On the first day of school reopen, I decided to prepared something quick as I was afraid I might got caught up in the morning traffic.  I decided to used the alpha cutters which I bought moons ago.

I hardly get to used the upper tray of this bento box cos they are too shallow and I have been wanting to prepare something like this for the longest time.  For the lower tray, I filled them up  with two slices of bread (again!).

Nothing go to waste in my house. *evil grin*

On another unrelated matter pertaining on Michael Jackson’s death. My 7 years old came home from school and told me this, “I think he put lipstick, then died.” Adoi mak, where on earth did he get that idea.

And for my 9 years old, I showed her some video clips of Michael Jackson and she goes, “HE LOOKS LIKE A GIRL!”…  “HE IS SO UGLY!” Sorry about that MJ.  I did explained to her why he become like ‘that’. Told her about black turning white, about plastic surgery, what is side effect, etc.  But she still goes, “BUT I can’t believe it, HE IS SO UGLY!” I think she doesn’t like how MJ looks like but she love the song “We Are The World” since she was a child.  Then I thought maybe I should show her some ‘nicer’ pictures of MJ in the 80s.  Too bad the video cards on the laptop decided to do the ‘Michael Jackson’ too.  Wrong timing.

Top:  Grilled Teriyaki Salmon, blanched Choi Sum cut flower, soup boiled for 3 hours with  black chicken, lotus root and chinese herbs.
Bottom:  Rice with black sesame seeds, seedless guava with sem buoi (sour plum) and fresh Lychee.

My recipe for the teriyaki marinate – Dark soya sauce, light soya sauce, dash of pepper and honey.  This dish is a big hit among my kids whenever I cook them.  Thin slices of salmon fillet grill on high heat on the pan.  Save the gravy as drizzle for the rice and the kids will go yum, yum, yum!

(Sorry, close up picture was a bit blurry due to tummy growling and kids fighting over who-gets-the-bigger-piece) o.O

Bento #85

Top:  Buttered corn with Hello Kitty fishcake, star shaped chicken nuggets.
Bottom:  Grapes, carrot sticks with ketchup as dip for nuggets and carrot.

Fyi, school canteen is selling nuggets at RM1.00 for 2 pieces.  I think that is so freaking expensive!  The next day the kiasu me went and bought a big packet of nuggets too. *ngek, ngek, ngek*

Many Mummies out there was wondering where I bought the Hello Kitty fishcake from.  My current stock is all from Takashimaya Singapore.  The last time I was in Singapore, I sapu about 5 packets of it.  Of late, I saw the same thing selling in Mid Valley Jusco (the entrance where you will see a pool furniture umbrella).  They are hot selling stuff.  Whenever you are there, just take a peep.  I’m sure by luck you may chance upon it.  Price was S$6.90 or RM12.90.

Bento #86

Left to right:  Wholemeal mantou with cut-out cheeses, stuffed kamaboko and crappy-looking-vampire-eyes kamaboko.  Fruits – checkered apple.

I kinda cheat in this bento.  The chicken rice was tapau from shop for our dinner.  I know, they don’t look so appetizing in the picture.   It is not easy being a mother sometimes.   The youngest is also shouting for attention even though she is the type that is not fond of food.  But give her chicken rice anytime, she will gobble down her food in seconds … and because I told her, “No treats for you if you don’t finish your dinner.”

Mixture of healthy and unhealthy treats.  The Japanese doll is coated peanut for the head and rice crackers for the body, cherry tomatoes, gummy candy and the black one is prunes.  She love asam-asam (pickles) very much and I think she learn how to eat them from her previous babysitter.

How I wish someone warned me earlier that this Hello Kitty crust cutter is a little bit too small for our local Gardenia bread size.  The only time I get to use the cutter is when my eldest Sister bake me some home bake bread.  Nevertheless, they are very cute.

Left to right:  Wholemeal mantou, carrot stick with kewpie mayo in blue side dish and checkered apple.
Bottom:  Cream cheese spread on home bake wholemeal bread.

We don’t get to use this two tier bento box very often.  Usually we just utilised the bottom tier but it sure comes handy today.  Sometimes owing two tier compartment box give us the flexibility.  You decide when you want to use them separately and when to use them whole.  Same concept as the portable laundry hamper.

Some of the weekdays when it rains and I can’t get down from the car to tapau (pack) for the kids, we will have instant noodle.  Instant noodle are not exactly unhealthy. I always make a point to obsolete the seasoning by replacing it with ketchup and dark soya sauce.  Kids love it this way.

On closer look:

My usual way is to crack an egg to the boiling water but this time, I did a sunny side up.

Just pop the Unagi that I bought from Jusco for a quick 2mins in the microwave and I’m done with my meal.

Lately I got the hang of stuffing my kamaboko with Japanese cucumber. You should try them. The cold and refreshing cucumber balance up the savoury taste of kamaboko.

Just incase if you still think serving instant noodle to kids is not a good idea, how about if I throw in a cultured drink?  And that two slices of sweet and pesticide free home grown mango?  Will that change your perception?

Dinner has been fun these few weeks with kids looking forward to eat from the bento tray.  And now they will ask, “who’s turn today?”  So it’s Di-di turn today!

Lately, I realised that yee mee has been the most favourite noodle with my kids.  Not late to found out.  And fish paste is one of my favourite food.

We had this meal on a weekday and I took less than 20mins to get this done. In the morning before I left for work, I boiled anchovies  soup and leave them in the thermal pot.

In the evening, I discard the anchovies, drop in kamaboko and crabsticks, remove them, shape or scoop with spoon the fish paste in the stock, crack an egg or two, lastly the yee mee.  Kautim!

In between cooking or while waiting for the stock to boil, I stuff some japanese cucumber in the kamaboko, arrange the crab stick, etc.

Dessert, we had plum and mangoes from the neighbour’s tree. Fully organic and no pesticide at all. Waitaminute,  they don’t even put any fertiliser.  How can it be organic?   I bump into the Husband while he was plucking mangoes from his tree.  Since already face-to-face, I can’t just walk off right? Have to strike a conversation lor.  So I go, “Wah, your tree bear so many fruits.  One of the day you must climb up and pluck all the mangoes or else later the bees will sting on it or eaten by crow (wtf, crow eat mango meh?) then very wasted.” He just smile and ya-ya at me and before I go in to my house, he gave me a plastic bag full of mangoes!  Muahahaha!

The Prince had 2nd helping of Yee Mee.  The bowl is kinda small.  Maybe I should look for a slightly bigger size.  Good to the last drop.  It sure makes me happy when they enjoy the meal I cook.  I don’t usually cook dinner on a weekday but when I do, the kids is the most happiest lot.

Daddy bought a Japanese lacquerware tray during his recent flight transit in Hong Kong.  I was more than happy to have another gadget added to my already bento mania collection.  Without wasting any time, I started using them the very next day.  I’m not sure how kids (I have three children!) will react when they see meals serving in the lacquer tray but only one of them will get to have them .  And of course, this means that the Mummy will have to be bias   .

So…… I pick………. Jie Jie.  Reason is because she always give way to her younger siblings and I didn’t want her to think that I have not love her enough.

And guess what happen to Di-di?  He was freating and refuse to eat his dinner.  He wants the bento tray too.   I have to pacify and coax him.    I promised him every one will get a chance to eat from the tray. And he still refuse to eat .  Now you know why sometimes I have to spoon feed a 7 years old!  >.<

Closeup on the dishes:

Pan grilled Fish Fillet with other grilled vegetables like baby corn, japanese cucumber and tomato.  Foreground is wakame.

Steam Organic tofu with bonito flakes and a dash of seaweed powder

Seaweed soup with egg drizzle.

Dessert consist of plum and a slice of apple.

If you remember a while ago I baked some cupcake during eldest Princess  9th Birthday.  Along with the paper mould, I have some of them baked using the silicon cup so that the kids can have them for their next day bento.  All I have to do in the morning is to pipe some cream cheese on it, sprinkle some Thousand and Hundred and perfected it with a candy heart.

In the evening, Princess came home from school asking for more cupcakes.  Whoa!  Didn’t know it was a big hit!  Guess I’ll be baking cupcakes more often from now on.

Left:  Checkered apple (I used Fuji apple as Rose apple is out of season)
Right:  (what you see) Grilled sausages, edamane & narutomaki (kamaboko) aka fishcake
(what you can’t see)  Nissin noddle at the bottom.

I love my Lock & Lock container.  When I am in the mood for neat arrangement and dislike cutting food into odd shape for decoration purposes, this is when I turned to my faithful Lock & Lock.