avocado banh mi bento

Hi guys! Yep, I'm back on the bento bandwagon...one for tomorrow's lunch featuring a grilled pork banh mi from Lee's Noodle House in Santa Rosa. I added avocado to the banh mi and tied it with chives; a colorful Vietnamese sweet, apricot, bean sprouts and lots of basil round out the bento.

We checked out Lee's Noodle House this evening and enjoyed its casual, bright feel...really liked the grilled beef and shrimp over vermicelli: 



Afterwards, a visit to Mekong Market on Sebastopol Road--what a find! Super fresh Asian herbs for a dollar a bag and other well-priced goodies mean we'll be back frequently...



Everyday divinity...

Here we are outside the market in early twilight

Yesterday we drove to beautiful and refreshing Bodega Bay for wind, deep blue water and waterbirds...I'm thrilled to be about 35 minutes away from vistas like this.

Have a great Thursday, friends!













california cottage bento

Hi everyone! Its been ages since my last post, how are things? In the weeks since my last post, we drove across the U.S. and have arrived at our new town of Santa Rosa, California. As we look for a home, we are staying in a really darling cottage that abounds in flowers and the sound of birds (including baby birds)...exploring the town and countryside...with occasional jaunts to the coast (San Francisco this weekend, perhaps!)

On Sunday we visited the Luther Burbank Home and Garden in downtown Santa Rosa--look at this amazing pink poppy:

The bento contains three types of locally grown lettuce from beautiful Oak Hill Farm, a slice of artichoke cheese tart, French baby breakfast radish and a sweet apricot...images from the farm:

Have a great rest of the day and I'll be posting much more frequently from here on out!