All in Good Food

Recently I read a post on Just Bento by Linda Rolle who is a guest poster, about how making a bento lunch is not just for nutrition but also can build a bond between a parent and a child and I can’t agree with her more. I have to admit that I am fairly new at bento making and I still have a lot to learn. I am not Japanese in nationality or Japanese American but I have embraced the idea and use of bento in my family’s lives.

I am a single mom and my daughter is now 19 years old and we all know that most teenagers don’t have the best diets. Well I admit that I was a contributing factor in her unhealthy eating habits. For several years due to stress and other factors my daughter and I ate very unhealthily and I am ashamed to say we gained a lot of weight on that path which was not good because my daughter is diabetic.

However two years ago things changed. We made the change to using bento to help change our eating habits. I decided to look up more on bento boxes and meals and what they were all about. I had seen bento meals before in Japanese movies and shows. However, I had no idea on how to buy a bento box or how to prepare food to go into it. Then I found Just Bento and I found out that I could make bento meals for my family using food that I was use to preparing as well as finding new foods to try.

So for the past two years we have been on a journey with our bento and have collectively lost over 80lbs in the process. As for my daughter’s diabetes it is under control and she feels great. My daughter and I also use our bento to spend quality time together. We will take our bento meals out somewhere and sit, eat and talk which helps me stay a part of her life. As for myself I have also spent the last two year finally earning my bachelor’s degree and making those bento meals has helped a lot because I don’t have to stop my work to make a meal for us.

I must say that Linda Rolle is right I have not just learned more about being creative with the food that I put in the bento boxes but I have opened my daughter up to new foods and being open to trying new things. When I try a new recipe she is my biggest critic and my biggest supporter.

My daughter and I own several bento boxes that we enjoy using and I have to admit that we are still buying more to add to our collection. Yes we use each and every one of them and love every minute of it.

This is just one set we own.

I thought my first blog should be about who I am. I am a mother, designer, recent grad, teacher, home cook and lover of food. Two years ago I decided to change careers so I went back to school to finally get my BBA and open my own business. At that time I took a good look at my life and decided to make a lot of changes. I began really cooking more and I do mean really cooking. Before with my hectic schedule there were a lot of short cuts which included a lot of calories. I was concerned about my health and my daughter’s health because she is diabetic. Once I changed my way of thinking about food and cooking I am happy to say that my daughter’s diabetes is under control and we both have lost a lot of weight in the process. I have a fresh perspective on food, eating and cooking and I want to share it here.

My passion for food began very early in life. I remember the year Santa brought me an Easy Bake Oven for Christmas. I was so excited that I wanted to cook everything in it. I decided that year I was making cookies for New Years Eve with my Easy Bake. Hey don’t laugh they came out really good. Ok you can laugh because the memory makes me smile every time I think about it. That eventually fueled my passion for sweets and at one point I wanted to become a pastry chef but that’s another story for a later time.

I come from a family that loved to get together and eat. I remember growing up and going to my grandmother’ s house for holidays where all of my aunts, uncles and cousins would come together and everyone would bring a dish filling the table to capacity. It was great and the food was always good. Memories of my family get togethers and food go hand in hand in my world and I want it to continue.

I am happy to say that I have passed this passion on to my daughter who after getting her Easy Bake decided she wanted to become a pastry chef also but that soon passed for her as well now we just like making things for ourselves, family and friends.

I hope this gives you a little insight into who I am and I hope you will join me on my journey.