Bento 226 and more updates!

What's happened to idioms like these, which in my days we used and sincerely meant them:

"May the best man win" - it's something that you say just before a competition begins which says that you hope the people who deserves to win will win!

"Break a leg" - Theatrical types are well-known for their belief in superstitions, or at least for their willingness to make a show of pretending to believe them. The term 'break a leg' appears to come from the belief that one ought not to utter the words 'good luck' to an actor. By wishing someone bad luck, it is supposed that the opposite will occur.

Nowadays, and too commonly, when a competing team wins, there seem to be animosity, back stabbing, gossip and complaints. I don't claim to enjoy being on the supporting team of a loosing competitor but I believe in fair play and consideration.

We need to analyse the short comings and contributory factors to the loss and move forward even if we feel victimized. Really, "One man's meat is another man's poison" is as real as it gets!

If we were to dwell on revenge, unhappiness, jealousy, ways to 'bitch' about the winning team or those who were placed above us on the victory rung, then I think we need to re-focus.

Yes! Very sadly, one school is 'bitching' about another over the recent school choir competitions and the one at the Choral festival.

There is childish gossip and accusations about "BRIBERY" which I feel is totally unfounded! I can't stand up and say that the school judges were 'qualified' and guided by some standard criteria of judging or that there is a standard guideline of "Do's" and "Don'ts" in terms of 'creativity' but I'm quite sure that there is no gain in doing so. There is not much exposure for the winning school team in terms of monetary income or lime light other than self posting in a YouTube clip.

Last night, when I fetched #2 from the venue of the Choral festival, she was happily sharing her day's experience with the Professor and sectional leaders who were guiding the participants in a large group choral presentation for the final night's concert. There are about 300 participants for this year's Choral festival and she and some others were selected to make the 10% of a smaller ensemble.

After that, she began to share about the animosity present. I'm just happy to note that she didn't allow all the gossip and back stabbing to affect her and she could stand up to answer to the alleged accusations which were ridiculous and childish.

One of the accusations was that #2 was seen to have left her lunch plate on the table and not returned it to the collection area.

Everybody can vouch that #2 NEVER eats food from the canteen and has for years brought packed food from home. Even last year at the Choral Festival, she brought onigiri for the whole duration at KLPac.

I'm glad that she stood firm in response and defense to the accusations towards her school's choir and that she's not adopted a negative perspective towards what has happened and continues to be a team player sharing her skills and leadership experiences.

I can see that this is really the result of her, participating actively in our Church activities. The exposure to hands-on skill acquisition, spiritual input, team spirit, responsibility, leadership and others has been contributory to the EQ that she now posses.

Nevertheless, #2 still looked forward to another day there at the Choral Festival today and I've simply packed another croissant, salad, ham and mayo sandwich in one box. To fill the gap are two cherry tomatoes skewered together.

In the other box are some cubed apples and some black sesame seed marshmallows!

Bento 225

This morning was another mad rush to USJ 2 where the Malaysian Choral Eisteddfod VII (MCE) is into it's fourth day. #2 has attended this Choral Festival for the second consecutive year and enjoys it tremendously. In fact, she has waited a whole year looking forward to this event.

It's a time where the school choirs are graded (based on standard criteria) by judges from different parts of the world. They undergo master classes and are guided to enjoy a variety of choral activities which is sadly missing in our Malaysian Choral scene.

Nevertheless, every night when I fetch #2 from USJ 2, she's bubbly and in an adrenaline pumped up mood! I know she's tired and exhausted even but I also know she's enjoying herself and learning as much as possible from this wonderful God given opportunity.

This morning's bento was as quick as it could get from left overs and repeats!

There was a quarter of a scone from Coffee Bean which I bought for her supper from Subang Parade, some de-seeded grapes and a skewer of Salami pizza from Pizza Hut.



I thought that she needed more greens and so made a zucchini sandwich with smoked turkey ham and broccoli alfalfa in between. To keep it intact, I skewered them with two animal skewers and topped the slice of zucchini with half of a grape for added color!

Bento 224 and update on Choir competition

I posted my last bento about 3 weeks ago. When the mid term exams began for #2, she didn't want to bring bento to school because, according to her, there was no time in between papers to eat.

When the holidays began, the State level School Choir competitions began the next day which incidentally was also the Malaysian Choral Eisteddfod VII (MCE)! The DJ Choir was also competing in the Youth Choir competition at the MCE. Schedules were clashing the distance between the two venues were challenging!

Nevertheless, #2 managed to work it with all the necessary quarters even though it was quite a task. On the morning of the competition, we reached school by 6.45a.m. In the evening after two exciting competitions, she got home past 10.00p.m.

This is an extract from her blog post:

"woohoo! god is good! :)

we won runner up at state. well, actually i was really really really upset. but then i realized, god probably wanted me to study. so yeahp. LoL.

this were the results
1st - SMK Kepong (Gombak)
2nd - SMK Damansara Jaya (Petaling Utama) - #2's school!
3rd - Convent Klang (Klang)
4th - SMK Seafield (Petaling Perdana)

the rest i forgot.

lol.

done with that,

our second competition, we won 4th or a silver diploma - IX.
top in the state at least. :) and either 2nd or 1st in peninsula Malaysia lah.

first prize was won by Philippines. Those people are AWESOME!! :):)

i am happy!"

So, today and for the next 2 days, she would be participating at the MCE and having another remarkable experience. I'm looking forward to the final day concert! I am just so happy too that she's finally got time to study for the year end SPM!

As usual, #2 has huge issues with 'FOOD' served at these crowded events for young people! So there is a need for bento but after 3 weeks I'm too lazy to crank up!!!

Here's a quick fix!

Just some baguette sandwich with smoked turkey ham and broccoli alfalfa with a squeeze of kewpie mayo! Plopped some cherry tomatoes for her to snack on.


Read my last post on the School Choir competition if you missed it.



"So much to do but so little time" - music, culinary course, vocals, dance, etc....

Bento 223 & Cawan Mushi

I made cawan mushi for dinner last night. I've used this recipe a hundred times and it's always turned out delicious! I had to pack a dinner bento for #2 last night because she was going from music class to Church and didn't have time to stop over anywhere for dinner. So dinner was eaten in the car.

In the bottom box is plain white rice and cawan mushi steamed in a foil cup specially for this bento.


I steamed some otak-otak which my mum made and I added the last piece of store bought apple strudel into the top box.


I've just added a new smilebox recipe for Cawan Mushi. Easy and delicious.

Note: I didn't use the traditional Japanese ingredients like shiitake mushrooms, kamaboko, chicken bits etc. I used whatever left over ingredients I had in the fridge.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Edit: The Dashi is supposed to be 1 2/3 cups and not 1 1/3 as stated in the Smilebox slideshow. My bad@!

Bento 222

There will be scarce bento posts this month because #2's exams which began this week continues for another two weeks till the end of the month. That means I get to sleep in for another half an hour which is a treat! She packs her own snacks which is mainly fruits.

Today, #2 has to rush from school to tuition and has no time to stop and eat anywhere. I packed her a Bento!

I bought a Rye bread from a nearby bakery.

Sliced the rye bread and dressed it with some onion alfalfa, sliced cherry tomatoes and fresh button mushrooms.


Topped one slice with some tuna mayo.

Selected a suitable food pick to hold the sandwich together.

Viola! Complete bento!


Left top box has some 'pillow biscuits' in the square silicon cup. Packed a sliced Kiwi on the other side of the box.

Right bottom box has three quarters of the prepared tuna mayo sandwich and some store bought treat.

5 loaves & 2 fishes

Random posts till the end of this month. Loved this YouTube clip.

Bento 221

#3's exams are over, #2 begins hers tomorrow. So much to do in so little time.

It's food from the freezer again. Ratatouille and roasted chicken. Blanched some okra or lady fingers and stuffed them in between the two silicon cups.



Some Indian mangoes in the top box.


A complete picture of today's bento!

Bento 220

Today's bento is a quick fix!

Took out the frozen gyoza from the freezer, pan fried and steamed them. I fried an egg omelet for a change. Slipped some kyuri and carrots in between the gyoza for added color.

This salad has been a staple for the last two weeks. It's a favorite of #2. In the top bento box is a whole mango, all sliced and ready to be eaten!


A complete picture of today's bento!

Bon Appetite!

Happy Mothers Day! (again!)

I got this in my in-box this morning...and I wanted to share this with all you awesome mummies!

Happy Mothers Day!

Awesome Mom

Before I was a Mom,
I never tripped over toys
or forgot words to a lullaby.
I didn't worry whether or not
my plants were poisonous.
I never thought about immunizations.


Before I was a Mom,
I had never been puked on.
Pooped on.
Chewed on.
Peed on.
I had complete control of my mind
and my thoughts.
I slept all night.

Before I was a Mom,
I never held down a screaming child
so doctors could do tests.
Or give shots.
I never looked into teary eyes and cried.
I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.
I never sat up late hours at night
watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom,
I never held a sleeping baby just because
I didn't want to put her down.
I never felt my heart break into a million pieces
when I couldn't stop the hurt.!
I never knew that something so small
could affect my life so much.
I never knew that I could love someone so much.
I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a Mom,
I didn't know the feeling of
having my heart outside my body..
I didn't know how special it could feel
to feed a hungry baby.
I didn't know that bond
between a mother and her child.
I didn't know that something so small
could make me feel so important and happy.

Before I was a Mom,
I had never gotten up in the middle of the night
every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay.
I had never known the warmth,
the joy,
the love,
the heartache,
the wonderment
or the satisfaction of being a Mom.
I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much,
before I was a Mom .

May you always be overwhelmed by the Grace of God rather than by the cares of life

---

Happy Mothers Day!

This is the last post for the week.

Happy Mothers Day to all the mummies out there!

Mothers Day Message: Why Mothers Cry…

“Why are you crying?” he asked his mom. ”Because I’m a mother,” she told him. ”I don’t understand,” he said. His mom just hugged him and said, “You never will!”

Later the little boy asked his father why Mother seemed to cry for no reason. ”All mothers cry for no reason,” was all his dad could say.

The little boy grew up and became a man, still wondering why mothers cry. So he finally put in a call to God and when God got on the phone the man said, “God, why do mothers cry so easily.”

God said, “You see son, when I made mothers they had to be special. I made their shoulders strong enough to carry the weight of the world, yet gentle enough to give comfort. I gave them an inner strength to endure childbirth and the rejection that many times come from their children.”

“I gave them a hardiness that allows them to keep going when everyone else gives up, and to take care of their families through sickness and fatigue without complaining.”

“I gave them the sensitivity to love their children under all circumstances, even when their child has hurt them very badly. This same sensitivity helps them to make a child’s boo-boo feel better and helps them share a teenager’s anxieties and fears.”

“I gave them a tear to shed. It’s theirs exclusively to use whenever it’s needed. It’s their only weakness. It’s a tear for mankind.”

*************************************************

For more inspirations, click the picture below:

Give Value To Relationships

A man stopped at a flower shop for ordering some flowers to be sent as a gift to his mother who lived two hundred miles away.

As he got out of his car he noticed a young girl sitting on the curb sobbing. He asked her what was wrong and she replied, “I wanted to buy a red rose for my mother. But I only have seventy-five cents, and a rose costs two dollars.”

The man smiled and said, “Come on in with me. I’ll buy you a rose.” He bought the little girl her rose and ordered his own mother’s flowers.

As they were leaving he offered the girl a ride home. She said, “Yes, please! You can take me to my mother.” She directed him to a cemetery, where she placed the rose on a freshly dug grave.

The man returned to the flower shop, cancelled the gifting order, picked up a bouquet and drove the two hundred miles to his mother’s house.

At times we take many such relationships with our family and friends for granted. Learn to value them.

We often forget....

Bento 219

It was a tension filled evening yesterday! #2's computer 'died'! She had all her school projects, activities and all stuff in there and yesterday, the ground 'almost' shook a little! Life has to go on....

This morning's bento had sliced baguette and some home roasted cashew nuts in a corner silicon cup. In the other half of the box was mixed salad with onion alfalfa, corn nibblets and sesame seed dressing.

Yesterday's salad had poor review. #2 complained that it had a 'funny' taste. We concluded that it was probably due to the purple cabbage. It was a rare occasion which I used this and almost immediately there was a negative response. Will have to look for other recipes to use it!


Thank God for some frozen left overs! It ratatouille and hijiki in their individual silicon cups. They still taste great!


This is a picture of the both boxes together.

Enjoy!

Bento 218

This morning's bento is a quarter of a smoked Turkey ham sandwich loaded with lots of onion alfalfa and kewpie mayo.

In the other half of the box are some rolled smoked Turkey ham with onion alfalfa and kewpie mayo!

The salad has Oak leaf, baby Butterhead, some purple cabbage, carrots, tomatoes, all tossed in salad cream! Yummy!

Bento 217

I roasted a chicken yesterday. When I was at the market, I made a point to buy a large chicken, just to make sure there will be left overs for Bento!

Today, #2 doesn't stay back for any activities so I've cut short on the top box. There is roasted potatoes, garlic and mushrooms on one side of the metal bottom box. On the other side is shredded roasted chicken. (This is an awesome dish!)




In another box is a mix of Oak leaf, baby Butterhead, smoked Turkey ham, carrots, tomatoes and some roasted cashew nuts. All these were tossed in a sesame seed dressing.

Another delicious bento!

Bento 216

It's been a crazy week culminating with a Church coffee morning sale yesterday. Preparations were done for the food three days ahead because so much marketing had to be done in advance!

I'm exhausted and aching everywhere. I'm probably getting a tad too old for this. LOL!

This morning's bento box has two cylinder shape of "Nasi Lemak" topped with some "sotong pedas" (spicy squids). This is very unusual in #2's bento box because she doesn't like rice and she cannot eat spicy foods.

This morning when she saw me packing this for her, she asked to have more "Sotong pedas". Nasi lemak and sotong pedas are both her favorite foods!
I'm confused too, don't ask me.

There was another favorite scone from the Royal Lake Club in the same bottom bento.



Some fried salmon, mashed for easy eating and fried long beans to compliment.

Healthy eating 'can cut crime'

Prison chiefs have been urged to consider the findings Encouraging healthier eating could be the government's secret weapon in the fight against crime, according to experts. A study by researchers at the University of Oxford has found that adding vitamins and other vital nutrients to young people's diets can cut crime. They found that improving the diets of young offenders at a maximum security institution in Buckinghamshire cut offences by 25%. The improvement was huge Bernard Gesch The study - one of the first to show a scientific link between healthy eating and crime - has now been extended to see if the findings can be applied to the population in general. Bernard Gesch and colleagues at the University of Oxford enrolled 230 young offenders from HM Young Offenders Institution Aylesbury in their study. Half of the young men received pills containing vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids. The other half received placebo or dummy pills. The researchers recorded the number and type of offences each of the prisoners committed in the nine months before they received the pills and in the nine months during the trial. They found that the group which received the supplements committed 25% fewer offences than those who had been given the placebo. The greatest reduction was for serious offences, including violence which fell by 40%. There was no such reduction for those on the dummy pills. 'Huge difference' The authors described the finding as "remarkable". Bernard Gesch said the finding could have policy implications Writing in the British Journal of Psychiatry, they said improving diets could be a cost-effective way of reducing crime in the community and also reducing the prison population. Mr Gesch said: "The supplements just provided the vitamins, minerals and fatty acids found in a good diet which the inmates should get anyway. Yet the improvement was huge." He added: "This approach needs to be re-tested but looks to be cheap, highly effective and humane." The study is of great importance not only to those who work inside prisons but also more widely in the community Bishop Hugh Montefiore He said that given that nutrients were the building blocks of the brain and its associated structures, it was highly likely that a good diet would have a direct impact on behaviour. The study was organised by Natural Justice, a research charity set up in 1991 to investigate the social and physical causes of crime. Its chairman Bishop Hugh Montefiore of Birmingham, said: "The study is of great importance not only to those who work inside prisons but also more widely in the community." He added: "There are many causes of anti-social behaviour. But our project has shown that an important factor is the lack of proper nutrition. "The reduction of disciplinary offences by 25% among those who took the supplements cannot be shrugged off as insignificant." Strong evidence Sir David Ramsbotham, former chief inspector of prisons, urged officials to consider the findings. "It must make sense for the prison service to explore every avenue that might enable every prisoner to live a useful and law abiding life. "If healthy eating is part of a healthy lifestyle, and a healthy lifestyle is a crime-free lifestyle, I hope that they will look seriously at exploiting the evidence presented to them." Ron Blackburn, professor of clinical psychology at the University of Liverpool, said: "Efforts to reduce offending usually require major resources. "This research programme promises to have an impact on antisocial behaviour with minimal intervention and deserves full support." The above article was found here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/2063117.stm