as possible. If they need to move something they use chopsticks or another utensil.
• When you are done with your lunch wash the bento. Maybe not the second you are done but don't leave it in your car, let it sit in the sink for a day, don't leave it on the counter. When you come home wash it and dry it with a paper towel to ensure it is cleaned quickly. Most bento boxes are plastic and plastic is porous. 
• I usually plan all my bentos on Sunday. I do a quick sketch and write what I would like to put in each one and go shopping if I need too. I do plan a completely different lunch menu from my dinner menu because I don't want the girls to get "worn out" with their food. J and I will eat leftovers and be perfectly happy with that. Once I have them planned and my shopping is done, I do what cutting I can that evening to minimize what work I'll have to do the each day. Make sure to cut one thing at a time and store it in the refrigerator quickly. Don't have all your vegetables sitting on the counter with the meat just waiting to be cut. If you need 2 carrots, cut them, put them in a container, and return them to the fridge before you start on another item. 
• If my bentos have rice or onigiri, rice balls, I usually make what I need for the week on Sunday and freeze the ones for Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday's lunches. Just tightly wrap each one with plastic wrap. I will pull them out the night before and let them defrost in the fridge. 
• Before I start my box I'll wash my hands and place whatever liners or cups I need. 

Now that you know the basic handling of bento lunches you can start making fun lunches. As I said previously, start off small. Buy some cute cupcake liners or some shaped silicone cups. Buy a pack or two of cookie cutters and some little food picks. Once you get the hang of it branch out. If you haven't read my blog before, I posted a Wal-mart bento when I first started this blog to show how simple it can be. Both of my girls were about to hit a growth spurt and during this time they eat A LOT. There was a lot of food inside but you know yourself and/or your child well enough to know how much you should or shouldn't pack. Once again please take the time to leave a comment about what you would like to see about bentos and if you are interested in a bento supply giveaway. If you have any questions don't hesitate to ask. If you enjoyed my blog please feel free to share it. Here are some pics  from my fb of lunches that weren't too fancy or detailed. Happy Bento-ing! 

Bento!

So I've noticed I really don't like bento blogs. I'm realizing that most bento-ers have read books on the subject and don't give any directions or recipes on the blog. I, myself, have been guilty of posting pictures and just telling you what is in it. Today will be one of those posts. I have spent HOURS looking online for inspiration, recipes, or some kind of guidance to create better and more creative lunches. Mine are usually basic and self explanatory. I'm not doing it anymore. I will start posting recipe, giving directions, and taking requests. Tomorrow  I plan on posting about how to start bento making. I think I may do a give away too. Once I figure out how to do so on blogspot. So here are the girls' lunches for today. 

Boo has rice, carrots, and spam in the bottom tier. 

On the top tier she has stir fried bok choy, a chicken nugget, watermelon, and pineapple.

Lily had watermelon and kiwi in her snack container.

For lunch she had asparagus, pork stuffed bell peppers, ranch, an egg flower, carrots, and rice.

Please leave a comment on your thoughts about having more details about bento making, a give away, and please share my blog if you enjoy it. Thanks again, V. 

Apologies

So my many viewers   For my faithful few viewers I would like to apologize for not posting in quite sometime. Shortly after my last post we received orders to move to Japan. Not knowing how long it would be before I could see my family again, we decided to take a trip to visit my mommy, daddy, and the rest of my large family. We enjoyed the beach, rock Disneyland until my children passed out on Main Street, ate as much Mexican food as humanly possible, and made some AWESOME memories. For anyone who has moved with the military knows the process varies from company to company. Since we were on recruiting and not located on or near a base this was an annoying, difficult, pain staking, educational experience. We have been in Japan since January and in our house since February. Our stuff arrived in March and we have been slowing unpacking. Taking all of this into account our lives have been a little upside down. So to make it up to you, I am posting pictures of the lunches I have made out here and a recipe for broccoli beef my neighbor shared with me. I tweaked it a little... Her recipe called for what I thought was a lot of wine.

I have two versions of this recipe. One recipe has to marinade overnight and the other just needs to marinade for a couple of hours.

Overnight marinade: 

4 tsp cooking oil
4 Tbsp of Japanese soy sauce 
2 Tbsp of dry white wine or sake 
1-4 tsp sugar or more. Taste after each tsp to make sure it isn't to sour. Depending on the wine or sake it may be a little sour.  

Couple of hours marinade:

4 tsp cooking oil
4 Tbsp of Japanese soy sauce 
2 Tbsp of lemon juice or any other acidic juice 
1-4 tsp sugar or more. Taste before adding the meat if it is really sour add some more sugar. 

The differences between marinades is lemon juice or any other acidic juices will cause the meat to become tough after a couple of hours. I don't like using the white wine because I don't use the bottle before it goes bad. If you like wine or plan to make a variety of recipes using white wine it may work for you. Being overseas I can't find small bottles of wine.

The remaining ingredients are

2 tsp cornstarch
4 Tbsp oyster sauce
 2 Tbsp cooking sake or cooking wine

4 tsp cooking oil
4 tsp garlic
2 tsp ginger

3/4 lb flank steak
As much broccoli as you would like we use about 1 1/2 lbs


1) Cut the flank steak diagonally against the grain about 1/2 inch thick.

2) Mix all the marinade ingredients together and place in a glass or plastic dish. Add the sliced meat and toss. Cover and marinade overnight or for 2 hours. Take out of the refrigerator and mix with cornstarch. Let the mixture rest on the counter while you finish the next steps. 

3) My preferred method to bring a small amount of water to boil and steam the broccoli. If you prefer to blanch the broccoli then you may do so. Here in our house we prefer crunchy broccoli. My neighbor likes it  noodle limp. Cut broccoli florets and place aside while the water heats up.  Cook according to your preference and set aside. 

4) Mince the garlic and ginger. I grate the ginger using a ginger grater like this one.

5)  Heat a skillet or wok with cooking oil. Stir fry the garlic and ginger for 45 seconds before adding the sliced beef, stirring frequently until just cooked. I like mine medium well. 

6) Turn off the heat and quickly mix in the oyster sauce and cooking sake. Toss in the broccoli and you're done. It is a really easy recipe that as become a regular dish in our house. I like the version with lemon juice better. You will have to taste the marinade before you add the meat. I have had some lemons that weren't too sour and 4 tsp of sugar was too much. Other times I've had lemons so sour it strips the enamel off my teeth. For my foodie friends you'll notice this isn't flank steak. My HD bought the wrong one and I didn't notice until I went to make dinner.