Massive Menu Monday: Recipe Edition – Bento Lunches

With school starting for most of you guys soon, or may have already started, (not us, for several years) I have been seeing different school related things floating around the information superhighway.

The most interesting being Bento Lunches.

“Bento can be very elaborately arranged in a style called kyaraben or “character bento”. Kyaraben is typically decorated to look like popular Japanese cartoon (anime) characters, characters from comic books (manga), or video game characters. Another popular bento style is “oekakiben” or “picture bento”, which is decorated to look like people, animals, buildings and monuments, or items such as flowers and plants. Contests are often held where bento arrangers compete for the most aesthetically pleasing arrangements.”  — Bento, Wikipedia.com

The character bentos are my favorite! They remind me of how my mom would decorate our brown paper lunch bags with her cute designs…or leave a note to bring a smile. All of my classmates enjoyed my lunches just as much as I did!

Making cute lunches for your kiddos might take a few more minutes of your time each morning…but I am sure that those few extra moments will make lasting memories and bring a smile to their faces. And who knows, a child might be more inclined to eat a lion faced sandwich over a boring square one.  🙂

I sure hope that I take the time to go this extra step with Easton when he starts school… who knows…we may just start them before school age!

If you are interested in more information on basic bento boxes, check out Wendolonia.com. I found her site very informative and it definitely became a favorite right away!

For cute kyaraben (Character) ideas, check out my Bento Lunches Board on Pinterest!

P.S. Happy 2nd Anniversary to my Loving Husband!

♥♥♥♥♥♥