Wrapping up 2013

With a new year just a few days away I told my daughter she can make special requests to wrap up 2013. So she wanted a heart shaped sandwich but she wanted me to use my Sesame Street food picks!! I tried to tell her those were for the spring but looks like this Momma lost this battle! Hahaha 

Christmas Breakfast

Merry Christmas from my family to yours!!! Christmas morning wouldn't be complete without a Christmas tree pancake!!!! 

Christmas Star Bento

The kid wanted her sandwich to look like the star on top of our Christmas tree. Using a star cookie cutter I made that happen!!!!! Also added to her bento is some fresh strawberries, 3 Oreo cookies, strawberry applesauce and fruit snacks!!!

Christmas Ornament Bento

Since December 1st every bento I have created has been made around the Christmas holiday. So with this lunch I used one of my Christmas ornament cutters and made her a peanut butter sandwich. She begged me for some strawberries and yogurt. And I added some gold fish crackers and a fruit snack. Can't forget the Christmas food picks!!!! Bento Moms Rock!!! 

Christmas Tree w/ Peanut Butter

My daughter requested that her lunch for tomorrow include peanut butter shaped like a Christmas tree. Being as though this was a very simple lunch it took less than 10 minutes.
Apple slices with one shaped like a Christmas tree, applesauce,  gold fish crackers and of course my Christmas food picks!!

Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer Bento

Ziggy is finally into Santa and everything that comes along with him. So today after she got her photo taken with Santa she requested a Rudolph lunch. Using a heart shaped cutter, candy eyes, two pretzels and a piece of strawberry I was able to create Rudolph.

Also included were some sliced apples, strawberry apple sauce, gold fish and fruit snacks all using Christmas food picks!!! 

Snowman on a Stick

The weather in Baltimore is kinda nasty so the kid and I decided to have some fun in the kitchen by creating her snowman. Using M&Ms, 3 marshmallows  with some gel icing and a piece of a fruit roll up and BAM there you have it!! 

Elf on the Shelf Bento

Now I'm sure everyone has heard of "Elf on the Shelf" well this week's contest on the bento blog network is a elf bento so this will be submitted so please go vote for me!! 

This lunch was made with using my alphabet cookie cutters, some food picks, stickers and of course my love!! I'm sure my baby girl will love it!

Turkey & Cheese on whole wheat bread. Sliced apples, cheez it's, yogurt and a brownie!!

Snowflake Bento

Since school was closed for two days I figured a snowflake bento lunch would be perfect since we still have a little bit of snow left. Her sandwich is turkey & cheese, yogurt with snowflake food rings, grapes, Xmas fruit snacks and cheez its!!! 

Flash Back.....

I was going through some old photos and I came across some of my creative dishes that I prepared a year ago and I must say that I have came a long way. I always wanted to make my daughter appreciate her meals so I started out with just doing the basic stuff with cookie cutters until I discovered the "bento world" and I just became obsessed! I think I get a kick outta this more than she does...haha

This was my 1st flower themed breakfast. Using just a flower cookie cutter and some red food coloring I was able to create the flower pancake. Also used were grapes, a banana and one orange slice.

This was my 2nd flower lunch that I created around Easter of last year. The sun is made with a banana and pineapple. The rabbit is a pancake and the grass is also a pancake that I used gel food coloring to get the special affect. The flower and butter were also made using a pancake and cookie cutters.

My daughter requested french toast so I decided to make a "bear themed breakfast" Not bad for my first attempt just a year ago. 

Bear Pancakes

School is closed today due to the inclement weather so my daughter asked if I could make her a bear pancake. Now I could have just used the cookie cutter but why when I could be a little creative. Using mini chocolate chips and brown gel icing this kid was pleased with her breakfast. 

Melted Snowman Treats

I saw these on another blog and wanted to try this for my daughter. So for this I used a graham cracker, two marshmallows, fruit roll up, Oreo cookie, two pretzel sticks, food pen and a Reece cup. I preheated my oven to 400 degrees  placing one marshmallow on a graham cracker covering with foil to prevent browning for about 6 minutes. Once the marshmallow appeared to be melted I let it cool for a few minutes adding the other marshmallow on top and the rest of the items I used and BAM you have a melted snowman!! 

The North Pole

This morning my daughter wanted to know where did Santa live so what better way than to show her!! Using whipped Creme, bananas and strawberries and my brown food pen I was able to create the North Pole sign! 

Charlie Brown Pancakes

My daughter loves pancakes and this morning she requested that I make her some Charlie Brown pancakes. Using two eggs for his shirt, brown icing for his face features and black grapes for the design on his shirt. Not bad!!! 

Gingerbread Bento

I'm so into the holiday spirit so I decided every lunch would be centered around Christmas for the kid. With this lunch I made her a peanut butter gingerbread man using candy eyes, red & black food pens to jazz him up a bit. Also included in this lunch was some winter food picks to add some flavor to her brownie and sliced apples. Threw in some teddy grahams and fruit snacks and I'm sure Ziggy will be happy!! 

Christmas Wreath Lunch

In this laptop lunch I used two different size circle cutters to create the sandwich. On the white mini donut I took red icing and made a circle adding Xmas sprinkles for a little treat I'm sure Ziggy will love. Sliced up a red apple and added a food pick and she loves cheese curls so I gave her just a few with a cute Xmas food pick!

Tools I used to make this lunch

So You Want to become bento mom.....

Do me a favor and check out one of my favorite blogs... http://www.dianarambles.com/2013/02/bento-basics-part-one.html

She will give you the basic steps and tools you need..OMG I love this site and trust me you will too!

~Ziggy's Mom

Helpful Tips

I just would like to share that not everyone who tries this will like it the first time. Meaning I always mess up, its called trial and error with me. If it doesn't look right then I just start over. I usually purchase my bento gadgets online or Target, Walmart, Dollar Stores, or Michaels usually has good deals. Even if you just have regular cookie cutters those will work just fine. Later I will post some of the bento gadgets I have collected within the six months and I must say I have been become a little addicted.

So far I have:

* Sandwich Cutters
* Cookie Cutters (all shapes and numbers)
* Various Food Picks
* Small Food Cups
* Bento Boxes
* Gel Containers
and the list goes on, but I promise to upload a photo as soon as I get home (working right now..lol)


~Ziggy's Mom

Flower Bento

What girl wouldn't love a flower themed lunch? Using just a regular sandwich cutter you can bring this lunch to life for any girl!! 

Holiday Themed Snacks

Since I just started this blog I have to upload and post my creations that I did months ago. So here are some of my after dinner snacks ranging from a grape themed turtle, ghost in pudding and snowman donuts! 

Pancakes Anyone?

My child literally will eat pancakes every day for breakfast, lunch or dinner if I allowed her. So here are some of my pancake creations. Just invest in food color gels, food pens and cutters and you can turn any ordinary pancake into something creative!! 

Strawberry Shortcake 

Flower Pancakes with an apple and pineapple for a sun. (I used gel food colors)

Ice Cream Inspired Pancake with bananas and a strawberry

Candy Corn Pancake (My 1st attempt)

Turkey Inspired Pancake using apples, strawberries and candy eyes!!

Minnie Mouse

I know my kid is not the only one who loves the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse cartoon. So I had to invest in some cute food picks & rings to bring this lunch to life.

Minnie & Mickey Food Rings, Disney Fruit Snacks, and using circle cutters I found at Target for $3 I created a cake sandwich for the kid!!

Using mini flower cutters for the sandwich, yogurt, fall cupcake, gold fish crackers and grapes and disney fruit snacks

Old McDonald

Ever since she learned this nursery rhyme in school she literally has been singing this song non stop! 

Puzzle Lunches

Using this new puzzle sandwich cutter for quick lunches I fell in love with this. Not only did it take less than 10min to prepare but my daughter loved the concept. 

Clifford the Big Red Dog

One of my favorite childhood books I created for my daughter and it was a hit!! 

Angry Birds

So my daughter entered this phase where she wanted to play "Angry Birds" so I surprised her with a lunch! 

My Super Star

Just a reminder that my daughter is my superstar and I'm so proud of her accomplishments! 

Fall Lunches

Who says you can't have themed lunches based on the different seasons. With using cute food picks and different sandwich cutters you can make any kid smile when they open up their lunch box.

"B" is for Bear

Sometimes I refer to my kid as Momma's baby bear so I decided to create her lunch centered around bears and it was a winner! With this lunch I just used small cutters I found online!!

Under the Sea Bento Lunch

Ever since she saw Finding Nemo she has been fascinated with fish!! 

Sight Words

My daughter is finally advancing in school where she is getting vocabulary words every week. So I decides to help her learn them I would base her lunch around her weekly words 

Halloween Bento Lunches

The Halloween Bento Lunches I created for my daughter during the month of October! I had so much fun creating these! Seemed like everyday she requested something different!