Happiness in a box

As a child I spent two years living in Tokyo, Japan. We all loved it there and over that short time, my Italian family picked up quite a few Japanese customs.

One of my favorites was the bento box. I would go to kindergarten and open up the little white flower-print box that contained my lunch, and there I would find an artistic creation that never failed to surprise. It was nothing extravagant — just some cherry tomatoes, some yellow rice shaped like a heart, a little tea sandwich and maybe some slices of apple arranged like a flower — but it was so fun.

I just ran into this blog called bento zen, created by “a Manhattan lawyer who works in a chaotic and often stressful environment. By taking the time to prepare healthy, colorful, and artistic lunch boxes, she guarantees herself at least one moment of harmony during her busy work day.”

Love it!

If it works for a stressed-out lawyer, it can work for the wabi-sabi entrepreneur. It’s a way to celebrate beauty and simplicity for a few moments a day, and — true to the wabi-sabi philosophy — it need not be perfect or overly time-consuming to make. Just a few extra moments in the morning can save an entrepreneur lunch money and provide a little sprinkle of happiness to her day. I would also consider it as a fun surprise lunch for the coworkers after a busy week.

2011
08/02
CATEGORY
Eat
Muse
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  1. Love it, my little boy would too!

    • So cute, right? My mom used to use cookie cutters to shape rice into animal shapes and then use peas, corn or little pieces of vegetable to add details like eyes, nose and a smile. It probably only took her 2 minutes but every dinner felt special.

      Cookie cutters are also a great way to cut sandwiches into fun shapes, but I’d save that for special occasions since I always feel bad about tossing the scraps. Or I end up eating all of them myself!

  2. Cute!!!

  3. If it works on a stressed-out lawyer, I think we’re all pretty much covered — good point!

    How can you NOT smile looking at this?
    :)

  4. I opt for a mandatory collective constructionworkers bento-box policy, which they all have to open at the same time.

    Reminds me of the banana-art trending now (faces sculpted in banana’s).

    Manu
    Rancilio Silvia

  5. loll. so cool.. if you are having a super bummer day and you get this in your lunch it just brightens up your day…perfect.. :-D

  6. This looks so amazing – if it’s only a two minute job it’s totally worth the work to enjoy unpacking it!

  7. What an adorable bento box!!

  8. That is so lovely! I’m pretty sure there is a lot of work behind it..

    • Rachel
    • August 5th, 2011

    Adorable! LOVE it

  10. Do you also know about Anna the Red? http://www.annathered.com/

    I’ve tasted some of her desserts, and they taste as good as the look. Haven’t tried the Bentos from her yet. I’m not that lucky.

  11. HI :D
    So cute! I hope my mom do this to me ( lol jk I’m 19 )

  12. That is so cute! I’m guessing you’d make a more simple one most days.

  13. neat! so creative! it put a smile on my face!

  14. Love this! It makes me happy just looking at the picture :)

  15. Fabulous! Can’t wait to check out the blog. When I was a kid, my lunches themselves were pretty standard, but my mom would draw all kinds of cool pictures on the paper bag. One day it would be a skier gliding down the mountain, the next a remarkably lifelike drawing of our dog. It was such a great surprise and always made me look forward to lunch! When so many struggle with finding happiness in their day-to-day routine (especially at work), perhaps an exciting lunch is part of the answer. :)

  16. Aw, I love this. I agree, making food fun or more pretty is something I think we all should do. Thanks for sharing. :)

  17. That picture made me smile. It’s too cute!!

  18. This is too cool. I’m not creative enough, or patient enough, to bento. But I love seeing these pictures. Congrats on being Freshly Pressed.

  19. Awwwwwwwwwwww, this is so cute! I love it!!

  20. this has got to be the cutest bento box ever. kawaii! :P

  21. This would put a smile on my face at lunch – such a cute concept to perk up your day. Congrats on being FP!

    • Thank you! It’s all thanks to the magic of cheery bento boxes. ^-^

  22. Love it! So cute!

  23. Oh my goodness, that is the cutest bento box I’ve ever seen in my life!!! That would definitely lend harmony to anyone’s day. I also really love your name, btw – so pretty!

  24. That is seriously beautiful and a great idea. I noticed all the fruit and rice from the front page of freshly pressed and thought “that looks vegan”…I’m also an entrepreneur into making meals for new families, the disabled, sick and others, and this is seriously a great way to provide not only nutritious food but fun food…I’ll be working on my food-art skillz pronto… Thanks for sharing this!

    • If you end up doing that, please let me know! I’d love to do a profile on you. It sounds like such an amazing way to use the cheery bento idea.

  25. Lovely lunch boxes. I am wanting to make one…..

  26. Very, very lovely!!

  27. omg.. this is so adorable and cute :)

  28. So cute!!!!!

  29. that looks like a wonderful lunch… must take a long time to create though…

    great post,
    mengler

  30. It’s so cute !

  31. thanks for sharing – great post

    -grace

    http://herumbrella.com

  32. TOO CUTE SNAP…….

    AND PERFECT LIKE ALL JAPENESE PRODUCT USE TO BE

  33. I’ve seen these bento boxes before. They always make me smile because it brings out the child in me, which is always a good thing in my book.

    I love the Japanese.

  34. So, so adorable! I followed the link and never realized until now that there’s a whole slew of bento-themed blogs out there?? I kind of want to do something like this and spring it on my friends at a dinner party. :)

    • TL
    • August 5th, 2011

    THAT IS SO ADORABLE!!! I LOVE IT!!! :) :):)

  36. That is so cute! :) I just tried to make a ‘milk and cookies’ dish today that’s nothing like what you think. I’d love it if you could take a look and tell me what you think. http://thebigfatnoodle.com

  37. I absolutely love bento boxes! I think they are so creative and cute. I definitely want to get myself a suitable box and start packing my lunch for work, fast food is so last year.

    I definitely hope that I make these for my children (when I have some).

    Thanks for sharing, I’m definitely going to check out the website. :)

    ❋ colouredbeauty
    http://colouredbeauty.wordpress.com

  38. It’s so cute and yummy at the same time!! Love it!

  39. I love it! What a yummy surprise would that be =)

  40. I love this!

  41. This is beautiful! Thanks so much for sharing! Do they have these dishes anywhere in America?

  42. Hi I am a Japanese and yes we use this methods to children to eat well and be healthy ;D You were given this in Japan and now your turn to give this to coworkers and if you have kids, you can give this amazing bento box and lunch with lunch mat (to put bento in it ) together !! ;)

  43. Awesome idea

  44. Well, that is surely the happiest lunch I have ever seen. Meow.

  45. Nothing is more satisfying than having a meal that you really enjoy.

  46. How cute! I love Japanese food so if I was awarded with this “happy meal” it would just make my day. Thanks for sharing!

  47. 100% AWESOME!! I will have to use this for my personal assistants when they pack the kids lunch for our clients. It’s colorful and just makes you want to have a good day. :) http://www.liveconciergeagency.com

  48. it is so cute. I’d happily make one for myself and the other half. I’m sure it would bring a smile to all the faces who saw them!

  49. Adorable! I’d like a lunchbox like that every day…

  50. This would have brought a new meaning to don’t play with your food. Adorable

  51. Now, thats a cute plate of food :D

    I have to girls that would love that :D

  52. Now that’s food art. It would almost be a shame to eat it :3

  53. かわいい Kawaii!! Adorable and almost too cute to eat.

  54. The gal here does some pretty amazing ones with tutorials on the harder ones.
    http://www.annathered.com/gallery/bento/

  55. Who doesn’t like a surpise? This could be exciting for co – workers who would be curious about what they will see from you the next day.
    Great Idea …
    Isadora

    • lilysrose
    • August 6th, 2011

    Lovely

  57. That does look happy.

  58. That is SUPER cool. I have to remember that for when I have children. I need to find cool lunch boxes and bento-type boxes so I can make pretty lunches for Babe and me too. I’m excited about this!

    • chocophile
    • August 6th, 2011

    Hi,

    Thanks for expanding my horizons with this great little bento box and the link to all the other fantastic creations.

    If you like chocolate you may want to check out my site:
    http://www.chocolateratings.wordpress.com

    In my day job, as a holistic psychotherapist, I provide free support and resources through:
    http:///w.holisticdivorcecounseling.com
    Despite the name, it’s for all life issues and transitions, not just the cosmic hazing of divorce.

    Hope you have a beautiful day.

  60. Oh my that looks so cute. No, make that too cute to be eaten :)

  61. I love the bento box! Its too cute to eat! <3

  62. That’s really cool (: I guess only having a look at that would help cease my hunge

  63. That’s really cool (: I guess only having a look at that would help cease my hunger :D

  64. This bento box is so cute. I would feel bad eating it!

  65. That is adorable! I know that would perk up a dreary lunch hour at work!

  66. This post made me so happy! The art of food… thanks for sharing! =)

  67. so cute and yummy lunch!!

  68. sooo cute :3
    i like it so much !

  69. I sooooo love it….makes me hungry :)

    • finding Mr Right
    • August 6th, 2011

    Love!

  71. Beautiful! And it looks really tasty too!

  72. This is adorable! I like that it’s healthy, too.

  73. It is so cute and brings a smile to my face! As a child we would travel to Japan often because of my Dad’s business. I love the Japanese way of presenting food, candy, clothing, etc. They have such a sense for the quirky.

    Thanks for sharing!
    cheers,
    Louise

  74. Oh wow! This looks delish!

  75. This thing makes smile

  76. DIVINA

  77. How could anyone open this and not be filled with happiness?

  78. too cute…!!! I might not dare to eat them :( (Let me starving and just looking at the bento). But I heard that Japanese has something like wise word that says: 目で食べる = me de taberu = eat with the eyes (?) They mean, by looking at the food, they ‘eat’ already, so they also can enjoy the food by looking at them.

  79. That is probably a good way to stay in shape too and not over eat. Where as here in America we have the saying “Your eyes are bigger than your stomache”. My great aunt always used to say that when she would take us out to eat.

  80. CUTE!!!!

  81. Man that looks so awesome. Wish I had one of those after a hard workout!

  82. Wonderful! It would be a happy meal.

  83. Your “Happiness in a box” post has inspired me to make my own bento lunch. I don’t know when this will happen. If you’re curious to find out how your post made my day a little brighter, feel free to subscribe to my blog.

    siguemisviajes.wordpress.com

    I love, love this post :)

  84. Cute!! If only I actually enjoyed cooking… I wonder if I could somehow rope my boyfriend into making me one of these artsy little creations every morning O=]

  85. it’s really amazing to see food like this :p now I’m looking forward to do this type of creation for my brother :)

  86. The photo is adorable, great post!

  87. Toooo cute for words!! I only wish I could come up with cute creations like this! Thanks for sharing :)

  88. Beautiful Box :)

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  90. delicius

    • Brandee Hack
    • August 7th, 2011

    kawaii! I’m getting ready to order my first bento + accessories…any advice? btw, please check out my blog sometime…I just started. :)

  92. so cute!! i miss cute jap bentos!

    • the6thmoon
    • August 7th, 2011

    i think I might try this been a bit down lately need something to cheer me up and this might be it

    • coopper
    • August 7th, 2011

    I just paid $ 24,86 for an iPad2~64GB and my girlfriend loves her Panasanic GF 1 Camera that we got for $ 40,32 there arriving tomorrow by UPS. I will never pay such expensive retail prices in stores again. Especially when I also sold a 42 inch L.E.D TV to my boss for $ 672 which only cost me $ 73,14 to buy. Here is the website we use to get it all from, CentBite. cöm

  95. Very creative~~~

  96. soooo cute and lovely, simply can’t resist it!

  97. Great idea! I’m inspired to give it a try!

  98. I love seeing posts on bento boxes because the creativity that goes into them is astounding to me! I saw one great post on a dad who made bento boxes for his son every day and he made superheroes and all kinds of intricate designs. It’s absolutely amazing, and would definitely bring a smile to anyone who opened it. I can’t wait to see some of the ones you make!

    • M.
    • August 7th, 2011

    so cute!

  100. Fantastic. <3 I just got back from a trip to Japan and I plan to introduce bento in to my life too. :)

  101. This looks so delicious… I wish someone would make me such fun lunches ^_^

  102. i ♥ japan- this is so cute!

  103. what a cute way to lighten up and stressful day ^_^

  104. Ahah! I’ve picked it up by dating my japanese better half! I was afraid to look weird bringing stuffs to reheat in the microwave when I was a child, but my friends really liked my vietnamese food. Then I discovered BENTO BOX! and even if I’m 22, I can’t make pretty shaped things for my mid day lunch, packed in a furoshiki… And it does bring harmony, instead of queuing up for a tasteless sandwich or an unhealthy portion of chips and hamburger :D and Italian+bento must be the best combo EVER!

  105. This is really cute. I love seeing different idea’s for displaying food.

    I will have to try this for my daughter.

    Thanks for the post.

  106. What a great idea! Love it!

  107. Too lovely and creative to eat!

  108. This is so cute! I wish I had so much patience to create my own bento boxes.
    Last year I had the opportunity to work with Japanese college girls who came to the area to study English more intensively. I wish I’d gotten to try more Japanese cuisine; some of it is a little too different for me, but a lot of it is wonderful. Their eye for the aesthetic only makes it more enjoyable.

  109. really cute. I love seeing different idea’s for displaying food.

  110. wew, if I own it…I’ll not eat them….haha :) thx 4 share

  111. Just gorgeous!
    I’m sure kids (and adults!) will gobble that right up :)

  112. Hi :) awesome blog:D I love Japan too and this box is really amazing:D
    I’ll be really greatful if you visit my blog http://ryoteworld.wordpress.com/
    I’m new here so I’ll be really greatful for some advices too:)

  113. i love this :)

  114. This is so cute.

  115. That is so cute! And what a great way to make the 9-5 a little bit less 9-5ish :-) Thanks for sharing.

  116. It is so lovely, I think it is also suitable for children who go to school first time!! lol

    I like it too!!

  117. wow, this is really cute and very delicious, mm yummy

    • dimpartick
    • August 8th, 2011

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  119. I LOVE Bento boxes :)

    • hertsleson
    • August 8th, 2011

    My mother just spend $ 23 for an iPad2-64 GB and my friends total expenditure for a XBOX 360 is $ 32.67 and there arriving tomorrow by UPS It was a pleasant day to me when I also got a 17 inch Toshiba laptop only for $ 87. I never pay such expensive retail prices in stores again. Its the website from where we get all these, http://doiop.com/HeavyDiscounts

  121. meal boxes are so cute :D

  122. oosum

  123. I love Tokyo. Been there twice and dreaming about going back. Their meditative traditions mixed in with charming quirkiness is enchanting. My favourite is how they make everyday things into art – like food. It shows how much thought goes into everything. It’s inspiring.

    You’re photo gave a morning smile!

  124. What an adorable way to put a little pep in your step ! Doing those small things (eating a cute lunch) can really make a difference.

    • sahmjs
    • August 8th, 2011

    I grew up in Japan as well (12 years) and love the bento box idea. The lunch boxes are much smaller than here as well so better for portions. As a mom of 2, I started taking better inventory of what I feed my kids after reading this Mom’s Guide to Caring for Little Teeth (http://www.1dental.com/moms-guide/). I got a wake up call that there’s more than his dental health that’s at stake here. We have way too much sugar and processed food in our diet. The bento box will be a fun way to make healthier lunches more fun. Thanks for the post!

  126. I love this! Whenever I cook for family and friends I like to fix the plates myself to make the meal look nice and fancy, but this take food presentation to a whole other level!

  127. hehe, very cute~

  128. Vary cute and warm. I was calmed and interested before I even red the article. The truth is that tacking time to prepare a home cooked happy meal is a great pick me up. I have never made something so beautiful in design, however a good cup of home med stew or chilly always brightens up my day. Thank you for your time and great lift me up :)

  129. I love the bento box you have pictured here. I think I’ve found something I need to do for my husband and I. Just something to make you smile in the midst of a stressful work day. Nice.

  130. Wow, great bento box. It is nice when you combine different forms of art.

  131. Cute! The kids I babysit for love these things…

  132. This is an adorable box! I’m sure kids would love it :)

  133. Wabi sabi and bento boxes… two of the best concepts of Japan!

    Elegance and practicality!

    Knowledge and fun!
    :)

    greetings!
    yumyumeten

  134. Man, maybe that’s what I should do to destress every day . . . :D Beautiful bento!

  135. Good grief! I showed the picture to my son and now he wants ME to do that! HEEELP! (It’s gorgeous!)

  136. This definitely brought a smile to my face. This is awesome :-)

  137. So lovely! My mum used to put a little napkin with a note written on it in my lunch bo- that used to brighten up my day! x

  138. *lunch box- darn typos! x

  139. Best way to play with your food. Love it!

  140. That bento looks awesome!

  141. One of my really great friends always posts the bentos she makes everyday for her cute little daughter Ollie. I am obsessed with checking it everyday. Brings me so much joy:)
    http://www.facebook.com/#!/media/set/?set=a.618744978644.2139820.70308330

  142. That is so adorable! I don’t know if I could eat that!

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  1. August 5th, 2011
    Trackback from : I’m hungry. « le moyen rouge
  2. August 7th, 2011
    Trackback from : Happiness in a box « The Wabi-Sabi Start-Up | TurtlEmotion
  3. August 7th, 2011
    Trackback from : Artsy Fartsy Food | Yezzz. Ang dyosa ay lumilipad.
  4. August 11th, 2011
    Trackback from : Happiness in a box (via The Wabi-Sabi Start-Up) « with a hint of nonsense
  5. August 12th, 2011
    Trackback from : (New Post) BENTO- The Lunch Experience « My Life as Linn

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