f u l f i l l m e

I'm not too impressed with the pictures here, but the food was really good. Also, as I was preparing to cook dinner, I discovered that all my vegetables had gone bad while waiting for me to cook them. I was sad and ended up throwing together a random meal, of which I took a picture, but decided not to post. Oh well.

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I bought my bf a new bento box because he thought he left his at school, but he ended up finding it. Anyway, I forgot to take pictures of this bento box closed, so I'll do it later when the sun is up. I was going to buy one from a local Japanese store to avoid the shipping costs, but I didn't like any of the ones they had there. I bought this one on auction (instead of buy now) at the eBay store Nagomi, Inc., which I highly recommend.

( But look again! )


I'm convinced this model was made for an American -- or at least English-speaking -- market. The box*, label on the actual jar, and the instructions were all in English.

*The box also contained an offer for a free Zojirushi pen for filling out the enclosed survey, which included the following question:

"What do you think of the forked spoon?
a. Excellent, use it with lunch jar
b. OK, but rarely use
c. Indifferent
d. Would rather have a different utensil _______
e. Other _______"

Kudos to Zojirushi on their market research.

I'm planning on making a new bag for him since the bag he came with is a little blah. I'm looking to this (different views here and here) for some guidance.

This is from my favorite Chinese restaurant. Salt & pepper squid with steamed rice. It's not as spicy as it looks, which was disappointing, but it was still good.

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My first meal in my new bento box. It came just in time to pack lunch for work on Monday, but I ended up eating this for lunch today ~_^


Some of my pictures are a little off because my usual picture taking spot is not in the same light it used to be. My brother rearranged the house and our furniture and other belongings are all over the place because our house is being painted.

Click here for a pic of the bento box closed.

This is my new Fit & Fresh Soup and Salad To Go container from Amazon. I removed the carry strap that it came with and I don't think I like the little handle on the side of the soup container. I'm not sure about the color, either, but it makes for nice pictures so I'm thinking I'll let the pink likeness slide this time. I left out the middle part with the ice pack because I only packed bread in the bottom and that doesn't need to be kept cold.

From Nagomi Inc on eBay. The bag is from the local Kmart for USD$2.79 on the clearance rack. Perfect size and shape. There's even a small inside pocket for accessories or napkins. ^_^

Normally I wouldn't post a new bento box without another post with actual food, but I'm really upset with the post office and I need to rant a little.

So I would have gotten this bento box from Japan only 3 days after it was shipping (on the Monday after it was shipped on Friday), but the slip was mixed in with the junk mail and I didn't see it till I picked up the ads to throw them away Wednesday. Then I got another slip on Tuesday, so I wrote a post-it note and left it on my window asking if the carrier could just put the package through the window. They've done it before, and I signed the post-it so I hoped it would work. No dice. I came home and there was another slip waiting for me. Sigh.

I didn't think that would work, though, so finally, my boyfriend had time to pick it up for me (since I am literally at school and/or work all day). I filled out the slip and sent him off while I was at school. I received a text message from him while I was in class that said I signed it in the wrong place and they wouldn't let him take it. I was pretty pissed considering the fact that I was really excited about this bento and it was now four days late.

Anyway, a little while later, he sent another text message saying he forged my signature in the proper place and he was able to take it. He made it a point to tell me that if he went down for mail fraud, that 5-7 in a state penitentiary would totally be my fault.

My boyfriend and I made salsa today but I forgot to add the lime juice, so the whole time we were like, something's missing... >_>

I'm so bad. I haven't cooked in three or four days. But I've been so broke (again) that I haven't had money for groceries to cook with. Today was payday, but as usual, still broke. I want to cook more but since my final is this week (yay!), I may not be able to.

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One of two new bento boxes (orange lunch time) came in today. At first I didn't see it because the mail carrier just slid it through the slightly open window and it ended up on the floor instead of outside like I was expecting. The seller said it was microwave safe, but it isn't. Unfortunately, it would be more work and money to return it than it would be worth, so I figure I'll just keep it. Plus, I still like the design. I don't like the bag that it came with, though, so I'll probably be making a new one in a few weeks (after vacation).

( Filling )


I was skeptical about this recipe for a couple reasons. It didn't get the best reviews on Food Network, but because the negative reviews had the same complaint (too bland) I was able to alter the recipe to fit my tastes. Additionally, I wasn't sure how cheddar would work with the recipe, but because I believe cheddar goes with everything, I went for it. Finally, I didn't know how the mayonnaise substitute (see below) would work with the recipe since this was my first time trying both recipes.

Aside from spilling their guts all over my muffin pan, the puffs were excellent. ^_^

( Shrimp Puffs )

Alterations:
- Cheddar instead of Monterey
- Added 2 fresh jalapeños
- Used following substitute instead of mayo
- Brushed vegetable oil on pan instead of using spray

( Vegan Mayonnaise Substitute )

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Also, this is my new serving bento. Unfortunately, my brother had leftovers for dinner and my boyfriend took me out for lunch, so I wasn't able to use it today. After I getting over the crushing disappointment, I've resolved to use it tomorrow. ^_^

Ramen noodles with spring onions on top, plus shrimp shumai and broccoli. This is my first time having shumai but it smells delicious. Usually I have new foods the night before to test how my system reacts, but I'm taking a chance this time. I hope bad things don't happen... Of course, if bad things do happen, that'll teach me to try new things x_x



( Open )

This is one of two 1-tier bento boxes that I own; it is microwave safe with removable dividers. It is also supposed to be the last one I buy for a while. We'll see how that goes. ^_^

( Open sesame )

A present from my awesome boyfriend ^_^
It wasn't supposed to be here till Monday!

My makeshift I-have-an-unexpected-project-due-tomorrow.

( Cheesy Garlic Potatoes )

( Stuffed Red Peppers )