I want to get back into the bento mix (and I have a few lunches to share down the road!) but before I make my sad little attempts, I wanted to share the sites that inspire me with you. Let your eyes enjoy these cute sites!
Bento Anarchy - http://bentoanarchy.blogspot.com/
The original inspiration. The person who runs this blog hosts a panel every year at AWA. I attended her panel the past two years and it's great every time! Not to mention, these are the cutest and most beautiful lunches you will ever see. I bet everyone kid in her daughter's class is jealous.
Just Bento - http://justbento.com/
These bentos are more adult than Bento Anarchy, but equally beautiful. I also want to get my hands on their book.
Bento Box! - http://www.airandangels.com/bentobox/
Don't know anything about bentos? Start here. It tells you everything you need to know. (And I totally remember that episode of Sailor Moon the images on that website come from.)
All Things for Sale - http://www.allthingsforsale.com/
This is where I like to shop for supplies as they are both cute and affordable.
Work Lunch Boxes - http://www.laptoplunches.com/
And other sites like this...they sell easy bento boxes because it's already divided. Separate compartments also make it easy to clean in your dishware- a top priority for me.
Friday, May 13, 2011
Monday, May 9, 2011
Mediterranean Platter
Food items: Salami Sandwich using Pita bread & humus, olives, pickles, pita slices, humus,
Tools: fish and car cheese cutter, multiple silicone cups
Time spent: way too much time, but totally delicious
Notes: This took longer to make because I wanted to cut out cars in salami and fish in cheese (I like to play with my food!). Saw a Mediterranean plate lunch in Women's Health and wanted to make a bento version of it. I think I should have made one more salami sandwich because I devoured my snack - greek yogurt- shortly after lunch.
The Reverse Taco
This meal came out of me wanting some tacos but making it happen without carbs. I felt that using lettuce again was a cop-out, so I came up with this! Why call it reverse tacos? The name came into my head while I was shopping. You could stretch things and say it's reverse because the meat is bread instead of inside of it
Okay, it's real simple. I split open the turkey with three slices so I could fit as much in there as possible.
Then I placed the cheese in one opening, avocado in the other and salsa in the middle. Top with a drop of non-fat greek yogurt for looks if you don't mind a second cheat. Done!
I served this with a side of northern beans I seasoned with salt, pepper, and garlic. I had plenty of left over avocado so I sliced up what was left and served that too! You don't need very much of the filler items because of the meat.
Reverse Tacos serves 2 Ingredients: Turkey Kielbasa (I used half of one Kielbasa, sliced into 4 pieces) Salsa 1 Avocado, sliced Cheese (cheat item! I used Port Salut because it was leftover from another meal we made) Beans on the side (the chef suggests pinto but somebody in the house already ate them all) |  |
Thursday, April 28, 2011
The best "diet" chili you'll ever have
Drumroll please! Today I present the best diet food you can have on the 4-hour diet. Heck, I should call it the "Ricky's Chili Diet" because that's what I like to eat! It's yummy and good for you. Best of all, no cheating required to make it awesome. Let's go!
First, we chop! Dice that onion and pepper before tossing it in a large pot with some olive oil that's been chilling on medium heat. In a separate pan, start to brown the turkey, also with the help of some olive oil in the pan.
Now, enter the can opener! After the onion and peppers get a bit soft, add in the can of tomatoes with all the juices. Then, drain the kidney beans before adding them in the vegetable pot as well. By now, that turkey should be nice and brown...eh, white. If so, add that into the pot as well.
Third, we season! Add in your seasoning, please adjust the hotter spices like chili powder and cayenne to your heat preference.
Let it cook now for as long as you want. It could be 5 minutes or 5 hours. We normally have it sitting between 5 minutes to an hour. But when it's time to eat...
It's delicious!
Ingredients: - ground turkey meat, 99% fat free - Red Kidney Beans - 1 can of diced tomatoes with jalapeno peppers - 1 small onion, chopped - Green bell pepper, chopped - Cumin, 1 1/2 tablespoon - Garlic, 1 tsp - chili power, 1 1/2 tablespoon -Cayenne Pepper, to taste (1/2 tsp to start) -Paprika, 1 tsp -Olive oil -salt and pepper to taste |  |
First, we chop! Dice that onion and pepper before tossing it in a large pot with some olive oil that's been chilling on medium heat. In a separate pan, start to brown the turkey, also with the help of some olive oil in the pan.
Now, enter the can opener! After the onion and peppers get a bit soft, add in the can of tomatoes with all the juices. Then, drain the kidney beans before adding them in the vegetable pot as well. By now, that turkey should be nice and brown...eh, white. If so, add that into the pot as well.
Third, we season! Add in your seasoning, please adjust the hotter spices like chili powder and cayenne to your heat preference.
 |  |  |
Let it cook now for as long as you want. It could be 5 minutes or 5 hours. We normally have it sitting between 5 minutes to an hour. But when it's time to eat...
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Diet Friendly "To go" lunches
Lately I've been horrible at packing a lunch for work but luckily I work near a lot of restaurants so I can find a quick fix that follows all the rules. Here are my go-to lunches in hopes that they help you!
Whole Foods
Hello Salad and hot bar! Typically I have to stay near the salad bar to follow the rules, but I have been known to pull some veggies from the hot bar to mix into my salad. My key ingredients here are greens, great northern beans or edamame, tuna or chicken from the salad bar (because there is nothing else on it), and those cucumbers and red onions tossed in vinegar. If they have asparagus, I'll toss that in too.
Moe's
Mexican fast food is a must on the 4 hour diet. My treat here - a taco salad served in a bowl, not a shell, pinto beans, everything that comes on it with the one exception of taking out the sour cream and adding in guac instead. To prevent cheating, request to NOT have chips.
Publix
You may have to be a bit crafty here. Pick up a salad from the produce section or buy a bag of mixed greens. I then get a packet of single serving tuna and a can of beans that I can add into the salad. Want to get a bit more crazy? Add in some raw veggies by getting a bag of the stir-fry mix or a similar mix from the produce section. For dressing, either buy a bottle to keep in the office or snag a single serving packet by the pre-made lunches (fat-free Italian may be your best bet).
Shane's
I'm definitely bending the rules while I here, but it's hard to get everyone to eat at Moe's for all of our lunches. I try to keep in the guidelines by ordering a 3 tender basket, grilled, tossed in a mild buffalo sauce. For a side I go with baked beans (high in sugar, but it's a bean!) or cole slaw. Get a water or unsweet tea for your drink.
Whole Foods
Hello Salad and hot bar! Typically I have to stay near the salad bar to follow the rules, but I have been known to pull some veggies from the hot bar to mix into my salad. My key ingredients here are greens, great northern beans or edamame, tuna or chicken from the salad bar (because there is nothing else on it), and those cucumbers and red onions tossed in vinegar. If they have asparagus, I'll toss that in too.
Moe's
Mexican fast food is a must on the 4 hour diet. My treat here - a taco salad served in a bowl, not a shell, pinto beans, everything that comes on it with the one exception of taking out the sour cream and adding in guac instead. To prevent cheating, request to NOT have chips.
Publix
You may have to be a bit crafty here. Pick up a salad from the produce section or buy a bag of mixed greens. I then get a packet of single serving tuna and a can of beans that I can add into the salad. Want to get a bit more crazy? Add in some raw veggies by getting a bag of the stir-fry mix or a similar mix from the produce section. For dressing, either buy a bottle to keep in the office or snag a single serving packet by the pre-made lunches (fat-free Italian may be your best bet).
Shane's
I'm definitely bending the rules while I here, but it's hard to get everyone to eat at Moe's for all of our lunches. I try to keep in the guidelines by ordering a 3 tender basket, grilled, tossed in a mild buffalo sauce. For a side I go with baked beans (high in sugar, but it's a bean!) or cole slaw. Get a water or unsweet tea for your drink.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Lettuce Wraps - 2x receipe bonus!
I love wraps and carbs. I wanted to find a way to still make "sandwiches" but not cheat and it hit me - lettuce wraps! Get ready to see a lot of these now that I know. Here's two to start you out
Mexican wraps (you shouldn't be surprised at this point)
Ingredients
Chicken
Salsa
Guacamole
Bibb Lettuce or Boston lettuce (Romaine can also do, it's just falls apart a bit more)
Beans (pinto or black bean)
Chili Pepper seasoning
Lime juice
Adobo Seasoning
Garlic
Personal Cheat item: greek yogurt
I mixed the guac and salsa together on a 2 salsa to 1 guac ratio; not necessary but it made for one less bowl. To season the chicken, I put it in a plastic bag with the seasonings above, around a teaspoon of each, and some lime juice then shake it up! If you want more of a kick, add some hot sauce to the bag.
I like to stack everything, including the beans, on a lettuce leaf and enjoy. Remember those personal cheats we talked about? In this recipe I choose to have a bit of greek yogurt on the top. Also makes it look pretty.
Bonus Recipe - Caesar wraps!
Similar principle here, but here are the ingredients
Chicken
Northern Beans
Bibb Lettuce
Olives if you've got them (I didn't)
Abs Diet Caesar Dressing (see below)
Personal Cheat: a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese
To make the dressing - combine olive oil (1 tablespoon), anchovy paste, 1/2 a clove minced garlic, and a shake or two of salt and pepper. Shake it up and then either pour over or season the chicken with it.
Mexican wraps (you shouldn't be surprised at this point)
Ingredients
Chicken
Salsa
Guacamole
Bibb Lettuce or Boston lettuce (Romaine can also do, it's just falls apart a bit more)
Beans (pinto or black bean)
Chili Pepper seasoning
Lime juice
Adobo Seasoning
Garlic
Personal Cheat item: greek yogurt
I mixed the guac and salsa together on a 2 salsa to 1 guac ratio; not necessary but it made for one less bowl. To season the chicken, I put it in a plastic bag with the seasonings above, around a teaspoon of each, and some lime juice then shake it up! If you want more of a kick, add some hot sauce to the bag.
I like to stack everything, including the beans, on a lettuce leaf and enjoy. Remember those personal cheats we talked about? In this recipe I choose to have a bit of greek yogurt on the top. Also makes it look pretty.
Bonus Recipe - Caesar wraps!
Similar principle here, but here are the ingredients
Chicken
Northern Beans
Bibb Lettuce
Olives if you've got them (I didn't)
Abs Diet Caesar Dressing (see below)
Personal Cheat: a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese
To make the dressing - combine olive oil (1 tablespoon), anchovy paste, 1/2 a clove minced garlic, and a shake or two of salt and pepper. Shake it up and then either pour over or season the chicken with it.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
From a diet to a lifestyle
After following this diet for a month I was very pleased with my results. However I was facing some problems. For one, I don't really enjoy the taste of beans. Can't explain it - I'm just not a big fan. I also don't really like eggs unless you add so much cheese and/or sour cream in them they stop being healthy. While this had been a breeze for my husband, I find myself forcing my way through.
But I wanted to continue on! So from here on out you'll still have a great recipe that will follow the rules but you may notice a side note where I took a personal cheat. Most likely, it will be me adding a spoonful of greek yogurt (an excellent substitute for sour cream!) or a pinch of cheese. Nothing big, just enough to keep me going.
If you're on track - stay strong! If you're like me and need to learn how to shift this from a diet to a lifestyle change, I hope these small cheats help.
But I wanted to continue on! So from here on out you'll still have a great recipe that will follow the rules but you may notice a side note where I took a personal cheat. Most likely, it will be me adding a spoonful of greek yogurt (an excellent substitute for sour cream!) or a pinch of cheese. Nothing big, just enough to keep me going.
If you're on track - stay strong! If you're like me and need to learn how to shift this from a diet to a lifestyle change, I hope these small cheats help.
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