My Bento Diet

Retiring

2009-07-21T10:53:00.003-05:00

I love bentos, I really do. But, I have decided to retire from bento dieting. It's taken me a long time to come to this decision for many reasons, but mostly because I did not want to disappoint all my loyal readers and people that felt inspired by my journey. You were the most important thing to me through this all.

But, I felt like my life was spiraling out of control and something had to change. I didn't have the time to take care of my kids, update websites/blogs, do school, exercise, work on my photography, try to make some money writing, and make interesting bentos. I got frustrated and overloaded and began putting on the weight I had lost. I am now back to the 308 pounds I started at.

I knew my life need to be simplified. So now, I am retiring this blog and my website. They will still be available for anyone who is interested, but there will be no updates. If you would still like to follow my progress, I will be on Spark People under the name My Bento Diet. I will be watching my calorie intake and eating healthy. But I've found that the bentos were not helping anymore.

I did learn through this experience though. I learned that I can limit the amount of food I eat without being hungry. I learned how to cook and make attractive foods. I learned there are many other people out there struggling as well. I wish I could have been of more inspiration to you.

I feel as if a part of me has died today.

Sad day for the bento world...

2009-06-24T09:30:00.002-05:00

Ichiban Kan anounced on their blog yesterday that they would be closing down the online store as soon as products sell out. I'm sure other bento fans will be just as saddened by this news as I was. I don't know where I'm going to get bentos now, I loved their prices, $1.50 compared to $15 - $25.

So anyway, better get your orders in right away before it's too late!

Okonomiyaki Bento Recipe: What I Like...

2009-06-10T12:43:00.009-05:00

When I first heard of okonomiyaki, I thought it sounded gross. Don't get me wrong, I love a lot of Japanese food, but I I'm not a fan of traditional okonomiyaki ingredients: bonito shavings, seaweed, and dashi. But, that is the beauty of okonomiyaki; by defination it means "what you like." So the recipe bellow is what I like.

What do you like?

Okonomiyaki Recipe
(Serves 4 - 6)

Batter:
2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups broth (bonito, chicken, vegetable, etc.)
2 large eggs
2 1/2 cups shredded cabbage

Toppings:
1 red bell pepper - diced
5 baby bella mushrooms - diced
1 onion - diced
1/2 yellow summer squash - diced
1/2 zucchini - diced
1 cup baby spinach - chopped
2 cloves garlic
Seasoning
Olive oil

1. Pour oil in pan; add garlic and seasonings.

2. Dice vegetables and saute.

3. Saute vegetables five minutes or until tender-firm. (You can add the baby spinach at the end of this cooking or added it with the vegetable in one of the later steps.)

4. Combine broth, eggs, and flour.

5. Add cabbage until it the batter is thick.

6. Pour batter on hot griddle or pan. Be sure it is well oiled. You can add the sauted vegetables now or after flipping. If you add the vegetables after flipping, be sure to reserve half the batter in this step.

7. When the edges start to firm, flip. You may find it easier to use two spatulas.

8. If you waited to add the vegetables until after you flipped, make sure to add additional batter on top and flip again.

9. Serve with okonomiyaki (or barbeque sauce) and mayo. (Sorry no picture.)

Oh and Enjoy! (^_^)v

I choose every bite...

2009-06-07T11:39:00.002-05:00

Every bite of food I take is a decision that I make; do I choose to reach my goal or do I choose to stay the same. What do I really want? Do I want to carry all this extra weight? I will not zone out anymore; each bite I take I choose.

Bento Swap!

2009-06-06T09:50:00.004-05:00

Okay, I know, I'm really late in posting this! Avie at aviesbento.com (who comments on here a LOT ) really liked my octo-bento (see four post bellow) so I offered to send it to her. She sent me all this great stuff in exchange! I finally have the glass bento I've always wanted - yippy \(^o^)/

I can't wait to use all of it, look for an update to this post later today... *update* I did :D

SOFOBOMO Day Fifteen: Noodle Soup Bento

2009-05-19T09:08:00.004-05:00

So when I pack noodles for a bento they always end up kind of hard and a sticky mass. But yesterday I had a brilliant idea! Okay, maybe not brilliant or original, but good none the less. I reserved the broth from making ramen and put it in my thermos. Now granted I did eat this bento shortly after taking the picture, but if you have a good thermos it should keep you broth nice and hot.

In with the noodles are just some leftovers: hamburger, grilled purple onions, green onions, and stir-fried mushrooms and red peppers. Very tasty and very easy to make.

I used all glass dishes today to show bentos don't just have to be plastic. These two bowls have nice sealing lids, so I thought they'd make good bentos. But, I do think the large one would have been enough; I just wanted to make sure I was getting enough veggies. I'd love to get a more traditional shaped glass bento, but I haven't been able to find any available in the US yet.

Ramen Noodle Soup Bento Recipe

1 package ramen noodles (beef or chicken would be good)

1/2 red pepper (cut to bit size pieces)

5 or 6 baby bella mushrooms (Cut thick mushrooms in half)

1/4 to 1/2 purple onion (one or 2 large chunks)

1 green onion (thinly sliced)

Protein (pre-cooked ground beef, chicken, tofu, etc.)

Water

Cook raman al dente with enough water to make broth.
Stir fry or broil red pepper, purple onion, and mushrooms.
Drain noodles and reserve broth. Be sure to put broth in a thermal container imediately to keep it hot.
Allow noodles and vegetables to cool. Place noodles in bento first, then arrange vegetables on top. Be sure the bento you use can handle hot liquids - no cheap plastics.
When you are ready to eat just pour broth over noodles and enjoy! :D

2009-05-18T07:55:00.007-05:00

The bento obession hit hard when I was shopping the other day. :D With the exception of the Ramune soda, all of this stuff will be featured in upcoming bentos. The food came from my favorite Japanese grocery store :D I can't wait until I move closer so I can shop there on a weekly basis instead of monthly.

*Update: Sorry I forgot to post the information on this picture! Okay from the upper right clockwise: Shiso (perilla) leaves, orange flavored ramune, pickled daikon radish, clickety click bento, udon noodles, kompeito candy (as seen on Spirited Away - one of my all time favorite animes), and scrapbook papers for photo backgrounds.

With the exception of the ramune and bento, all of these items will be featured in upcoming bentos, so be on the look out! :D I'll explain each item then.

Friday's zoo trip. I tried taking "non-typical" pictures, if that make sense. The kids really enjoyed their bentos and even though there was a little rain, it was a great day.

I love gardening, but I needed different shoes :D

This expression is my son's way of saying, "I love you." Does it get any sweeter? :')

Fried Chicken Recipe

2009-05-15T06:22:00.002-05:00

4 Boneless, skinless chicken thighs
3 slices of fresh whole wheat bread
2 eggs - beaten
Flour
Seasoning Salt
Olive oil

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Remove excess fat from chicken and cut into bit size pieces.
Place bread in oven until golden and crispy - turning half way through. Tear bread into smaller piece and pulse in food processor.
In three separate bowls, place eggs, flour, and bread crumbs.
Dip chicken in flour, eggs, and then bread crumbs. Mix seasoning salt with the bread crumbs. Be sure to shake of excess flour and eggs. I use chopsticks for this part so my hands don't get so dirty. I wipe the breading off the chopsticks after each piece.
Pour approximately 1" oil into small pan - enough to cover half of the chicken pieces.When oil is hot place chicken in and fry until golden, turning once. You need to make sure your oil in hot enough so that your chicken isn't just sitting in oil, but not so hot that the inside doesn't fully cook. Try cooking one piece at a time until you find the right temperature.
Enjoy!

I've been busy!

2009-05-15T01:39:00.003-05:00

Sweet Reward...

2009-05-13T22:08:00.004-05:00

For losing 5 lbs. in one week, I rewarded myself with a "treat day" I didn't worry too much about what I ate - I can get back to healthy tomorrow. Today, I'm going to enjoy the sweet taste of success. ;)

Weigh-In

2009-05-12T12:04:00.001-05:00

Drum roll please.....

291 pounds - that's 5 pounds in one week!!

A Typical Breakfast

2009-05-12T11:41:00.001-05:00

So much better than cereal! ;D

Bento Thief!

2009-05-12T00:18:00.003-05:00

My mom tried to steal my bento while I was taking pictures! I think my family is starting to get use to my photography my food. Maybe... LOL

The bowl in the background is homemade french onion soup - so good! (Recipe here: http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/french_onion_soup/)

Today was probably my best day eating wise since I started the SOFOBOMO project and I exercised as well :D

My Bento Diet: Mother's Day Bento

2009-05-10T22:35:00.003-05:00

Happy Mother's Day!

Today I will...

2009-05-10T07:52:00.002-05:00

Not check out, but stay grounded in reality.
Eat three healthy meals and only one snack.
Celebrate motherhood.
Keep up with my responsiblities.
Not take things so seriously.
Take care of myself.
Enjoy nature.
Exercise.
Have fun :D

I checked out today...

2009-05-09T11:48:00.010-05:00

...I just read an amazing post on Escape from Obesity. I am clearly the type of person who checks out to avoid reality. That's exactly what I did all day today. I didn't think about eating healthy, I didn't do any housework, I didn't do any schoolwork - I did absolutely nothing. It wasn't until after supper that remembered, "Hey, I'm suppose to be taking a bento picture everyday." So I had ice cream, but at least it was in a bento right?

What I've learned from this project though is that I can be strong enough to stay in reality and fight my way through the hard times. Instead of checking out until the storm is gone.

But, I am going to finish the night right - I'm going to use my Wii Personal Fitness Coach for the first time. *Update* 30 minutes of cardio!

SOFOBOMO Day Five: Alfresco Bento

2009-05-08T13:38:00.003-05:00

No I didn't forget

2009-05-07T23:39:00.002-05:00

My bento for the day :D

I was naughty...

2009-05-07T08:21:00.008-05:00

Yesterday was a really good day! I had so much energy, got a lot done, and followed my diet - sort of. For whatever reason I've been craving Taco Bell like crazy lately. Well, after I put my kids to bed, my sister-in-law called saying she wanted me to come over to see her new living room furniture. While I was at her house she mentioned wanting something to eat and I half-jokingly suggested TB. She actually agreed. Well there went my diet for the day LOL

The funniest part about the whole thing was we got to TB and it was closed! But the desire to eat junk was still calling, so we went to the grocery store next. Yet, nothing looked good. My sister-in-law suggest TB in the next town over; we knew it was open late. So what if it's 20 minute drive one way. This was important! ;)

So, on the downside, I blew my diet, but on the upside, I got out of the house without the kids and had some Chalupas.

On a side note: Is there anything worse then dead camera batteries on a gorgeous day? :P

SOFOBOMO Day Three: Breakfast

2009-05-06T08:24:00.003-05:00

I just had to take a picture of my breakfast bento. Anyone who knows me, knows I RARELY eat cereal. In fact, I usually hate it; the though of eating it for breakfast turns my stomach. But, once or twice a year I'll walk into the pantry and can't resist. Yes, the raisin bran called to me this morning :p

In the background you can see my daughter plants for the year: 2 Strawberry plants, 1 Chevril, 1 Basil, 1 Sorrel, 1 Cilantro, 1 Alyssum, and 1 Petunia.

SOFOBOMO Day Two!

2009-05-05T22:46:00.004-05:00

I followed my plan fairly well today, although I think I may have ate too much for lunch. On the plus side though, I started getting that full feeling and stopped so that is an improvement.

I am having so much fun with this project so far! Of course it's only day two, but I feel so energetic and ready. I think working out tonight has something to do with that though as well.

I have to do some more work on my self portraits though. I really don't like the way my camera takes pictures at night. These two pictures are from right before I went to the gym tonight. I ended up doing 20 minutes of Turbo Jam (cardio kickboxing) and some tanning :D I really don't know why I don't workout more often, I love it once I start and I feel so awesome afterwards.

Now for the part I don't like. I said I was going to post my icky measurements so here they are:

Bust: 47"

Chest: 45"

Waist: 42"

Hips: 58 1/2"

Thighs: 33"

Calves: 19"

Upper Arm: 21"

Also, my starting weight (yesterday) is 296 pounds.

But things can only get better from here, right? ;)

Bento Supplies

2009-05-05T20:04:00.001-05:00

I talked to someone today that was interested in bentos and wanted to know where I buy them. I'm posting this link for everyone. :D

http://www.ichibankanusa.com

SOFOBOMO... huh?!?!?!

2009-05-04T15:55:00.007-05:00

SOFOBOMO a.k.a. Solo Photo Book Month is a project I signed up for. Basically, you take one month to develop and write a photo book containing at least 35 pictures.

My project (I'm doing two actually, more on that later) is going to focus on bento dieting for one month. Every meal starting today, until June 3rd, will be pack in a bento. I plan on posting pictures of a least one bento everyday, so expect frequent updates here. I'll also be tracking my weekly progress/goals, weight loss, measurements (yikes!), and exercise. I think I'll be more then able to do 35 pictures ;)

My other project is going to be a photographic, child's book, but I really haven't developed this idea yet. I still have a few more days before I have to official start that one though.

(here are the links to my bento book and my kid's book)

Anyway, here is the picture for day one!

Depression

2009-04-30T23:09:00.004-05:00

I feel like I've hit a huge low point in my life right now. The thought of eating healthy and exercising right now are completely repulsive to me. I don't want to do anything, my house is a mess; my whole life feels like a mess. There are so many things I should be doing and I'm just not doing them.

I decided to see what the symptoms of depression are and it wasn't a happy find:

difficulty concentrating, remembering details, and making decisions (Yep)
fatigue and decreased energy (Yep)
feelings of guilt, worthlessness, and/or helplessness (Yep)
feelings of hopelessness and/or pessimism (Yep)
insomnia, early-morning wakefulness, or excessive sleeping (Yep)
irritability, restlessness (Yep)
loss of interest in activities or hobbies once pleasurable (Yep)
overeating or appetite loss (Yep)
persistent aches or pains, headaches, cramps, or digestive problems that do not ease even with treatment (Nope)
persistent sad, anxious, or "empty" feelings (Yep)
thoughts of suicide, suicide attempts (Definately not)

(Web MD http://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/detecting-depression)

The reason I'm posting all of this hear is because I'm not real comfortable talking about this with my family. Which really doesn't make sense I suppose, but I guess I don't like admitting my weaknesses to them?

Anyway, I want to change, I want to be happier, but I'm just not sure what to do. Everything seems so hard right now. I think the part of the problem is that I really want to move out of my parent's house and start taking care of myself (and my kids) on my own. But, my parent's are really against the idea. I understand where they are coming from, because my past is not a pleasant one and I've made a lot of bad choices in the past. But, that was 5 years ago, and I'd like to think I've changed. It's hard for me to make this decision when the ones I love the most are against me. I feel like I'm incapable of doing anything right.

I know that the best possible solution to all of this would be to start reading my bible, praying, eating right, and exercising; I just don't want to.

Never Again

2009-04-24T19:03:00.002-05:00

I made two pans of Moussaka today! Even though it tastes really good, I will probably never make it again - it's too time consuming! It took me probably 4 hours to make. (I had to stop several times to deal with kids, eat lunch, and get milk to finish it though.)

Haddock Two Ways

2009-04-24T00:42:00.002-05:00

Sweet Pickled Carrot Cabbage Salad Recipe

2009-04-07T13:36:00.002-05:00

1/2 large head of chinese cabbage - shredded

2 cups shredded carrots

2 teaspoons chopped ginger

2 teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons white sugar

2 tablespoons soy sauce (try with light)

4 tablespoons rice vinegar

Place cabbage, carrots, ginger, and salt in large plastic bag. Toss to blend than allow it to sit for 20 minutes to soften the cabbage and carrots. Squeeze out excess liquid. Add sauce ingredients and remove air. Place heavy object on top to press the liquid out of the vegetables. Allow it to set for 1 or 2 hours. Drain and serve. Enjoy!

In Memory of...

2009-04-07T09:48:00.001-05:00

my Grandpa. A great man who has gone to be with Jesus.

He loved to watch birds and this is a small way for me to remember him. I'll never forget how my siblings and I would fight over who got to sit next to him at the table.

The New Plan

2009-04-05T21:42:00.009-05:00

I went to the gym today for the first time in - let's just say a LONG time. I forgot to bring my workout shoes, so I ended up having to do pilates. My gym has a "cardio theater" which is basically a room with lots of mirrors and a huge screen. They also has hundreds of workout videos to choose from. Anyway, I was standing in my usual spot were I can see the screen, but I can also see myself, it dawned on me how much weight I had lost, and how much I've put back on. Not a good mindset when you're trying to exercise. Then the video I picked out was extremely hard and I was only able to do half the moves (in was only 20 minutes.) So I left the gym feeling like a big, fat failure.

But, after "working out" I went to a fast food restuarant and only got a salad (the one above)! So, I really shouldn't be beating myself up to much. In fact, today was the first day in a long time that I didn't over eat. I'd like to say I'm enthusiastic about eating healthy and exercising again; but I'm just not. It crazy, because I know I'll feel better, have more energy, and just be happier in general - why would I resist that? Oh, right, because it takes work. hehehe

I'm taking a psychology course right now and this past week I was suppose to write a behavioral contract stating a bad habit I want to break. Can you guess what I wrote about? ;) I was also suppose to set goals and state rewards/punishment. Here is a portion of what I wrote:

"The guidelines I am setting in this contract are: to lose at least one pound every week, to eat healthy meals using bento boxes to control my portion sizes, and to exercise on a regular basis (at least two times a week). Also, as part of this contract, on May 31st, 2009 I will write a new eight-week contract. This will be necessary to receive the reward at the end of this contract.
If I do not follow the guidelines set in this contract there will be several consequences. If I overeat on any given day, I will not allow myself to use the computer, watch movies, or play games for the remainder of that day. If I do not lose at least one pound on any given week, I will not be able to watch any movies for the following week.

But I will also reward myself if I follow these guidelines. If I go without overeating for a whole day, I will allow myself at least one hour of relaxation time at night. For instance I could watch a movie or play a game. If I go for a whole week without overeating and lose at least one pound, I will allow myself to have one junk food item, but within moderation. If I lose at least eight pounds by May 31st, 2009 and write a new contract, I will buy myself one new outfit."

So this is my new plan; to start setting goals, eight weeks at a time. I'd love it if someone joined me on the first eight weeks. I started a thread on my blog for tracking exercising; anyone is welcome to post their progress as well. This week will be from April 6th through April 12th. Let's see how it goes!

Life is always changing, but some things remain the same.

2009-04-01T11:45:00.008-05:00

There is something about butter toast and jam that will forever reminding me of visiting my grandparents. I remember getting up in the morning while visiting, and I always knew there would be toast, jam, bananas, and milk waiting. Sometimes there would be eggs or bacon or sausage, but the others were always the same. It's funny how food can be so nostalgic.

I made some major changes to my website yesterday and will continue to do so over the next week or so. This blog will continue to be about my personal journey, but the website and forum are going to be more about helping others. The only changes here are a new banner and organization of older post.

Today is a new beginning for me; another starting over. Some people may say that I have failed, and question why I'd bother to continue, but I will still continue. My failures haven't been failures, they have been learning experiences. I can see where I struggle and I can learn to work around them. I won't let these set backs keep me from trying; I know that I can do it, I can change.

I'm just a slow learner though! LOL

My Donabe

2009-03-26T19:13:00.004-05:00

I'm absolutely in love with my new donabe! Calling it new though, isn't completely accruate. It's kind of a long story how I got it, but Obachan sent it to me and I sent her a bottle of Wisconsin maple syrup.

Japanese Curry Bento

2009-03-13T18:58:00.002-05:00

This is the first time I made curry with beans and it was very good. I just used a boxed curry roux sauce mix and vegetables. Since I put potatoes in it, I figured I didn't need any other carb, so no rice.

I've been wanting to ride bike for a couple of years now, but I was unable to with my kids. This year though, my daughter has gotten good at riding a bike without much help from me. So, for my son's birthday (and my early Mother's Day present?) I bought him a bike trailer and a bike for me.

Unfortunately, I'm out of shape again, and the quick trip around the block yesterday was hard! While, our whole neighborhood is hills, there is a well maintained, relatively flat bike trail nearby. I'm really looking forward to getting outside more with my kids and getting exercise at the same time.

Oyakodon Bento Box

2009-03-11T19:28:00.003-05:00

Oyakodon was one of the first Japanese recipes I tried. I forgot all about it and hadn't made it in months. This is the second time I've made it in the past week!

Oyakodon Recipe

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast (or 4 thighs)

1 cup chopped onions

1 cup chopped carrots

1 cup sliced baby bella mushrooms

1 10oz package frozen spinach (or fresh)

4 eggs - beaten

1/2 cup soy sauce (subsitute low-sodium if you prefer)

3/4 cup mirin (sweet Japanese cooking wine)

1 1/4 cup water

3 Tablespoons sugar

1/4 cup sake (or white cooking wine)

Cooked rice

1) Combine soy sauce, mirin, and sugar.

2) Brown chicken; when about half cooked, splash with sake. Remove.

3) Put carrots in pan (do not drain after cooking chicken) and 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water - cook until water evaporates. Add onions and mushrooms. You may need to add oil. Fry until onions are translucent.

4) Add chicken and cook a few minutes. Add remaining water to deglaze pan. Add soy sauce mixture. Top with spinach. Drizzle beaten eggs evenly on top. Cook until eggs are just set or slightly runny.

5) Serve with rice; spoon liquid over top. Enjoy!

Black Bean & Bell Pepper Pasta

2009-03-11T13:57:00.003-05:00

Very easy to make!

Pasta
1 can of black beans
1 can of italian flavored diced tomatoes
1 bag of frozen bell pepper strips
Seasonings (this is the key!)

Cook pasta, drain and set aside. Put frozen peppers in frying pan to thaw/cook. Drain. Rinse black beans. Add beans and tomatoes to peppers. Season - I used a salt/pepper combo, garlic and herb combo (no salt), and sun-dried tomato basil combo (no salt). Enjoy!

The Deconstructed Bento...

2009-01-21T23:15:00.004-06:00

...also know as, "I was too lazy and hungry to make a bento!" Honestly, I was planning on making a bento out of this, but as I was cutting up the veggies I thought it'd make an interesting photo.

(Funny article about deconstructed food.)

This bento was so good! And I actually have the recipe!

Glazed Orange Chicken Stir Fry

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast cut in stripes
3 Tbs. honey
3 Tbs. rice vinegar (or white vinegar for a more tangy flavor)
2 Tbs. soy sauce
2 1/2 tsp. cornstarch
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. chinese five spice (to taste)
2 oranges
salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil or non-stick cooking spray
4 cups stir fry vegetables
2-3 cups cooked rice

Peel oranges and cut in half along the width. Squeeze juice from one half, getting 3 Tbs. juice. Pull orange sections apart into bit-size pieces. Place to the side.

Mix honey, vinegar, soy sauce, cornstarch, and five spice with wire wisk. Place to the side.

Stir-fry vegetables with non-stick spray. Place to the side. Cook chicken stripes in olive oil until no longer pink. Set aside.

Pour sauce mixture in pan and cook until thick and bubbly. Add chicken and vegetables. Just before serving add orange sections. Enjoy!

(Also good with shrimp)

Comfort Foods

2009-01-19T21:26:00.005-06:00

I think winter really seeped into me today, because I was in the mood for rich, heavy foods all day. The first picture is lunch - cheese ravioli with Italian sausage and tomato sauce; and balsamic vinegar butternut squash. Yum!

For supper I had the best beef stew I've ever made; it was so good I had a really hard time resisting a second helping! I paired this with a strong, spiced tea and I was in heaven. Ahhh :D

My Bento Diet Community Forum

2009-01-18T16:21:00.000-06:00

It's up and working - just needs members! LOL

http://mybentodietcommunity.yuku.com/

Please visit and let me know what you think :D

2009-01-18T10:35:00.000-06:00

Website Overhaul Plan

2009-01-17T08:48:00.002-06:00

I want to make My Bento Diet more interactive and I'm in the process of starting a forum. Please visit my site http://www.mybentodiet.com to see all the new changes!There may not be any noticeable difference right away, but within the next couple of days I should have the forum going!

Back in Business...

2009-01-16T20:16:00.004-06:00

Seriously, I mean it this time! LOL

Broiled Tuna Steak and Steamed Vegetables

(Sorry I don't have exact measurements)

3 Tuna steaks

1/2 cup olive oil

2 tbs. dried parsley

Garlic/Herb seasoning mix

Salt/Pepper

Lemon juice

Ponzu Sauce (Japanese citrus dipping sauce)

Water and Cornstarch

Frozen mixed vegetables

Mix olive oil, parsley, seasoning mix, salt/pepper, lemon juice, and ponzu sauce. Place tuna steaks in a bag and pour in marinade; allow it to marinade in fridge at least 30 minutes.

Set oven to broil and spray cookie sheet with non-stick spray. Place oven rack at highest postion. Broil tuna approximately 5-7 per side.

While tuna is broiling, add marinade to pan and reduce, adding water and cornstrach to thicken. (I put too much salt in mine and had to add a lot of water.)

Serve tuna and vegetables with sauce over top. Enjoy!

Lazy, Late Night Curry

2009-01-15T21:46:00.003-06:00

Tofu (Broiled to give it a firm texture)

Leftover rice

Mango Chutney

Golden Raisins

Curry Powder

Plain Yogurt

One of my biggest struggles with overeating is my desire to binge after 8pm. Then I realize, why don't I just have 4 smaller meals instead of 3? That way I can eat late and not feel guilty about it! My mom chewed me out for it not being in a bento though. LOL So here it is, for all the world to see. Okay maybe that's stretching it - but for you to see, right?

Anyway, I enjoyed my guilt-free binge :D

Now and April, 2008

2009-01-15T16:00:00.001-06:00

2008-12-07T15:01:00.002-06:00

Not much to write about today; I just wanted to post a couple pictures before I went to work and let everyone know I'm still here! :D

Van, Work, and Laziness

2008-11-10T23:35:00.007-06:00

I've been worried since last winter about how I was going to be transporting my special needs son. He's in a wheelchair and soon will be getting to big for me to pick-up and put in a car seat. Last winter, I nearly dropped in on the ice a couple of times! So I knew we'd need a wheelchair accessible van, but I had no idea how we were going to get one.

My son's insurance will cover the cost of having a van converted, but not for the van itself and I had considered doing a fundraiser, but never really felt comfortable with the idea.

Meanwhile, my parent's are struggling to make ends meet and they got a letter stating the vehicle my mom and I share is going to be repossessed. My dad heard one of our neighbors was selling they're old van for $2000, but they might take $1500 from us. My dad and I talked about it and figured we could come up with $1000. So my dad called them to see if they'd be interested in taking payments; but he was told instead that we could have it free!

It may not look impressive, but to me it is the most beautiful thing in the world. It amazes me how God works; he knew we needed a vehicle and he provide. Amazing. :D

I'm really enjoying my new job and I think it is going to be a lot better then I thought it would. What excites me the most is that I'll have money to buy my kids plenty of nice clothes for the winter! (No more crappy Walmart stuff!)

I know all of this is way off from bentos, but I will get to the point.

One of my greatest faults is my extreme desire to do nothing. Really not nothing, but my desire to read/research for hours! Combine this with my ability to completely shut down when I feel overwhelmed and you can understand why my website was neglected for so long (not to mention why it's taking me so long to lose weight). It really takes a lot of determination for me to overcome these things at times.

September and October were shutdown months for me. I didn't do any homeschooling with my kids, I didn't exercise, I quit eating right, I didn't want to cook anything; you get the idea. And I was miserble.

I feel these two bentos represent my coming back. They were both made today (lst for breakfast, 2nd for supper). Tomorrow, I'm going to try to get to the gym, but I'm not going to push myself. If I go too fast I know I'll get overwhelmed. I have made it a goal to make at least 2 bentos for work each week.

Sorry if none of this makes sense; what I'm trying to say is, "I'm back, I'm struggling, but I'm happy."

Afraid to Step on the Scale...

2008-11-08T09:58:00.002-06:00

I'm so bad... :(

2008-10-28T22:11:00.003-05:00

Well I definately fell off :( I haven't weighed myself resently, but I'm sure I've put on at least 10 lbs. So, as always, I'm starting over again. I'm planning on doing some major changes to my websites too. But, Monday I start working so we'll see how it all goes.

Pigging Out in Moderation

2008-08-12T12:06:00.003-05:00

Frozen pizza is a good/evil for me; it's easy to make, my picky kids eat it, and clean-up is next to nothing. Unfortunately, it's also one of my binge foods. It's not unusual for me to eat 8 or more pieces (whole pizza). But, I found a compromise; I eat a few pieces along with health choices. Yes, it's fattening, yes it's high in calories; but not as bad. "Everything in moderation, including moderation."

Whole Pizza:

870 calories

52g fat

Three slices:

327 calories

20g fat

Bentos Every Day and Every Meal: Part 2

2008-08-12T09:27:00.003-05:00

Kashi Sweet and Sour Chicken. It was much too sweet for me, but I'm very picky about sweet and sour sauce. I've only found one restuarant that had awesome sweet and sour sauce, but they are now closed. :(

Turkey and Quinoa Soup Recipe (sort of)
1/2 lbs. ground turkey breast
Chicken broth
Baby carrots
Celery
Yellow summer squash
Zucchini
Eggplant
Chervil
Lemon thyme
Arugula
Sage
Swiss chard
Quinoa

This is more of an ingredients list then a recipe. Feel free to substitute/leave out herbs. I rarely ever measure when I make soup; I usually just chop and toss. The key is to taste the broth and herbs as you go; start with a small amount and slowly add more until you like the taste. Remember, the flavor gets better the longer it cooks. Enjoy!

Low-fat Mock Hollandaise Sauce Recipe (Ready in 10 minutes too!)

1/4 c. plain low-fat yogurt

1/4 c. light mayo (with omega-3 fat)

1 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. dijon mustard

Optional

1/4 c. skim milk

Yellow food coloring

Combine ingredients (except sugar) with a wisk in a small sauce pan. Heat over a medium/high stove, stirring often. Slowly add sugar, tasting as you go. Remove when warm. If the sauce is too thick, thin with a small amount of milk (no more than 1/4 cup). As is, it will be cream in color, add food coloring if you'd like a yellow color. Enjoy!

Makes 1/2 c. sauce = 4 servings of 2 tbs.

1 serving has 60 calories and 5g fat (Using 1/4 cup skim milk).

(Total sauce contains 240 calories, 20g fat, 4g monounsaturated fat, 2g saturated fat)

Authentic Hollandaise sauce: (2 tbs) 174 calories, 19g fat, 11g saturated fat!

Before and After - Sort - Dreaming

2008-08-11T23:35:00.003-05:00

Weight Loss Simulator curteousy of Prevention Magazine

Wow I'd be hot! LOL j/k

Writing, writing... oh man, I'm buried under books...

2008-08-11T21:31:00.003-05:00

....and paper and binders and laundry! LOL

I've been neglecting my blog, but for good reasons I promise! I have several writing projects going along with planning my homeschooling year. Public schools use an Individual Education Plan (IEP) for special needs kids to plan goals, track progress, etc; I'm creating an IHELP (Individual Home Education for Life Plan). It will be similar to an IEP, but customized to homeschooling (if you're interested in more info contact me). It's a very time consuming process, but necessary for me to keep track of everything.

Every year for Christmas my parents give my siblings and I (I have four), a "weekend away." Meaning they babysit for us. Since I'm broke, I decided to take mine in my parent's camper, parked in their backyard. LOL I know it sounds strange and everyone in my family had a laugh about it, but I got a large amount of writing done so I'm happy.

With the financial situations my family is going through right now, I'm trying to focus more attention on starting my freelance writing career. Unfortunately I'm a painfully slow writer. :D

I really want to help my family though, and I'm hoping to start a 2nd shift, part-time job next month. It will last only through the first week on January, but it'll be enough money for my kids and I to get an apartment. I figure it'll help my parent's if my kids and I become more independent. My parents aren't to fond of the idea though.

What I want to do, is move to the town my son's therapy is located, which is about an hour drive away. The major problem with this plan though is, right now, I share a vehicle with my mom. With a very tiny income and bad credit I'm afraid buying something is impossible. Especially considering the cost of wheelchair accessible vans.

But, on the upside; I am doing good with my eating and exercising again. Today I tried taking my kids to the gym in the afternoon instead of waiting until after they go to bed. They had no problem there and my daughter didn't want to leave (that's a good sign). So, I think from now on, I'll exercise in the afternoon and write in the evening. Theoretically, that means I'll be posting more often now!

Bentos Everyday and Every Meal

2008-08-02T11:57:00.009-05:00

I'm starting over again. Every day I find myself eating more and more and exercising less and less. So, I'm going to follow my own advice - I will eat all my food from a bento until I get my portion perspective back.

I don't recommend eating a bento for every meal, everyday, for the rest of your life - it'd be impossible. But, it's a great way to retrain your eyes and mind as to how much you should be eating.

Bellow you will find my bentos for yesterday; I also had a power bar and some popcorn.

Breakfast

Speghetti and veggies - I know a strange breakfast, huh? :D

Lunch

Quiche, arugula salad, carrots, and blueberries with yogurt, honey, and wheat germ. The quiche was made with swiss chard(*CSA), green onions (garden) and feta cheese.

Supper

Grilled chicken, broccoli (CSA), peas (CSA), beets (CSA), beans (CSA), new potatoes, and cucumbers (garden).

Creamed Cucumbers

For the cucumbers I used an old recipe from my grandma and tweeked it a little.

4 medium cucumbers
1 c. sweet cream (heavy whipping cream)
4 tbs. sugar
2/3 vinegar (I used 1/3 rice and 1/3 apple cider)
Salt and Dill to taste

1. Slice ends off cucumbers.

2. Thinly Slice cucumbers.

3. Place cucumbers in a large bowl or large ziplock bag; add remaining ingredients. Allow to chill in fridge 2-4 hours before serving. You can also place weights on top to help cucumber release water. Enjoy!

Garden Bounty

My mom and I worked hard stringing our pole beans up yesterday. Normally we only have bush beans, but I think my dad bought these by mistake - a new garden lesson. :D

I'm really happy how this turned out, the pictures don't show how beautiful it is. It reminds my of a bridge in a way. I just hope it'll produce some beans! LOL

Garden Death

The squash vine borers returned while I was on vacation. This will be the last year we try to grow squash - too many problems.

I'm going to try to save this little squash though and with luck it just might live!

Salmon Cake Bento

2008-07-22T20:52:00.004-05:00

This was so good! And even with all the mayo it was still healthy, because I used light mayo (4.5 grams of fat in 1 tbs.) with omega-3 fat. The pink side cup has homemade honey mustard/mayo dressing and arugula blossom garnish. And the salad is fresh arugula from my container garden.

The salmon cakes were made with leftover salmon I grilled a couple days ago. The salmon was a little strong, but not too bad and with the dressing it was great.

Salmon Burgers

1 egg

1/4 c. skim milk

2 green onions - chopped

1 tsp. dried dill

black pepper to taste

12-14 oz. salmon

1/4 panko breadcrumbs

1 tbs. olive oil

Honey mustard dressing

1/4 c. light mayo

1 tsp. honey

1 tsp. dijon mustard

Mix eggs and milk. Add green onions, dill, and pepper.
Pre-heat skillet with 1 tbs. olive oil to medium/low heat. Add salmon and breadcrumbs. Mix well. Form into 8 small burgers.
Cook burgers until nicely browned, turning only once.
While burgers are cooking combine dressing ingredients.
Enjoy!

Contemplating Yoga

2008-07-20T22:56:00.003-05:00

Recently, I've had a desire to pursue becoming a yoga instructor. Actually, I want to work with special needs kids, like my son. But, I'm not at a place in my life that I can pursue a Master's degree for physical or occupational therapy. I've owned a book called Yoga for the Special Child for several years now, and I've been trying to incorporate it into my son's homeschooling.

Anyway, I found a yoga school semi-near me that sounds very interesting. I have to admit though, I'd feel pretty foolish around a class full of super thin girls. But, I can do yoga and plan on starting a class at my gym this week. I just hope my weight won't prevent me from being admitted into the program.

I could just take the course specifically for working with special needs kids, but I thought if I had a background (and certification) in hatha yoga, I would have more credibility.

Black Bean Salad Bento

2008-07-20T22:40:00.003-05:00

This bento is a variation from the recipe bellow, because I didn't have all the ingredients and I wanted to use up leftovers from a salad I made I few days ago. This salad had eggplant (from my garden and I sauted them briefly), a few radishes, no olive oil (because I sauted the eggplant with it), and no celery. Feel free to play with the recipe bellow, using whatever veggies you have :D

Black Bean Salad

1 can of black beans - rinsed and drained
1 stalk of celery - diced or sliced
1 medium carrot or 10 baby carrot - diced or sliced (I like to dice my at angles)
1/2 onion (red are nice) or 2 or 3 green onions
1 tomato - diced or a handful of cherry/grape tomatoes cut in half
1 avocado - diced (make sure it's still a little firm so it holds up when mixing)
2 tsp. lemon juice - sprinkle over avocado before mixing with other veggies)

Dressing
Drizzle of olive oil (don't make it to greasy)
1 tbs. red wine or rice vinegar (I prefer rice but that's just me)
1 tbs. soy sauce
1-2 cloves of garlic
1-2 tsp. dijon mustard

Toss beans and veggies in a bowl (what you want to serve it in preferably).
Mix dressing ingredients in a separate bowl; add to veggies. Gently toss.
Chill for 1 hour for best flavor; I always skip this part because I'm impatient :D
Enjoy!

Weight Check

2008-07-19T22:10:00.002-05:00

*Unofficial weight

281.5 pounds

That's 2.5 pounds this week!

*see bottom of page

Updated Goals and Exercise Schedule

2008-07-19T08:48:00.006-05:00

...for the 18 pounds in 18 weeks Challenge.

Use bentos for portion control.
Eat lighter choices.
Only two caloric beverages a day (ex. coffee, milk).
Keep in mind the approximate calories I eat in a day to avoid over snacking.
Drink more water; "hunger" between meals is usually thrist.
Continue to exercise using the guidelines bellow.

Ideal Week

Sunday - 20 to 30 minutes of cardio and strength training.

Monday - 20 to 30 minutes of cardio and 30+ minutes of yoga.

Tuesday - Yoga class and strength training.

Wednesday - 45 to 60 minutes of cardio

Thursday - 20 to 30 minutes of cardio, 20 minutes strength training, and 20- 30 minutes of yoga.

Friday - Day off with optional easy yoga.

Saturday - 45 to 60 minutes of cardio.

Good Enough Week

Sunday - 30 minutes of yoga.

Monday - 20 to 30 minutes of cardio.

Tuesday - Yoga class and strength training.

Wednesday - Day off with optional easy yoga.

Thursday - Strength training and 20 to 30 minutes of cardio.

Friday - Day off with optional easy yoga.

Saturday - 20 to 30 minutes of cardio.

Don't Stop Week

Sunday - Strength training.

Monday - Day off with optional easy yoga.

Tuesday - Yoga class.

Wednesday - Day off with optional easy yoga.

Thursday - Strength training.

Friday - Day off with optional easy yoga.

Saturday - 20 to 30 minutes of cardio.

Examples

20 to 30 minutes of cardio: Turbo Jam 20 minute video, elliptical or treadmill, Ab Assult or Bun Battle videos, Kick Boxing for Dummies, or Firm video.
45 to 60 minutes of cardio: Turbo Jam (Cardio Party; Punch, Kick, and Jam; or Turbo Sculpt), or Elliptical.
Strength training: Program of upperbody, lower body, and core exercises including circuit and free weights.
Yoga: Hatha class or videos (Persicion yoga or Target Specifics).
Easy yoga: Slow movements and extended holding; relaxing more then challenging.

Going Strong Again!

2008-07-18T22:42:00.005-05:00

Okay, okay, there is only one bento picture here, but I'm doing great with eating healthy again. The only problem I have now is finding the energy to cook and pack bentos when it's so hot and humid here. We have central air, but with all the financial issues my family is facing we figure we can handle a little heat. We do turn on the air when it's unbearable, which means we've only had it on 4 times now, but the kid's and I just hang out in the basement or play in the kiddy pool.

I feel like I'm back on track with exercising again, but I want to redo my goals and weight training routines. I haven't been doing weights or yoga and I want to get back to doing both on a regular basis.

I bought ground turkey the other day to give it a try, but I wasn't expecting much. The turkey burger above turned out excellent though, and I'll probably make these from now on instead of beef.

Gardening

I have fallen in love with my little herb garden experiment this year, and I'm enjoying using they in my cooking. The herbs below are waiting to be used in the bento below; they are: (clockwise from upper left) chervil, arugula (okay not an herb), lemon thyme, and cinnamon basil.

I used the cinnamon basil with my fruit salsa (strawberries, blueberries, and grapes), the thyme is in the omelet rolls, and made a small salad with the chervil and arugula.

The rolled omelet was much better then I expected. I'm trying to cut back on calories and fat a little. Instead of using four to six whole eggs (for my kids and I), I used two yolks and four whites. I also used fat-free mozzarella instead of my usual cheddar.

I'm including a few more pictures of my garden, because I really enjoy watching everything grow. :D

Chamomile for homemade tea

Cucumber plants

Asian variety of eggplant called Ichiban

Big Bertha pepper

Miscellaneous

I got my community supported agriculture share yesterday and I was very pleased to find they included goat cheese this week! This is the second time I've received it and I'm completely hooked. I thought it would taste strong, but it's very light and has a soft texture - similar to ricotta.

It just so happened the a couple days before I found a recipe for goat cheese raviolis and I told myself I would make it the next time I got some goat cheese. Not to brag, but I think it was the best ravioli I've ever had, and it was very easy to make. (See recipe bellow)

Also with my share I received swiss chard and white radishes, which you can see in the two sides dishes. The swiss chard I sauteed with olive oil, lemon, and salt/pepper. The radishes are in a salad with avocado and green onions.

Goat cheese and Ricotta Ravioli

3-4 oz. goat cheese - fresh and soft
1/4 c. ricotta cheese
1 clove of garlic - minced
pinch of ground nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste
Basil, marjoram, or thyme (optional)
24 round wonton wrappers
Pesto
Small bowl of water to dip finger tip in

Gently combine goat cheese, ricotta, garlic, nutmeg, salt and pepper, and optional herb(s).
Place 12 wonton wrappers on workspace and cover the rest with a damp towel. Spoon cheese mixture evenly on all 12 wrappers.
Dip finger tip in bowl of water and run along the edges of each ravioli.
Spread out 12 remain wonton wrappers and moisten the edges as well. Place on top of ravioli. Squeeze excess air out quickly and pinch edges all the way around ravioli (you may need to moisten your fingers periodically). Be sure to place finished ravioli under the damp towel again to keep them from drying out.
Bring a large pot of water to a gentle simmer and add each ravioli separately to avoid sticking together. Cook 5 - 7 minutes.
Carefully remove each ravioli with a slotted spoon and place on paper towel to drain. Handle gently, because they are delicate.
Serve with small amount of pesto brushed on top. Enjoy!

18 pounds in 18 weeks Challenge

2008-07-15T22:53:00.003-05:00

Cara started a challenge for herself, but other people have joined in, to lose 18 pounds in 18 weeks. I decided to join her, because it sounds like a great idea, and I love challenges!

My personally goals are:

Starting Weight: 284 lbs
Ending Weight: at least 266 lbs, but I shoting for 248 lbs (2 lbs a week - 36 lbs total) - That would put me at a total weight loss of 42 - 60 lbs!
Eating healthy balanced meals, in small portions (bentos), and no snacking!
Exercise 5 to 6 times a week, including cardio, strength training, and flexiblity.

I want to thank Cara for such a great idea! She also had the idea to keep track of everything on the side bar, and I thought I'd follow suit for the challenge :D

Gardening and Bentos

2008-07-15T22:28:00.004-05:00

I'm so excited! My trick of using straw and weed barrier in the garden has really paid off - I only have to week for an hour every other week or so at the worst. My family's gardens have never looked like this :D

And it's paying off in the kitchen as well!

Ok the list is long for this bento:
Eggplant (from garden - I planted a slender, asian variety and I harvested it young)
Spinach fettucini
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Carrots
Chicken breast steamed in wine
Fresh garlic (from my community supported agriculture share or CSA)
Red/green/yellow bell peppers
Artichoke hearts
Black olives
Zuchini
Lemon Basil Vinegrette (made with lemon basil from my herb garden)

I'll try to post some better pictures of the garden soon, as well as pictures of my herb garden. I also plan to do more bentos in the future showcasing veggies from my garden and from my CSA share.

Lazy Bento

2008-07-13T16:34:00.003-05:00

This bento took more time to get online then it did to make it :D The chicken was pre-cooked and frozen, I just popped it in the microwave. Normally I don't like meat that way but this was really good! And the best part, it was on sale; $1.99 for 1.75 pounds!

I really like doing my noodles like this as well, it takes longer than just dumping some in, but it's a lot easier to eat with chopsticks. I added a little sesame oil to them right after rinsing to add a little flavor and to keep them from become a sticky, starchy mess.

Tofu and Sesame Greens Bento

2008-07-12T15:02:00.003-05:00

Okay, I'm officially back into bento making! I really don't know why I stopped, but I'm looking forward to making more in the future.

Everything in this bento was so fresh and yummy! Fresh fruit is so cheap right now that I couldn't resist buying some! So good! I intead to make a tart at some point with them, but I haven't had the ambition or the time. The red/pink/purple stuff is pickled beets and radishes I got from my community supported agriculture share. I chopped the greens that were left and sauted them, adding sesame seeds, soy sauce, and sugar at the end. With the same pan I browned the tofu, then tossed everything together. It was delicious and very filling.

I thought I hadn't put on any weight in June, but I've been weighing myself and I have put on about 5-6 pounds! So, it's time to revamp my goals! I will sit down tonight and plan it out and post about it tomorrow.

Sorry!

2008-07-09T22:22:00.003-05:00

First of all I want to apologize for disappearing for so long, I wish I had a good reason, but I don't. I basically fell off the bento wagon :)

Unfortunately, I put on 3 pounds, but I am on my way again to losing it and the rest :)

I don't have any resent bento pictures (because I haven't been making them), but I do have two from June. These are my Lunch and Supper bentos to go with my Breakfast bento. I have long since lost the nutritional information on these, but I will try to figure it out shortly.

I want to thank everyone that continued to visit my site on my absence. Thank you for your encouragement and comments!

Lunch Bento

2008-06-03T16:08:00.005-05:00

(Older post I forgot to finish! Read posts bellow for more info.)

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Make-Ahead-Lunch-Wraps/Detail.aspx

570 calories

15.6g fat

13.7g dietary fiber

24.2g protein

Breakfast Bento

2008-06-03T10:07:00.006-05:00

555 calories
36.5g fat
5.75g saturated fat
16.25g monounsaturated fat
4.5g dietary fiber
19g sugar
16g protein

So in an attempt to figure out how many calories, fat, fiber, etc. I'm eating everyday, I made a breakfast bento. I think this is one of my better attempts. I normally don't eat "typical" breakfast foods such as this and I think most people would be grossed out to see a "breakfast bento" with supper leftovers in it; so I've been trying to learn how to pack attractive breakfast bentos.

Anyway, I think I could have improved the above bento by making one change. I should have used non-stick cooking spray instead of olive oil. That would have cut my bento to:

435 calories

22.5g fat

3.75g saturated fat

6.25g monounsaturated fat

I want to eat more monounsaturated fats, but I'm realizing that I'm having too much fat in general. I found a list of the Recommended Daily Intake, which states I should have more then 65g of fat a day; hard to do when my breakfast has 36.5g!

Oh, well, I just keep trying! :D

Bento Nutritional Facts

2008-06-02T13:58:00.009-05:00

I hate calorie counting; I've tried it in the past as a diet and I can't stick to it, drives me crazy. But, out of curiousity, I decided to figure out exactly what my lunch looked like numbers wise.

500 calories

31.5g fat

17g monounsaturated fat

17.5g protein

13g dietary fiber

12g sugar

I was a little surprised by the amount of fat, but 16g of it came from the broccoli slaw, so it makes sense. Otherwise, I think this was a health bento with a good variety of foods.

I think I will try this again as an experiment, to see how I can improve my bentos healthwise and maybe loss a little weight in the process. :D

Tofu Pizza Bento

2008-05-30T13:56:00.006-05:00

My 5-year-old nephew came over today and requested Toad Food (Tofu) Pizza for lunch! Awhile back I posted a recipe for it, but I think it turned out better this time so I'll share the new recipe.

Tofu Pizza Recipe

1 block extra firm tofu (pressed)

1/2 medium onion (diced)

1/2 green pepper (diced)

2 cloves garlic (minced)

2 teaspoons pesto

1 cup spaghetti sauce (approx.)

Non-stick spray

Shredded cheese

Spray cookie sheet with non-stick spray and turn broiler on oven to 500 degrees. Cut tofu lengthwise into three sections and cut sections into quarters so that you end up with twelve rectangles. Place tofu on cookie sheet and place in oven on top rack.

While you are waiting for the tofu to brown (about 15 minutes), saute onions, peppers, garlic, pesto, and spaghetti sauce until onions and peppers are tender.

Check tofu and turn occasionally to ensure even browning on both sides. When browned, add tomato mixture and top with cheese. Place back in oven until cheese is melted. Enjoy!

Exercise and Fitness

Next week I'm going to get back into a regular exercise routine; including weight training, cardio (kickboxing), and flexiblity (yoga). I'll post my schedule shortly.

I know if I want to lose 10 pounds a month I'm going to need a fitness plan and I need to stick with it! The easy part is going to be planning, but I'm not sure what to do to ensure I'll stay motivated and on schedule. Maybe planning a different focus each month (ex. kickboxing for a month, spinning for another, etc).

New Goal

2008-05-29T12:53:00.007-05:00

10 pounds a month = 210 pounds by Christmas = 100 pounds total weight loss

I'm not sure when I was last 210 pounds; I know I was about 220 when I found out I was pregnant with my son in 2000, so it's been at least 8 years. Either way, it'll be exciting to be that weight again. I can't wait until I get under the 200 pound mark; it seems as if I've always been over 200 pounds. What an awesome Christmas present to myself that will be huh?

In order to loss 10 pounds a month, I'm going to have to be willing to stick more closely to my diet, with less snacking between meals and less trips to McDonald's. I'm also going to need to be more organized in my exercise routine and push myself a little harder. No more just going through the motions.

This is what My Bento Diet is all about though; setting goals, evaluating my progress, looking for areas that need improvement, and never getting up. Even if I don't make my goal of 210 by Christmas, as long as I keep losing weight I'll be happy. :D

Minnesota Trip

Wow, I'm surprised I didn't put on at least 5 pounds while I was gone. I think I maybe ate one normal meals worth of vegetables the whole trip! I pretty much only had carbs while I was there. Not to sound like I'm complaining about the food; my son's grandparent's are very generous people and I love them dearly, we just have different eating habits.

I was also dealing with a sinus infection on the trip and I felt so sapped of energy for several days. It's nice to be home and I'm looking forward to getting back into my exercise routine tonight.

My kids and I really enjoyed our trip and had a good time getting to know our extended family a little better. I'm hoping to make another trip that way for Labor Day weekend; assuming gas isn't $6 a gallon by then! ;D

Speaking of how generous they are, this is a picture of the frame my son's grandpa made for us to haul my son's wheelchair around. It works great and I'm looking forward to not having to assemble and take apart the wheelchair so often (a real pain when we're on a shopping trip).

Official Weight Check

2008-05-22T11:39:00.001-05:00

280 lbs!

28 lbs total loss!

Update: Many Things!

2008-05-18T17:29:00.016-05:00

Garden

I was going to finish planting in the garden today, because Thursday my kids and I are making a trip to Minnesota and we won't be back until Tuesday (6+ hour drive!) I wanted to make sure that I had the garden taken care of for my parents before I left. But, Sunday night we had a little frost and it killed the two rows of peppers I had already planted! We're going to wait a little longer to plant now :)

If you read in an earlier post, my dad had wanted to spray Round-Up all over the garden, and I thought I convinced him otherwise, but he sprayed it one day when I wasn't home. So, I guess he won that, but we did agree on putting landscape fabric down and covering it with straw to keep the weeds under control.

Last year our garden didn't fare too well; possibly because we neglected it by not weeding or fretilizing. :) But, this year I'm detrimined to have a better crop (it goes with my goal of wanting to be outdoors more often.) Which means I'll need to get over my not wanting to be outside working when it's blazing hot; we'll see.

Pepper Steak Bento

Pepper Steak Recipe

1 lbs. Leftover grilled beef steak

1/2 cup mirin (Sweet Rice Wine)

1/2 cup soy sauce (Lite would be best)

1 tablespoon brown sugar

4-5 cloves garlic

1/2 large onion

2 leeks (whites only)

Pepper to taste

2 small carrots

2 tablespoons roasted sesame seeds

1 tablespoon oil (I used sesame)

Mix mirin, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, and beef; marinate for 30 minutes. Heat oil over medium-high heat, add meat and marinade, cooking until meat in tender. Add a little water if marinade gets too thick. Add onions, leeks, and carrots, cook until tender. Allow sauce to glaze. Serve with rice and top with sesame seeds. Enjoy!

Apple Blossom Viewing Picnic

These are the apple trees we have in our back yard. I love sitting up here; I almost feel in a different world, far away from my own backyard. I wish I had waited a couple more days to take the picture though, the blossoms are bigger and more beautiful now.

It's yearly tradition in Japan to sit under cherry trees and eat a bento lunch and I thought I'd carry on the tradition with my kids. Unfortunately we have no cherry tree, but a comment Obachan left on her blog inspired me to have our picnic under the apple trees.

I made Inari-age for the first and it is now my new favorite Japanese food! I found a wonderful recipe for it here. My daughter didn't want to eat it at first, but I told her, "It's sweet, kind of like candy," then she was willing to try it. Her respond was, "MMM, yummy ice cream!" LOL what a girl. Hey a new ice cream flavor, teriyaki and sushi rice; I wonder if I could find someone to market that? ;)

The recipe I use can be found here. I had to scale it down a little, because I only made 8. The author also gives interesting background information about inari-age or inarizushi. I will be making these again in the near future. :)

Today's Bento

Well, this is my last post now until, at least, May 28th. I promise to respond to any and all comments then. Sorry if you've been waiting. Thanks! :)

Where I've Been...

2008-05-15T19:04:00.004-05:00

Busy gardening and playing with my kids! I will update soon with new bento pictures. :D

Signs of Spring and Grocery Shopping

2008-05-06T08:22:00.008-05:00

More to come... (still; sorry this is taking so long!)

I love the colors of Fall and I even enjoy a good Winter snow storm (with BIG snowflakes), but nothing is as comforting to me as Spring and Summer. I love watching everything go from looking dead and ugly to alive and beautiful. I love to watch how the trees slowly bud leaves and I even love seeing dandelions! If I could I would spend everyday outside lying in the grass.

The bento bellow is my tribute to Spring. The pansies are some of the first flowers to show, and they look so happy. My daughter picked a few and it inspired me to do the same :D

I've been drooling over my copy of Bountiful Container again; and I'm going to try to grow a few edible flowers this year. I'm also in charge of our garden (since my Dad is laid up) this year and I'm trying to convice my Dad that we should go organic; he wants to spray Round-up everywhere, I want to use mulches for the weeds. At least I know my flowers will be. :)

One of my goals this year is to spend more time outdoors being active, which doesn't sound like a dificult goal, but there are reasons I'll find it a challenge. First and most importantly my son. He cannot handle temperature extremes, meaning he chills or overheats, respectfully, very easily. Being a red-head he's very fair complected as well and no amount of sun screen will keep him from burning. I do put him on a blanket in the shade, but even though he can't walk or crawl, he can roll out of the shade and into the sun and doesn't understand that it's not good for him. I could keep him in his wheelchair (which means he'd have to watch a movie for entertainment), but that kind of defeats the purpose for him being outside.

My other outdoor challenge is I'm a bookworm/research addict, which overrides any other desire I have if I let it. I could spend all day happyily buried in books and paperwork. This lifestyle is a good reason why I'm overweight to begin with.

Unofficial Weigh-In

2008-05-03T09:48:00.002-05:00

282.5 lbs!

25.5 lbs total weight loss!

Anger

2008-05-02T14:11:00.003-05:00

Angry Horse Bento
This started out a really happy horse with a big smile, but the more I worked on it, the more angry it looked. I think I put a little too much "feeling" into this bento, because I felt like the horse, I started happy and ended mad, frustrated and completely NOT hungry!

Now I remember why I don't do these kind of bentos often. First the egg wouldn't cook right (probably because I didn't closely read Biggie's Directions). Then after I cut the design out, the edges keep rolling and I had to use toothpicks and well placed pieces of rice to keep it down. It wouldn't have been so bad if I had waited until my kids were in bed; I felt rushed to get lunch ready and about halfway through, my son knocked over the garbage can and sent coffee grounds flying!

By the time I was done with the horse my creativity was completely zapped and I was in no mood for cooking anything to put inside! This is a case of a poorly planned bento :)

So I treated myself to a small ice cream sundae with chocolate syrup and nuts LOL

Shy Mice

2008-05-01T13:36:00.005-05:00

Rice Mice
I was paging through a Japanese bento cookbook this morning and saw some cute, easy ideas, and was inspired to create my own. So my shy mice were born :P My daughter insisted on eating one, but only after she completely studied it and played with it.
The mice were simple to make; I shaped hot short grain rice in my hand until it resembled a mouse's body, placed it in my bento, and added finishing touches. Normally, I use chopsticks to place the smaller details, but today I tried a cake tester; much easier to work with! What I liked the most about using it was that nothing stuck to it and I could skewer items without leaving a noticeable hole.

Curry Adventures: Part One
A few days ago my sister-in-law and I stopped at Whole Foods so she could get a few things, including something for lunch; Chicken Curry. She is very limited on things she can eat and really enjoyed this, so she took the label off, pasted it on the back of my writing journal and asked me to make it for her! :D I don't mind, I'd like to be able to help find something that taste good and doesn't make her sick (In fact, she asked me to help her learn to cook, so we'll be doing "cooking school" once a week now!).
Today's lunch was my first attempt at recreating it although I didn't have all the ingredients. I trying to closely recreate the flavor, but make it easy for her to cook and with ingredients she has. So, here is the sort of recipe from today:

Tofu Curry
1 block Extra firm tofu - cubed
Non-stick spray
1 medium onion - chopped
Raisins
Curry Powder
Water
Miracle Whip - Light

"Chutney" Ingredients
Applesauce
Rice Vinegar
Lemon juice
Honey
Salt and Pepper
Fresh ginger - minced

Heat pan to medium to high heat and add tofu – brown. Turn heat to medium and add onions and raisins. When onions are clear, add water to plump raisins; I do this to make them easy for my son to eat, but you could skip the simmering by adding less water. Blend the chutney ingredients together, adjust amounts to taste; add to tofu. Reduce then remove from heat. Add miracle whip; serve. Enjoy!

I love Ponzu sauce!

2008-04-30T14:33:00.011-05:00

Ponzu Sauce
On my last trip to Whole Foods I bought ponzu sauce thinking I'd find some use for it. I had no idea what it tasted like, nor what to use it for, but I remember I had a Japanese recipe book that mentioned ponzu sauce.
Taste wise it's comparable to soy sauce with citrus juice (which is basically what it is), but what I really love about it, is the fact it can completely cover up unpleasant fishy flavor! The little sauce container in the bento above was ponzu sauce, and it was a prefect accompaniment to the salmon.

Monounsaturated Fats (MUFA)
My mom and I have a subscription to Prevention magazine and they recently had an article about eating monounsaturated fats (olives, avocado, nuts, etc.) to help reduce belly fat. My first reaction was, "Yeah right, eat more fat, lose fat." It just didn't make sense to me. But, I did what to increase my MUFA's and decrease my saturated fats after learning about my dad's heart problems.
Now, I'm not going to say I had amazing results, but I did notice a difference in the amount of fat sloshing around my middle :) I wish I had taken measurements, but I'm very happy with the results; besides I get to eat more olives ;)

This is why my bentos have so many olives and avocados.

Snacks

If you were curious as to what snacks I like to eat; the above rank very high on my list, all though I only have them about once a month. The long item in the back with four mochi rice balls, is called dango, the flat pink item is daifuku, and unusual brown item is a wagashi (japanese snack eaten with tea) made from kantan jelly, I think.

Dango
Of the three dangos are my favorite, especially with the sweet soy sauce glaze. Following are a few recipes (I have tried any of these yet):

http://www.recipezaar.com/120390

http://www.c4vct.com/kym/bento/kushid.htm

Daifuku

I also enjoy daifuku (see my first attempt at making them) and they come a wide variety of flavors. I buy mine fresh or frozen at a local japanese grocery store.

For more information:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daifuku

http://kokonuggetyumyum.blogspot.com/2006/12/ichigo-daifuku-recipe.html (I like this recipe)

http://www.c4vct.com/kym/bento/ichigod.htm

http://www.youkaimura.org/mochidai.htm

Kantan Jelly Wagashi

As for the last item, I liked the taste of it alright, but the texture was not pleasant; it reminded me of konnyaku, something I don't like to be reminded of.

I do recommend checking out Obchan's wagashi posts for more information; lovely pictures and more detailed. :)

(My Bento Diet is not affiliated with Prevention Magazine)

Bentos, bentos, bentos...

2008-04-23T23:18:00.003-05:00

Experiments with my onigiri bento boxes. I wanted to find some ways to use them without always using onigiri (rice balls). The first picture is my bento with a tuna melt sandwich, coleslaw, bean salad, and pears. Next, is my son's bento with tuna melt, fruit snacks, mandarin oranges, bran muffin (my mom baked these), and grape tomatoes.
Bellow, coleslaw and speghetti. I admit, with clutzy people (such as myself), this could get messy. The trick is to take the seal off the lower tier with the cover.

Grilled teriyaki tuna, sweet potato, brussel sprouts, artichoke hearts, olives, radish, and tuna onigiri with cilantro sprinkles. So good :)

My Bento Collection

2008-04-17T11:01:00.005-05:00

Someone on Livejournal asked to see my whole bento collection, because I mentioned I've been collecting/hording them. I have a total of 21 bentos at the moment :)

The poor bento bellow was left out of the group picture, because I forgot I had it! I've been using it, not to hold meals, but to hold my loose leaf green tea and tea bags!

The next three pictures are my latest additions (Thanks to Ichiban Kan).

I do plan to update my collection page , with better pictures and more information so please be looking for that update.

Fried Rice and Miso Soup

2008-04-14T18:59:00.005-05:00

In the past I've seen dried mushrooms at the store, and while I found them interesting, I never seriously considered buying them. But, on my last trip I bought a small pack thinking I could find something interesting to do with them.

Then I got a craving for Miso soup...

And ended up with a miso soup ball for my bento! :)

It was very tasty, but I don't think I'll use dried mushrooms this way again though; I didn't realize how different the texture would be - almost rubbery?!?! I suppose chopped and added to something it would be alright though. I had wakame in it as well (also a first) and I did enjoy it.

I was very pleased with the fried rice accompaniment! Yummy and cute :) My best yet I think.

Fried Rice Recipe

Leftover white rice - rinsed
Stir-fry veggies (I used frozen ones)
1 egg (lightly beaten)
Oil (I used olive)
Sesame Oil (use sparingly for flavor)
Summer sausage (you could chop and add to stir fry or use as topping)

Heat oils in pan at medium high temperature. And veggies and fry until thawed. Push veggies to the side of pan; pour egg into the center. Quickly scramble egg and break into small pieces. Add rice (be sure to rinse so it doesn't stick together) and fry for a couple minutes until well heated. Serve and enjoy! :)

Holy Kumquats! Part Two...

2008-04-11T13:14:00.006-05:00

As promised; Kumquat Oatmeal Cookies with White Chocolate Chips! These were very good, too good - as in a ate 3 of them good! Yikes! The recipe can be found at the link in my previous post.

Taco Salad Bento

Normally, I don't have to pack my bentos to travel so I'm not limited in how things are packed. Supper tonight was no exception (ate at home after making it), but I packed it to show how you could take taco salad. Please click on the picture for exact details of what is in each container.

Baked Tofu Bento

The tofu turned out okay, it was a little to greasy and sweet. I'm going to try it again sometime and if I like how it turns out I'll share the recipe. :)

Baked Salmon Bento

Yummy! I love these salmon skewers; easy to make a very tasty. It's a little hard to see, but I packed bulgur wheat under the salmon and the little container has Thai Sweet Chili sauce.

I think this bento is a good illustration of the my "ideal" bento protions.

Exercise Update

Okay, I admit, I've been slacking at the gym - when I even get there. But, today I had a great workout and I'm determined to get back to exercising 5-6 days I week. It may sound like a lot, but I enjoy it. There are days when mental I don't want to go, when curling up in bed to a good movie or book is much more inviting; yet when I do get there I enjoy it. Funny how I can mental sabotage myself huh? :)

Tonight I ran/jogged a little even (without a gimp)! I have not been able to run since breaking my leg in May, 2006.

Holy Kumquats! Part One...

2008-04-10T11:11:00.005-05:00

Ginger Pork Bento

Kumquats - cute miniature oranges, perfect for bentos; at least that's what I first thought. When grocery shopping a few days ago my daughter was fascinated by this tiny citrus fruits, so I bought them as a treat for lunch. I'm glad I tried them before giving one to my daughter; they're sour! Tomorrow I'm going to make something with them because I don't think I could eat them plain.

http://kumquatgrowers.com/morerecipes.html

Quick Lunch Bento

My kids and I were running late for an appointment; to save time I gave them lunch and quickly packed this for myself. I didn't pack a container of salad dressing, because I wanted to try my salad spritzer. I'm surprised how well I like the spritzer and it really saves me for eating too many calories/fat.

"Sushi" Rice Balls (Onigiri) Bento

I don't know if you'd call this sushi or rice balls. The rice is flavored with vinegar and has avacado inside like some sushi, but I also rolled them in sesame seed - I don't think I've ever seen sushi with sesame seeds.

I really enjoyed the beef in this bento as well. I put two large roast in the crockpot last night with some Chinese 5 Spice and it was very tender by lunch today. It still amazes me how little of something I can eat and have it still be satisfying; in the past I would have eaten at least 4 times this much meat.

Weight-Check

2008-04-10T10:53:00.003-05:00

285 pounds

23 pounds total loss!

(Unofficial - weighed myself at home and not at clinic - usually the same though.)

Prayers Needed

2008-04-09T22:10:00.005-05:00

Update (3/10/08):
Okay, I admit, I overreacted. There was a bit of miscommunication last night and my dad was not put on a ventilator. But, he did need to have oxygen/nebulizer, because he had a mild panic attack after sitting up for awhile. Apparently his oxygen levels go down a little when he's moving around. He's doing much better today and is coming home today! I'm leaving what I wrote last night as is, because it was how I felt at the time.

Phone calls after 9pm in my family are never good. My sister-in-law called me around 10pm asking in my mom called yet (not a good question). My heart skipped a beat - "No don't say it." - "I don't want to hear it." So many things ran through my head in that brief pause. My dad's having problems breathing. He was given a nebulizer treatment and was put back on the ventilator.

For the first time since all of this started I finally let my emotions take over. I hardly said anything to my sister-in-law; I was relieved that the news wasn't as bad as my initial thoughts, but what is this going to bring? I'm not sure what I said to her, but the phone call was over very quickly. "The doctors were saying this morning that he might be able to come home tomorrow or Friday; now what?"

I stood in my laundry room, frozen for a second. "Stop crying, what is your problem! He's going to be ok." I quickly scooped up some laundry and frantically shoved it in the machine. I hate crying, to avoid it I make myself busy. "Oh, I need to e-mail some people and check the pot roast for tomorrow. And I have to exercise. Where did that movie go I wanted to watch?"

How am I going to sleep tonight?

Ichiban Kan Online Grand Opening!!

2008-04-09T00:37:00.003-05:00

Check it out, bento boxes for only $1.50! I just placed my order tonight, so you'll be seeing some new bentos soon. I'm so happy not to be paying Ebay prices anymore!

http://www.ichibankanusa.com/

(Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with Ichiban Kan; just a fan.)

New Profile Picture and Grocery Shopping

2008-04-08T11:19:00.009-05:00

I spent an embarrassing amount of time today taking this picture; it's hard to take self portraits. The camera was facing away from me and this is my reflection through a mirror.

As I was doing some shopping the past couple days, I realized how much my food shopping habits have changed over the past few months. I'm reading labels, wondering how unhealthy something is, and where my fruit was grown. I really want to make better choices to "speed-up" my weight loss, but more importantly, I want the food that will keep me healthy.

I'm trying to eat more natural foods, but my budget only can handle so much health food. Why is good so expensive, but junk cheap? If possible I would do all my shopping at Whole Foods, but currently, I'm only spending $50 a month there.

There are a few affordable choices I'm making though. For example, I've switched to spreadable fruit instead of perserves, because I'd like to avoid as much high fructose corn syrup as possible. The perserves cost less at 7¢ per ounce, but I'm willing to pay 19¢ per ounce for the healthier choice.

Some of my changes:

Wheat bread - Whole Wheat bread with flax (Omega-3 fats).

Ranch dressing - Salad spritzer.

Diet Soda - Propel water packets (I have a hard time drinking plain water).

Bisquick for pancakes - Multigrain pancake mix.

Doritos (I'd eat the whole bag in 1-2 days) - Kashi cheddar crackers.

Short grain white rice - Short grain brown rice, barley, or bulgur wheat.

Regular celery - Organic celery.

Lots of beef - lean beef, chicken, tofu, and lots of fish. (I've even done some vegetarian meals.)

(Disclaimer: I'm not affiliated with any of the above mentioned companies.)

New Goals:

Lose 20 pounds by May 10th (I'm a bridesmaid this day).

Exercise more.

No more boredom snacking.

Getting Back...

2008-04-04T21:08:00.002-05:00

I've been eating too much junk lately, but I'm starting back to making healthy choices; as I mentioned in my previous post. These are a few of my resent bentos.

When it rains...

2008-04-03T08:52:00.003-05:00

...it pours.

Some of you may have read that I had an aunt pass away a few months ago well, on Monday, another aunt passed. This time it was expected (she'd been fighting terminal cancer for about a year), but that does not lessen the pain to our family.

Shortly before my second aunt passed, my dad was having problems with his heart. His doctor informed him that not only did he have a heart attack sometime in the past, but his arteries are so blocked that he needs to have a quadruple bypass surgery! That's scheduled for this coming Monday.

I don't want to seem depressing; it's hard to share this information without it being so but, I couldn't justify being silent. There are some other financial/personally family issues as well; it's not my place to comment on them though.

But, this has affected my weight lose goals. I don't want to say that I have completely gone back to my former habits, but I'm on the track leading to them. Right now I'm at the proverbial (cliche) fork in the road. One choice will take me back to my old, comfortable (albeit, unhealthy) life. The other, somewhere slightly frightening with the unknown aspects yet, somewhere I know will be better.

Today, I will choose the new.

New Pictures

2008-03-24T21:55:00.001-05:00

New Tofu Recipe and Rice Balls (Onigiri)

2008-03-22T23:05:00.005-05:00

Tomato Artichoke Tofu Recipe

1 block Extra Firm Tofu - Pressed and cubed
1/2 medium yellow onion - diced
1 Red Bell Pepper - diced
1/2 cup Portabello Mushrooms - diced
4 oz. Feta cheese - Crumbled or diced
1/2 - 1 cup Speghetti Sauce (adjust to how much sauce you want)
Speghetti noodles
Basil (dried or fresh - to taste)
Salt and Pepper - to taste
Italian seasoning mix (optional)
Garlic (or garlic seasoning)
Olive Oil

Brown tofu cubes in olive oil on a medium high to high heat, until they are a golden brown. Reduce heat to medium; add onions, peppers, mushrooms, and seasonings. When onions and peppers are tender and speghetti sauce and bring to simmer. Remove from heat, top with feta cheese, and serve. Enjoy!

This rice ball was very easy to make; my three-year-old daughter even made one. All you need is the rice mold bellow (I bought mine on ebay).

How to Make a Sesame Seed Rice Ball (Onigiri)

Pack one end of the mold with rice and shake! It will take a few minutes of vigorous shaking. Open and check how well packed the rice is - if it looks like it will fall apart it probably will. When it looks firm enough add sesame seed to one side and close. Shake for a minute or so and remove. Simple! :)

First Zoo Trip of the Year!

2008-03-20T07:24:00.002-05:00

My kids and I love our local zoo; last summer we went there 2 or 3 times a month. It's free to get in (it's a fairly small zoo) and we get a little exercise. Well, I don't know if walking around a zoo, going the pace of a 3-year-old counts as "exercise", but it does get us outside. My son doesn't look at the animals often, but he does enjoy the walking.

This year we're going to try to get there a little more often and maybe start a animal science book related to the animals we see. I did take a couple pictures and will get them posted soon.

This is my daughter's bento; I'm trying to have her "help" me with making her bentos now (she's 3 1/2 years old) and she really enjoys it. She decided that the spinach and corned beef were "yuchy" though and filled up on Goldfish inside - so much for a healthy, well-balanced meal!

My bento. I used leftover Miso Chicken Stir-fry from Tuesday's supper (see picture bellow). I really enjoyed this recipe; the next time I make it I'll be sure to measure everything so I can share it with you.

This was for my son. I was surprised; he ate ALL of it! Although, we were in the car watching a movie while we ate; he always eats better with a movie!

The Answer is...

2008-03-19T21:42:00.003-05:00

Chocolate-flavored Ichigo Daifuku! Which is basically sweet glutinous rice flour (Mochiko or cooked it's called mochi), homemade chocolate syrup, and strawberries (Ichigo in Japanese).

For more information and the recipe, please visit Obachan's Kitchen and Balcony Garden Blog. She has many pictures illustrating the process.

I followed the recipe on my box of Mochiko flour, but I was inspired by Obachan's blog, so I'm giving her the credit. Really the only thing I did different was to add chocolate syrup to the mochi after cooking it in the microwave.

My Blog is a Mess!

2008-03-17T14:58:00.001-05:00

I'm playing around with different backgrounds and logos, please bare with the ever changing designs right now until I find something that suits. Thanks! :0)

Can you guess what this is?

2008-03-17T00:07:00.004-05:00

Click picture to see what others have guessed on flickr.

I'll give you a hint:
It's made of strawberry, cocoa powder, sugar, water and one other ingredient.

I'll post the answer on Wednesday, March 19th, 2008.

Including a link to the recipe with photo instructions.

Website/Blog Overhaul

2008-03-16T21:23:00.003-05:00

I really need to polish the look of both my site and blog, so be prepared for some changes over the next month or so. I plan on adding more information and tips to my site, along with changing the layout (if I can figure out how!). I haven't decide yet what to do about the blog; change the background/logo to something more original. If you have any ideas let me know!

In other news, I finally fulfilled all the requirements requested by the college I'm planning to attend; hopefully, I will hear the week wiether or not I am accepted. Honestly, I'm excited and nervous at the same time. I'm looking forward to the chalange, but I don't want to push my kids aside to make time for acedemic adventures. I do plan to continue packing bentos and managing my site, so fear! :) I'm not going away!

I took too much time off from exercising for about a month and I don't have the energy to workout 5 to 6 days a week again. I was planning on walking 90 minutes this weekend but felt my body needed the rest. I worked out Friday night and was so sluggish that I could hardly to weights. Monday I'm back at it again though!

I really want to prepare for the marathon, but I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed by the time commitment. Normally, I workout after my kids are asleep for the night, which lately has been anywhere from 8:30 pm to 10:00 pm. The last thing I want to do that time of night is walk for 90 minutes! I think I may just hold out for the long training times until it is warm enough to walk outside with my kids.

Goals for the Week

Sunday: Take the day off, update site.

Monday: Weights and Videos; pack bento.

Tuesday: 60 minutes of cardio and/or 30 minutes of yoga.

Wednesday: Day off. Pack bento.

Thursday: Weights and Videos.

Friday: 60 minutes of cardio and/or 30 minutes of yoga. Pack bento.

Saturday: Weights and Videos.

Sunday 3/23: Go to church. Pack bento. Home school field trip. 30 minutes of yoga.

Furoshiki

2008-03-15T09:56:00.002-05:00

Debbie over at Rites Of Passage had a great post about Furoshiki that has inspired me to get one for myself! (My Mother's Day present! LOL) Anyway, go check it out!

http://ritesofpassage.wordpress.com/2008/03/14/japanese-cloth-bags-furoshiki/

Weigh-in

2008-03-14T22:53:00.000-05:00

288.25 lbs!

How I'm doing on my goals...

2008-03-13T23:19:00.003-05:00

My Goals for the Week

Sunday: Get to church, exercise (3/9 - Walked 3.25 miles in 60 minutes!)

Monday: Homeschool, exercise (3/10 - Upper body Weights and 45 minutes of videos; Ab Assult and Bun Battle)

Tuesday: Therapy (son), exercise (3/11 - 30 minutes on elliptical)

Wednesday: Therapy (son), day off

Thursday: Homeschool, exercise (3/13 walking - 3.21 miles in 60 minutes, plus I did an easy 1.5 miles with the kids in the afternoon. A total of 4.75 miles today!)

Friday: Weigh-in, Homeschool, exercise (weights and short cardio)

Saturday: Field trip, exercise (walking 4 to 6 miles/ 90 minutes)

Spring is Coming...

2008-03-09T15:56:00.006-05:00

I'm official sick of winter ;) I'm making Spring themed bentos! I think March is the worst month for me, it always "comes in like a lamb" around here and I just start to like the idea of warmer weather, when the "lion" winter comes back!

Oh well, it will come eventually. On a more positive note, I've lost more weight! I'm going to see my nurse practitioner sometime this week and give an exact weight then, but I think I'm under 290 lbs!

I also finished my admission essay for the college I want to attend; all that's left is to have two people write letters of recommendation for me. Then the waiting game to see if I'm accepted! I hope I will be; if so I start May 12th!

Since the classes will be online and my computer died, I think I should be able to get some help from financial aid in getting a new laptop. *crosses fingers*

My Goals for the Week

Sunday: Get to church, exercise (3/9 - Walked 3/25 miles in 60 minutes!)

Monday: Homeschool, exercise (Weights and short cardio)

Tuesday: Therapy (son), yoga (30 minutes)

Wednesday: Therapy (son), day off

Thursday: Homeschool, exercise (walking - 3.5 to 4 miles/60 minutes)

Friday: Homeschool group meeting, exercise (weights and short cardio)

Saturday: Field trip, exercise (walking 4 to 6 miles/ 90 minutes)

Slacking, I know!

2008-03-05T22:16:00.001-06:00

I know I've been slacking on updating my sites and replying to messages; I'm sorry! It seems like everything that was "normal" has completely flipped lately! My brother and sister-in-law (and their 3 kids) moved out (I live with my parents - that was a total of 10 people in a 4 bedroom ranch style home!); and now my kids and I have the basement. I really love it; it's like an apartment minus a kitchen. But, I had to do a lot of cleaning before I'd bring my kids down here, plus painting, packing, and moving! I did get a little help (my mom helped me paint the kids room, and I help moving 2 heavy items), but most of it I did by myself. They still have stuff down here. I also very little room to put our clothes, I need some dressers! Please don't think I'm complaining though, I'm really happy, just exhausted. And I "trying" to train for a marathon!

I also decided to take some online courses; I really want to earn more money, but I do not want to leave my kids, they are my top priority! I'm going to pursue a Bachelor's degree in English; I hope to become a freelance writer. Lots of work to do! :)

I'm trying to find a way to balance everything without neglecting my site/blog...

Still Here and Still Losing Weight... Just Slowly

2008-03-04T23:15:00.001-06:00

Normally, I do not like, frozen chicken tenders, but these ones were really good! I just wish I remembered what brand them were! AH! :D

This is not a very photogenic bento (??) but, it tasted good! I really liked the pickled ginger in the stroganoff!

My daughter's bento and amazingly she ate all of it! (She's very picky eater!) The sauce container has Gorganzola cheese dressing in it; I'm amazed she likes blue cheese.

3 Miles and a Marathon...Yikes!

2008-03-01T22:41:00.004-06:00

I walked 3 miles in an hour at the gym last night! I know that doesn't sound like much, but when I first started exercising again I could hardly do 1 mile and I think that took me 45 minutes to do!
My mom came home the other day with a schedule of how to prepare for a 26.2 mile marathon and she asked me if I wanted to train with her; I of course said yes, but personally I think we're both crazy!
You can find information about the walk here and the training schedules here; we're doing the Basic program for the Full-Marathon!
To be honest, I'm really excited about doing this, even though I have my doubts about doing the full 26.2 miles. But, I'm going to do the training and see where I can go with it.... stay tuned! :P