American Bento

I never realized how "adult" the food I typically make is until we brought the kids home.  I had planned an Italian sausage and spinach soup - but then realized that kids wouldn't eat it.  So, I turned it into a pasta dish.  This is leftovers repackaged for lunch.

Layer 2: Sausage and spinach pasta.  It isn't pretty but it did the trick.  :)   This dish started life as a soup: chicken stock with Italian sausage (chicken sausage) meatballs that I had sauteed.  I added spinach, tomatoes, pasta (which cooked in the broth), and cheese. 

Since we've gotten home from Russia with our three little munchkins, our DD has been a fabulous help!  She has changed diapers, given up her time so that I could have 5 minutes of my own during the day, and generally been a mini-mom to our other children.  This tremendous gift of self is more than I can ever repay.  She does it without asking and without complaint - even going so far as asking us to plan a date night and get out of the house (providing baby sitting free of charge, of course).  She has tried to get me to stop making her bento but I just can't.  It would be poor thanks for all she does.  So, this bento, simple as it is, is a thank you bento - made with love and gratitude.

I have begun putting together bento lunches for the kids.  It's a slow process because they take a lot of my attention.  :)  Here is my first attempt.