never underestimate my ability to overdo it on a project
Thursday, May 26, 2011 at 10:26 PM | Bitty SO TODAY I DID A ONE HOUR PRESENTATION ABOUT ALL THINGS BENTO AND IT WAS KIND OF THE BEST THING EVER. As in, lots of people showed up, and everyone was enthusiastic, and I had plenty to fill the time. Srsly, I had a PowerPoint presentation and two picture slideshows and visual aids and food samples and a handout and a live demonstration. I AM A MONUMENTAL DORK OKAY.
Sal and I made fifty gajillion gyoza (which entailed us being up ridiculously late for the last two nights) and he also made the sauce stuff that goes with them, both of which were a huge hit with everyone. Oh, and he made bento-sized chocolate chip cookies, which I handed out at the end, just to cement the ranking as the best bento presentation ever done at my workplace in the whole history of forever. That's a pretty competitive field, if you didn't know.
Oh, and I got to do a show and tell about my bento boxes! Making my inner kindergartener positively giddy. I may no longer feel the need to bore random visitors with all the intricacies of single-tier versus two-tier, and the challenges of the round and square versus rectangular boxes. You all can breathe a sigh of relief now.
But because I am both A) a masochist, and B) crazy, I even packed a bento box right there in front of everyone. Which...I mean, I planned all along to do that, but because I am all about preparation, I had also planned to practice the night before to ensure prevent any unexpected mishaps. However, helping to cook up seven dozen gyoza in the wee hours of the morning will mean that you don't have time to practice packing your bento box to ensure doing it live won't result in embarrassment. Yet, despite my lack of preparation, I plunged recklessly ahead. AND! I even let the group choose which bento box I'd pack, just to add an extra degree of difficulty. BECAUSE I THINK WE CAN ALL AGREE I AM TOTALLY ABOUT LIVING ON THE EDGE. Thankfully, even that potential disaster turned out well, and I managed to prove that you can indeed pack a pretty and delicious and healthy compact lunch in no time at all.
And so now, I have a bunch of coworkers who are all talking about bento boxes and egg molds and there's talk of everyone going in on an order together to save on international shipping and it was totally fun and great! And also a lot of work! And I'm never doing it again because I am way too lazy! So it's a good thing it was pretty much the awesomest!
;)
lunch, Lunchbot Duo:
- sushi rice
- asparagus sauteed with green onions and mushrooms (which I unintentionally hid completely underneath the asparagus)
- roasted red garnet yam shapes
- two gyoza (stuffed with pork (seasoned with soy sauce, ponzu, and other things I've forgotten), green onion, ginger, garlic, cabbage)
- steamed broccoli, corn (mostly hidden under the gyoza), and peas
- fresh mango and cherries
bento box - lunchbot duo in bento 2.0 baby!, work
Reader Comments (6)
You are such a geek! In so very many ways. What a beautiful bento presentation. I wish you would make my lunch every day. What a treat that would be! Labyris aka Jocelyn
I was there and I must say it was absolutely fabulous!!! She truly outdid herself and I know more about Bento than I ever imagined possible. Its true everyone's talking bento. Iris and I talked about sidecar sharing...yes much like car sharing only with bento boxes! She gets Tuesday and Thursday.... :)
Jocelyn: Hee -- I'm a geek, loud and proud! And it would be a treat to get to make one for you! Still thinking about this idea you gave me back when I resumed doing bento of a business of making them for people to busy to make their own.
Tara: You are very kind. So glad you were there and that you got so much out of it! I love your idea for sidecar sharing...so adorable! I'll have information to send out soon about boxes so you can start checking them out and see if there are any that grab your fancy.
It's official. In a very timid and rookie way, I've started Bentoing (probably not a word). For Miss M. (only because I'm home for lunch) So... How do you feel about presenting to your sister? Because I'd love, LOVE to hear the presentation just because it's something you're passionate about, but I'd also really like for you to teach me. Right now I'm using plastic, lidded containers we already have, but eventually will want to "upgrade" to something fun, cute, pretty...
She has not been eating at preschool. Today was the first time I've packed her a lunch and she was SOOO happy!! I'm pretty much feeling like a heel for not doing this sooner. She's so damn picky I figured having to "deal" at meal time at preschool might be good for her. But she simply does not eat. So, my timid approach to Bento. And because my sister is the Bento Queen I figure her godchild should rock school lunch the Bento way.
Sister: OMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!111
You have seriously made my freaking day, you have no idea. NO IDEA. I am so unbelievably excited to share it with you!!! AND for Maddie to get to have food because SERIOUSLY SHE SHOULD HAVE THE MOST AWESOMEST LUNCHES OF THE ENTIRE PRESCHOOL. (And don't beat yourself up about not packing lunches for her sooner. Having her deal at meal time probably was good for her -- and really, she wouldn't have starved or anything because she eats so healthy, she was just REALLY hungry and probably cranky when she got home, I imagine -- but you know, you gave it a try and it just wasn't working, so you're trying something else. That's the definition of a good parent, not a heel. A heel would be doubling down on what wasn't working. AND THAT'S MY TWO CENTS THAT YOU DIDN'T EVEN ASK FOR.)
And so anyway. Yes! We will totally do the bento presentation. And it will be so awesome, because I am so clearly awesome and because you are so clearly awesome and together we are awesomeness squared. Also? How much do I love this: "her godchild should rock school lunch the Bento way"? SO MUCH THAT "ROCK SCHOOL LUNCH THE BENTO WAY" is my new slogan for my imaginary bento business. I will cater to parents of picky children and provide healthy, pre-packed bento lunches for kids and I will make a gajillion dollars.