Strollerderby

those are ridiculous.

Fun for once in a while but only as a treat--not for everyday!

This woman is clearly an anime fan so the fascination with Japanese culture--including the more extreme pastimes like making artwork out of food--is inevitable, if not totally understandable.

In Japan this is a HUGE competitive thing between mothers, so much so that at least anthropologists have written articles about it (and, since they're American, shamefacedly admit their own failings at it).

All that pink stuff--the flowers and most of the face and body parts--is fish paste, which doesn't count as food in my book.  Rubbery, tasteless and overprocessed.  Bleh.  Wall-E's neck and arms are made of konnyaku, also rubbery and without any real flavor. Also, nori seaweed (anything that's green) gets chewy and soggy when it's wrapped around damp things like rice for more than 15 minutes. And everything's cold!  Who wants cold eggs and rice?

I bet this kid would be thrilled with a sandwich and some carrots and some cookies.  Who's Anna the Red really doing this for, hm?

I live in Japan and make cute lunches for my kids almost every day. It isn't that hard or time consuming if you have the right tools and know what you are doing.  I will admit that these are a little over the top though.  

Neither I nor any of the other moms I know make lunches like this every single day, but there are cute things and special touches added in along with plain regular food. The kids love it.  It makes them feel special in a "look what Mommy made for me!" way and helps get them to eat healthy stuff they otherwise might reject.

I really don't understand why you can't have both style and substance as the writer put it. Doesn't everyone enjoy eating food more when it is comes with a nice, or for kids cute, presentation?

And why all the hostility about it by some people commenting?  It isn't your time or lunch so why do you care what Anna The Red does or doesn't do?  

These are totally cool!  Sherry, I'm with you in re the hostility.  Maybe it's because all they can muster is throwing a Lunchable in their kids' backpacks...

@Ev: i read her boyfriends blog awhile back, i think she makes them for him.

I love them!  They look so healthy.  Much healthier than a processed meat snadwich and sugary cookies.  I love fish cake and seaweed, full of vitamins and no fat.  I wish I were this talented.  It is almost like putting a note in your child's lunchbox saying they are special.