pink watermelon bento

 

Today's bento for a summery warm afternoon features watermelon "flowers", Thai basil duck, red cabbage with chili oil, green methi leaves...and a purple sweet potato kitty (many thanks to a sweet bento pal--I love this new cutter!) and mini musubi, one with fresh basil, the other lavender tinted with a magical pastel furikake sent by another sweet bento buddy (many thanks, you know who!).

Some interesting okra with deep burgundy skin from the farmer's market, cherries and garden flowers, including my favorite pink rose also inside the magewappa.

This amazing hydrangea is blooming in a friend's garden...I've been enjoying its ever-changing play of violet, lavender, ivory and green tints this week:

 

Happy Thursday afternoon!

mini musubi bento

Hi bento friends! We had a fun weekend, how about you? To start this post, here's Monday's bento, inspired by Debra's beautiful Sampler Bento Box. Her lovely mini-musubi really intrigued me and prompted musings about possible variations on this theme...

So, from the top left, a mini musubi filled with avocado and topped with grilled eel, the next is filled with baby teriyaki octopus and has ume nameshi, pickled ginger and a punched nori decoration, middle tier has ginger salmon salad inside, rolled in ebi fumi furikake and an avocado filled version topped with pink and yellow radish pickles.

Farmer's market cherries and a ripe apricot added for juicy sweetness...

Speaking of the farmer's market, images from this Saturday: fresh garlic and garlic "scapes":

 

Perfectly ripe and delicate raspberries:

 

And cherries...

Pretty plants for sale...

 

This adorable puppy was relaxing in the crafts section of the market:

Walking home, there was a splendid blue-violet hydrangea:

 

We went into D.C. today, drawn back to the French buffet at the National Gallery...it was even tastier this time! I ate a huge amount of ratatouille...yum!

 

As a cold front moved in, storm clouds gathered...

By early evening, the storm had passed, revealing a brilliant blue sky...

 

 And rain-nourished flowers...

Have a lovely week ahead, bento pals!

a sweet morning in alexandria

Some images from an early morning walk in Alexandria featuring a visit to Buzz bakery/cafe, June flowers in bloom, and a breakfasting squirrel:

 

 

Incredible fresh strawberry tarts and banana chocolate bread pudding:

 

 

 

 

 

Nom nom....

 

Today's bento:

Along with roasted carrots, baby greens and sprouts we have furikake and mayo fish (inspired by versions in sherimiya's wonderful bentos) and bright citrus and kiwi slices...

I'm looking forward to the weekend...how about you guys?