Bento Box

School is back in session after a long winter break and I am back to making school lunches.   It appears that most of the kids in Emily's class buy hot lunch at school.   On occasion, Emily will agree to do the same, if it happens to be a "hamburger" or a "shrimp poppers" day.  Otherwise, she wants me to make her lunch.  In addition to taking about fifteen minutes of my evening time, it comes at a penalty, too.   Emily says that the other kids think that her lunches are "weird" and she is also made to sit at a table for those who bring their lunch from home.   Her best friends always buys lunch at school and so they never get to eat lunch together.   

About two years ago, after our nanny left and I was left to make school lunches by myself, I decided to kick them up a notch and got into the whole yum-yum bento craze.   I visited bento blogs and bought bento-making books.  I bought egg-shaping molds and cute little bento box forks and seaweed hole punches.   Emily was not overly amused by all the bells and whistles, and so I simplified the process, but the Panda bento box stayed.  Here is a picture of what Emily took to school today.