InsaneJournal

Meta Post - Bento?
I'm supposed to write a 'meta post' - but everyone's already written on what I would write, already, and done better at it than *I* would have. :(

What I CAN write on is that today I went shopping. For things to make more creative, better bentos with. Cookie cutters in all shapes and sizes. Food markers. Lock-tights that I can use as bento-boxes until we can afford the more costly but more elegant bento boxes. Sushi rice and fresh fruit and veggies. Bean sprouts (dollar for a huge bag of them - mmm, bean sprouts!). And so on. I really spent too much, but I don't think I'll need to go shopping any time soon, either. o_O

Most of my female friends think it's cute or fun or creative, but nearly all my guy friends think it's dumb - "Why put so much time into something that's going to be eaten?" Why, indeed?

Why do you go to expensive restaurants and find the food so artistically arranged - when you're just going to eat it?

My conclusion - and that of many others - is that when food is not just GOOD to the taste, but also appealing to the eyes, when you eat it slowly and savour it - that you will be satisfied with less, instead of overeating, or simply eating too fast and not registering when you're full. I really like that aspect especially - the being satisfied with less - as I really DO need to eat less and lose weight. But for me, there's an additional facet as well.

We live on a REALLY low food budget. We just don't have money for a lot of variety in our diet - rice and sandwiches, ramen, rice and sandwiches - it gets DULL after a while. But I think being creative in how things are made and how they look can make a huge difference in attitude. I think the hubby, when he takes a creatively made lunch to work and opens it up to see sandwiches with cutouts, or roll-up sandwiches that look like sushi, that instead of thinking, "Oh, balogna again," he gets to be surprised with something new and fresh, however similar it might taste.

It makes HIM feel special that I'm preparing lunches tailored to appeal and look cool to him; it makes me happy knowing that, although he's really eating PB&J or balogna sandwiches and an apple, that it looks like something to rival a gourmet lunch anyone else might have.

It's something more than food, it's psychology. And if it keeps us healthy by eating less, AND caters to the hunger in every person that wants to be 'special', then I don't see anything 'stupid' about making bentos.

And yea, my bentos don't feature much in the way of traditional Oriental food (though I confee a certain amount of glee for the first octodog I made), but they do feature food that I've worked hard to make colorful, palatable, and enjoyable :)

Pictures of the newest bentos under the cut:







The first one is the hubby's and has two sandwiches, carrot chips (under neath), oreos, a mini PB&fluff sandwich from the cutouts, and balogna and cheese cutouts. All leaf-shapes, because I found I had this one tiny set of cutouts, and was dying to prettify my lunches :)

Second one is mine, oreos, chilled peas with carrot chips, and one sandwich. I really like doing the cutouts like that. :)

I've found that the lock-tight boxes work FABULOUSLY as a ultra-functional bento, if unstylish. Today I picked up a deeper one, as two sandwiches wouldn't fit in mine. So the deeper one will be the hubby's, and the shallower one mine :)