Bento No.20, Putting birthday presents to good use!

Yesterday was my birthday. My day was nice, but had too much work in it to feel like a real birthday! I got some lovely presents though, and despite being ill my lovely boyfriend did his best to spoil me rotten! As well as some other bits, he gave me a super super cute panda onigiri maker that I've been coveting for weeks, but had decided it was too expensive to justify. Things like that are the best presents! 

Sooooo cute *^-^*

My Mum sent me a parcel full of British things, everything from postcards of my hometown to liquorice allsorts to a union jack bag. Most ridiculously, she sent me a block of cheese! Japanese cheese is either expensive and really awful, or really REALLY expensive. So this is the first time in 7 months that I've had cheese that tastes of something. I just munched a couple of slices straight out of the packet, and cheese on toast is on the menu this week!

John had a really late night at work today, so I used my cheese and my panda onigiri makers to make a couple of cute bentos for dinner. Of all my bentos so far, I'm proudest of these. I think I got the balance between cute, tasty, healthy and portable just right. Hurrah! 

Johns was based on Date Masamune. He was the founder of Sendai (the city we live near), and a common modern emblem of him has his head shaped like an onigiri (see here). I don't know why, but I do know that I have been dying to make a real Masamune onigiri for months! I needed cheese to make a good crown though, and so when I opened Mum's parcel, I knew what my first project would be! 

Clockwise from top left:

2 Date Masamune onigiri with cheese and nori decoration

Cherry tomatoes

Spicy Mushrooms

Yellow pick used as a 'sword' (because apparently boys will be boys, and since Masamune was a warrior, he has to have a sword. Psssht.)

Leftover salmon and tuna sashimi

Tamagoyaki

Avocado

My bento was almost idential, except for the cucumber instead of avocado, and cute pandas instead of "scary" warriors! 

Smiley panda picks, with their big panda brother smiling down on them. Happiness reigns!