Tagged: food art

Getting Back to School (and blogging!)

First Day of School

Hello again!

It’s been almost a year since I’ve blogged but not since the last time I crafted. The truth is that I’ve been crafting all year long, but just haven’t been blogging them because… well, because I was too busy crafting. I ended up doing a few different things this year: calligraphy, hand lettering, watercolor, and paper cutting. It’s been a year to try all the things!

However, my younger kids have asked sweetly to get some bentos for this school year. And since my last kiddo is in first grade, it’s my last chance.

So today’s bento theme is “Have Fun, Learn Lots”. The main is a bear (our school mascot) and includes some little notes of encouragement for the first day of school.


Main  PB sandwich. I added the note with tape that says “learn lots” to the back of the clear container, so it doesn’t get stained or touches part of the food.
Sides Cotton Candy grapes (with a pick that says “have fun”) and pistachios
Also included but not pictured Water and an fruit cup for snack


Included in today’s bento:

Happy Halloween Bento Lunch Time!

Halloween Bento | OneCraftyThing.com

We are so close to Halloween that I couldn’t break tradition, no matter how busy. I love Halloween. It’s my most favorite holiday. It’s so much fun! A simple pumpkin theme for this year!

In today’s lunch:


Main  PB Pumpkin sandwich (moon cutter for the mouth and small circle cutter for eyes) with Chex mix and yogurt raisins
Sides Grapes on pumpkin and bat picks and a mandarin “carved” (with a carving knife) like a jack-o’-lantern
Also included but not pictured Water and a granola bar, with an extra orange for snack.


Today, I used (please disable AdBlock to see what tools I used for this bento):

Save the Monarchs Bento Lunch

Monarch Butterfly Bento Lunch | OneCraftyThing.com

While October is full of Halloweeny goodness and fun times, part of the fall season reminds me that it’s time for the monarch butterfly migration that goes from the northern US/ Canada down to Mexico. There are overwintering areas all the way down California and one very close by my house that we love to visit. So for us orange and black isn’t just about Halloween, but it’s also about monarch migration. So today’s bento is inspired by the fact that we, as a state, need to help that migration along. Each year, if there isn’t a place for them to roost, then they can’t make their trip down south. Planting native milkweed in our garden can help, and limiting deforestation along the coast can help as well. Hope these lovely butterflies stay for a bit and make it down to their destination!

In today’s lunch:


Main  PB&J Sandwich cut out with stamped message. Yogurt raisins. I also used edible wafer monarch butterflies as little decorations.
Sides Black grapes and mandarins
Also included but not pictured Water and a granola bar.


Today, I used (please disable AdBlock to see what tools I used for this bento):

Goonies R Good Enough Lunch

Goonies Bento Lunch | OneCraftyThing.com

It’s Talk Like a A Pirate Day! And I LOVE pirates. And what is the best pirate movie ever made? THE GOONIES. This summer, my kiddo watched the Goonies and we’ve been singing Cyndi Lauper songs since then until… well, this morning. Today’s lunch, then, was a tribute to One Eyed Willie!

In today’s lunch:


Main  PB&J Sandwich. Eye patch is made with a half of an Airhead mini and non-pareils. Letters are cut out of cheddar cheese.
Sides Strawberries with “rich stuff” food picks and coconut clusters
Also included but not pictured Water and yogurt.


Today, I used (please disable AdBlock to see what tools I used for this bento):

Tips to Make an Ice Cream Rose

Ice Cream Rose (tips on making them!) | OneCraftyThing.com

It’s been a while since I’ve blogged. It’s been so busy here lately! But I’ve had tons of ideas about art and food whirling in my head and this ice cream rose was one of the things I’ve wanted to do for a bit. I saw a video on YouTube on how they had been done in ice cream shops in Asia and Europe, and said “I can do that!”  It is often that innocent and slightly delusional mood that gets me started in these projects. So… I tried it.

It ain’t easy.

What I learned from making ice cream roses:

  1. If it’s moderately warm outside, then either I have to go REALLY fast, or do this in parts. My first few attempts were no bueno because I took too long shaping the petals. For my best rose, I ended up doing it in parts; the middle petals first, put it in the freezer, then a couple hours later the next set and so on. Technically, this took me a few hours to make, but only working in 3-5 minute bursts. I went along with my day for the rest of the time.
  2. Use the right tools. I bought an ice cream spatula thing for this but it was bulky. Instead, I ended up using a cheese slicer at the suggestion of someone else on the internet. I liked that it was thin and could make thin slices in the ice cream. I think there are better ice cream spatulas out there for this too… something small.
  3. Oh yeah. The ice cream should be firm. REALLY firm if you want thinner petals which are more lovely but harder to place. I used Hagen Daaz ice cream for this but any firm ice cream should work.

Would I make this again? Eh, I don’t know. I would because I like to make pretty things (and I like to master technique), but seeing as they melt the minute you’re done, I don’t know how practical it would be to make them for, say, a party.

Today I used:

Ocean Friends Bento

Ocean Friends Bento | OneCraftyThing.com

A leftover day! My kiddos love love love lobster. So once in a while, I buy wild rock lobster and make lobster rolls/lobster and butter pasta for dinner. It’s great for everyone because those who don’t want pasta eat it on a bun and those who love pasta can have it mixed in their noodles. Win-win! (And that’s a sort of rarity at my house, that I don’t have one or another kiddo complaining about dinner). My eldest kiddo begged for a lobster roll lunch so I made her an ocean friends bento today. I think the picks really help with this one as I’m not sure my whale-bun translated very well this time. Oh well, bet it’s delish for lunch.

As for the OmieBox performance, it performed well last time and served its purpose. I now send it in a bag, though, because my kiddo needs the water bottle. A small fork did fit in the container though!


Main  Rock lobster sauteed in butter and garlic. Served warm. The roll is supposed to be the head of the whale (with blueberry eyes) and the tail is sticking out of the lobster.
Sides Blueberries, red grapes and the brown things on the top left are longan fruit, which is a little bit like lychee but more delicate. My kiddos love those too!


Today, I used:

Dr. Seuss Day Bento

Dr Seuss Day Bento | OneCraftyThing.com

Today is Dr. Seuss Day (AKA National Read Across America Day) and the kiddo’s favorite Dr. Seuss book is One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish and one of her favorite characters is the (unnamed) girl. She’s having a fun school Read Across America event at school today (with pillow and blanky and stuffed animal) so I thought this would be appropriate!

In this lunch:


Main PB&honey with the girl from One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish painted on. TIP! It’s actually pretty hard to paint on a piece of bread because of all the holes in the bread (even harder with healthier, chunkier bread), so I make it a double sandwich, using a two regular slices of bread and having the top one (the third piece) slightly flattened by a roller, just enough to make it a little more dense and flatten out the holes, so then when it’s painted, you don’t have inconsistencies in the painting.
Sides Goldfish crackers (one painted to be a red fish and the second, a blue fish) and half an apple carved with the “To There, To Here” sign from the book; it was outlined with the black dye.
Also included but not pictured Applesauce and an orange.


Today, I used:

One in a Minion Valentine’s Day Bento

One in a Minion Valentine's Day Lunch | OneCraftyThing.com

Eventually the time comes when every bento-er must make a minion lunch! For me today is that day. I’ve been meaning to make a minion lunch for a while now, but when I saw a “One in a Minion” Valentine’s Day card, I knew it had to become a bento theme. What’s better than a silly declaration of love, in the form of a tiny, yellow henchman? And by the way, I was totally singing “One in a Minion” ala Boston More than a Feeling-style.


Main A PB&J sandwich with a piece of cheddar on top. Sounds a bit icky, but I attached it with peanut butter. My kiddo is happy to lick it off, lol. The way I made the main minion:
  1. I cut a smile out of the piece of cheddar and I use a tiny cutter that I have to make little teeth from leftover bread.
  2. I also used some crossed to back it and heart sprinkle for his tongue.
  3. I also took a large Wilton eye and I drew a brown iris around the black pupil for depth.
  4. I also took a heart sprinkle to make the eye highlight.
  5. I used a black foodwriter marker to draw the goggle strap and a few hairs on top.
  6. I also lined the eye with a little aluminum foil for the goggle.

Sides Minion graham crackers (with heart sprinkles on some of them — not all! I’m not crazy 😉 ), one small banana cut into two with drawn on details. The eyes are just the smaller Wilton eyes with irises and (one) eyelid drawn on. I just cut into the banana for the little hairs on top (naturally browning) and cut the mouths in the same way.
Also included but not pictured An unusually large cutie mandarin!


Today, I used:

A Nutcracker Bento

nutcracker

This week we did some fun mom-kiddo bonding and I took the eldest kiddo to a truly beautiful production of the Nutcracker ballet. It was a Girl Scout event and it was really fun. She loved it, I loved that she loved it, and it spawned a really fun bento this week.

In this lunch:


Main Triple decker PB&J. For the red coat and a black hat and hair, a thin layer of edible molding dough, on top of the sandwich. A star sprinkle for a button and festive holly sprinkles adorn his hat. A graham cracker for the “fireplace” (with drawn-on flames) and a hanging cupcake topper stocking.
Sides Green grapes and a strawberry Mouse King with candy eyes (lids drawn on with edible marker) and almond ears, along with a licorice whip tail and sprinkle nose.
Also included but not pictured Yogurt, graham cracker bunnies


 

Advent Bento: 17 Days until Christmas!

Advent Bento | OneCraftyThing.com

Time for another installment of the Advent bentos! I got a tell you the truth, Mondays are hard lunch days for us. I usually buy groceries during the week, so by Monday, I’m usually at the end of the loaf of bread, or using up fruit before it goes bad, or making it a snacky lunch. Today was a day for snacky lunch! A do-it-yourself Lunchable, as it were… but still healthy and fun 🙂

And today’s advent surprise? A dulce de leche owl that we got from our Girl Scout fall nut sales 🙂

Advent Bento | OneCraftyThing.com


Main Round butter crackers, cheddar cheese cut into stars, little rounds of turkey deli meat.
Sides A Clementine orange and a surprise dulce de leche owl (from the Girl Scouts!)
Also included but not pictured green grapes and yogurt


Today I used: