Chef Bento Noodle Contest Results

Wow - so exciting and incredible to place first in the final 10 (of 172 worldwide entries) at the Bento & Co contest! Thank you, friends, for voting for my bento! I really am appreciative and honored! 😘❤🍱

Chef Bento Noodle Contest by Bento & Co

Hello Bento Friends!

Bento & Co held a contest this past week for a Noodle Theme Bento. The contest is open to any and all, and it's a fun way to challenge yourself into making a bento using the ingredient or element called for. The company holds a similar contest every year with different themes, and I decided to enter this year (I also participated in a past contest here).

I was pleased and honored to have been selected as one of the ten finalists! 💖💖💖
You can see the other nine finalists in the collage above; they are beautiful! The ultimate ranking of the 10 bento will be determined by public vote, meaning people like you! If you are so inclined, please click over to the Bento & Co website to view the entries in closeup, and cast your vote for your favorite. Voting is open until Wednesday! If you vote for me, thank you! 😘💕

While you're there, you can check out the super cute and practical bento and kitchen items offered in the shop. I love the quality and selection of the goods offered by this Kyoto-based company!

In case you were wondering, my entry is this one (top middle in the collage): Soba Totoro Bento! 

Hope you are enjoying a wonderful week so far! 😊❤🍱

Cute Character Bento Competition Results

Remember that bento contest I wrote about last month? It was a Cute Character Bento making contest organized by the Japan General Consulate in Los Angeles along with BentoUSA to celebrate the traditional dietary cultures of the Japanese. Of the 400 entries, 10 were chosen to be exhibited at the Japan Foundation. I was honored and excited to have my photographed entry chosen for display in the gallery. I was able to make a trip to L.A. to check it out in person, and it was pretty cool!

The other 9 entries were very impressive. I didn't realize they would be enlarged to such a degree, and it really felt like walking through an art gallery. I asked whether we might take our prints home, thinking they would otherwise be disposed of, but was told they planned to donate them to schools and hospitals. Wow, that's even better!

I was awarded second place, and received this beautiful gold embossed certificate, signed by the Consul General of Japan in Los Angeles. It's pretty big (I placed the food picks there for scale). The sponsoring companies were very generous in their prizes; I was surprised to learn. I can't wait to cook from this gorgeous hardcover cookbook from Kinokuniya:

A box of snacks and treats from Nijiya Market:

More treats and super cute bento tools from BentoUSA and CuteZCute:

And an induction rice cooker:

I am so blown away by the generosity of the sponsors; and the organizers were very helpful and encouraging. The Japan Foundation is a wonderful resource for Japanese culture and books, and if you get a chance to visit, I highly recommend it. I think they also host demonstrations and classes as well. 

I've been on something of a bento hiatus, since all this occurred right before our Spring Break, when we were off school for a week, and then while I took some extra time to get back into bentomaking, my 11-year-old MisterMan has taken up the responsibility of preparing the bento for himself and TinySprite. Who am I to intercede? I will try to return here soon, though. We have one more quarter (7 weeks) left of this school year to go. Hope you are enjoying the arrival of Spring! Happy Bentomaking!

Banana Peanut Butter Pita Pals Bento!

Since using these tiny miniature pita breads (in this previous bento), I wanted to see how they would fare with peanut butter filling. Since TinySprite loves bananas, and I never use them in bento, I sliced some up and put them in too. They begged for faces, so that's what they got! This was an at-home snack bento, but if I were to send it to school I might replace the nut butter with sunflower seed butter, and maybe flatten the banana slice to make a kind of "seal" for the pita pocket. I added blood oranges, watermelon balls, blueberries and edamame in tiny silicone cups, and filled in the rest of the spaces with carrots. She thought it was pretty fun to eat!

In other news, I wanted to let you know that last week, my Kitty Has A Fish bento (that I posted here) won second prize in a contest sponsored by the Japan General Consulate in Los Angeles. There was a reception and presentation of certificates, and the 10 winning entries will be displayed in an exhibition at the Japan Foundation until March 28th, 2015. It is an honor to have been selected in the top 10 from among so many cute entries! If you would like to see the list of all ten winners, it is shown here: 

Happy New Year 2015 from me at Happy Little Bento!

Hi everyone! It has been about a year since I've posted my most recent bento, and I can hardly believe it's been that long. During the year, my son MisterMan (now 11 years old and in 6th grade)  has been preparing and arranging his own bento. He also arranges the one for his little sister, TinySprite (now 7 years old and in 2nd grade). So I guess I've passed on the bentomaking torch successfully to the next generation. That's something to be proud of, MisterMan!

I haven't been completely away from bentomaking, though. Last June, the Japanese TV station NHK World contacted me about participating in a new program they wanted to begin, and the pilot show was to introduce bentomaking throughout the world. I, along with many other people, submitted video for possible inclusion in the first show. You can click on the picture above to see the abbreviated version of my homemade video.

The show aired later in the fall, and the producer contacted me recently to let me know that the show had been voted 4th in NHK World's "Viewer's Choice Awards 2014" in the Food & Pop Culture category. As a result the show re-aired a few weeks ago. You can see it here in the YouTube clip: 

Bento : The Global Lunchbox Project 弁当

My quick short entry can be seen at 41.55. It was a fun experience and served to remind me how much fun and how rewarding it is to create and express myself with bento! I'm resolving to go back to bento this year in part because of this experience, but also because I've noticed a lot of friends asking when I'll be posting again, and there is so much interest in the bento culture these days! 

How have you been doing with your bento progress? Have you noticed your methods changing at all? My priorities are the same: healthy, beautiful, nutritious meals to satisfy and fuel my kids for their challenging days, which also provide them with the memory of their loving mom standing right here behind them all the way. ^__^

Gyoza in the ECOlunchbox Tri Bento and LAST DAY TO ENTER GIVEAWAY!

Gyoza in the ECOlunchbox Tri Bento, a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

Yes, I'm still having fun with this ECOlunchboxes Tri Bento! I made gyoza for dinner, which turns out to be a perfect option for next-day bento lunch because gyoza is so much fun for kids to eat! It packs well and can be enjoyed cold or at room temperature. I packed as many as could fit in the lowest round (I think 8), which allowed me to keep the veggies separate in the next round (pickled cukes, tomatoes, and steamed purple sweet potato), and fruit in the top (grapes, mandarin and strawberry). I love the separateness, and I bet your kids will dig it too. Everything snaps together tightly with two simple pressure latches. The stainless steel is sturdy and I am impressed with how it's holding up to the extended use I've made of it in the past month or so.

If you'd like to enter for a chance to win a Tri Bento just like this one, courtesy of the generous folks at ECOlunchboxes, all you have to do is leave me a blog comment below, telling me what you'd pack in your Tri! (if you've commented on one of the other giveaway blog posts in the past week, that's fine).
Then, click the Rafflecopter entry to leave your name and email. U.S. only please. This is the last 24 hours to enter; contest ends Tuesday at midnight PST!
  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Herby Chicken and Potatoes ECOlunchbox Tri Bento (Giveaway still going on!)

Herby Chicken and Potatoes ECOlunchbox Tri Bento, a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

Yes, it's the ever-popular herby chicken and potatoes! I think the kids prefer it over the traditional local-style shoyu chicken and rice. Aww. The ECOlunchbox Tri bento serves the purpose well here: I put the chicken pieces in the bottom along with some steamed broccoli, then the potatoes and roasted tomatoes in the next tier, followed by the fruit section containing sliced peach (where did I find a peach? I don't even remember), strawberries and little strawberry guavas given to us by a friend. Are you interested in winning a Tri Bento for your very own self? All you need to do is log an entry into the giveaway, and I'll try to pick your name! U.S only please. Thanks!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Added to What's For Lunch.

Creepy Egg Skull and Rolls plus EcoLunchbox GIVEAWAY!

Creepy Egg Skull and Rolls Bento, a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

Let's keep going with the creepy skulls, shall we? This one is crafted from a hard-boiled quail egg, which is naturally skullish -- all you need to do is pinch the cheeks in a little and add some nori details. I made some turkey dog "sushi" rolls using black rice, and decorated the ends with freecut nori designs: bats and vampire faces. There are also some steamed broccoli and a little jack-o-pepper. I packed this bento for TinySprite in another stainless steel EcoLunchbox: this one is called the Solo Cube, and it's just the perfect size for my kindergartner. I packed this box along with the EcoDipper, containing some sliced peaches and berries. This size meal isn't too overwhelming for her, and she has no problem sliding off these lids. They stay on pretty well, but I secure both with elastic bands, just in case. I like the versatility that these two different shapes and sizes offer; you could fit a sandwich thin in the Cube, or some sausage skewers, some meatballs and pasta, or a chicken salad. The round Dipper is just right for a handful of nuts, trail mix, crackers, berries, or melon balls. I was so pleased with this duo that I mentioned it to the folks at EcoLunchboxes and they thought it would be a great idea to offer these two as a set to one of you, my bento-making readers! I know you'll love these as much as I do. They're well-made and look like they're built to stand up to years of daily use. If your child outgrows them, you can always use them for an afterschool or recess snack.

My kids have been taking bento to school their whole lives and I was amused recently to find my daughter bringing home disposable items (from a field trip) because she's so used to re-using. 

If you're interested in trying out the EcoLunchbox Solo Cube and the EcoDipper, please leave me a comment below telling me whether you've made any efforts lately to be more "green", and include your email address so that I can contact you. I'll leave it open until midnight on Halloween night (October 31, 2012, Pacific time). U.S. only please. Thanks a lot for your interest!

For more info, see EcoLunchboxes.
FACEBOOK --- TWITTER --- PINTEREST - 

Ecolunchbox provided the items I used to pack this bento today, but I received no other compensation, and the opinions I expressed are mine.

Added to What's For Lunch.

Hello Kitty Onigiri Bento!

Hello Kitty Onigiri Bento, a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

This bento is one I made for myself, and it was also meant to be my entry for the annual Bento & Co contest. The theme was onigiri, so I made two Hello Kitty mini-onigiri using my mold. I decorated their faces with nori, corn, and radish bows. I think this is the first time I've used this mini-onigiri mold, which was a gift from a dear friend. It's so cute! I added some oven-baked mochiko chicken pieces to the side, and then squeezed in some sweet fresh steamed corn off the cob, edamame, broccoli, carrots, and grape tomatoes. The second tier contains cherries, a homegrown apricot, raspberries, white peach, strawberries, blueberries and a few slices of steamed Okinawan sweet potato. I think I represented just about all the rainbow colors in this one! I packed it all inside my favorite stainless steel boxes. Each comes with its own gasketed lid, which don't have latches but which will stay leaktight if bound with elastic. You can use only one oblong box if you like, or stack two together and bind them with one larger band, which is what I did. There were 237 entries to the contest this year, and sadly I didn't make the final 10. But you can click over to see the ones that did, and cast a vote for the one you like the best (you have until Monday, July 16th). There are some unbelievably beautiful bento crafted by folks from all over the world; I was amazed and so inspired! Contests like these just go to show you how widespread the bento culture has become, and it's heartwarming to see all the healthy, delicious bento created by people influenced by this meal tradition from Japan. Very cool^_^

Sticky Rice Bento

Sticky Rice Bento, a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

This bento contains sticky rice, one of my favorite one-pot meals (my basic method is here). For this batch I used regular white glutinous (sweet) rice, and mixed with Japanese brown rice. I presoaked for a few hours before cooking, and about 15 minutes before the end of the cycle I added sliced lup cheong, shiitake mushrooms, and shredded baby choy. You can add other ingredients if you like. I've made it with cubed kabocha, which resulted in a nice colorful batch. You can also add in chopped green onion after the rice is finished cooking, which is what I did here. I packed it inside a lettuce leaf, alongside some carved carrots and a piece of corn on the cob, which I decorated with Okinawan sweet potato hearts. The fruit square contains yellow peach, strawberry and blackberry. The last square has yogurt topped with chopped fresh pineapple, sunflower seeds and wheat germ. If I pack yogurt, I try to overlay it with fruit to keep it contained as much as possible. It's actually Greek yogurt, so it's not very runny. I also usually tell MisterMan when there's yogurt in his bento, so he can try to minimize the amount of swinging around he does with it >.<

Finally, remember the Bento & Co contest to "Make a Bento for Someone You Love"? There were 223 entries, from France, USA, Germany, Turkey, Switzerland, England, Norway, Morocco, and Japan. I wanted to thank all of you for voting and supporting my entry. I didn't win the grand prize trip to Kyoto, but I did place high enough in the final 20 to receive a generous gift certificate to Bento & Co! So, thank you very much, bento friends! ^_^

Mahimahi Summer Bento

Mahimahi Bento, a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

I found a nice mahimahi filet today so decided to do the furikake mahi mahi that is so popular in plate lunch in Hawaii. It's so easy; the way I do it is 3 steps max: squirt with kewpie mayo, sprinkle with furikake, then carefully pan fry both sides. I added three tiny fish shapes cut from radish, with sesame seed eyes, and a grape tomato for color. The next compartment has bicolor corn on the cob, bicolor Okinawan sweet potato star shapes, and purple and orange carrots. For fruit he has lychee (yummmmmy!), sweet yellow peach, and cherries. Everything fits just right in this cute and practical Lunchbot.

Some exciting news about my bento from last week: it reached the final 20 in a contest sponsored by Bento & Co: "A Bento For Someone You Love"! There's a vote going on at the company's Facebook page to determine the final winner -- the grand prize being a trip to Kyoto. If you have a chance, I would appreciate a vote from you, my wonderful readers! The site is here: Bento & Co. You have to "like" the page first, then click on the purple "Participer" button, then scroll through the entries. They're not labeled, but mine is currently on page 3 and looks like this:

Thanks very much for your help! I'll let you know the results :D

LunchBots Giveaway Winner!

And the winner is.... #31 --> Jolene!

Jolene said: I would love the Eco one! I would make an under the sea bento packed with tons of little sea creatures. Sausage octopuses are my favorite. :)

Well-spoken, Jolene, from one under the sea aficionado to another. Congratulations! I hope you enjoy your LunchBot and please come back to show us your beautiful creation. :)

Thanks to everyone who entered, and don't forget to use coupon code BACKTOSCHOOL for 15% off your purchase at LunchBots.com!

And the winner is....

Well, before I get to that, I would like to thank everyone for your thoughtful and interesting entries. This is my first ever giveaway, and I wasn't sure what kind of response I'd get. I've been writing this blog since August of 2009 so it's only been 9 months so far that Happy Little Bento has been in existence. Is that right? I actually had to go back and double-check. I've been making bento for a whole lot longer than that, so I can't believe I've met so many folks through this blog already in such a short time. It's great!

While I was going through the entries, I was pleasantly surprised at how many of you are "new to bento" and coming here for ideas and information. I think it's a good idea to read blogs to get started; I wish there were more around when I got started. Now, there are lots of folks bento-blogging, so I'm happy that so many of you are including me in your reading. I got more than 65 entries! Thanks!

OK, so we're gonna do this old-school style. MisterMan is helping me do the "random drawing". I printed out everyone's name on same size slips of paper and the kids helped me fold and put them in a "hat", shake to mix, then pull out a winner.

Are you ready? Sorry for the poor video quality; especially since you can barely see the name on the paper! What's up with that? I could not focus on that tiny piece of paper. I'll read it to you:



Yay! Congratulations Meghan from Chicago! I'll need your mailing info, so please email me :)

Hawaii's Bento Box Cookbook ~ A Giveaway!

You may have heard about this new bento cookbook by Susan Yuen. It's brand new, and filled with lots of useful tips, information and recipes for any bento maker -- from novice to pro. I should know; I've got a copy myself!

Susan has been such a great bento pal and source of encouragement and support to me. She's always happy to share from her experience, and this book is a perfect example of that generosity. If you've ever admired her bento and wondered if you could ever learn to make such cute charaben, I can tell you that you'll learn tons of her techniques in this book. She shares a lot in here! I love it so much I want to share it with you. Well, one of you, anyway! I have a brand-new, autographed (by the author, not me) copy and I want to give it away! Maybe to YOU!

All you have to do to qualify for the random drawing is leave a comment below by 12:00 midnight PDT Saturday, telling me something you've learned about bento since you've started bentomaking; or if you're new to bento, why you're interested in starting. Or, feel free to share anything else you'd like. I'll also throw in a surprise bunch of bento goodies to get you going, too. Can't show you because I don't have it yet, but I'll go shopping this weekend. Good luck!

Mini Sushi Bento II

Mini Sushi Bento II, originally uploaded by sherimiya ♥.

I've been hearing about the Japan Society Virtual Bento Box Battle for awhile now, and last weekend tried to think of what kind of bento to make. Reading over the qualifications, one of the statements stuck out to me: Representations of iconic Japanese foods, landmarks, customs, or public figures.

Well, I love iconic foods of Japan, especially sushi! Then I realized that I hadn't made a mini bento in awhile; why not make a mini sushi bento? Some of you who know me from flickr remember my mini bento set, which sprang from my joint love of miniatures and bento. In fact, I had made a mini sushi bento before, and it was a lot of fun! I figured, why not make another one to symbolize and honor this iconic food of Japan? So here is my mini faux sushi bento (part II), submitted to Japan Society.

From left: maguro (actually a piece of roasted red pepper), yellowtail (steamed satsumaimo), unagi (teriyaki chicken), salmon (raw carrot with mozzarella), and ikura (red quinoa). The rice for the nigiri is actually cut from mozzarella cheese stick. The wasabi is green-dyed cream cheese and the pickled ginger is shredded carrot. All nori details are real nori. The platter is a sheet of nori as well, and it rests upon a pb&j sandwich. I added maroon carrot/cilantro flower details, and in the other section I put clementines and a cherry tomato to show scale.

Have you entered the contest? I believe the deadline has been extended to Monday, April 5th, so you still have time to create something to submit! Have fun!