The Bread Story

When come to preparation of bread, I tried to keep them as simple as possible preferably without using the cookie cutter if I can. One will have to be very creative and imaginative in presentation to impress the child.

Bento Mania #23

My usual way will be cutting up criss-cross forming triangle shape. You will be thinking that I’ve threw away the crust from the bread. But you are wrong. In this photoshoot, the one with crust was hidden under the first layer. Nothing go to waste this way as the kids doesn’t mind eating the crust too.

The kids heart peanut butter jelly sandwich very much. My usual brand is always Smuckers Gobber but the price has shot up lately. To stick to my frugal living list, I bought a different brand instead. Wanna take a guess? They tasted the same anyway.

Bento Mania #24

I make a big omelet with sausages tho scramble would taste better but knowing kids can’t handle scramble egg very well as the eggs will tend to drop off while eating. Messy, messy! Come to think of it, I shouldn’t have pack Milo and a choco bar since both of them are choco. *pfft* Nevermind. Anyway, there is some rice puff in the choco bar.

That’s all for the bread story.

Bento Mania #25

When I was too tired to wake up early, kids will have non-homecook meal but was prepared as home. So who say that is not counted *sticking out tongue*

Clock wise from top:

• Mini tarts with orange jam, strawberry jam and blueberry
• Mix nuts consist of almond, macadamia and pecan.
• Marshmallow
• Checkered apple again.

If you look at Bento Mania #20, that morning, I woke up superbly early so that I have enough time to prepare 5 bentos. No major cooking required except for the rice and the rest I just pop them into the microwave. Putting them together is the one consuming most time. I am sure you will agree with me on this.

The King’s Bento

I bought the unagi from Jaya Jusco Japanese food section. The small fish is a take-away when we dined at one of the Japanese restaurant. It is no ordinary fish. I tried to take a shot of the name with my iPhone but that crappy phone (like I told you guys long time ago) is just an ordinary phone. It has got no flash, no macro and no zoom. So the wordings is all blurred out and left me with a no-name-fish.

Now, what make the fish special is the roe. The whole fish is filled with nothing but roe. Not much flesh, no bones. Just simply roe! I even eat the head as they are so crispy.

The Queen’s Bento

After distributing all the unagis (Bento Mania #20), I left one last piece for myself. Being a Mummy we always have to sacrifice for the family. *sob, sob* The furikaki (triangle) is just nice to go with the fried boneless chicken drummet (top left). The only extra things on the King’s bento is the shreaded zucchini with mayonnaise that was included last minute as when I was arranging the food, there seem to be a extra space in the bento. Instead of leaving them empty, good thing I have always stock up greens in my fridge. And with the help from the silicon dish cup, I can include anything I like be it wet or dry.

So colourful! So nice!

I know the food is nothing to shout about. Simple stuff consist of animal biscuits that BIL bought for the kids from Singapore. Do you remember during your younger days we used to munch on the colourful sugar topping biscuits. This is exactly the same version but of animal shape this time (psst.. actually the animal doesn’t looks like an animal at all. Don’t know what creature. Of course we can tell a rabbit by looking at it’s ear.) Then we have some triangle oranges and sunflower seed chocolates for the sweet tooth.

I have ran out of small bento boxes hence the one in the picture is just some shallow container from Tupperware. I can assured you that there won’t be any room left after I put on the lid so you don’t have to worry if the sunflower seed will roll out from the dish cup. This is also another reason why I have so many different sizes of bento boxes to fit the quantity food I have. Just squeeze everybody in there, use a baran aka separator or side dish cup to separate your food from the dry and the wet. I find the silicon cup is very useful and I love using them so much. They can be bent and shaped anyway you like to make place for the others unlike those plastic dish cup.

I remember quite sometime ago, Eldest Princess told me her sunflower seed chocolates has turned soggy and sticks together because of the warm weather in the afternoon (her lunch break is at 3pm). This time, I had her bento box wrapped with insulating wrap. This is how they looks like:

The insulating wrap can be used for cold or hot food. This item is available in my Market Hall if you are interested to purchase them.

Another bento accessories that I love is the food pick. Beside using them as decorations, a food pick is nothing but a food pick. Cut your food into bite size pieces and the kids happily comping down their food.

What is this? No prize for guess it right tho. *sticking out tongue*

*pat, pat* Good girl. Good boy. I know you knew the answer. But to be precise, this is called a champagne grapes. What is the difference you might ask. The normal globe grapes is about the size of our 20 cents coin. But this champagne grapes is about the size of 10 grapes put together that formed a 20 cents coin. Don’t get what I mean?

Nah,

This is the actual size of champagne grapes. The first pic is a close up macro shot.

They are so small, so cute, so geram when I wanna eat them one by one. The little grapes fit in nicely in the bento box.

I bought the unagi (eel) from Jaya Jusco. In the morning, I just put them in the grill together with chicken nugget and salmon. Far right is peanut butter M&Ms. The size is even bigger than the champagne grapes. Awesome! Spot the silicon dish cup and also the plastic dish cup. They keep your food together in a place.  No more M&Ms rolling around in the bento box.  Most important thing, the dry food stay dry.

I have to too many backlog posting on my Bento. Here goes:

Bento Mania #17
Some of the days when I am too sleepy or have run out of food in the fridge OR sometimes when I am afraid kids will get bored eating ‘real’ food, I always have biscuits as back up.

Jacob’s strawberry-yogurt-sandwich biscuit. I HEARTS Pocky and even Rocky! Unfortunately I left the natural flavoured Vitagen in the fridge. Makes the picture looks a bit unattractive and bland.

Bento Mania #18

Carrot stick and yogurt as dip. Rolled processed ham with edamame in skew. 2 little rice biscuits (not easy to spot them) just in case the food is not fulling for the kids. But I doubt kids will sapu (wack) everything.

Bento Mania #19

Let’s rant a bit here. During the earlier days when Daughter brings bento to school, I used to ask her almost everyday the same question like did you finish your meal? Did your friends like them? (show off Mummy!) And she will go,

“My friend always steal my food.”
“Next time you don’t go canteen with that friend anymore.”
“I did not go with her. I put my bento box on the table and she just open it and steal my food.”
“Why did you leave them on the table?”
“I need to go and wash my hands ma.”
(Wah, my Daughter very discipline her. At home she don’t even bother to wash-her-hands-before-meal.) “Why don’t you ask your other friends to book the seat for you so that you can bring the bento box along with you.”

Cannot remember what is her reply liao la. So looks like I have added a new things to worry about her. Now I added a new question for her, “Did your friend steal your food today?” And she will say yes or so forth. After like 4 or 5 bento incident, one day I let her bring this bento:

When she came home, she told me her friend steal her mango. I was furious and really mad at that friend! Worst thing is, she (friend) did not finish the whole mango. She just bite the centre part (with all her teeth marks on it!) and return the whole piece to Daughter. I was so so furious when I see that. Good thing daughter did not threw away the half eaten mango if not I wouldn’t have know the whole scenario. I was so mad I told Daughter I am going to her school tomorrow and give her a tight SLAP! Say only la. I almost wanted to stop preparing bento for Daughter. The thought of her getting bullied really add on stress to my life and I fear for her safety too. I have read in other bento blog of the same bullying case. There is this school children out of jealousy went and spit in their friend’s lunch. This is too much!

Ok. Thanks for listening. My story finish already. Back to the bento. I did the ham sandwich previously. The only difference is the cucumber. This time I cut them in stripe and slot them in between the rolled ham. That way, the cucumber will not slide off when you bite on it. Just click on the link to see the difference la. Don’t know how to explain them in words. For the mango, the skin is still intact. The gummy bears is just a little reward for finishing their ‘real’ meal.  The mango is a bigger reward!  They kids really, really love mangoes.   I don’t even bother to buy papaya cos they won’t eat them anyway.

The pink 2 tier bento box is currently Daughter’s favourite box. All pinky and princessy. Girls are so fortunate sometimes.*rolling eye*

For Hubby and me, we had the wholemeal bread instead:

One biji (piece) of mango enough for the 2 kids. So Hubby and me had cherry tomatoes instead. Huhuhu!

I have few bento boxes that doesn’t come with a buckle or fastener. To put them together, I just used the rubber band on it. They looks very unattractive but I was too kiamsiap (stingy) to buy the Bento belt from eBay. They cost about US$3.00 + US$2.50 (shipping charges) = US$5.50. You just do your own calculation on the currency conversion. I know the money is from advertising but then they are still money right? Why do I want to spent on something that is so expensive yet I can find other alternative like maybe using the rubber band or make them myself.

So over the weekend, I spent about RM9 on some elastic belt and buttons and came up with my own homemade Bento band.

Not only I made one, I came up with 4 different sizes of bento belt.

Firstly, I made this for Hubby’s bento box. This is the first tier.

I did not stitch up the joint so that I have a space in between as the chopstick holder.

For double tier, I made a bigger belt.

With different buttons of course.

And then I saw a black ribbon laying in my sewing box. So I just add them on top. So vain can die!

For another bento box, let’s presume it is the girl’s bento box.

I had a purple Hello Kitty button on it. And the double tier:

… a little sunshine definitely brightens up my day!

For RM9, I am able to come up with 4 bento belt and there are lots of extra elastic band and buttons left. They are very easy to made. Just a little stitch will do.

p/s: If you are interested to purchase some Bento accessory like the toothpick, bento cup, rice mould, egg frying pan or rice seasoning, please visit my Market Hall. Cheers!

I was in a little bad luck this whole week but that didn’t put me down when finally I am able to see the money in my PayPal account has reached an amount equivalent to the Canon Speedlite 580EX II. Woot!  And because of that excitement, I’ve prepared a slightly heavy bento for the kids. Each of them brought home a piece of untouched chicken.  Wasting food only.  Must find a day to lecture the kids!

Instead of filling the house with smoky and oily smelly so early in the morning, I’ve decided to fry them the night before and the next morning, just pop them into the microwave.  That way, I do not have to rush in the morning too.  I just need to scramble an egg before emptying a can of bake beans into it.  In a separate pot, boiled a little water with salt and blanched the french beans and carrot sticks.

I did all that under five minutes but spent the next 20 minutes arranging the food and decorating them with punched nori sheet.  Oh, not forgetting taking pictures. *sticking out tongue*

p/s:  I am still excited thinking of the external flash. *snigger*

My new bento tools - an egg frying pan. Good thing the heart shape pan ran out of stock. If not, I would have been twenty ringgit poorer. I lugged home the star and a flower shape tho. They are good for sunny side up. Too bad the kids never like egg yolk. They just threw them away.

We are in a little spring theme today. Kids had a pandan flavoured mantou, blanched french beans with ham, sausage sandwich between 2 pieces of blanched carrot and an egg with ketchup. Look at the fast finger. Baby Princess had quick hands. She is totally nuts over ketchup and fresh tomatoes.

It is a drag to wake up at 6.30am everyday just to prepare the bento for kids. At times especially mid week when I really needed my beauty sleep, I’ll prepare some quick food for them. They had pandan swiss roll, puddings and cultured milk. There you go, the three basic nutrients - calcium, protein and carbohydrate in this simple meal.

I am still posting my bento from last week when the kids was still having their school term break holiday. We all had mini chicken ham burger while I had something extra i.e. egg salad (I heart chu!) with blanched broccoli and emperor pear.  The bread is about the size of a 8 y/o palm so they looks rather cute in actual.