bento lunchbox boy: May 2011

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

The bento is back! Ok, at least for today. We'll see how the rest of the week -- the rest of the school year! -- goes.

• PB&J on whole wheat
• cheese stick
• fresh mango
• Joe Joes! (Trader Joe's version of Oreos, minus the hydrogenated oil)
• morning snack: pretzel/pita chip/cheese cracker mix

Monday, May 23, 2011

Ok, still being bad about the bento photos. I just can't seem to pull it together in the mornings anymore. How in the world did I manage to take photos of the lunches for the past 8 months??! Well, I did manage to make a soup last night for the soup project: 17 Bean & Barley. (Yes, that does say the number 17!)

I will post the recipe to the right, as always!

And for those who are interested, E had wheat pasta with soy butter and shakey cheese, soycatash (a mixture of edamame, corn, and red peppers), baby red tomatoes, and little chocolate graham bear cookies.

Monday, May 16, 2011

Monday, May 16

I've been bad about the bento. Last week, there was one day when I forgot to charge the camera and I didn't realize until I was just about to leave for work. I also forgot to take pics at least once or twice. Anyhow, nothing today, either. E wasn't feeling great so we decided to let him stay home. (It's Rob's day off so that makes it easier!) Hopefully tomorrow....

Until then, there are two new soups for the soup project!

Monday, May 9, 2011

Ok, I've been out of the bento loop for the past week, thanks in part to strep throat. (Me, not my five-year-old. First time I've ever had it. Not fun stuff!) Anyhow, I'm just going to ignore the last week and start from scratch, including adding a new soup to the soup project. This is for last week -- I actually DID make it last week, just never posted it. I'll make this week's tonight and post it tomorrow or Wednesday. Two good soups that are super easy!

On to today's lunch:

• baked potato with soy butter
• whole wheat pasta with peas
• almonds
• raspberries
• morning snack: honey graham Z Bar **

** E's classroom is nutfree. It's not easy finding granola bars that don't have nuts but these Z Bars seem okay so that's why you see them so often for his snack.

The Soup Project: 52 Weeks of Vegan Soups

Week 21

17 Bean & Barley

from the back of the bag of Trader Joe's 17 Bean & Barley mix

• 1 bag of 17 Bean & Barley mix from Trader Joe's

• veggie broth (about 6 cups)

• 1 onion, chopped

• 2 carrots, chopped

• 2 stalks celery, chopped

• 1 bell pepper, chopped**

• 1 tsp. dried basil

• fresh garlic, chopped**

• 1 bay leaf

• 1/2 tea. Italian seasoning

• 1 large can tomatoes (I used whole and crushed them)

• salt, pepper

NOTE:

-- bell pepper: I used about 1/3 bag of frozen peppers from Trader Joe's instead.

-- chopped garlic: The recipe calls for 1 clove. In my opinion, one clove is basically like using no cloves! I used 3 good-sized cloves.

Beans: Either soak overnight or, if you forget like I did, cover the beans in triple their volume of cold water. Bring to a boil, lower heat, cook uncovered for 3 or 4 minutes. Remove pan from heat, cover, and let sit for at least an hour.

In a separate pan, saute carrots, onion, and celery in a good amount of olive oil. Once fairly soft, add garlic, pepper, and dried spices. Stir, cook for a few more minutes. Add broth, bay leaf, and canned tomato. Cook for a few minutes. Add beans. (Note: The recipe said to drain the bean liquid. I used some of it in the soup. I figured it would have a lot of flavor, so why waste it?) Simmer covered for about an hour or until desired tenderness. Be sure to check liquid level from time to time, adding more as needed. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Would I make again? YES! Super hearty soup with a rich tomato base. Yum. This soup takes awhile to make because the beans take awhile to cook, but other than that, it's easy and so perfect for another rainy week like we're having here in Boston!

Why are we doing this?

We're doing this because we thought it would be fun. My little guy (I'll call him E) is starting kindergarten and will be taking lunch to school in his brand new, spiffy bento box. We are going to photograph his lunch -- before he eats it, of course! -- and share the photos, along with recipes. (Disclaimer: We are not forging new ground here. There are a bunch of similar sites out there doing this. I will add a list of them soon! Enjoy — or laugh at me, take your pick!

Note: I am vegan, E is vegetarian.

bento lunchbox boy

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Monday, May 23, 2011

Monday, May 23, 2011

Monday, May 16, 2011

Monday, May 16

Monday, May 9, 2011

Monday, May 9, 2011

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