The lunchbox reinvented: transform the boring routine of your children's packed lunches into cute, edible cartoon characters! Packing school lunches for fussy children can be a chore. Parents are bored of making the same old soggy sandwiches every day, and your picky eaters don’t even show any appreciation when they return their lunchboxes with uneaten veggies and scrappy bits. What if you could entice your children to eat balanced lunches every day? Even better: how do you transform the routine of unoriginal packed lunches into a joy for yourself? Inspired by the Japanese tradition of the bento box, a home-packed meal served in a box with compartments containing different food, Bento Blast! reinvents the concept of the stale packed lunch. Learn to make your very own creative bento boxes and turn the law of don’t play with your food on its head by reimagining dishes as colorful cartoon characters. Entice your children with: Teddy bear-shaped mini pizzas Hot dog buns Scrambled egg chicks Porky pastas Panda bamboo And many more edible critters! With more than 160 step-by-step tutorials on how to assemble balanced bento boxes, create food art, and cook individual recipes that bridge the East and the West, Bento Blast turns food preparation into an art and makes eating fun again for both parent and child. Soon, your children will boast to their friends about their lunches, and your spouse might even ask for his or her own takeaway lunch! Lunchtime, or dinnertime, will never be the same again.

A bento box meal (single portions of different foods packed in one reusable container) is a Japanese tradition that lends itself well to today's busy lifestyle. Although bento boxes are available to take out from restaurants and food stands, they are most frequently prepared at home, very often by parents wishing to provide their children with delicious, healthy, fun--and environmentally-responsible--lunch and snack-time alternatives. Kawaii Bento Boxes offers dozens of recipes and menus. For each box, the authors include detailed instructions for cooking, seasoning, decorating and assembling the components as well as an icon indicating how long it will take to prepare. The meals are not just easy to make, they are tasty, nutritious and economical, with each portion carefully calculated so that there are no leftovers. There are also suggestions for the right container for each meal. Most of the ingredients used are familiar and available to American cooks. Here are whimsical creations like soccer balls and animal faces made from shaped rice, tulips cut from dyed hardboiled eggs, hearts and stars carved out of vegetables, and much more. Perfect for parents looking to liven up their children's school lunches or park snacks, or for busy people who want to fix a quick and cheerful meal to take to work, Kawaii Bento Boxes highlights the Japanese passion for making food a treat for the eyes as well as for the mouth. CONTENTS: ONIGIRI BENTO (16 variations including faces, soccer ball, animals, triangles, spheres) RICE BENTO (11 variations including bear, rabbit, ship, seasoned rice, teriyaki chicken over rice, etc.) SUSHI BENTO (12 variations) BREAD BENTO (12 variations including mini-sandwiches, rolls, etc.) NOODLE BENTO (9 variations including spaghetti, yakisoba noodles, udon) SUMMER AND WINTER BENTO (12 variations including summer dishes that won't spoil in the heat and winter dishes that are better when eaten warm) TRADITIONAL/POPULAR/FAVORITE BENTO (11 variations including favorite dishes like hamburgers, fried shrimp, fried chicken) TIPS ON HOW TO STUFF THE BENTO BOX WHAT TO STUFF IN THE BENTO BOX (including calories, carbohydrates, protein, etc.) CUTTING AND DECORATING MENUS BASED ON COLOR EASY DESSERT RECIPES

Fifty recipes for delicious bento boxes featuring your favorite Disney characters! Create masterpieces for any meal, including snack time, with Mickey, Minnie, Elsa, Anna, Winnie the Pooh, and more! Transform your lunch box with Disney Bento and enjoy the magic wherever you go! -- VIZ Media

A collection of family-friendly, easy and inexpensive recipes used and honed over many years by Japanese mom Kanae Inoue. Real Bento is packed with the time-saving tricks that allow you to make bento box lunches each morning in just 10 minutes, using ingredients and recipes that will satisfy the whole family! The recipes are presented by flavor type and key ingredient, so it's easy for parents to find dishes their kids will love. In Real Bento, Inoue presents 200 recipes, divided into "main dishes" and "sides" for 22 completed bento boxes. The colorful photos and step-by-step instructions make this an incredibly practical and easy-to-use resource for busy households! In her recipes, Inoue places great emphasis on healthy, fresh and colorful foods that look and taste great when presented together. Her recipes include Japanese favorites and original recipes like: Teriyaki Chicken Stuffed Bell Peppers Ginger Salmon Broccoli and Pasta Salad Beef and Egg Stir Fry Inoue got hooked on bento fifteen years ago, when she began making daily bento box lunches for her husband and herself to take to work, and later for their three children to take to school. She sees bento box lunches as a way of saving money and getting her family to eat fresher, healthier meals. This beginning bento book is a perfect tool for getting lunches packed and a family out the door on a busy morning!

Discover the magic of the Japanese lunch box with over 50 easy and seasonal recipes for delicious bentos your little ones will love From the depths of winter to the height of summer, a beautiful lunch can brighten any day. Japanese bento boxes are portable and pretty meals packed with healthy portions and plenty of cheer. And they’re outrageously cute! With Yum-Yum Bento All Year Round, you’ll fall in love with 52 tasty, in-season lunches. Spring into make-ahead action with packing tips, tutorials, side dish recipes, and more. From summer Sunshine Smiles to Christmas Gingerbread Friends, there’s a bento just perfect for your lunchbox today, including: Springtime Fun: Easter Chicks Dainty Daffodils Green Pea Brothers Summertime Splash: Rainbow Sushi Cheerful Crab Seashell Fun Fall Frenzy: A Pear Anywhere Fried Rice Jack-o-Lantern Pumpkin Twins Winter Wonderland: Tomato Santas Rudolph the Red-Nosed Bagel Penguin Elves

Think inside the box--the beginner's guide to tasty bento boxes Easy, tasty, and healthy are three great aspects of any good meal. Combine them all together--in an easy to-go box--and you have the beauty of bento. In Bento for Beginners, you'll learn how this Japanese culinary art can help you build 60 appetizing, well-balanced lunches that can be taken just about anywhere. In addition to recipes, the book is filled with tons of tips and tricks on streamlining prep time, how to improve the storage life of your ingredients (without using preservatives), the right containers to use, and what foods make the best (and easiest) fusion dishes. There's so much to savor in these to-go treasure boxes. Bento for Beginners includes: Best of both worlds--Enjoy classic homemade Japanese foods as well as staples from Western and American cuisine. Off-the-shelf--Create lunches you'll be excited to eat using easy-to-find ingredients available at the grocery store. Save money--Put an end to spending $5 to $10 a day on lunch--the average cost of a filling homemade Japanese bento is about $1.85. In the world of bento books, this one can take you to tasty new heights.

Bring the joy of cooking into your home with "Cooking with Kids: Fun and Easy Recipes for Little Chefs." This delightful cookbook is designed to inspire young culinary artists to explore the kitchen, learn essential cooking skills, and most importantly, have fun while creating delicious dishes. From breakfast bonanza to outdoor adventures, "Cooking with Kids" covers every meal and occasion with simple, step-by-step recipes that are perfect for little hands. Start your day with rainbow fruit parfaits, whip up cheesy broccoli rice casserole for dinner, and enjoy making chocolate chip cookies together for a sweet treat. Each recipe is crafted to be engaging and educational, helping children develop a love for cooking and healthy eating habits. With colorful photographs, handy tips, and safety advice, this cookbook is a wonderful resource for parents and children to bond over the shared experience of cooking. Whether you're making holiday-themed goodies, mastering baking basics, or crafting creative meals, "Cooking with Kids" offers endless opportunities for family fun and culinary creativity. Join the kitchen adventure and watch as your little chefs grow in confidence and culinary skills. "Cooking with Kids: Fun and Easy Recipes for Little Chefs" is your guide to creating memorable moments and tasty meals together.