Happy Easter Baby Chick Bento! 🐣🐰

It's not Easter yet, but one of my kids is already on school break. The other one's break is the week after Easter. Seems so late! How about your kids?

So anyway, here's my bento for the occasion. Had to make the baby chick egg, of course! If you do this, try to keep the yolk in the center. It really makes the carving much easier! My yolks were way off center so it was hard to cut neatly through so much white. In fact, the yolk was so low in the first egg I tried that I didn't even reach it at all -_-

Inside our Ecolunchbox Solo Cube: ham-spinach-tomato-enoki-furikake rice onigirazu, Okinawan sweet potato cherry blossoms, sweet baby peppers stuffed with edamame, tomato and berries.

Inside the Eco Dipper: soba, lettuce, hard boiled egg.

Happy Easter, friends!

Garlic Shrimp Bento and EasyLunchBoxes Review

Garlic Shrimp Bento, originally uploaded by sherimiya ♥.

Today's bento is packed in a box you haven't seen me use before: it's part of the Easy Lunch Box System, which includes four BPA-free plastic boxes like this one, four different color lids, and a zippered cooler bag. When Kelly Lester contacted me to test and review these portable, reusable (bento-type) boxes, I was happy to do so. So here goes:

For the inaugural bento I packed garlic shrimp (pan-fried in olive oil and garlic, then sprinkled with parsley) in a green lettuce leaf. I like using lettuce as a natural divider (baran) because it's edible and healthy, and it looks so fresh and pretty. In this bento, it keeps the shrimp separate from the cherry tomatoes and the three colors of sweet potato (regular orange, Japanese white [satsumaimo], and Okinawan purple). I also added a spinach log wrapped in turkey, and finished the decoration with pink carrot and purple carrot flowers. All this food fit nicely in the main compartment of the box; in fact, if I had a complaint it would be that the box is a bit on the large side. I think the main section may be sized to accomodate a sandwich. Since I have been used to packing my kids' lunches in a typical bento box, I wasn't sure how the loose packing would work. I tried to fill in the gaps as best I could to minimize movement (and possible spillage). The other two sections were easy to fill, and in fact they may have fit less of the fruit than I usually pack, somehow. Grapes in the smallest section and yogurt plus fresh berries and sliced almonds filled out the box. After everything was packed, I put the lid on, and discovered that the lid had a concave quality that served to pack down the food a bit. The hard plastic is quite sturdy and seems like it will hold up well to washing and reusing without cracking or breaking. The lid is easy to remove, and doesn't have the suction quality that flexible (Tupperware-style) plastic lids have. I was afraid it might come off during transport, but actually it stayed on quite well. Be aware that they are not leakproof, so it's best to avoid liquids and foods with sauces and gravies. The set comes with 4 separate boxes and lids, so that you could conceivably pack lunches for several family members at a time. They stack on top of each other nicely. I packed this one in the included bag, and placed his stainless steel thermos on top. They both fit perfectly.

All in all, I would say that the Easy Lunch Box System is a very convenient and versatile lunchpacking system, and handy for parents needing to pack more than one lunch a day. It's also a great system for picnics and field trips. The divided sections are my favorite feature: they act as timesavers (no need to figure out dividers), and help with portion control. It's easy for kids to open and close, and the cooler bag makes a perfect carrier. It's appropriate for boys, girls, or adults -- the whole family! And as an alternative to a wasteful brown bag / ziploc bag lunch, it's ideal!

Chasoba and Fruit Bento

Chasoba and Fruit Bento, originally uploaded by sherimiya ♥.

More hot weather means we need another cold (and non-cook) lunch for relief. I love eating out of an icy stainless tiffin, so that's what I used to pack today's bento. He gets chasoba on a bed of crispy lettuce, accompanied by shiitake, krab sticks, ocean salad and green onion. I packed the soba tsuyu in a separate squeeze bottle which I lay in the top tier. The top tier also contained a clementine and a variety of fresh summer berries. I used an ice pack so it all stays super cold for him in this heat. No cute details in this bento, but the variety of fresh colors and flavors should serve to bring out his appetite :)

Baby Chick and Chicken Bento

Baby Chick and Chicken Bento, originally uploaded by sherimiya ♥.

Teriyaki chicken, broccoli and carrots make up the main part of this bento, and I added a quail egg for fun. I didn't plan to make a chick, but as I was peeling the shell, the thin white part of the egg tore while leaving the yolk completely intact. That has never happened to me, and I had always been too nervous to try to make this egg chick in the past because I thought it would be too hard to cut the white without ruining the yolk. Sure enough, while I was trying to cut the zigzag part of the white, I cut into the yolk several times. I think my knife isn't sharp enough. Anyway, I think you get the idea! I added nori eyes and a carrot beak, and several chick and fowl friends. I used my EcoLunch box for this bento, which includes a separate lidded container for foods that might leak. Into that round container I put cottage cheese and fresh berries sprinkled with wheat germ. I also slipped in some plum slices in the last remaining gap. There! Chicken and egg bento :)