Rachael Ray the Bento Way! - Beef Pot Pie

So I've decided to start a weekly special called "Rachael Ray the Bento Way!"  I've always loved watching her show and enjoy trying out her recipes.  Many are quick and easy to make, and the ingredients are usually pretty easy to find.  Here is a recipe I've had for a while (and used to make frequently), but haven't made lately because I didn't think my daughters would go for it.  So I decided to "bento-ize" it for the kids!  Basically, I followed the recipe as is, except I used teriyaki sauce instead of worcestershire sauce (I thought the teriyaki sauce would be easier on the kids...worcestershire has a pretty intense flavor in my opinion).  I also added chopped shoestring carrots (only because I add these into almost everything...it's a way for me to sneak in a vegetable without them really even noticing).  :)   Then, instead of folding the pie crust into a wedge, I used a flower cutter to make it extra cute! Lastly, I added some extra fruit, veggies, and cheese and VOILA.

And the verdict is...both daughters ate it all up!  YUM!  And let me just clarify that my daughters do NOT like red meat.  So for them to have eaten this happily was a HUGE success!  Thank you Rachael Ray! 

I will be spotlighting another recipe next week on "Rachael Ray the Bento Way!"  In the meantime, if you'd like a copy of this week's recipe, check it out here.  http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/food/recipes/beef-pot-pie-wedges/#

Beef Pot Pie Bento - beef pot pie flowers, peas, blueberries, cheddar cheese flowers, organic cinnamon graham ABC cookie

Ode to Pancake Week

Okay, so this week hasn't been so healthy due to National Pancake Week.  And in no way can I claim this as bento.  But it IS National Nutrition Month, and with that said, I am trying to focus on serving food with different colors (which is sort of bento...each meal having 5 colors).  Serving food that represents lots of different colors makes for a healthier meal.  Sooooo...here it goes.   Red strawberries, check.  Green spinach, check.  Yellow eggs, check.  Orange carrots, check.  Brown, um, chocolate?  Sure, that works, right?!  :)  Well, regardless, BOTH of my dear daughters cleaned their plate...I know, I know...not hard to do when serving chocolate and banana pancakes.  But they even loved the omelet! Oh, and if you want the recipe for the "Chunky Monkey Pancakes" (chocolate chips, bananas, and pecans), you can find it here.   http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Chunky-Monkey-Pancakes/Detail.aspx  They are to die for!

Chunky Monkey "Bento" - chunky monkey pancakes, strawberries, omelet (with spinach, carrot, mushroom, sausage, and cheese)

Zoo Bento

It was a GORGEOUS day here, so we decided to take a field trip to the zoo. We packed our lunch and in honor of visiting the animals, we went with animal chicken nuggets.  Okay, they're really dinosaurs, but who says they can't be a rhino and a kangaroo or something (squint your eyes and you'll agree). Oh, and by the way...we LOVE our new bento box set. Check them out here!   http://www.laptoplunches.com/

Zoo Bento - baked animal chicken nuggets, banana, alphabet pretzels, celery and PB, and rice krispy treat

Gotta LOVE Pancakes!

It's National Pancake Week (a week we have NO problem celebrating!).  So to begin the festivities I figured we'd show our love pancakes (hence the heart shapes).  Nothing fancy...just simple buttermilk pancakes in a cute heart shape.  This is a national celebration that my DD can definitely be on board with.  :)   Breakfast for breakfast is good, but breakfast for lunch or dinner is even better!

Pancake Bento - heart pancake with dipping syrup, vanilla yogurt, and strawberries