Patriotic Bento Lunch Box

4th of July is just around the corner!
What are you planning to do on the holiday?
If you going on a picnic, how about taking these cute bears with you?😍


I created mini burgers with mini tomatoes, basil mozzarella cheese!
Yes, these bears are vegetarian😉


For dessert, I made  Blueberry Bran Muffins and packed with strawberries and cherries that I bought at a local farmers market.

Cornbread Bear Bento

Cornbread (2 full squares and a slice)

Thick Chili Filling of your choice

A slice of cheese

A piece of nori seaweed

1. Prepare 2 squares of cornbread and slice them in half. Scoop out center area to create a small bowl. Stuff chili filling inside.
2. Place the top half back on top.
3. Cut out leftover cornbread slice to create ears and hands for bears.
4. Apply them to the cornbread to make bears.
5. Cut out from a slice of cheese and a piece of nori seaweed to create eyes.
6. Optional: Slice mini tomatoes in half and make tomato, basil and cheese sandwiches!

Karaage Bento ~Mickey and Minnie Rice Balls~

There are concerts in a nearby park every Tuesday in July.
We went there last week with bear sliders bento.
This week, I made Mickey and Minnie karaage bento.

Menu

Rice balls
Chicken karaage
Roasted brussel sprouts
Steamed pumpkin
Pickled daikon radish

Chicken Karaage (Japanese Fried Chicken)
Adapted from Japanese Recipe Website

2 Chicken thighs, cut into bite size pieces
4tbs Soy sauce
4tsp Sugar
1tbs Grated garlic
1tbs Grated ginger
Potato starch, enough to coat the chicken
Oil for frying

1. Mix soy sauce, sugar, garlic and ginger. Marinate chicken and the mixture in a plastic bag. At least 1 hour.
2. Add 1tbs of potato starch and massage the chicken over plastic bag.
3. Put more (a lot enough to coat chicken) potato starch and shake the plastic bag.
4. Fry.




~How to make Mickey and Minnie Rice Balls~

1. Shape warm rice as shown in plastic wrap. (I forgot to include their noses in this picture....)

2. Draw the line with sharpie.

3. Unwrap the plastic wrap and use as a guideline to cut nori seaweed.

**Cut the seaweed big enough to wrap their face. (See the picture on the right) It's easier to wrap seaweed if you cut slits as shown.









4. Wrap seaweed around ears and noses too.
5. Make the face parts with sliced cheese and nori seaweed.

4th and 7th of July Bento

Happy late 4th of July :p !!!
Celebrated with this fireworks bento:)
It's fried rice and fireworks are made with ham, egg, and colorful peppers.

Picnic Sliders

Happy 4th of July!
There is a concert at a park near our place tonight!!!
Made this slider bears to eat while watching the show:)
This would be great for parties!

I recommend avoiding beef patties for picnic.( if you can't heat them up before you eat)
Beef fat is hard to be melt in our mouth and not that tasty when you eat them cold.
I made tofu chicken patties this time. It was really good even when it's cold! :)


I made 2 big patties and a couple of small ones.
I used the big ones for this sliders and froze the small ones for bento!
*Wait for patties to cool before freeze:)

Bear
Eyes and Nose : Sliced cheese, Nori seaweed

Tofu Chciken Hamburger 

250g Ground chiken
250g Silken Tofu
125g Onion
1 Egg
40g Panko bread crumbs
1/2tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Black pepper
*2tbs Soy sauce
*2tbs Sake
*1tbs Sugar
*1/2tbs Vinegar

1. Mince onion and saute until transparent.
2. Mix the onion, tofu, egg, panko, salt and pepper in a bowl by hands.
3. Divide into 6-8 egg shapes.
4. Heat oil in a pan and cook the patties for 1~2 minutes over medium heat. (with a lid on)
5. Turn down to low heat and cook for 3~4 minutes.
6. Flip the patties and cook for another 3 minutes. ( no lid)
7. Mix * ingredients and pour over the patties.

Flag Breakfast

Happy 4th of July!!
Found a great idea for the breakfast on Pinterest:)
With homemade bread.