BENTO #96

#2 had a discussion with me after school about how she was putting on weight with all the food I was packing for her. Good gracious! I thought that I was already 'under packing' her food!

Apparently that is not the case. She insisted that she's putting on weight. She is declaring this week a "Fruit and Vegetable" Bento week!!

She's involved with a musical which will be launched next week end and she's already been measured for her costume since April. "Mum, I can't afford to be squeezing into the costume if I've put on weight"! She retorts with a grim face!

What the heck! She's taller than I am and certainly much thinner than many young girls her age. *Screams in my head but grins at #2* (Mum gets into this chilling mode again). Okay, I'm not going to argue about weight issues with #2. I just need to deal with it more positively.

Sometimes, even #3 will pose in front of the mirror with her bulging belly and ask if she's considered FAT? *sigh*

I decided to make #2 a fruit salad this morning. I cut up bananas, golden kiwi, apple, orange and strawberries. I squeezed the juice out of an orange, added some honey and some lime juice. It was a lovely and refreshing combination.

The citrus juice helps to keep the fruits from turning brown and gives it a light and refreshing taste.

The Bento box on the right is filled with a croissant cut into three pieces and slathered with Nutella. This is for #3. There is a pack of NIPs, just in case she wants to eat more.

I'm going shopping for salads later.
(My kid's diet has just turned into that of a COW! Moo!)

BENTO #95

When I was planning #2's box yesterday, we agreed on Mac & Cheese. This morning when she came downstairs, she said that she wanted her Mac & Cheese hot. How in the world was I going to keep the Mac & Cheese hot other than using a flask and for a 9 year old it could get tricky to have to wrestle with the screw top of the different layers. After much haggling, we decided on Chipsmore chocolate chip cookies and a bar of Cloud 9 (courtesy of Grandma).

I didn't think it constituted a "Bento" so I didn't take a picture to post in my blog. #3 pouted the whole morning and felt unhappy. I explained to her that if she didn't start eating more varieties of food then I was not going to post about her "Bento" because basically it isn't one!

One could hear pin drop SILENCE in the car the whole way to school.

When I went to fetch #2 yesterday from school. The first thing she responded after I asked if she finished her food was that she wanted more of those 'delicious, juicy sausages'.

Every night before I go to sleep, I would sit at the dining table with my green file and start planning the next morning's Bento box content. I would first write out the different types of food I planned to prepare the next morning, etc. I would then draw out the two layer box and roughly draw or write out the content in its sections. For example, for the top layer box, I would draw a divider to half the box, write the name of the food item on one side and another food item on the other side.

I would only decide on the size of the silicon cups on the morning itself because I had to have a gauge of the quantity. Obviously, what I plan to pack has to be in stock.

Late last night when I got home, I checked my green file to make sure I had everything in order, I saw this message scribbled on some empty space.
"Mum, I want breakfast too, please. Thank you. #1".
It's obviously the sausages!!!!

This is #2's Bento box for today. Her daddy is taking her to the dentist at 11.30a.m. That means she has to leave early today. I half expected her to tell me that she didn't need a box but that obviously didn't happen.

In the left lower box, are strawberries again (she loves them). Some more sausages, cut and skewered for easy eating. In the right upper box is a simple supply of crisp bread and a wedge of Happy cow Salmon cheese. I fried some French beans with prawns for a change.

Look at the Close-Up!

Viola! Another day! Another Bento!!

BENTO #93 & #94

Last weekend has been back to back with activities. Good thing I planned ahead to purchase strawberries from the Curve. They bring them in from Cameron Highlands and it's cheap. RM11 for three boxes. Only thing is you need to make sure not all the boxes are ripe and ready to eat unless you can finish them in a day or two. I usually tell the stall owner to select some not so ripe ones so that they can keep the week.

#3 was busy going out with Grandma. I didn't have time to discuss her menu with her. What I did was order two sourdough bread from Wilson. He freshly baked them and when I went to collect them I was surprised that he had fashioned one 'plait' style. #3 was with me then, she gave a squeal of surprise and was happy beyond words. In the car, she asked if she could pinch a piece to try. She finished half the plait loaf!

She was very upset this morning to find that #2 and mum had finished the balance half while she was away gallivanting with Grandma. Oopps! I had to spend the morning cajoling her into a better mood.

Finally, we discussed on the spot the contents of her box. It was going to be Sourdough bread and the last balance of tuna. She asked if she could have the 'Mr. Potato crisps' that Grandma bought for her. I had to try maintain her improved mood this morning and I had to respond positively, so I said yes.

#3 was gleaming and was happily helping me to set the Bento boxes for photography. Hmmm...the things we mothers have to undergo with young children. Gosh! I'm just glad she's growing up real fast. Jewel as she is, some mornings she can be a pain for all the wrong reasons!

#3 doesn't eat vegetables or fruits other than apples. In fact she doesn't eat most foods. There is a slight improvement lately but it's still a long and tedious journey. She does like McDonalds fried chicken, fries and junk foods. Personally I don't encourage my kids to patronize the fast food outlets but occasionally, we find ourselves there because of convenience. *sigh*


#2 has a box of fruits galore this morning. I filled the right lower box with some salad leaves, lined them with orange slices and topped with lovely strawberries and longan (all peeled, where can one get so good service?).

In the left upper box, I fried some cocktail sausages and skewered them with the balance salad leaves. This is a treat because we've not had sausages for a long while. Read here to know why.

I added the the last two slices of Brandy laden fruit cake and a heart shaped hard boiled egg. She didn't want Shoyu so there is no sauce bottle.

There is an Oshibori box which I think they both can't do without now. I don't hear any complaints or whining and that's a good sign!



p/s I managed to purchase another few Oshibori boxes from the Curve when I was there.
*grins*