Bento Bonanza

Beautiful weather, sunny, warm but not too warm. I was lucky I got to spend most of it outside. Went to the Farmer's Market, the San Diego County Fair, the park and my own back yard... although the last one wasn't so fun. I mowed the weeds lawn, trimmed hedges, weeded the flower beds, trimmed tree branches, de-cobwebbed the patio and washed it down. Next time maybe I will enjoy, this time I was just exhausted, sweaty and my arms felt like jelly. Though I have to note I did all those previously mentioned tasks in one day versus before weight loss surgery when it would have been a week-long (maybe even month-long) project. Yay for post-op stamina!

It was a Bento kind of weekend. A few of my yummy creations...

Pink Box (top left): Mini Brie and Cucumber Slices (I spread the brie on these)
Green Box (top right): Strawberries
Blue Box (bottom left): Just the Cheese Crunchy Cheese - White Cheddar flavor
Orange Box (bottom right): hunk of Oh Yeah! Creamy Vanilla & Caramel Protein Bar

Pink Box (top left): Leftover Shelly's Grilled Eggplant Stacks
(top right): Baby Banana
Blue Box (bottom left): Tomato, Cucumber & Basil Salad
Orange Box (bottom right): Goat Cheese (I crumbled on my salad)

Pink Box (top left): SF Torani Sweetened Ricotta and Apple Pie Innards
Green Box (top right): Sliced Cucumbers
Blue Box (bottom left): Just the Cheese Crunchy Cheese - White Cheddar flavor
Orange Box (bottom right): Mini Brie


Pink Box (top left): Shelly's California Roll Salad
Orange Box (top right): Mango
Blue Box (bottom left): Shrimp and (in the little blue box) Cocktail Sauce
(bottom right): Just the Cheese Crunchy Cheese - Grilled Cheese flavor

FAQ's about the Bento's:

Q: Do you eat it all? A: Sometimes. Sometimes it's a meal & a snack if I'm going to be out for awhile. Sometimes it's shared. I usually bring extra protein muffins to give to someone when they say "what's that?" Also I stop when I feel almost full (when I recognize my soft cue: that post gastric bypass little message your body tells you when you have had enough - for some it's a sneeze, a runny nose, hiccup, sigh, yawn. If you recognize yours quickly you can avoid overeating and potentially losing what you just ate by not taking "just one more bite.") so I often bring a little home. Portion size should be determined by your medical posse.

Q: Where did you get your bento? A: Here's an online source (FYI: the blog scores a few cents for those purchased through the link/helps pay the domain bill.) I have several different boxes and inserts of different sizes too.

Q: Do they leak, can you microwave them, how do you keep things cold? A: I've never had it happen but I don't put anything toooo saucy or soup in them. I have a thermos I use for soup. So far so good though. I have microwaved in them. I try not to because you know how things get distorted after you nuke them too much I don't want to risk it. I use these to keep things cold or place the whole box in the fridge.

Q: What are the benefits to putting food in a bento box? A: For me, it's a way to visually see my meal is balanced (high protein, low carb.) It's great for portion-control (just don't fill the box full of chocolate LOL.) It's fun ;) makes me feel like a kid at recess (I am the envy of the lunch room.)

Q: Do you have a link to all the bentos you have made? A: Yes. Click here for those or another fun way to check them out.

Hope everyone had a GREAT weekend and an even better week ahead. My sis and great nephew are coming for a visit and yes, I'm making them eat the "eggface" way :)