OK so this post isn’t about crafty things so much, but perhaps some of my favorite things. If you know me personally, you know that I like little cutesy things, and I love containers of all shapes and sizes. And naturally, it was just a matter of time that I got my hands on bento boxes.

The thing with bento boxes – not only are they uber cute, but they are great with portion sizes. And when I pack a lunch, I know I am eating something healthy and in the right serving size. And it just makes packing a lunch that much more fun. =) So here are a couple of bento items I use the most:

This was among the first containers I ever purchased. I got them in college and I have used them for nearly 10 years. I still use them. I love how I can fit dry cereal or snacks in the Goldfish container, and I can pack a sandwich in the Wonderbread container, and know that it won’t get squished.

And then I got this super cute pink bento box – it’s got several layers, dividers, and chopsticks on top. I use this a lot when I’m packing rice, leftover stirfry, etc. The dividers are great so I can separate my meats from my veggies and whatnot.

Lastly, this is my absolute FAVORITE bento box set up ever!! It’s Totoro!

I love the zipped bag it comes in, and it fits everything in perfectly.

Here are the actual bento containers – a small thermos, two little plastic containers, and a fork + fork case.

I purchased a separate pair of chopsticks (in Totoro of course!) to go along with this set:

It’s perfect!!

* * * * *

And since I’m talking about cute things, I can show you some onesies I put together recently. It’s not terribly crafty, since I purchased the iron-ons as is (they were on sale at Joanns!), but they were awfully cute.

Here are some of my favorite ones:

Can you tell by the colors what the baby’s gender will be? =)

Wow where did April go?? Time is going scary fast right now. And yes, I’ve been busy with a couple things as of late ~

In the kitchen:
Apple squares! (Recipe here) They are sort of a cross between apple cake but denser… sort of like brownies, but instead of chocolate, apples + walnuts instead. They tasted GREAT straight from the oven, hot and moist and soft and dense!

* * * * *

On the needles:

Yes, getting my butt in gear to finish up my Owls Sweater. All I have left is to seam the armholes, block it, and contemplate whether or not to put the “eyes” buttons or not.

I don’t know if I’ll fit into this sweater, as I am already 6 months along with a tummy to match, but even if I don’t, that’s OK. Maybe I’ll fit into it in the fall, when things (hopefully) shrink back..? We’ll see.

* * * * *

An attempt at a new craft:
OK so this project I’m a little embarrassed about. This is a scrapbook that I attempted almost 2 years ago, and it was intended for a friend as a bridal shower gift. Well, this friend is now married a year a half already. Yes, embarrassing. But better late than never, right?

But I do have to admit, from this experience, I learned that I am NOT a scrapbooker. This craft is not my style. It’s too open-ended for me. An empty page scares me a bit. I’m more comfortable with crafts that give me guidance and instruction, rather than just an open canvas.

Sorry for the long absence!! I don’t think I’ve been absent from my blog (or my crafts) for that long of a period! I appreciated the emails and notes from friends checking up on me, they were very sweet. Life sometimes just happens, and sometimes happens in a big way. But I’m glad to be back. =)

And I AM back to knitting. I’m halfway through with my owls sweater. And I’m finally back to cooking. (Poor hubby was on his own in the kitchen for several months. He was a good sport about it.) AND I finally picked up my camera for the first time in MONTHS!! It felt so good to be inspired again. I hope to pick up on my jewelry and sewing soon too.

In the meantime, here are some snapshots of a simple pork rib soup (Chinese style) that I whipped up last weekend.

(With noodles and spinach)

It was a really easy soup to do. Here were the ingredients:

Recipe found here: Chinese Pork Rib Soup
I used light soy sauce (less sodium) and 4-5 cups of water. And voila! A homey simple meal. The meat was really tender, and the broth was really good! I’m definitely keeping this recipe.

And then just because I couldn’t resist, a random shot of Costco pizza from the weekend. (I was on a pizza craving for awhile, so these things really excited me.) =)