winter bento idea

For a myriad of reason — most of which I have explained before — I love making bento lunches for the Little Lady and Mr. Boy. I *try* to make them fun but I’m not the greatest at creating the awe-inspiring, breath-taking lunches that some moms can turn out. There have been a few sad looking lunches coming from my kitchen.

But I try. I t-r-y.

Last week was “Winter Week” at the Little Lady’s preschool. They read stories about mittens, played in fake snow (the only way to see that kind of stuff in Houston, Texas) and learned about Penguins. To help celebrate “Penguin Day,” I decided the Little Lady would have an appropriately themed bento.

(my apologies for the fuzzy, "I-gotta-take-this-before-we-head-out-the-door", camera phone photo)

Yeah. THAT would be my attempt at recreating a penguin. Out of cheese and nori.

A flipping cheese penguin. I. Made. A. Cheese. Penguin.

I just knew I would hear accolades for this one. “Ooos and Ahhs” from the Little Lady. Proclamations from her little lips declaring me the Best. Mommy. Ever.

Crickets.

Sure, she liked it, but that little round, crazy lookin’ creature didn’t pull at her heart strings.

I was a wee bit sad.

The following day — her “free-day” of the week from school — I began to work on lunches for both kidlets. But I was tired. Disgruntled and disallusioned with bento lunches. I didn’t want to look for a fun cookie cutter and didn’t care if I placed “cute” lunches I put before my two big kids.

Wallowing in apathy, I took the circular slice of colby jack and cut it into triangles. Little orange and white triangles that easily fit into the silicone muffin cup.

Cut, slice, cut … and in the blink of an eye, I was finished with lunch prep.

About 5 seconds after putting the humble fare before my daughter, I heard a prolonged gasp.