This bento for Jan included sticky rice, curry, beets, shoyu tamago somewhat beaten up in the peeling process, carrots, tomato, dill pickle slices, and (Ta-Da!!) strawberry chocolates from Germany.
These were an impulse purchase at the checkout line in the ritzier grocery store in my neighborhood, a store I try to avoid because:
(a) it is frequented by senior citizens who drive around randomly in the parking lot with murder on their minds;
(b) It is pricey;
(c) I am worried about it because the owners invested so heavily in becoming 'upscale' on their last remodel that I smell fear on the managers who walk around smiling and greeting customers.
BUT they do have some good stuff and I highly recommend these Casali Schoko-Erdbeeren which are "extra-fruchtig mit Erdbeerstuckchen: "Extra-fruity with little pieces of strawberry". Claim confirmed! They have real lumps of strawberry inside.
German candy especially chocolate is so good. In fact (random story alert!):
I hosted a German exchange student, high school level, once for a month. On his first night in my house this young man emerged from his room bearing a big bag of mixed candies: chocolates, gummies, mints, etc. He handed it to me proudly saying,
"My mother sends this to you - she says candy in the U.S. is terrible!"
This was my first little inkling that our guest was going to be very honest.
His honesty continued throughout the visit.
"This soup is very bad! I'll have my mother send you some recipes." His way of saying these things was so frank and so innocent that it was impossible to get mad.
"You aren't such the housekeeper, are you?"
"Didn't you sleep well? You look all...beaten up."
I was making a little video about my horse, and he was allowed to use my computer and viewed it.
"Your movie is so emotion, it makes me want to vomit!" That was just about over the line, but even that didn't cause me to explode at him. That required this comment:
"Your son is very...irritable."
