sandwich fillings
Blackberries
Blueberries
Fish-shaped crackers
1 Babybel cheese
EQUIPMENT
Two-tier bear-shaped bento box
Large bear cutter
Fine-tipped kitchen scissors
Round silicone baking cup (I used a blue cup to represent water)
Small acorn cutter
Variations Small circles of fruit leather or dabs of jelly could also be used for the bear’s eyes.
1 Cut bear shapes from the bread. Assemble the sandwich using your desired sandwich fillings. Place the sandwich in one tier of the box.
2 Use scissors to carefully cut two juice pods from one of the blackberries (the technical name for these is drupelets). Place on the bread to give the bear eyes.
3 Fill the empty space around the bear with the blueberries.
4 Put the fish-shaped crackers in the silicone cup and place in the second tier of the bento box.
5 Place the acorn cheese (see facing page) in the box. Fill the remaining space with the blackberries.
DECORATING A CHEESE WITH A CUTOUT
1. To cut a shape from the wax around a small cheese (Babybel brand, for example), select a cookie cutter that is smaller than the diameter of the cheese (about 1¼ inches [3.5 cm] or less).
2. Press the cutter far enough into the cheese to cut through the wax. It’s okay if it goes into the cheese a little bit.
3. Remove the cutter from the cheese, and gently pry away the shape you’ve cut. Often there will be a strip of paper remaining that’s used for peeling the wax off the cheese. Using sharp-tipped kitchen scissors, cut through this paper as close to the wax as possible.
Build-It-Yourself Pizza
It can be difficult for a lunch packed at home to compete with the packaged lunches that can be purchased at grocery stores — especially when they’re filled with kid-friendly fare like chicken nuggets and pizza. Those lunch kits are loaded with unhealthy, processed food and the portions can be quite small for older children, so tempt your child with a hearty, homemade version that allows him or her to build their own pizza.
INGREDIENTS
Sliced mini pepperoni
Shredded mozzarella cheese
Orange bell pepper
Pizza or pasta sauce
Flatbread such as pita bread or Indian naan
EQUIPMENT
Two-tier bento box
3 round silicone baking cups
Small, lidded container that will fit inside the bento box
Kitchen shears
Small spoon for spreading the sauce when eating the lunch
Variations Just about any topping that’s good on pizza will work well for this lunch. Ham, pineapple, sliced olives, and bits of sausage are all delicious.
1 Place two silicone baking cups filled with the pepperoni and the cheese inside one tier of the bento box.
2 Cut part of the bell pepper into ¼-inch (6 mm) dice and place in the third silicone cup. Place the cup alongside the pepperoni and cheese.
3 Fill the lidded container with pizza sauce. Make sure the lid of this container is closed tightly so the sauce does not leak out onto the other items in the box.
4 Cut the flatbread to fit in the remaining space in the bento box. Hold the bread over the empty space to get an idea of the best place to cut it. Once you’ve got the basic size right, trim the bread into a round or oval shape so that it resembles a pizza crust. You can also cut it with a round cutter if this is easier.
Butterfly Bento
Lovely butterflies flutter through a tiny garden filled with cheese flowers, fruit, and a simple chicken salad.
INGREDIENTS
Chicken Salad (see recipe below)
Apple
Butterfly crackers
Green grapes
Havarti cheese
Cheddar cheese Raspberries
EQUIPMENT
Single-tier bento box
Round silicone baking cup
Medium butterfly cutter
Toothpicks
Small flower cutter
Extra-small circle cutter
Flower-stem picks
Fork to eat the salad
Chicken Salad
INGREDIENTS
Cooked chicken, finely chopped
Apple, finely chopped
Celery, finely chopped
Almonds, finely chopped
Mayonnaise
Mix the chicken, apple, celery, and almonds until well combined. Add the mayonnaise to taste and mix well.
