Our August Bento

This was our only August bento (unless I make another one this week!). I need to get back with it, but haven't made it happen lately. I put together a quick bento one day to take in the car. Some of us need to get out of the house every now and then {insert hubby's name here!}.

Shredded carrot, raisin,  and cream cheese rolled up in a flatout. Pretzel thins and chocolate chip cookies. I would have loved some hummus to go with those pretzels but it wasn't meant to be...maybe next time.

Happy bento-ing!

Recipe Review: Carrot, Cream Cheese, and Raisin Bites

Oh I love this recipe. It's so quick and easy. It only takes a few minutes to put together. I use it in our bento lunches from time to time. The points will change depending on your cream cheese, how many raisins you really put in it (I always put a few extra) and the wrap or tortilla you use. I like to use a FlatOut wrap. They're kinda point-y but it does make for part of a filling lunch.

Carrot, Cream Cheese, and Raisin Bites
snack-girl.com

(serves 2)
1 whole wheat tortilla
1 tablespoon cream cheese
1/2 carrot, grated
10 raisins
Spread cream cheese on tortilla. Add grated carrots and raisins and roll up. Slice into 10 pieces and enjoy!


One serving = 100 calories, 2.3 g fat, 18.1 g carbohydrates, 2.7 g protein, 4.9 g fiber, 91 mg sodium, 2 PointsPlus

Two Bentos, a Dog, and a Mountain

Pretty February Sky

Backyard looks like a glacier

 The last few weeks we've had some interesting weather. One day -25°F. Four days later +40°F. We have a ton of snow on the ground. Some of the snow has been blown into drifts by the fierce winds we frequently have (gusts 50-80 mph are not uncommon). Last night we had freezing rain. Our front yard is buried in 3' of snow and the top is perfectly glassy smooth like ganache from the rain and then freezing again. One plus from this weather was a happy day for Panda earlier this week. She realized if she stood on top of the snow drift in the back yard she could see over the 6' privacy fence. A whole new world...

I found time to make a couple of bentos this week too!

Carrot, raisin & cream cheese roll-ups, fruit, string cheese & crackers for me. Dave's has chocolate animal crackers.

Another bento just for me. I love this box. Happy marching! Avocado & fruit in the bottom with a penguin pick to watch over the marching band, and the top filled with meat and cheese & crackers left over from the Super Bowl party.

Bento & Sky

We are supposed to get a big snowstorm tonight - storm warning and all. They are calling for 12" but it's still kind of decent looking out. I took this scenery pic today at lunch time. We drove across town and sat in the sun while we ate. I just love the dramatic sky and clouds we get in the winter.

Not only did we have sun we also had a simple bento lunch. I had the one on the left - strawberries, pineapple, string cheese (it's buried under the animal crackers) animal crackers, celery & pb, and a flatout with cream cheese, carrot, & raisin. Dave's was basically the same, minus the fresh fruit. He had a babybel cheese too.

Salmon Lettuce Wraps

These turned out delicious! I used the basic Chicken Lettuce Wraps recipe as a base and was very pleased with the result. I had a half of a small filet of Alaskan sockeye salmon that I pan fried quickly and then set aside. Then added the mushrooms, water chestnuts, and ginger. While that cooked I mixed together the sauce, then to the mushroom mixture added slivered almonds and finally poured in the sauce and mixed it all together. Served alongside pine nut couscous. Made for a nice light dinner. Now I think I'll have a Cranberry Bar...that's going to be the next post.

Recipe Review: Chicken Lettuce Wraps

So last night I made the Chicken Lettuce Wraps from Taste of Home. Of course I always have a few adjustments to the recipe so the flavors suit our taste. The list of ingredients looks a bit long, but other than having to buy the specific lettuce for the wraps these are items I usually have on-hand for Asian-type cooking.

I couldn't think of what to serve with them, so we had some mashed sweet potato and a quick 5-cup salad.

The wraps turned out really tasty and I will definitely be making them again. Sorry for the poor photo - I was so starving and ready to eat that I just snapped a quick cell phone photo.





Chicken Lettuce Wraps
adapted from Taste of Home

Ingredients:
1-1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1 tablespoon plus 1-1/2 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided
3/4 cup chopped fresh mushrooms
1 can (8 ounces) water chestnuts, drained and diced (yep, they would have been better if I had read "diced")
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium teriyaki sauce ( I used Yoshida's)
1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (omitted)
1-1/2 cups shredded carrots
1/2 cup julienned green onions
12 Bibb or Boston lettuce leaves
1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted

In a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, cook chicken
in 1 tablespoon oil for 3 minutes; drain. Add the mushrooms, water
chestnuts and ginger; cook 4-6 minutes longer or until chicken is no
longer pink. Drain and set aside.
 
In a small bowl, whisk the vinegar, teriyaki sauce, soy sauce, garlic
powder, red pepper flakes and remaining oil. Stir in the carrots,
onions and chicken mixture. (I actually heated this in the pan I had cooked the chicken in and then stirred it all together - including the slivered almonds)

Spoon onto lettuce leaves; sprinkle with almonds. If desired, fold sides of lettuce over filling and roll up.

Yield: 6 servings.

Nutrition Facts: 2 wraps equals 230 calories, 9 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 63 mg cholesterol, 278 mg sodium, 12 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 26 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 3 very lean meat, 2 vegetable, 1 fat.

A June Bento

Here's a bento from a week and a half ago. Honestly, it seems like much longer ago than it was. We've been keeping very busy, and the days are just flying by.

The pink box on the left is mine. We both have a turkey wrap made with some leftover spinach roll filling (that was delish in a turkey wrap!), in front of the wrap in my box is Matanuska Creamery Garlic Dill cheese curds from our local dariy! YUM! I've also got some roasted edemame, Pirates Booty, a couple bites of carrot, and some cucumber. Oh, and the Oreo fun stix are mine. D has golden Oreos, cheddar Sun Chips, turkey spinach wrap, garlic cheese curds, carrots, and roasted almonds.

One last post & bento for April

It was pretty out at lunch time, and kinda warm (52° according to the car thermometer) so we went for a drive rather than eating at home. Soaked up some sunshine and enjoyed our lunches out.

The pink box is mine and the green for D. Both wraps are turkey and cheese, but mine has additional slices of cucumber and is sitting near a cut up radish. I've also got fresh strawberries and pineapple and a little bear face made from a Babybel cheese and carrots for ears. D has carrots, wrapped Babybel and underneath the cheese is a small cup of granola. I made the granola bars again, but they didn't hold together in bars. They do however make great granola cereal which I had this morning with vanilla almond milk over it. So yummy. Oh, and the little penguin man has more bleu cheese dressing for dipping the carrots.

Bentos 03.17.2010

I didn't get much into a St. Patrick's day theme, other than to use green bento boxes. Here in Alaska it was sunny and warm (upper 30s) on St. Patrick's so we took our light lunch bentos for a ride in the car to soak up some sun (we soaked up the sun, the bentos did not). :)

This first one is mine. Chicken salad wrap with sliced apple baran on top and fresh pineapple with sliced apple baran in the bottom tier.  Another B.O.M.B entry for me!

D's box also had chicken salad wrap, extra lettuce and sliced apples, cheese & crackers.