Up to Lots of Stuff! Kanzashi & Bento!

Wow! It's been a busy week - but I've still been crafting and cooking, and wanted to share a little of both! I finally took the plunge and started a kanzashi that's not cotton!

I made a cotton iris a few days before this project, and hubby & I decided it would be perfect to make one as a pin for my grandmother (as a Christmas gift). I decided I was going to try hand-dying the one I'm making for her, to make it extra special. So, here's the petals pinned and in their rice glue setting (you can see a second gift-in-process in the upper corner). To dye, I watered down acryllic paint (which hubby & I have MORE than enough of) and applied with a paintbrush. I haven't put it together yet due to a combination of being busy and needing a smaller gauge floral wire.

Also, up in Wisconsin it's been cooling off quickly - and I've been craving every warm and filling comfort food in the world! I've been making lots of pasta, curry and even cabbage soup! However, I did get around to one of my fall favorites - Russian Fluff. That's it (with the tomatoes on in) in the hubby's bento.
Anyway, I thought it would be worth the time to share Mom's recipe. I'm guessing on the ingredient amounts, since the recipe I have doesn't have them.

Russian Fluff
Ingredients:
6 serving sizes Minute Rice OR 2C. regular rice
1lb. hamburger
1 can peas
1 can tomaotes
2tsp. onion powder
1tsp Lawry's seasoned salt
Pepper to taste

Make rice
While rice is cooking brown hamburger with onion powder, seasoned salt and pepper
When browned add tomaotes - smash if whole (I used a 4C. bag of frozen tomatoes and drained off the extra juice!)
Put into casserole and add can of peas(drained) and rice (when finished cooking)
Bake covered at 375degrees for 1 hour

This packed GREAT in bentos - I just heated it in the microwave for about a minute before packing. However, make sure you pack a fork - it's very difficult to eat with chopsticks!