Simple and Easy Egg Bites

 Hello Friends! My obsession with my bento box continues apace.  I am sure that like me, the endless days of sheltering in place have meant that meals have become a blur and not only that, a boring, burdensome chore.  Put your hand up if delivery of meals and takeout became a way of relieving the tedium instead of an occasional treat.  Pulling out my bento box again (which I wrote about here) forced me to get creative.  I decided to make a batch of delicious egg bites, sometimes called egg muffins, to stow into the box.  They are incredibly easy to whip up and are great for breakfast or a quick snack. I used extra large silicone muffin cups but a muffin tray would work as well.

Grease the interior of the cups.  I needed 8 large eggs for 6 cups.  Crack the eggs into a large mixing bowl.

I do love cheese so I mixed in 2 large handfuls of grated cheddar cheese to the eggs.  I also layered in diced mushrooms, cherry tomatoes and peas.  A couple twists of the pepper grinder were added as well. Bake in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit or until the tops are crisp. I filled the cups halfway as the egg mixture puffed up to the edge of the cups but when I took them out of the oven they deflated.  Place them on a rack until they have cooled down.

Truly, you need almost no skill level whatsoever to make these yummy snacks and it is a good way to sneak some veggies into your diet.

Egg bites are the perfect size to tuck into a bento box or your child's lunchbox.

 

I added a pesto pasta to my bento box that day as well.  I am on the lookout for smaller sized silicone cups as the extra large ones are a tad too tall to fit into my bento box.  The silicone cups are a handy way of partitioning off food in a bento or lunch box if it doesn't come with compartments or dividers.  If you try this recipe, let me know!

Simple Bento Box Lunch

 Hello Friends!  I know, I know, it has been awhile.  Long story short, my car was vandalized.  It just threw me into a tailspin.  I had been laying low and following all the guidelines.  Yet somehow, even though I did my best to stay out of trouble, trouble found me.  It was all too much after the 18 months and counting of stress and tension.  There has been a huge spike in crime where I live and you can literally feel the tension in the air.  It took a long time for me to feel "okay."  I dove headfirst into emotional eating and my health really suffered as a result.  Today, I decided to pull out my old bento box.  Bento boxes are a great tool for portion control.  Packing a meal into a bento box forces you to think mindfully about the contents as well.

Even though I am not Japanese, I do know that presentation is everything especially when it comes to bento boxes.  After all, you feast with your eyes first.  This isn't for a child so I didn't emphasize the "kawaii" element when assembling it although I couldn't resist making a smiley face with tomato slices.  I have a double layered Takenaka bento box so I added snack items to the top box like frozen avocado and mango chunks and edamame pods.  If you prepare it in the morning, by the time lunchtime rolls around, the frozen chunks have defrosted enough to provide a delightfully chilled summer snack.  The dividers really come in handy for organizing the contents.  The main meal is steamed rice, tuna with mayonnaise, peas and tomato slices.  It was incredibly easy to prepare with zero cooking skills required.   I must say that even if you are still working from home, lunching from a thoughtfully prepared bento box will guarantee to put a smile on your face.

The Weekly Roundup Netflix Bingeworthy La Roche Posay Takenaka Bento Bowls Lockdown Edition

How are you, my friends?  I do hope you are not just surviving but finding a way to thrive during this new normal.  I think we are all discovering new ways to fill our spare time at home.  My love affair with Netflix has ebbed and flowed over time.  There is a huge array on offer but that means it takes a fair amount of sleuthing to sort out the gems.  I've had a soft spot for Scandi noir ever since watching "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" trilogy and my search on Netflix dug up "The Valhalla Murders."

I binge watched this series from Iceland with glee.  Yes, a grim murder mystery might seem like strange viewing right now but the stunning shots of Iceland in Winter and the plot twists and turns were exactly what I needed.  It wasn't on the same level as "The Bridge" but it definitely came close.

I ordered this bento bowl by Takenaka from Chapters.  It has two compartments and has locking clips on the side of the lid.  Yes, lunchboxes and the like aren't really in high demand right now but hear me out.  It is BPA and lead free, made in Japan  so it is a bona fide bento bowl and the bowl without the lid is microwave and dishwasher safe.  It really isn't that easy finding containers that are made in a "reputable country" without paying a premium price tag.  This will be going to a family member who relies on junky restaurant takeout containers for storing her leftovers and has a birthday coming up.  The 50% off price tag made it an easy decision.  My order arrived within a few days which was a surprise as I have heard of very long delivery schedules from the likes of Amazon and Sephora.

I picked up this sunblock SPF 50 by La Roche-Posay at Shoppers.  Father's Day is coming up and mine lives in Nevada.  Even though he has been sheltering in place for months, he does have a back yard.  The Anthelios XL SPF 50 cream comes with a free 50 ml tube which makes it a really good value.  I always find men, especially when they are your aging parent, incredibly difficult to shop for.  They are at an age when they don't really need or want anything.  I do find that simple practical things tend to go down the best.

What have you been doing at home these days?

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LBH February Favourites: Batch Cooking with the Instant Pot, Takenaka Bento Box, NYX Stockholm Palette

With a full time job and a painfully long commute, organizing my free time is more important than ever.  Monsieur bought an Instant Pot a few months back and it languished in a corner of the dining room for weeks while we debated whether or not we had morphed into one of those people endlessly raving about the advantages of a slow cooker.

BUT...this is not your grandma's slow cooker.  Oh no!  It's a pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, saute, steamer, and warmer.  It even bakes cakes and boils eggs.  Batch cooking is a lifesaver if you are keen on menu planning and are pressed for time.  We've cooked a whole chicken in it and it was the tenderest juiciest chicken  we'd ever had.  Do you have an Instant Pot?  Suggestions on what to cook in it are welcome!

In days of yore, I used to buy my lunches.  Huge, heavy lunches caused my waistline to steadily creep outward, made me sleepy and was unkind to my wallet.  Now I am determined to bring packed lunches  to work.  I'm obsessed with my bento box.

I really didn't want a bento box that was covered in pictures of Hello Kitty (although I love Hello Kitty) and this white one from Takenaka fits the bill to a minimalist "T".  It has two tiers and the lid clips everything together.

It even comes with a fork.  Packing a healthy lunch is a breeze and opening up my bento box at lunchtime is like opening a present to myself every day.

Last but not least is the NYX Stockholm palette.  I have mentioned this in a previous post but it really has become a firm favourite of mine.   NYX brought out a range of palettes named after various cities around the world and the Stockholm palette caught my eye immediately.

The warm toned colours really suit my skin.  I don't experience any fallout and they are longlasting.  The palette even comes with a matte lip cream.  The lip cream has a doe foot applicator.  There is a strong vanilla scent which I don't mind at all.  It isn't particularly longwearing and my lips do feel a bit dry after awhile but I like the rose nude shade a lot.  The inclusion of a lippie and the incredibly affordable price point makes this palette a winner in my book.  Have you tried any other NYX city palettes?

That's it for February!  I can't believe we are now into March as it snowed a few days ago.  I am already thinking about my Spring Capsule Wardrobe and can't wait to pack away my winter woollies and bring out lighter clothes.  What about you?  Are you experiencing cabin fever like me?

This is not a sponsored post.