Bento 200

My 200th bento is quite nondescript! I wanted it to pass as quietly as possible.

I had a competition to commemorate my 100th! I contemplated on my purpose of bento and decided that my core reason is still about packing healthy and generally good tasting food for my kids.

Traffic, if it occurs then great, otherwise no issues either.

So, today like any other school day, I present to you "just another bento"!!

It's spaghetti with tomato sauce topped with some Parmesan cheese. Some onion alfalfa with some salad cream.

There are two pieces of Meiji Macadamia chocolates for treat and two sardine rolls in puff pastry which I made last night.

I had some young guests (#1's friends) come over to my house last night and I made these sardine rolls in a jiffy.

I used two pieces of ready made puff pastry.

Recipe for the sardine filling:
1 (large) can of sardines
1 yellow onion (chopped)
3 tbsp of chilly sauce
1 tbsp of fish curry powder
Juice from lemon - to taste
pepper and salt to taste

1. Cook the onions in some oil till soft and translucent.
2. Drain half the sardine sauce and pour the rest with the sardines into the pot.
3. Mash up the sardines and cook with the onions.
4. Add chilly sauce and curry powder, lemon juice, pepper and salt to taste.
5. Cook till it becomes thick and dry.

Cut up the ready made puff pastry into 9 pieces.
Spoon the cooked sardine onto the center of the cut up puff pastry and roll up, sealing with some egg wash.
Spread some egg wash on top of the sardine puff.
Use a fork and pierce some holes on top of the puff pastry.
Bake according to instructions on the back of the puff pastry package.
Enjoy!

Note: You can also use short crust pastry and it's just as delicious!

Bento 199

There was a lot of cutting involved this morning. The lower box had cut vegetables with a drizzle of sesame dressing topped with some carrot strips. There was a piece of fried fish for protein.


The top box had cut crab sticks, simmered shitake mushrooms and cut tamagoyaki. Lately, I've been packing bentos under 10 minutes! That gives me more time to sleep. Hehehe!


If you recognize the ingredients in the top box then you know that we had sushi over the weekend! *grins*

Bento 198

There was no need for any cooking this morning. It took me less than 5 minutes to put this together. #2's favorite Kiwi and some Malaysian tea-time favorite 'kuih dadar'.



I made a fresh batch of Ratatouille yesterday alongside cooking dinner and the whole pot went into the fridge.

I was grocery shopping yesterday with #3 and we found "Hainan bread" the ones they serve at coffee shops. It's being sold at Jusco now. #3 exclaimed loudly "Mummy, that's the bread I used to eat when I was younger right?" Yeah! I used to buy them at the wet market and so I bought a large loaf of it to reminiscence old times.....


The snack bento below was prepared for #1 yesterday for college. Her classes were in the afternoon and in a good mood and said yes to a snack bento. It's a promising beginning.


Some skinned grapes, home made chocolate chip cookies and 'kuih lapis'.

Ratatouille re-visited

When I wrote about bento 193, I also mentioned about cooking Ratatouille. I had used the recipe from the "Cooks Bible" which I bought for #2. Some people asked for the recipe but I couldn't publicly provide the recipe because of copyright issues.

I felt bad because I didn't want my readers to think that I was 'selfish' and didn't want to share the recipe. It wasn't 'my' recipe in the first place. Anyway to cut the long story short, I chanced on "Tartelette's Blog". She had just posted about her mum's Ratatouille recipe.

I just had to try it because it looked even better because of the Provencel herbs. If you don't already know, I love, love herbs! It's almost the same in terms of the ingredients except that I added some celery.

The herbs in her mum's recipe engulfed the whole kitchen and for a moment I thought I was in culinary nirvana. Honestly, the first time I cooked Ratatouille here, it was very good but when I tried Tartllette's recipe, it was more than AWESOME!

Below: My pot of fresh Ratatouille simmering to reduce the liquids.


Delicious! Delicious! Delicious!

I've signed up already, have you?

I'm casting my vote by turning off my switches on Saturday, 28th March 2009, 8.30p.m.-9.30p.m. Join me!

Bento 197

Last night I made Japchae. I've been wanting to experiment with this Korean dish for the longest time! I discovered Maangchi's Korean cooking blog late last year and have often visited and drooled over her cooking methods in YouTube.

I've watched Maangchi's Japchae's YouTube video so many times that I don't even need the recipe, it's all in my head and so is the way it's done!

The only reason why it took me so long to experiment was because I didn't have time to go search for Korean ingredients.

Last weekend when #2 and I were at 1U shopping for our ravioli ingredients at Cold Storage, we chanced upon the newly opened Lotte Malaysia. I read in the papers about it opening in 1U but didn't expect to see the Lotte shop itself already open for business.

In our excitement, we rushed in and picked up a couple of ingredients which I could remember from all the YouTube videos from Maangchi's Korean cooking blog. #2 picked up some biscuits, flavored seaweed and some deliciously sweet Fuji apples.

Today, I used the 700ml metal box to pack bento. There is a piece of sardine in tomato sauce (from the can) in a humongous silicon cup. In the other silicon cup is some Japchae which I put aside last night for today's bento.

I finally found a use for the 'insert'. I packed it with chocolate chip cookies (extra to share) and as a filler, I sliced some kyuri.

I had to use the humongous silicon cups so that when I close the lid, there will be less chances of leakage from the sardine in tomato sauce. The food isn't packed to the brim so it's really not packed to it's full capacity of 700 ml.

I did however, pack an overdose of Japchae!


This is #2's comment about the Japchae last night. "I have eaten this before in Korea. Tastes the same!" Whoot! *scores*

Maangchi's recipe is so easy to replicate and absolutely delicious! I left out the green onions and pepper because #2 doesn't like to eat it (the beef too) but it still was very delicious! Try it out, you will not regret it!


Disclaimer: I do not have any affiliations with any of the names mentioned above. Opinions are solely mine.

Bento 196

This new school year sees #3 staying back for extra-curricular activities on Wednesdays. That means I have to pack an extra box for lunch and it's often just spaghetti Aglio Olio.

Lately, #2 has asked not to have noodles in her box but in situations like these, there's no choice because I cannot be cooking so many different things to accommodate the different taste buds!

Today's box has fried fish again. There is some corn kernels (no dressing) and a twist of spaghetti Aglio Olio.


The two elder girls and I were craving for dessert last night so we took a quick drive down to Bangsar buy some Tiramisu, Pavlova and Cheese cake from "Alexis". This place sells awesome desserts and there was a piece of Cheese cake left over so I froze it in the freezer. I packed it into this morning's bento. Completed the box with some RED strawberries which I got from Curve.



Come to think of it, paying RM11 for three boxes of Cameron Highland strawberries just beats paying Rm11++ for ONE box of Korean strawberries!

Bento 195

This morning's bento was a quick-fix. I was dazzed by all the medicine and antibiotics I had consumed and forgot to plan bento last night.

I only remembered that I have frozen ravioli in the freezer.

Everybody was sleeping when I awoke and there was a frantic rush to hastily knock doors to awaken those who were supposed to be ready for school!

I had wanted to make a cheese sauce for the ravioli but there was no time so it was just cooked in salted boiling water and tossed in a dash of olive oil to avoid them sticking together. There was a quarter of a piece of fried fish and a tub of tatare sauce.

Fruits of the day was watermelon and there were asparagus spears to munch on.



Not much to say about a hastily put together bento! *Yawns*

Bento 194

Today's bento was packed at mid day because #2 and I went to see the doctors in the morning.

We're down with sore throats, flu and cough. #3 had it, but recovered, looks like #1 is also experiencing some tightness in the throat. Everyone in the house is having signs of a cough or something now!

I made a pledge to add a non plastic bento box before my 200th post and so here it is. It's a huge 700 ml box.

#2 requested for more fruits and ideally, this metal box packed in enough fruits. It was a good size for lots of fruits!

In it was persimmons and kiwi fruits - there was more than one in each silicon cup.

I finally found a box huge enough to use these humongous silicon cups which has been in my bento drawers since I opened them from their package. One contains alfalfa and some thinned down sesame seed dressing (added some plain yogurt). The other contained couscous and my freezer stash of Ratatouille.



The same things packed in a 480 ml box.



The Ratatouille tastes just as good if not better today! A couple of days back, #2's friends came over for group study and since all of them were abstaining from meat for Lent, I served them Ratatouille. Surprisingly enough they enjoyed it very much and one of the boys said that he was going to suggest to his mum to make it since it's meatless. Yummilicious!

Ravioli update

Saturday night was a busy night for #2 and I. We worked till past 11p.m. making ravioli. We've been talking and dreaming about making our own ravioli for a long while already but we've never had the time or the enthusiasm. After #2 found a ravioli recipe in her "Recipe keeper" which I bought her, she couldn't stop talking about it and so we went grocery shopping on Saturday afternoon.

I spent quite a tidy sum on the cheeses and ingredients! At one point I wondered if it was worth the effort to make rather than buy them from the supermarket? But this was an interesting experience!

We made the dough with freshly steamed spinach, strong flour, olive oil and eggs.


Rolled out the 'be-speckled' dough.

Putting the Ricotta and spinach filling onto the dough.


Covered the filling with another piece of dough.


The 'roughly' cut ravioli, waiting to dry out before putting into a container and into the freezer.


We boiled a few in salt water to try. The filling was excellent but I thought that the texture of the dough had a little too much 'bite' to it. It wasn't hard but what I have tasted in restaurants are more 'tender'. I was thinking that maybe I should use ordinary flour rather than strong flour? #2 said that maybe we should have rolled the dough even thinner. Honestly, it was already threatening to tear apart so I can't see how much thinner it could get. I think we'll give it another try and see how the dough turns out. The filling is just too good and I'm thinking that it probably makes a great dip too!!

Random

Yesterday, I browsed Pikkopots post on her 330th post on Goldilocks and the Three bears Bento. She's challenged bento packers to pledge a change, I quote - "Simply post a comment here with a pledge to replace one of the plastic items you use". You stand a chance to win a similar box which she used in her same post.

I left a comment on her blog and made a pledge, to add at least one non-plastic bento box before my 200th bento post!

I rummaged my store and found this shinning baby which has been sitting on the shelf for years waiting to be discovered! Finally thanks to Pikkopots and Life Without Plastic it will soon be filled with bento styled food.

This is a 700 ml box.


I was surprised when I saw the insert. It measured 200 ml. I thought that the box was empty! What a pleasant surprise.


It's only during the holidays that I have a chance to enjoy my garden. I saw this bloom and wanted to share it with you. I bought this plant at a Church jumble sale.



Another 3 blooms!


Isn't this just lovely?





#2 and I are making Ravioli from her "Recipe Keeper". Look out for my next post on Ravioli!

Bento 193

I made Ratatouille last night. I've only had this dish once and I liked it. The recipe in the "Cooks Bible" which I bought for #2 looked easy. I had all the ingredients and I started cooking after dinner.

All the vegetables were basically 'hard' vegetables and had to be cut into bite sizes. The brinjal or aubergines went under the knife first because it had to be sprinkled with salt and left aside for a while to allow it to soften.



Part of the time was spent cooking down the onions, garlic, aubergines and pepper, the rest of the vegetables, thyme and tomatoes were added halfway through. In total, preparation and cooking time, I took about one hour.

This was the result.


The Ratatouille was further flavored with salt and pepper. It's really got a wide mix of flavors and textures. The courgettes added a crunch to the Ratatouille, the peppers and celery gave it a pungent flavor, the aubergines were smoothly soft and the tomatoes added a tinge of sweet and sour taste. Quite a mouth full really.

The whole pot went into the fridge last night. I made Couscous to eat with the Ratatouille and it tasted so good. I know in Malaysia, many people don't know what Couscous is because our staple is rice and there's really no need for an alternative.

I think Couscous and Ratatouille is a perfect match for each other. One bland, and the other bursting with a wide mix of flavors! This was my lunch!

Some seedless grapes and a silicon cup of strawberry yogurt and a box of Couscous topped with Ratatouille.


Normally, I wouldn't pack yogurt with bentos to go but I ate this at home as soon as I packed it so it was still cool.

Something for my baby!

I think my kids will 'freak out' at me for calling them babies! "Sorry kids but even when you are 40 you'll still be my babies!!"

My second daughter has shown a keen interest in cooking, baking and even pickling (making pickles). She browses through my cook books and recipe books like she's taking some O level exam or something.

I'm one who will encourage every little bit of interest my children show in what ever they do. It could be decorating cup cakes, scrap booking, making of accessories, cooking, etc, etc.

In the case of #2, she has shown tremendous interest in cooking. She independently looks up recipes and cooks with minimal supervision.

I was in Bangsar today and visited my favorite book and craft store - cziplee. I found these two books quite interesting.

One is the "Cook's Bible" which is like an encyclopedia. I thought that it would serve as a great reference guide and hand book to nurture a young cook wannabe. The other book is a "recipe keeper" which have some tips and recipes and lots of blank pages to write her own favorite recipes. There are also some 'pockets' to keep loose recipe sheets too.


See, no plastic bag used again!


Tonight, we are trying out a recipe from the "Cook's Bible".




Look out for "Ratatouille" in tomorrow's post. #3 is so excited! She keeps chanting Ratatouille, Ratatouille, Ratatouille!! (like in the movie)


Disclaimer: I have no commercial affiliations with any of the names mentioned in this post.

Girls day out!

Emily, our Bento ranger is going back to work tomorrow! Some of us bento packers are now on holiday because school is out for a week.

Some of us found an excuse to take a 'bento tour' together!

Kel and her be-dimpled little girl, Sharon and her very cutesy, curly haired babylet and I met at "Souled Out" in Hartamas this morning. We scooted off to the 100 Yen store at Taman Desa to meet Emily.

This was a very calculated and constrained 'bento tour' because we reminded each other about not going over board!! All of us were 'very good', we bought household necessities and literally 'ignored' the bento accessories. Truth be told, we already had most of the items.

I bought a masking tape dispenser, some velcro to hold back the hair like a hair band and two other accessories for my god-son. The velcro which is packed in the blue and pink packing was a hit with my two elder girls. It's meant to hold the hair back for you to put make up or wash your face - cool invention - thanks Kel for recommending it!


All the bento accessories you see here were either swapped with Emily or given by her. The loose picks were given to me by Sharon. Thank you so much ladies!!


In the swap items I made with Emily, I packed a bottle of the same sesame seed dressing (picture below) which I use for my bentos. It used to come in a 200ml bottle, now it's in a 190ml bottle. Likely an economic decision to hold the price and reduce the content by TOPVALUE.

For those of you readers who have been asking about which brand of sesame seed dressing I've been posting about, this is it. In fact, the packaging has also been changed but it's the same content.

It's delicious with everything, pasta, salad, konyaku, dip for steam boat and lots of other variations.


No plastic bag used today. We all brought our own bags to keep our purchases.


We spent very little time in the 100 Yen stores because we were hungry.

When we arrived at Rosie's, (check out Emily's blog for details) we chatted non-stop, as expected with four women with the same interest! The two little girls spent time in the Rosie's restaurant garden blowing bubbles.

We ate and ate and ate from starters to salad, mains to dessert, from coffee and back for more desserts again! We couldn't breath or down anymore food and vowed we'd meet again, only next time we'll bring our own packed bentos (for a change) and draw lots to see who gets whose bento!

That way, Emily will have no chance to pick up the bill again! Thanks for the treat Em!

Yipee! A swell idea and something to look forward to.

Mini Quiches

Last Friday #2 helped me make mini quiches, posted from here - Maki's blog @ Just Bento. It was a guest post by jokergirl a.k.a. Were rabbits.

I used the Feta-and-tomato cheese filling and it turned out awesome. It was simple once you have all the ingredients! I trimmed all the bits and corners sticking out of the puff pastry so that the quiche would look tidy and able to be packed into a bento box.

I made 12 pieces and wanted to freeze them for bento packing. I heard #2 tell her elder sister "What bento? It's the holidays already, no need to keep for bento!"

She was telling #1 to keep eating while she was also stuffing her mouth with one more. By the time I got to the table there was these 3 quiche's left!!

Three guesses as to who finished these 3!!

Is this true? Please don't scare me!

This is not a bento post, but if it's true, it's important enough to blog about to warn mothers with young children about potential dangers.

My ten year old and my husband share the same shampoo. They have been using Johnson's Baby shampoo for the last 10 years.

I picked this article up from "thedailygreen.com" and I'm not sure how true it is. This time, I've copied and pasted the entire report in this post. I don't want to get UPSET again if these links get broken for some reason or other!

Can anyone verify this article or is there a way I can verify how much TRUTH is in it???

I don't want to react by throwing away all the related products immediately, although if it is true, that will be the first thing which I will do!

Mothers with young children please read this and take note that it just not affects shampoo but also the bubble baths, sunblock lotion, baby wash and a whole list of other stuff.

3.12.2009 10:17 AM

Shampoos and Other Children's Bath Products Have Toxic Ingredients That Aren't on the Label

Nonprofit group's tests find formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane in children's shampoos, bubble baths and baby lotions. See complete list of brands that had one or both chemicals.

Photo: Istock

By Dan Shapley

Buzz up!

The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics today will reveal which brands of children's shampoos, bubble baths and baby lotions tested positive for formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane, two chemicals that have been linked to serious health problems, including cancer.

You won't find these chemicals on ingredient lists, though you might find marketing claims like "gentle" and "cure" on the suspect products, according to the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, a national coalition of nonprofit health and environmental organizations.

Of 48 products tested, 67% had 1,4-dioxane. Of 28 products tested, 82% had formaldehyde. See below for a list of brands that did and did not have the chemicals.

Not waiting for the full report, the cosmetics industry attacked the group in a press release, calling the allegations "patently false and a shameful and cynical attempt by an activist group to incite and prey upon parental worries and concerns in order to push a political, legislative and legal agenda." The Personal Care Products Council questioned the scientific integrity of the report, and said that levels of the chemicals found were extremely low, within regulatory limits and safe for use. It defended the use of formaldehyde and formaldehyde-releasing compounds as a safe preservative.

True, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics is pushing a political, legislative and legal agenda, and the $250 billion global cosmetics industry has come to show concern about publicity over the group's reports.

The Campaign has previously exposed high levels of phthalates, formaldehyde and toluene in nail polish, leading to the phase-out of the use of those chemicals by several major brands; exposed the presence of lead in many lipsticks (see 11 lead-free lipsticks). The campaign supports both the Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep database of chemicals in cosmetics and personal care products, and state and federal proposals to regulate the use and disclosure of certain suspect chemicals in cosmetics and personal care products.

Brands That Tested Positive For 1,4 Dioxane

*According to The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics

• Baby Magic "Soft Baby Scent" Baby Lotion (Ascendia Brands, Inc)
• CVS Baby Shampoo (CVS/Pharmacy)
• Johnson’s Baby Shampoo (Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies)
• L'Oreal Kids Extra Gentle 2-in-1 Fast Dry Shampoo – Burst of Cool Melon (L’Oreal USA)
• Suave Kids 2-in-1 Shampoo – Wild Watermelon (Unilever)
• American Girl Hopes and Dreams Glistening Shower and Bath Wash (Bath & Body Works)
• American Girl Real Beauty Inside and Out Shower Gel – Apple Blossom (Bath & Body Works)
• American Girl Real Beauty Inside and Out Shower Gel – Apple Blossom (Bath & Body Works)
• American Girl Real Beauty Inside and Out Shower Gel – Apple Blossom (Bath & Body Works)
• American Girl Real Beauty Inside and Out Shower Gel – Sunny Orange (Bath & Body Works)
• Aveeno Baby Soothing Relief Creamy Wash (Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies)
• 
  
• Aveeno Baby Soothing Relief Creamy Wash (Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies)
• Aveeno Baby Soothing Relief Creamy Wash (Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies)
• CVS Kids Body Wash – Blueberry Blast (CVS/Pharmacy)
• Equate Tearless Baby Wash (Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.)
• Gentle Naturals Eczema Baby Wash (Del Pharmaceuticals, Inc.)
• Grins & Giggles Milk & Honey Baby Wash (Gerber Products Company)
• Huggies Naturally Refreshing Cucumber & Green Tea Baby Wash (Kimberly-Clark)
• Johnson’s Moisture Care Baby Wash (Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies)
• Johnson’s Oatmeal Baby Wash – Vanilla (Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies)
• Mustela Baby Shampoo (Laboratories Expanscience)
• Mustela Dermo-Cleansing Gel for Hair and Body Newborn/Baby (Laboratories Expanscience)
• Night-time Bath Baby Wash (Target Corporation)
• Barbie Berry Sweet Bubble Bath (Water-Jel Technologies)
• Dora the Explorer Bubble Bath (MZB Personal Care)
• Hot Wheels Berry Blast Bubble Bath (Water-Jel Technologies)
• Mustela Multi-Sensory Bubble Bath (Laboratories Expanscience)
• Sesame Street Bubble Bath – Orange Mango Tango (The Village Company)
• Tinker Bell Scented Bubble Bath (Goldie LLC)
• Soft & Beautiful Just for Me! No-Lye Conditioning Creme Relaxer, Children’s Super (Alberto-Culver Company)
• Pampers Kandoo Foaming Handsoap – Magic Melon (Procter & Gamble)
• No-Ad Sun Pals SPF 45 UVA/UVB Sun Protection (Solar Cosmetics Labs Inc.)

Brands That Tested Positive for Formaldehyde

*According to The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics

• American Girl Hopes and Dreams Shimmer Body Lotion (Bath & Body Works)
• Baby Magic “Soft Baby Scent” Baby Lotion (Ascendia Brands, Inc)
• Baby Magic “Soft Baby Scent” Baby Lotion (Ascendia Brands, Inc)
• Baby Magic “Soft Baby Scent” Baby Lotion (Ascendia Brands, Inc)
• Tinker Bell Body Lotion (Goldie LLC)
• CVS Baby Shampoo (CVS/Pharmacy)
• Johnson’s Baby Shampoo (Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies)
• Johnson’s Baby Shampoo (Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies)
• L’Oreal Kids Extra Gentle 2-in-1 Fast Dry Shampoo – Burst of Cool Melon (L’Oreal USA)
• American Girl Real Beauty Inside and Out Shower Gel – Apple Blossom (Bath & Body Works)
• American Girl Real Beauty Inside and Out Shower Gel – Apple Blossom (Bath & Body Works)
• American Girl Real Beauty Inside and Out Shower Gel – Apple Blossom (Bath & Body Works)
• CVS Kids Body Wash – Blueberry Blast (CVS/Pharmacy)
• Equate Tearless Baby Wash (Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.)
• Gentle Naturals Eczema Baby Wash (Del Pharmaceuticals, Inc.)
• Grins & Giggles Milk & Honey Baby Wash (Gerber Products Company)
• Huggies Naturally Refreshing Cucumber & Green Tea Baby Wash (Kimberly-Clark)
• Barbie Berry Sweet Bubble Bath (Water-Jel Technologies)
• Dora the Explorer Bubble Bath (MZB Personal Care)
• Sesame Street Bubble Bath – Orange Mango Tango (The Village Company)
• Tinker Bell Scented Bubble Bath (Goldie LLC)
• Hot Wheels Berry Blast Bubble Bath (Water-Jel Technologies)
• Mustela Multi-Sensory Bubble Bath (Laboratories Expanscience)
• Huggies Soft Skin – Shea Butter (Kimberly-Clark Global Sales Inc)
• Pampers Kandoo Foaming Handsoap – Magic Melon (Procter & Gamble)

Brands That Had Neither 1,4-Dioxane Nor Formaldehyde

Note that several brands were tested for only one of the two chemicals; consult the The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics report (look below for complete report) to see those brands that tested clean for the one chemical tested.

• Dark & Lovely Kids Beautiful Beginnings No-Mistake Nourishing No-Lye Children’s Relaxer System, Fine Hair Types (SoftSheen-Carson, owned by L’Oreal USA)

Campaign for Safe Cosmetics

Toxic Tub: Product Test Results

Below are the results for all the products tested for formaldehyde and/or 1,4-dioxane for the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics report, "No More Toxic Tub." The company that distributes the product is shown in parentheses next to the product name. ND means that the impurity was not detected (though see "Why 'No Detect' Doesn't Mean No Problem" below the chart). A blank space means that the product was not tested for the relevant contaminant. Product Name 1,4-dioxane (ppm) Formaldehyde (ppm) Lotion American Girl Hopes and Dreams Shimmer Body Lotion (Bath & Body Works) ND* 310 Baby Magic “Soft Baby Scent” Baby Lotion (Ascendia Brands, Inc) ND* 570 Baby Magic “Soft Baby Scent” Baby Lotion (Ascendia Brands, Inc) 0.92 610 Baby Magic “Soft Baby Scent” Baby Lotion (Ascendia Brands, Inc) ND* 330 Johnson’s Bedtime Lotion Natural Calm Essences (Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies) ND* Mustela Baby Body Lotion (Laboratories Expanscience) ND* Tinker Bell Body Lotion (Goldie LLC) ND* 220 Shampoo CVS Baby Shampoo (CVS/Pharmacy) 0.92 350 Johnson’s Baby Shampoo (Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies) ND* 200 Johnson’s Baby Shampoo (Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies) 1.1 210 L’Oreal Kids Extra Gentle 2-in-1 Fast Dry Shampoo – Burst of Cool Melon (L’Oreal USA) 0.95 260 Suave Kids 2-in-1 Shampoo – Wild Watermelon (Unilever) 0.69 ND* Liquid Shower Soap American Girl Hopes and Dreams Glistening Shower and Bath Wash (Bath & Body Works) 14 American Girl Real Beauty Inside and Out Shower Gel – Apple Blossom (Bath & Body Works) 6.3 210 American Girl Real Beauty Inside and Out Shower Gel – Apple Blossom (Bath & Body Works) 5.7 220 American Girl Real Beauty Inside and Out Shower Gel – Apple Blossom (Bath & Body Works) 18 150 American Girl Real Beauty Inside and Out Shower Gel – Sunny Orange (Bath & Body Works) 35 ND* Bath Wash Aveeno Baby Soothing Relief Creamy Wash (Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies) 1.4 Aveeno Baby Soothing Relief Creamy Wash (Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies) 1.7 Aveeno Baby Soothing Relief Creamy Wash (Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies) 4.6 CVS Kids Body Wash – Blueberry Blast (CVS/Pharmacy) 0.75 54 Equate Tearless Baby Wash (Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) 0.63 290 Gentle Naturals Eczema Baby Wash (Del Pharmaceuticals, Inc.) 6.4 Grins & Giggles Milk & Honey Baby Wash (Gerber Products Company) 2.8 400 Huggies Naturally Refreshing Cucumber & Green Tea Baby Wash (Kimberly-Clark) 3.2 410 Johnson’s Moisture Care Baby Wash (Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies) 3.9 Johnson’s Oatmeal Baby Wash – Vanilla (Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies) 4.2 Mustela Baby Shampoo (Laboratories Expanscience) 2.8 Mustela Dermo-Cleansing Gel for Hair and Body Newborn/Baby (Laboratories Expanscience) 3.9 Night-time Bath Baby Wash (Target Corporation) 3.6 Bubble Bath Barbie Berry Sweet Bubble Bath (Water-Jel Technologies) 0.65 440 Dora the Explorer Bubble Bath (MZB Personal Care) 1.5 130 Hot Wheels Berry Blast Bubble Bath (Water-Jel Technologies) 2.8 100 Mustela Multi-Sensory Bubble Bath (Laboratories Expanscience) 1.7 ND* Sesame Street Bubble Bath – Orange Mango Tango (The Village Company) 2.8 340 Tinker Bell Scented Bubble Bath (Goldie LLC) 11 420 Baby Wipes Huggies Naturally Refreshing Cucumber & Green Tea Baby Wipes (Kimberly-Clark) ND* Huggies Soft Skin – Shea Butter (Kimberly-Clark Global Sales Inc) ND* 100 Kirkland Signature Premium Unscented Baby Wipes (Costco Wholesale Corporation) ND* Pampers Baby Fresh (Procter & Gamble) ND* Pampers Calming – Lavender (Procter & Gamble) ND* Hair Relaxer Dark & Lovely Kids Beautiful Beginnings No-Mistake Nourishing No-Lye Creme Relaxer, Normal to Course Hair (SoftSheen-Carson, owned by L’Oreal USA) ND* Dark & Lovely Kids Beautiful Beginnings No-Mistake Nourishing No-Lye Children’s Relaxer System, Fine Hair Types (SoftSheen-Carson, owned by L’Oreal USA) ND* ND* Soft & Beautiful Just for Me! No-Lye Conditioning Creme Relaxer, Children’s Super (Alberto-Culver Company) 0.27 ND* Hand Soap Pampers Kandoo Foaming Handsoap – Magic Melon (Procter & Gamble) 0.49 310 Sun Block Banana Boat Kids UVA & UVB Sunblock Lotion SPF 30 (Sun Pharmaceuticals Corp.) ND* No-Ad Sun Pals SPF 45 UVA/UVB Sun Protection (Solar Cosmetics Labs Inc.) 0.46 Toothpaste Colgate Kids 2-in-1 Toothpaste and Mouthwash – Strawberry (Colgate-Palmolive Company) ND* *ND means the chemical was not detected in the product; however, this does not mean the product is necessarily free of other potentially harmful ingredients. Many of these products contain numerous other chemicals with health concerns. Why “No Detect” Doesn’t Mean No Problem Some products tested for this report did not contain formaldehyde or 1,4-dioxane. However, that does not mean the products are safe. There is no guarantee that other samples of the same product are not contaminated. Also, there are no legal requirements for children’s products to be made with the safest ingredients possible. As a result, it is common to find chemicals of concern in brands marketed to children. Here is an example of a product that did not contain formaldehyde or 1,4-dioxane, yet contains other harmful ingredients: Dark & Lovely Kids Beautiful Beginnings No-Mistake Nourishing No-Lye Creme Relaxer for Fine Hair (by SoftSheen-Carson, owned by L’Oreal USA): Contains at least 55 different ingredients. 98% of those ingredients have no or inadequate safety data. Contains ingredients that are associated with health conditions, including: Methylparaben: On the European Union’s Banned and Restricted List and recognized as having links to cancer, neurotoxicity and skin irritation. Fragrance: Ingredients not required to be listed on product, but can contain harmful chemicals. Triethanolamine: Strong evidence of skin, immune and respiratory toxicity.

about us | contact us | search | faqs | site map |

Another article here:
http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/special/parentsguide/summary.php?nothanks=1

Bento 192

I went to Jusco @ 1U yesterday to buy some fish balls from the Japanese fish section - their quality there are the best. Mind you, I only purchase this occasionally because their prices have been escalating and it's getting a little pricey to buy them on a regular basis.

I blanched some French beans, then I knotted, twisted and curled them and then, skewered the fish balls and French beans together for easy eating.

There is a little silicon cup full of schimeiji mushrooms stir fried with cherry tomatoes, garlic and a dash of oyster sauce.


For a treat, there is a silicon cup full of yellow raisins. The rest of the box is filled with sliced home made bread. #2 is very passionate about eating plain breads. She's fine if it's a sandwich with filling or otherwise. Much as I love bread, I really haven't learnt to eat bread on it's own.

This is the last bento for this week. School breaks for a week and so Bento posts will be intermittently posted if it's packed, otherwise, please come back and visit for some random posts!!

Bread day!

No bento today. #2 still recovering from her flu.

I baked bread today and I'm getting so used to eating home made bread that I can't eat store bought bread anymore. I don't know if that's good or bad, not yet anyway!

The recipe was for 1.5 kilos of flour. I wanted to save time and electricity so I baked them in various shapes to fit one tray all at the same time. It came out pretty well.

Bento 191

My "Nasi Ulam" is a hot favorite with #2. She loves it, so I packed it for her again today for school. She had a couple of mouth full for breakfast!

Anyone who know my daughter, knows that she doesn't like rice. She's selective at eating rice, sushi, onigiri and nasi ulam is fine. "No plain white rice please" is her standing order.

Perhaps I shall try brown rice? *idea*

The left box has some mini bok choi blanched in hot water and topped with some garlic oil and shoyu. There are three pieces of lychee from the can.



The right box contains the awesome nasi ulam packed with herbs, fish and dried prawns. There are four half's of some simmered shitake mushrooms from my freezer stash. Took me less than 10 minutes! Yahoo!!!

Bento 190

Today I made two bentos at mid-morning because #2 and #3 are on sick leave. Both are down with a flu.

Yesterday was a holiday and I made "Nasi Ulam". I think every one has a different recipe for Nasi Ulam. I basically used turmeric leaves, shallots, cekur leaves, turmeric root, torch ginger, dried prawns, fried fish, salted fish, pepper, salt and cooked rice. I dropped the kerisik and sambal belachan.

There was an apple pie in the box next to the Nasi Ulam. Both boxes are basically the same except that one has pineapple and the other had corn nibblets instead.


I had the box with the pineapple. Next to it was some onion alfalfa topped with some tuna mayo from the weekend. There was corn nibblets and sweet snap peas to complete the box.


This is #2's box because she can't have pineapple while she's not well.

I'm UPSET!!!

WARNING: This is a very long and word-y article. It is a personal opinion which I need to rant about. Read at your own risk!


Sorry folks, no bento today because it's a public holiday here in Malaysia.

So? Why should I be UPSET?

I'll share with you why I'm UPSET.

Nutrition standards and health issues pertaining to our children are important where ever we are. Be it in the USA, Malaysia or Timbuktu. Global news on these issues play a large influencing factor on decisions made by mothers like me, in the course of feeding, clothing and educating our children.

It doesn't matter to me where this news is coming from or who it's directed to because some how and some where I find that there will be some familiarity to our home ground problems.

We may not have "school lunch programs" in most Malaysian schools, but our canteens doesn't serve any healthier foods either.

My ten year old goes to school with a regular supply of tuna sandwiches, sushi, spaghetti, various cookies, apples, oranges, cinnamon bananas and an occasional butter and Marmite sandwich. She is picky and difficult to please. She spends her 15 minute break with her best friend who comes with a constant flow of Nutella sandwiches with a rare and occasional change in menu.

#3's best friend constantly looks over her shoulder to see what is in her 'bento box'. I dread to call hers a 'bento box' because most days, it's only a fruit and a main meal. Nevertheless, #3's best friend is always ready to barter her Nutella sandwiches for anything from #3's box.

#3 is not much of a Nutella fan but she has a BIG heart! She shares some of her food when ever she can. And since #3 has also shared her break time stories with me, I tend to pack a little more for her to share because I was also told that some days her best friend would buy fries, ice-cream and canned drinks to share with her. *shakes head in disapproval*

Last year, on July 10th, 2008, I posted an article about "More reasons to Bento". I made references to an article published by the UK based Press Association on "primary school children eating healthy meals".

The article was very informative and provided some positives on how the new UK Government rules require greater use of fresh ingredients cooked from scratch albeit escalating food prices.

In another related article, it also reported that Secondary school children found it cheaper to buy 'junk food' to eat and thus being able to use 'excess' pocket money for drinks and candies.

I found the articles very 'real' and thus further affirmed that bento packing on my part was the best decision I've made by far. In the early days, many mornings I've hated to wake up that extra 45 minutes and get myself into a frenzied mood of packing bentos for my girls. When I read of articles in relation to the poor standards of food served in schools, I feel re-energized and purpose driven for the sake of my children.

So, why am I UPSET?

Here is why!! When I made reference to my blog post "More reasons to Bento", I found that all the links has been broken. I searched UK Press Association for the said articles, there was ZERO results. I Google-d some 'quoted remarks', there was no inkling of the article. It was as though the article has vanished.

I hate making assumptions and speculations about my opinions, so I leave you to make your own conclusions why the few related articles has dissapeared!

On October 29, 2007, I posted another blog post on "Healthy, Friendly Japan - Lifestyle, Star Online". I am happy to note that the links are still intact. Even the movie link is intact.

Only last week, I came across another article which I found an inspiration. It's a link I found on the Aidan Bento Society blog - 'Bento Days' catching on with schools, kids'.

I thrive on these articles to keep me enthusiastic about bento packing. I blog to share this 'goodness' with people who want to, and can do more for their kids eating habits. Granted, there are some who want to, but cannot for very valid reasons.

For whatever the reasons behind the positives or negatives, I am inspired to be an inspiration to others even if only a few. I am just happy to post a daily bento or two and be the blog with something new to read or with a new picture to look at. I do what I do for the betterment of my children's healthy eating habits and in that course, if someone is inspired to follow suite, it's a plus point.

But... I am human too, and I need to be inspired and affirmed occasionally. I need to know that I am doing right. I need to be reminded that bento packing is really not about going on a frenzy to pick up 'every new bento accessory' even if it costs only RM5. (approximately equivalent to USD1.50/=!!).

I need 'reality checks' to remind me that it's what goes into the box and into my children's stomachs and not the container or accessory that's getting digested! I need to admit my 'addiction' and remedy it. Hahaha! I sound like a "BENTO AA" (Addict Anonymous)

I am aware that part of bento packing is about the 'kawaii' and 'cutesy' display of a balanced meal in a box. In my pursuit of the perfect box, it has taken me over one year and maybe over fifty boxes and a limitless (some useless at this point) amount of accessories to find it! I am sure that many people are in my shoes and share my experience. I guess I can say that I have 'grown' as a bento packer and matured to realize what is necessary and what is a novelty.

Please don't get me wrong, I am not against buying all those 'kawaii and cutesy' bento accessories. I've been there and lived that, but in the light of the economic slowdown and being the practical person that I am, I feel that this indulgence for me is unnecessary.

My inspiration comes from the regularly updated bento blogs or ones with awesome links on their blog roll. My inspiration comes from the bento pictures which I gawk on the bento sites which I regularly and quietly lurk.

My inspiration and self 'reality checks' are also from the far and few in between bento and related articles in the electronic media.

Today, I added a new widget for thedailygreen.com on my side bar. In the news feed, I saw an article entitled "School Lunch Nutrition Standards Haven't Been Updated In 30 Years".

Please spend a little time watching the video clip in the above link. It is shocking at what is being shared. I am saddened by the 'politics' involved in the food industry which in turn affects the 'School Lunch programs'. I am saddened by the politics and policies which are 'manipulated' from one hand to the other which helps to increase a rising problem with obesity and serious health diseases in children. I am saddened by all this because it is not only happening in the US but I also see familiarity in the home ground.

The hot favorites sold in our local school canteens are: "Nasi Lemak", fries, ice-cream, can-drinks, packets of junk food, sweets and the list goes on. I, for one, counter this problem by packing home cooked food from home. But what about the other kids who feed on the above menu daily?



Disclaimer: I do not have any affiliations with "thedailygreen.com" or any other names mentioned above. Opinions expressed are my own.

Bento 189

Lent is a time for Corporal works of Mercy. Every year, for the last three years, our neighborhood Catholic community and a group of youth from our local parish will visit the Infant Jesus Convent in Cheras, Kuala Lumpur.

There are about 27 retired nuns at the Convent and their average age is about 76 years old. Seventeen of them have passed on since the first time we visited them. We were told that three were hospitalized when we visited the convent today.

We went to the convent armed with a variety of food and the team of youth presented a hilarious ice-breaker. We had praise and worship, a mime and a dance. Beyond all that, it was wonderful to fellowship with the retired nuns and seeing the youth helping to get food for the immobilized nuns and having long conversations, which was very heart-warming.

I wasn't about to make any bento today because it's Sunday but because we had to rush off to Cheras after Sunday School, I decided to prepare some quick bento.

This was for #3. It's basically spaghetti Alio Oglio, some Tuna croissant and some cut oranges. The salad was a filler and will definitely not be eaten!



These belong to #1 and #2. It's basically the same as above.


An overview shot of all the three bentos.



This is #3's box packed and ready to go.



These are #1 and #2's bentos packed and ready to go too!

Bento gear updates

I went to the 100 Yen store in SS2 yesterday to see if there were any new stock. Sad to say the stock level is deplorable. The only thing worth my trip was the purchase of these three lovely single layer 'natural series' boxes.

I got all the three colors. They are 480ml and is as large capacity as the 2 tier bento boxes. Best of all, they are made in Japan.


Remember I blogged about the punchers at Daiso here? Two days later, when I went back, they were all gone.

They have a whole new container of stuff in over this week end and have replenished stock for the punchers. They are still in the same spot - the middle aisle near the stationery section. This time they have about eight to ten varieties. Happy hunting!



This Onigiri box came in Daiso's new container. The bento strap is sold separately. I love the way the colors match. It's 145 x 100 x 90H and comes with a separator.



This is how it looks open. This design come is three colors, beige, brown and maroon.




These tiny spatulas are just amazing. It gets into the bottom of hard to reach spaces in jam bottles, peanut butter containers, Marmite bottles and Campbell soup cans!

Emily, one has your name on it!

Notice the lovely handkerchief?


Somebody!! Please tell me to stop this bento frenzy!!!!
Aggghhhhh......!



Note: I have no commercial affiliations with Daiso or 100 Yen stores.