Well, it's official...I'm moving back home. The budget cuts at school have eliminated my position, and the job at a surrounding county fell through at the last moment. Despite promising me the job, the board felt it was in their community's best interest to look for and hire a local for the position. I can't fully blame them. This recession IS taking a toll on a lot of families, and they want to look out for their own. However, it would have been nice to know this information before I was offered the job and informed two other schools I had accepted another position. :sigh:

Oh well, water under the bridge.

On a bento note, I've decided to sell all of my plastic boxes. Well, most of them. I still have the Zojirushi and Lock and Lock bento box, but the rest are going on ebay. I just don't use them anymore, having found and prefer my wooden bento boxes. I've never been good at kawaii or artsy bento, and the wooden ones suit my more formal and somber designs. This is going to be a HUGE auction as my collection spans several years and includes hundreds of dollars worth of boxes, bags, and accessories. I'll just be glad to have the extra space and know that they'll help someone else start their bento collection. If the auction gets too pricey, I'd even suggest going in with a friend or two and then splitting the boxes up between you. I'd really prefer the buyer to be a bento fan and not just a bulk reseller, however, I'll have to go with whoever wins the auction. If you're bidding...I wish you luck and hope you win.

Almost all of these boxes have been used once or twice by me and the pictures posted on this journal...feel free to browse the archives in order to get a better picture of each individual box.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=110394168532

Today's bento was a hit! A delicious szechuan stirfy I made from a Cook Do ready-made seasoning mix. All I did was add shrimp and some onions. Of course, it helped that I know a local seafood place that has some lovely wild-caught jumbo shrimp that are just divine if a little costly.



All packed away snugly in my new bento bag...which I believe is the cutest one I've ever purchased and a definite new favorite. It fits the square usagi bento box perfectly and the little applique rabbit design is too cute for words.



And since today seemed to be a celebration of new additions...I thought I'd show off my latest set of hashi. Chopsticks to go. Aren't they just darling? I've alway had the worst problems with finding chopsticks small enough to fit into my bento bags without being too small to use. While the occasional bag will allow for a case or two to be tucked away smartly, most look out of place sticking out at odd angles from an otherwise nicely coiffed bag, so these are just ideal. When not in use, they neatly nest within each other until they are little more than the size of a small pen. When assembled, they fill out to full size and are sturdy with hardwood tips for those who don't like the slippery grip of metal chopsticks.

Coffee cup to show size scale only.