Kawaii: An adjective in Japanese meaning ” pretty; cute; lovely; charming; dear; darling; pet” It’s stem is two kanji meaning “can love”. It is commonly used by anime and manga fans.  However, it has narrower definition than the English word cute. When applied to pop culture, cute will suffice; however kawaii refers primarily to the affection of a […]
Still sick and miserable but I managed to get most bento prep done last night. Kidlet loves cars (although ATM bakugan is trumping all) so I went car crazy. I picked up a lot of car theme things when I was gathering supplies in anticipation of packing bento. Even with all I used, I still […]
I stumbled upon this challenge last week, but not in time to fit it in. It’s a year of trying a new recipe weekly, a recipe from the featured chef of the week. Last week was Alex G-no-one-can-spell-my-last-name from the Cooking Loft and she had almost no side dish recipes available, and my main courses were already set. In […]
I am sick sick sick. I put off making lunch until 20 minutes before kidlet needed to leave for school, and this is the result ;) He loved the rocket in practice lunches, so I went ahead and did that again for him, so it would be a *little* cute! Ham and cheese sandwich with […]
Ah Monday — a fresh start to a new school week and a new week of bentos to plan and prepare! Just what I don’t need when I am feeling really crummy! I’ve got what is probably just a cold, no fever yet. But runny nose, sore throat and coughs, and I feel achy and […]
  Recipe review and cost breakdown Creamy Spicy Corn Chowder with Chicken  2 slices bacon, sliced in 1-inch strips (2 pkg. for 5$, .18) 1 medium yellow onion, diced (.37) 1 jalapeno, seeded and diced (.20) 1 russet potato, diced (.34) 1 small red pepper, diced (from farmers market 3/1$ .34) 3 cups […]
Last week I did very well. I stuck to my list and came in under budget. Thanks for hosting MPM Organizing Junkie; joining the planners there was the kick in the pants I needed to start getting my budget under control!   Monday: Cube Steak with Balsamic Glazed Onions (method below), Corn, Garlic Toast […]
Danger, Danger Will Robinson! I’ve avowed no more packages from Japan for a while. My stash of Bento goodies is ridiculous, it really is. I’ll snap some photos and post them later; you’ll see what I mean. You’d never know I’ve only been regularly bento-ing for a couple weeks; it looks like I’ve been at it […]
If you read the old blog, you might recognize “Kristen’s Estrogen Balancing Life Changing Plan”. It was developed in part through several visits with a dietician, as a way to overcome my estrogen dominance and “symndrome X”. However, this was pre-band, and I am considering re-visiting, as the portions and amount of food is somewhat […]
