Meatloaf Sandwich (60)

Meatloaf Sandwich w/ Pepper Jack Cheese, Carmelized Onions & Pepperoncini , Chocolate Spoon Cookie, Celery, Cornichon, Black Olives, Pasta Salad.

I don’t eat sandwiches often but when I do I tend to go for unusual flavors. Today’s bento features one such sandwich.

I’ve combined thin sliced meatloaf with pepper jack cheese, carmelized onions, pepperoncini, and yellow mustard. The flavors in this are amazing! The sweetness of the onion and the spice of the pepperoncini and cheese really compliment the meatloaf nicely.

To complete today’s ideal meal I’ve added a simple pasta salad with another sweet/spicy combination of pepperoncini, garlic, sundried tomato, black olives, and italian dressing. I’ve also got a cornichon, a couple of extra olives, as well as a cookie tucked in the back of the box.

Try this sandwich next time you have leftover meatloaf. You won’t be disappointed!

Ham & Swiss Quiche (59)

French Biscuit, Ham & Swiss Quiche, Cinnamon Bear, Tangelo, Snap Peas.

I have a couple of appointments today so I need a bento that will travel well and be good warm or cold. Quiche it is!

I like to make mini quiche and decided today to try something a little different. I have a few tubes of pillsbury biscuits in the fridge I need to make use of so I though I’d try one for the crust.

Now there may be rules for this sort of thing but I did not attempt to look for them and chose to make up my own method.

My method was to take a single biscuit from the tube, press it into the pan, and cook it just enough to puff a little before pressing it down again and adding the filling.

While the crust was in the oven, I mixed together some diced ham, red pepper, green onion, shredded swiss cheese, an egg and a little water.

Once the crust was pre-cooked, I pressed it along the bottom and sides of the pan again, poured in the egg mixture, and put it back into the oven until the top was lightly brown.

This method worked great! The quiche was light and fluffy, the crust cooked perfect and it was another simple recipe that I could put into my convection oven so as not to waste electrity.

To finish off today’s ideal meal I added a French Biscuit (crisp little filled cookie), some snap peas, tangelo, and a cinnamon bear.

Have a healthy, happy day!

Beef Fajitas (58)

Clockwise from Top Left: Beef Strips, Onion & Red Pepper, Sour Cream, Refried Beans, Cilantro-Lime Rice, Flour Tortilla, Shredded Cheese, Salsa, Variety of Chocorooms, Red Grapes, Clementine.

Today’s bento is packed in a Laptop Lunchbox as is often the case when I have a variety of items I want to keep separate due to reheating or temperature issues.

This ideal meal is a combination of items which will later be combined to make delicious beef fajitas. In addition to the fajita ingredients I have added some fresh fruit and a treat of three different flavors of chocorooms. Yum!

Not your typical Steak & Eggs (57)

Clockwise from Top Left: Heart Shaped Fried Rice Onigiri, Steak Strips, Tangelo & Blood Orange Slices, Gummi Raspberries & Blackberries, Wild Blueberries, Quail Egg Chicks.

Not your typical steak and eggs but good nonetheless. 😉

My husband is a big steak-eater (literally – he’ll eat a pound, easy!) though it’s not really one of my favorites. He wanted steak tonight so I made him a nice grilled sirloin and then I took another one and used it for my dinner as well as tomorrow’s lunches for both of us.

I cut the steak into thin strips and cooked it in a hot wok with nothing more than cracked black pepper and a little sesame oil. The steak is combined with some fried rice onigiri, fresh and gummi fruits, and a couple of quail eggs for today’s ideal meal.

Lemon Butter Cod (56)

Saffron Rice, Cod with Lemon Butter Sauce, Lemon Wedge, Broccoli, Carrots, Cauliflower.

There were some great sales on fish and seafood this week so I picked up a few varieties. Today’s bento highlights a nice piece of cod.

I baked the cod in the convection oven after dipping it in a blend of 1:2 lemon juice:butter and a little flour with garlic salt, black pepper, and chives.

To complete this ideal meal I added saffron rice and a simple veggie blend. I also added a lemon wedge and drizzled some of the remaining sauce over the fish. Yum!

Bloggers; Please Read & Comment

Ok all you bloggers; time to step up and share your experience. I’m looking to make some improvements to my blog and would love your suggestions.

Should I register a domain? If yes, why and whom would you suggest for registration and hosting?
Should I add associate links such as Jbox & Amazon?
Should I add a donations button to help sponsor the items needed to run the blog?
What suggestions do you have for improving the overall look and feel of the blog?
How do I improve my photo quality?
Any other feedback you have is welcome too. Thank you in advance!

Crab-stuffed Flounder (55)

Flounder with Crab Stuffing, Peas and Carrots, Scalloped Potatoes, accented with Snap Peas & Tomatoes with Spinach & Artichoke Cream Cheese.

During my weight-loss journey I have found that meals featuring high-protein and low fat/low-carb choices give me the best results.

Fish is a great low-fat/high-protein source that I try to incorporate in my diet a couple of times per week.

This bento features a flounder fillet stuffed with a crabmeat and veggie mixture. To balance this ideal meal I added scalloped potatoes, peas & carrots, snap peas, and cherry tomatoes with spinach & artichoke cream cheese.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Chicken & Crimini Mushroom Soup (54)

Chicken & Crimini Mushroom Soup with snack box of water crackers, red grapes, brie wedge, and a Girl Scout Lemon Chalet Creme.

I have been eating pretty healthy the past few days but the chill in the air (yes, I know that sounds crazy since I live in AZ) has made me think of comforting soups and casseroles.

Today’s lunch is a simple soup of fresh crimini mushrooms combined with shallots, garlic, and chicken breast. All ingredients are simmered in a chicken broth made creamy with a little milk and flour (still low-fat this way!). Topped with parsley and some chili flakes for a little kick this is a definitely an ideal meal all by itself.

I did add a snack bento as well to curb my afternoon hunger. So simple and yet so tasty!

Pork Chop & Pasta (53)

I found the sweetest little petit fours when at the market the other day. My daughter got a cat and a frog and I got a fish and a pig. The little cakes kept getting moved around in the fridge so I placed mine into a smaller container in hopes that they would better survive. That did not work. When removing the lid to choose my cake today I found that the snout of my little piggie remained on the inside of the lid. 😦 Fortunately it still tasted fine and the fish made it into today’s bento.

Today’s bento also has some pork chop which was cooked with herbs de provence and a little vermicelli with a butter-herb sauce. To finish off this ideal meal I added some red grapes and a bit more protein with a baby bel cheese hiding under the fish. Yum!

Brunch (52)

Mini Quiche Lorraine, Sausage Stars, Hashbrowns

Today I made a brunch bento since I was cooking for my husband before he went to work. (How strange to be home in the morning…)

My bento looks a little woozy which is kind of how I’ve been feeling lately too. I had been postponing a surgical procedure due to my hectic work schedule and now the increased stress of losing my job has caused additional complications.

The good news is that I have already scheduled a consult with the surgeon in hopes to get the surgery before starting a new job. My plan is to have sufficient time to get the surgery and properly recover (I’m told 4-6 weeks) just in time to find and begin a new job. This is probably asking a lot but I’m going to hope for the best and put my health first for a change. 🙂

This bento was simple and though I photographed the top tier it did not look very nice so I cropped it out.

The ideal meal included this tier with Mini Quiche Lorraine, breakfast sausage, and hashbrowns as well as a top tier with lemon yogurt and granola.

I do have an interview scheduled for this afternoon so please wish me luck!

Have a healthy, happy day!