César Chavez

"In 1962, César Chavez founded the National Farm Workers Association, later to become the United Farm Workers (UFW), which under Chavez's nonviolent leadership effectively unionized the produce industry. In 1965, the UFW called for a boycott of California table grapes, eventually winning a major victory five years later when growers accepted union contracts. During his lifelong tenure as UFW president, Chavez went on three hunger strikes-the longest lasting thirty-six days-and in 1966 marched 340 miles from Delano to Sacramento, California, to focus attention on the farmworkers' plight".

I have always looked up to César Chavez. I am happy to have a day dedicated to him, his accomplishments, and philosophies.

Architects of peace:

http://www.scu.edu/ethics/architects-of-peace/Chavez/homepage.html

Sushi Bento

Yeah, the first lunch in my new box. I made unusual and decadent Tofurkey, okra, and vegan cavi-Art sushi, with come edamame, okra, and celery on the side.

Monokuro Boo Bento Stash

Gotta love those two pigs! Nothing makes lunches cuter then a cartoon pig. I just got a new two tier box (bottom right), so I had to post a picture of it. It made me realized that have quite a little Monokuro Boo lunch collection happening.

Cabrice

My kitty died last May so I made a photo memorial for her. I had Cabrice from first grade to my last year in grad school. She was a great kitty.

Gift Box

I made this gift box collage out of travel magazines. Staring at exotic scenes is the closest a poor grad student can get to traveling. All the more reason tho get that thesis done. My favorite part of the box is the penguin dancing alongside the hula dancers.

Elephant Bento

The tier on the left has broccoli and cashews, an elephant rice ball, and quinoa with peas and adzuki beans. The middle tier is an adzuki bean, cashew, and broccoli stir-fry.

Noodle Bento

The top tier of the bento noodles asparagus, store bough mochi, inari, and walnuts. The bottom tier has lettuce, orange slices, and dried cranberries. The lid has raw almonds.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Granola

I just finished making peanut butter and blackberry jelly granola, and now my apartment smells terrific. This was the first time I have ever made granola, it was super easy and tastes great.

You can find the recipe and tutorial video at Everyday Dish TV:

http://www.everydaydish.tv/index.php?page=recipe&recipe=176

1950's Bento

This bento is made up with the ultimate all american diner: green beans, mashed potatoes, a veggie rib, and for desert apple granola (that tastes like apple pie).

Baloon Animals

Here is a picture of some balloon creature I made during the festival. I knew how to make a dog (pictured above) but I learned how to make a bear, sward, as well as a flower corsage that can be worn around your wrist (also shown above).

Humboldt Juggling Festival

Today was the last day of The Humboldt Juggling Society's annual juggling festival. It was an amazing three days of juggling. I am inspired and exhausted. I went to workshops on how incorporate legs while juggle, multi ball contact juggling, hula hooping, and how to make balloon animals (the kids at the festival love this one). The picture on top is of all the performers at the end of the big Saturday night show. There was a great fire show outside afterward but sadly I don't have any pictures. The picture below is from today between workshops. The was so much creativity, playfulness, and talent that can't be captured on film. The person in the tie dye shirt is the winner of the 2009 International Jugglers Association's stage competition, it was neat to meet all these terrific people in person.

The Humboldt Juggling Society website:

http://humboldtjugglingsociety.org/

New Fruit

I went on a long walk today to enjoy the beautiful sunshine, along the way I discovered a small Asian market. I'm not a fan of caned foods but there were three canned fruits I have never heard of soursop, mangosteen, and rambutan. I had to buy them! Hopefully I will be able to extrapolate what the original fruit tastes like from their sugared and processed brethren :P

Ice Cream Cone Bento

Ever since I first saw an octopus rice mold I have wanted to do this ice cream cone theme. The left section has a purple carrot slice for a cherry, blue rice for ice cream, quinoa as a cone, and adzuki beans for the background. I was sprouting some adzuki beans but got impatient and cooked them. I am glad I didn't wait, I think the color of the beans looks great in this bento. The middle sections has edamame, carrot slices, kumquat slices, peanut butter cranberry celery, and macadamia nuts.

Duck Bento

The top tier has strawberries, orange slices, and edamame. The bottom tier is quinoa covered in homemade mushroom furikake, with a vegan "cheese" duck, and veggie hot-dog slices for eggs.

St Patrick's Day Bento

Happy st Patrick's day! The top tier of my bento is a non green lentil stew with a non green bear rice ball. The bottom tier however makes up for the tops lack of green with green breaded peanut snacks, peas, okra, and edamame.

Train Bento

I have been super busy lately and the craziness of this bento reflects it. The top tier is quinoa, veggie "meat" crumbles, tofurkey, vegan "cheese", and peas. The bottom tier is a salad with an octopus veggie-dog, and strawberry.

Jellyfish Bento

The top tier for today's lunch has mixed vegetables, and a jellyfish made of rice and mung bean noodles. The bottom tier has apple sauce, an assortment of fruits, and nuts.

Contest Winner!

Today's rice mold give away winner is post 31. Congratulations Marissa! I will be sending the prize out as soon as I get your address. Yay!!

Rice Mold Giveaway Ends Soon

Last day to enter the Rice Mold Giveaway! Be sure to enter by clicking here and then leave a comment. The winner will be announced March 14, 2010, good luck.

Octopus Bento

I have been eating a lot of quinoa lately. It is healthy, tasty, and really hearty. It is the perfect comfort food. It is raining heavily today in northern California so a quinoa bento is going to perfect. The tier on the left has quinoa made with vegetable stock, nutritional yeast, and purple food coloring, and an okra octopus with kumquat peels for eyes and a mouth. The middle tier has edamame, cashews, half of an Indian vegetable burrito, a beet chip, and a kumquat.

Mushroom Forest Bento

This bento has stir fry and rice balls on top, and sliced kiwi, spinach, and radishes on the bottom.

Quinoa Bento

Todays Bento was made up of animal free "chicken" nuggets, larrupin dill sauce, celery with peanut butter and craisins, and kumquats in the top tier. The bottom tier was quinoa with cucumber. The lid was filler with peanuts.

Palak Chana Dal Bento

This is my 100th post! Crazy. To celebrate I have a very decadent bento for the day. The top tier has curried spinach and garbanzo beans, and rice. the bottom tier has a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, dried cranberries, a pistachio truffle, candied peanuts, cashews, and pecan pieces for decoration.

Indian Sunset Bento

I tried to make this bento look like a sunset in India. The top tier is curried vegetables, a elephant rice ball, mung bean clouds, celery ground, and a carrot sun. the bottom tier has celery filler with peanut butter and craisins, dried fruit, and 2 macadamia nuts.

The Ghost of Trees Past

I recently brought this collage to work, so I thought I would write a post about it. I fell in love with the tree the first time I saw it and knew I had to do something with it. It sits on my desk at work and reminds me not to wast paper or a scary tree will come to haunt me.

No Man's Land

I made this collage out of a book about earth and a news paper during the 2008 presidential election, to juxtapose how we think of the world and how we really live. There are over 6,800,000,000 people on the planet, and the population increased by about 10,000,000 each month. How could this not affect the planet? It is easy to feel that our modern way of life is natural, but it comes at the cost of non sustainable practices such as over fishing the ocean, over farming the land, and clear cutting forests and jungles.

US Census Monthly World Population:

http://www.census.gov/ipc/www/popclockworld.html

Bed Bento

The top tier has a salad. The bottom tier is a breakfast burrito bed, soy sausage pillow, non edible pink silicone bears, and edamame. The lid is filled with an assortment of nuts.

Sandwich Bento

The top tier has olives, lettuce, a vegan "turkey" and "cheese" sandwich, and broccoli. The bottom tier has peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, craisins, peanut snacks, and a sliced kumquat.

Graduate Student Assistant

I just started working for the Department or Rehabilitation as a Graduate Student Assistant and for the first time in my life I have my own work space <3

Elephant Bento

The top tier has broccoli stir fry, an eliphant rice ball, celery and okra ground, and carrot moon and stars. The bottom tier has peanuts, blueberries, raspberries, and kiwi.

Mouse Bento

Todays bento is realy fun. The mouse section has a rice background, carrot sun and nose, vegan turkey mouse, soy cheese ears and belly, okra and sesame seed ground. The flower section has a rice background, mung bean noodle cloud, carrot sun and flower centers, vegan turkey petals, asparagus and green bean stems, edamame leaves, and sesame seeds for dirt. The lid has craisins and peanuts.

Rice Mold Giveaway!

I really enjoy making and eating bentos. To celebrate all that is bento, I have decided to give away some bento accessories. You can win brand new squid, octopus, and elephant onigiri molds! All you have to do to enter is comment below, and make sure there is a way for me to contact you (a link to your web page should be enough). The winner will be randomly selected and announced March 14th 2010. Good luck!