A New Found Flavor

Ron and I have discovered a secret that many may know, but may not have used it's mighty powers. I'm talking about BENTO! Bento is a Japanese lunchbox, filled with rice, meat, and various veggie goodies rather than the sandwiches, Oreos, and apple drink that we have in the States. Since this discovery, Ron and I have been dining on skipped breakfasts, instant noodles, bread snacks, and 10pm dinners. (you know, college diet) We have not felt very good about ourselves. But lo and behold at our local bookstore I found かんたん弁当　（easy bento) and that's where our story begins.

This week was the mock trial of this new found power. On Sunday, we cooked from 6 to 9, trying to cook for the entire week. We shopped and bought three times the amount of food we usually buy, and buy the time we were finished with cooking, our refrigerator was filled with chicken, macaroni salad, spinach, and steamed veggies, rather than ketchup and miso paste. Day 1 to 4 of the trial has been a success. Every morning I now wake up 10 minutes earlier to prepare my bento, and make a quick breakfast. I now have energy from when I get to work to when the lunch bell rings. Instead of slurping my instant noodles and still feeling hungry, I'll eat my bento and be full with half. I eat the rest at Ron's work and by the time we get home, we're not hungry, but nosh on a little bit of rice and the yummy Japanese toppings that we have. On top of everything, walking has been the main mode of transportation since I've learned that ice and bicycles don't mix (see previous blog). So in a day, we can get about an hour of walking. I think through this experience, we are starting to understand the power force that is behind the Japanese structure and why 80 year old grandmas can still walk faster than me.