August 2010

All the content on this site by month.

Great Bento Idea: Cucumber ribbons by MJ

MJ's Bento, August 26, 2010

Here's the great bento idea of the week from the bento community - cucumber ribbons from MJ!

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I think it's safe to say that Back To School Week was a tremendous success. I hope everyone had fun entering all the giveaways, and that enjoyed the special features too: My Top 10 Bento Rules, Comparing Bento Box Materials, and How to select the right size bento box before buying.

And now....here are the lucky winners of the Back To School giveaway prizes!

Great Bento Idea: Flowery muffins by Emily

Muffins with flower

Here's a easy and pretty bento decorating idea from around the bento community - decorated muffins by Emily.

This is just a note for people who are reading this site via email. First of all, thank you for subscribing! Second, I have noticed that quite a few of you are replying to the email for the giveaways. That will not enter you into the giveaways! Please click on the title of the article/giveaway post that you want to enter, which will lead you to the site, where you can leave a comment. Thank you!

Bento idea of the week start page

This is the start page for the Bento Idea Of The Week posts, where we highlight neat bentos and bento-box ideas from the JustBento community.

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The final giveaway for Back To School Week 2010 is....

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Today's Back To School giveaway comes to you from Bento&co. It's the impossibly kawaii Kokeshi Bento!

Maki's Top 10 Bento Rules

Pink, green and yellow spring bento

To round out Back To School Week, here are my top 10 rules for bento making. They are the rules or philosophies that guide all the content that you see on JustBento. A version of these rules appear at the top of The Just Bento Cookbook too. They're the rules I try to live by in my daily bento life.

Sometimes I stray away from them when my life goes haywire - like trying to renovate an old house in a foreign country, and then getting infected by an insect bite which turns into a zombie bite...well you know, things happen. But I when I can return to these rules, I know that life is nice and normal again.

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I hope you've been enjoying the Back To School Week giveaways so far! Here's another one for you, an adorable pink bento box from From Japan With Love.

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It's Giveway No 3 of Back To School Week - a great bento set from CasaBento!

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The Back To School Week deals continue! First up today are two discount codes from Japonmania, our newest site sponsor, to give you a little taste of their shop.

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The second Back To School Week giveaway comes to you from LunchBots, makers of sturdy stainless steel lunch boxes.

Comparing bento box materials (table)

Are you confused about what material is most appropriate for bento boxes? Plastic is easy available, or maybe you want something greener - but is the extra cost worth it? Here's a handy comparison chart to help you make the right choices.

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Here's the first giveaway prize of Back To School Week - a very cute bento set from Japanistic!

How to see if a bento box is really the right size for you before buying

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You've browsed the bento blogs and flickr bento groups, and while you know that any appropriate box can be used for bentos, you're hankering after a 'real' bento box. But bento boxes aren't that cheap, especially if you're ordering by mail. How do you know you're getting a box that's the right size for you?

You may have read what bento box sizes are considered appropriate for kids, women, men and so on. But that's advice given for traditional-style Japanese bento meals, where about half of the capacity or more is taken up by tightly packed rice. If you'll only be toting Japanese style lunches those recommendations are fine, but if you plan to mix it up with salad bentos, sandwich bentos and more, then the box-capacity recommendations may not apply to you.

So how can you really tell, before you spend the money for a bento box, if it's the right size for your specific needs?

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Kids of all ages, not to mention quite a few adults, are either gearing up for going back to school (or kindergarten/college/university/daycare) or are already there. So what better time than to have a big Back To School Week? We're going to have at least one giveaway every day this week of great bento boxes and related items, as well as coupons, useful tips and more, so stay tuned! ^_^

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Bento contents:

  • 1 large slice boiled ham, 100 calories
  • 1 slice proscuitto, 80 calories
  • 1 small piece cheese (gouda), 80 calories
  • 2 small whole grain rolls, 160 calories
  • About 8 grapes, 30 calories
  • 1 Tbs. mustard (in small red container)
  • Mixed salad greens, 10 calories

Total calories (approx): 460 (how calories are calculated)

Time needed: 5 minutes in the morning

Type: Not Japanese, sandwich, nothing made in advance

Kinpira rice burger and how to keep the rice of the 'bun' together

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A quick and easy trick for keeping the 'bun' part of a rice burger from falling apart.

The Just Bento Cookbook: Table of Contents and a sneak peek inside!

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More The Just Bento Cookbook news: a look at the Table of Contents, and a sneak peek inside the book!