Foodie Friday

I know, I know. It's not Friday. I'm not so lost in my own mommy world here on the mountain that I forget what day it is. I know very well that it's Sunday. What? Oh. Yeah. It's Saturday. Ahem. Anyway, I had these pictures that I took specifically for Foodie Friday, and I forgot to post them yesterday. I used the children's naptime for a cheerier occupation--paying bills.

I recently became interested in the art of  Bento. These Japanese, beautifully-arranged, single-serving meals are making an appearance in America. I had read about it in my Mothering Magazine. Since I pack food for our gluten-fearing selves everywhere we go, I decided to give it a try. I found these American-style Bento sets from Laptop Lunches, which are phthalate, BPA, and lead free, at a huge discount and bought one for each of the children. The boxes come with an insulated sleeve and a non-toxic cold pack.  Although mine aren't as elaborate as these, I thought they came out quite pleasant looking.

All the food is homemade, of course. Each box contains black walnut-cheese crackers (cut in their respective initials); a cup with raw cheese cut in animal shapes and carrots cut in scalloped shapes; fresh guacamole for the crackers;  a sandwich made out of buckwheat pancakes and filled with homemade pumpkin seed butter, strawberry conserve, and sliced bananas (cut in a flower for Mercy and a car for Judah); a fruit cup with strawberries, melon, and grapes; and finally, three almond thumbprint cookies. A sippy of strawberry kefir finished the meal.

I'm excited to make more elaborate designs as I add to my Bento tools. I'll post pictures of future attempts soon, I'm sure.