Bento love and first Feature Friday!

Hey everyone! Happy December! It's been a while since I've posted something, so I figured I'd clue you in on something I've been eager to try lately: bento! My good friend Sarah over at Saltwater Acorns has inspired me to look into this increasingly popular hobby that I consider "food art," and I've been itching to try it more and more! Right now, I'm in the last leg of my Fall semester, so I haven't really had the time to do much of anything, but an upcoming holiday party with my Craft Club cronies prompts me to give this a whirl.

As you can see, the sky's pretty much the limit with a bento box! :) These are extremely commonplace in Japan (perhaps not always as fancy as this one), but there has been quite a lot of enthusiasm for them here in the U.S.A. as well! The nice thing about bento boxes is that they're lunch for everyone. It takes a special kind of inventiveness to come up with certain creative shapes, themes, and color-coordinated lunchboxes, but you can really make one however you'd like for whoever you'd like. Businessmen, college students, and kindergarteners can all have them, and they range from easy to challenging. You can buy them pre-packaged on-the-go, or you can make one for a special someone.

Let's face it...how did we feel as children when our parents packed our lunches for us? Maybe you had a parent or guardian who made you cute lunches that really made you smile when you got to school. I know my mom would always make me sandwiches and put cute little stickers on my lunch bag (some of which I keep even to this day!). Getting a homemade bento is something that I would imagine makes you feel really special and loved; making one for yourself can give the same effect too! :)

As someone who LOVES food (and also wants to eat better and cut down on her portions), this is something I can definitely give two big thumbs-up to. Putting the time and effort into an attractive, creative, hand-packed lunch is something you or your loved ones will remember for a long time, I'm sure! Lunch in a Box is a really extensive and fun resource for amateur and seasoned bento fans, and Bento Box is also a cute little site that covers some of the basics. Just Bento is another really good one with recipes and basics.

~

Before I go, I wanted to kick off a little something I call Feature Friday, where I'd like to feature an artist or crafter's work that stands out to me and makes me smile. Sharing someone's work through word-of-mouth spreads smiles and might just make you more interested in something new! Since we're talking about bento and food today, I found an Etsy shop by the name of LorettaRed, who sells all sorts of adorable food jewelry, including a few bento like this one:

Check it out! Tamagoyaki, sushi, gyoza...what's not to love?

Well, that's it for this time, guys. Hope you're enjoying the holidays so far! Today's question: What is your favorite kind of lunch? Drop me a line in the comments below! See yah!

~Angie