BENTO #143

Hubs and I was away for an assignment yesterday to Seremban. We left in the morning and was to be scheduled back by night fall. Luckily #1 just finished her exams and she was off College thus she could fetch #3 back from school.

While running through the day's schedule with #1 and #2, I sheepishly proposed that they could either cook their own dinner or go over to my friend's house to eat.

Funny how they responded with such enthusiasm and glee at the prospect of having to cook their own dinner. They both started to plan their menu and I was involved in a conversation somewhat like this:

#1: I'll cook the spaghetti!
#2: I'll roast a chicken!
#1: Yeah! And you make your Caesar's salad too.
#2: So mum, how to roast the chicken ah?
Mum: You rub the chicken with pepper and salt, add butter, rosemary and lemon juice and roast it!
#2: Oh! Okay.
Mum: You sure you don't want to go over to Aunty T's house for dinner?
#1: Ah....see first.
Mum: Okay then, I'm off.

In the afternoon there was a barrage of phone calls querying for ingredients, methods, where food items were stocked and what was available in the refrigerator. I had taken half a chicken out of the freezer for them to roast and assumed that they would just simply follow my methods of cooking.

How was I to know that they were a little more inspired by this 'little adventure' to try out some varied recipes from my cook books and downloaded the roast chicken recipe.

Hubs and I had dinner in Seremban and when we were setting out to leave for home, #1 called to say that they had kept some dinner for us. I was looking forward to trying 'their' dinner.

When we got home, close to 10.30p.m. the food was on the dining table and #1 was waiting for us. The other two girls was in bed already. I opened the food covers and tried the roast chicken. Oh my goodness!! The roast chicken was absolutely delicious! Didn't taste like mine at all! #1 told me that they used the same ingredients as I did and added balsamic vinegar and it tasted awesome! I went on to taste the Fettuccine with fresh tomato sauce. The Fettuccine was a little under done but had a lovely aroma of garlic, basil and fresh tomatoes minus the salt and pepper!

"Oh! That's what was missing said #1, salt and pepper wasn't in the recipe". My jaw drops and we had a good laugh.

She then took the Caesar's salad out from the fridge and it was delicious. #2 has always been able to make a 'killer salad'! Hubs and I was quite surprised and certainly proud at the turn out of their 'experimental cooking'. From what I heard from #1, they had a great time trying to figure out the various herbs and cooking methods and I'm very happy to see that they are able to work together and enjoy it as well!

Fettuccine with fresh tomato sauce.

Last night's dinner - home made by #1 & #2!

Clockwise from top: Fettuccine with fresh tomato sauce, Apple juice with apple cubes,
Caesar's salad, fried nuggets for #3 and roasted rosemary balsamic chicken!

I've not packed a Bento for one week already. When I got back late last night, all I thought of was my bed and I knocked off at 11.30p.m. which was pretty early by my standards. Obviously there was no planning of this morning's Bento, but I did purposely leave some of their dinner for this morning.

In the left box is the Fettuccine with fresh tomato sauce topped with last bit of the delicious roast chicken. I sliced some cucumbers and carrots for vegetables.

In the right box is a mixture of strawberries, grapes, kiwi and orange for fruits.



edited this post with pictures taken from #1.

Everything you need to know about MISO!

Image downloaded from Google image

This is a very educational article on MISO. There is information about the various types of Miso and it's uses, it's storage and cooking methods. There are even some simple recipes.

Enjoy!


Related articles: Did you know? (MISO)

Win a free handbag from Handbag Planet!

I've been so busy the last week even though I've not been required to pack Bentos! #2 is officially on study leave from school because of the PMR examinations.

Currently #1 is having her exams and #3 started her final year end exams today. #2 only goes back to school on Thursday. Normally exams are not a big thing in this household but this time round we're also planning and organizing my mum's 80th birthday so it's a little chaotic!

My two elder girls are a great help and are involved in planning the guests list, invitation cards, the menu, entertainment, the birthday cake and a whole load of customary guidelines to follow. Even #3 is excited because she gets to belt out a popular ABBA number from the latest movie favorite Mamma Mia.

Thus, when H sent me an e-mail for a chance to win a free handbag from Handbag Planet, I was surprised and at the same time delighted! Thank you H! All I had to do was to provide my name and e-mail address. Cool!
When I entered for a chance at the competition, I was randomly assigned this particular model. Handbag Planet allows the participant to select a different design bag but I didn't exercise that option because I like this one very much. Simple, classic lines - suits me perfectly!

There are no strings attached and it's a great opportunity for you to get a free handbag!! Why don't you treat yourself for a chance to win a handbag? You never know!! Good luck!!

BENTO #142

This morning's Bento was "Lui Cha" left overs again! #2 absolutely loves "Lui Cha" - this is the last batch and she's asked me to cook some more! I think I'll give it a pass for the time being because she's been eating it for breakfast, lunch and dinner (and still lovin it). This is a meal which you either love or detest - in her case it's love at first 'bite'!

In today's Bento box are slices of orange, a bed of alfalfa sprouts doused with some salad cream dressing and some Turkey chunks.

This is the balance "Lui Cha" ingredients of rice, French beans, pickled veggies (Choy Poh), Long beans and peanuts.

A friend passed some free tickets to us for the Westphalian Chamber Youth Orchestra and the Young Westphalian Baroque Ensemble performing tonight at the Securities Commission. Acclaimed to produce some delightful sounds, I'm looking forward to listening to them!

This is NOT Bento!

I had another "Lui Cha" party over the weekend. This time the "Lui Cha" stock was even more delicious because I had this brain wave to use "Ikan billis stock" instead of plain old hot water!

My guests were raving about the entire meal and even the critique among them complimented on the the marked improvement of the soup and asked for the recipe. As it is in it's original form using hot water, the soup was good but with the flavored stock, the soup was richer and sweeter!

I had this for my lunch today. No Bento either because #2 didn't go to school today.


In the bottom of the bowl is some garlic rice topped with a mixture of vegetables, peanuts and pickled vegetables. Visually pretty and a deliciously healthy meal mixed together! Yummy!!

BENTO #141 - Can't wait to come back!

Been spending some time with the kids but been missing bento-ing too!!!

We're busy preparing another 'Lui Cha' party for lunch tomorrow so it's 'cut, cut, cut and cut'. There is about 13 or 14 types of vegetables plus taufoo, pickled vegetables and nuts in total.

Luckily I managed to get extra help and the girls are busy with other plans. Instead to preparing the 'standard' lunch, I made them Bento's!

These are the three Bento's I made for them. It's quite obvious which one belongs to the youngest girl!



A closer look at #1's Bento. Macaroni and tuna melt topped with Parmesan cheese. A mixed salad with Thousand Island dressing, some orange slices, carrot and kyuri sticks and a California roll.



#2 got the same content in a different Bento box.

#3 had an extra "Special-order hand roll" (hers only has Sakura denbu and Kewpie mayo).



Easy peasy Bentos!

Can't stay away! Had a little "Bento party" @ home!

My 9 year old daughter had friends over for a day. I made bentos for them for lunch and it was a blast! Her friends has not been exposed to bentos before and were trilled with the array of food.





There was a mix of pizza cut into heart and fish shapes. Some broccoli florets topped with Japanese Kewpie mayo and Parmesan cheese, tuna sandwiches, nuggets, spaghetti Alio Oglio, orange bits and a chocolate for treat.


*Trying to stay away from the computer to carry out some 'motherly' responsibilities! Sorry, won't be responding to your comments till next week!*

Taking a Bento break!

It's holidays this week! Bento Pet is taking a break from Bentos! Spending some quality time with the kids!

Will be back next week (6th October, 2008). Cheerio!!

BENTO #140

A quick bento for tea before another run to the music school!
Clockwise: A silicon cup full of chopped up salad doused in Olive oil and some Balsamic vinegar, a yellow Kiwi, a freshly ripened date and a tomato.

I bought some mini cinnamon rolls from Cinnabon and I added it into the Bento box. There is another cherry tomato and finally a silicon cup of fried chicken. A lot of friendly animal faces in today's Bento box!

This is eaten at home so I don't have to worry about adjusting the animal forks to accommodate a closed box!

Oh! And there is a flask full of "lui cha" (herbal soup made up of basil, mint, peanuts, sesame, salt, pepper, bitter herbs, tea and young Jambu leaves).

#2 had a most satisfying tea break!

Bento Competition

I submitted this entry for a competition organized by Bento Addiction. Her theme is "Back to school". I've taken this long to decide to submit an entry because I don't have the slightest idea how to make a "theme" bento!

I keep checking out Bento Addiction for new entries and so far has seen 4 entries posted up by her. She says that to make the competition valid, there should be at least 5 entries. What a waste of a Bento competition if it becomes invalid!

I decided to make the 5th entry regardless.

I had not the slightest idea what to do. I just rummaged my fridge and bento supplies and came up with this:

"SCHOOL ROCKS"
My bento is basically made up of the famous Onigiri faces of Bento world with their infamous 'eyes'!
These familiar friends are always a delight and surprise to see when one opens the Bento box.
They lay on top of some vegetables and roasted chopped peppers (left overs from the alphabet cut outs)
The bottom tier contains cut out shapes of zucchini, carrots and luncheon meats spread on a bed of left overs of the same (no wastage here either).
A short message: "School Rocks" on the cover of the Bento box serves as an inspiration of what is to come! Yeah!
I changed the cover of the Bento box to a transparent cover so that the message can be seen even when it is closed.

BENTO #139

I fried some scallops, "la la" shellfish and prawns with mushrooms and tomatoes for today's Bento box. To accompany all that was the final left over sprouts. I had made some Campbell soup for her to take in a flask but she declined it because she said that there was no time to eat due to the 'puasa' period, so she had it for breakfast. All classes are shortened and the teachers are trying to keep time. I suspect that she's using her recess time to stay in class to finish up homework!

There was takuan, an orange and a piece of Nougat for treat. #2 and I are big fans of Nougat - the hard ones! We don't mind the soft type but the hard ones are the ones we always look for. In one sitting, we can finish a whole box.

I know, I know, it's bad for the teeth and the diet! These temptations are hard to resist!

BENTO #138

I planned this Bento last night. I didn't foresee it being so brown in this orange two tier Bento box though! Nevertheless, I think this is one of those few times that I've managed to make a Bento box without any carbo. LOL! It's packed with raw and cooked vegetables, some protein and fruits.

In the left Bento box, I had some cut yellow and green zucchini and tomatoes tossed in salad cream. There is some boiled lotus root from last night's soup.

In the right Bento box, there's the ever favorite bananas topped with cinnamon sugar - a change from the regular Kiwi that she loves. Lianne suggested bacon bits with Brussel sprouts in yesterday's post, I thought it was a great idea so I improvised with broccoli this morning! There are some meat bits from yesterday's soup which I tossed in soy sauce.

Free and easy because I remembered to do my homework! Hahaha! I also managed to work out tomorrow's menu already!

Mamma Mia!

(Picture linked back to source)

Yahoo! Mamma Mia opens tomorrow at the cinemas in Malaysia! WHoooooeeeee!

Mum: Mich! Book tickets for Mamma Mia ASAP!
Mich: Cannot book lah Ma! Have to purchase and pay online! But not this week please! Having quizzes and exams all week! *sigh*
Mum: Oh! Okay, next week then! Check your dad's schedule girl!
(checks dad's schedule: Bingo! Monday night!)
Rach: But I have tuition!
Mich: But...err....
Mum: Forget about tuition!
#3: Don't I get to say anything?
Mich: Err....hello?
Mum: Shhhh......you keep out of this.
Mich: Mum! I'm still having exams ....!
Mum: Huh? Okay, Okay, Hari Raya then!! *pull a long face* *too long waiting time, Boo!*

Aiyoh! Want to watch movie also have to make so many arrangements! Life used to be so much simpler. Hubs and I will just decide which movie to go to and everybody just follows. These days we have to arrange and re-arrange our schedules just to watch a movie together! *SIGH*

I'm a great fan of ABBA and Mamma Mia starring Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgard, Amanda Seyfried and others is an explosion of ABBA songs namely Dancing Queen, I Have a Dream, Voulez-Vous, and Take a Chance on Me.

ABBA is my generation kinda music and exams or not, we're going to watch that movie!

BENTO #137

We had sprouts for dinner last night because #2 kept bugging me to cook it again! No wonder she likes it so much, it is very delicious! She asked if she could finish the balance on the plate while we were half way through dinner.

Seriously, I've run out of ideas for frying sprouts. This morning, I sneaked some different 'sprouts' into her bento box - Brussels sprouts! I boiled and cut them and tossed them in a sesame seed dressing. I tried 2 pieces and it was delicious. I personally love Brussels sprouts but somehow only get to eat them at restaurants as an accompaniment with steaks or some sort of Western styled dish. I've never tried cooking Brussels sprouts and the combination of sesame seed dressing seems perfect!

Next to that are some skewered Nori meat patties and raw carrots.

In the other Bento box is a Yellow Kiwi and a smiling face tuna sandwich!

BENTO #136

This morning's picture had to be 'doctored' because I was in a hurry, I'm hosting the Mother's prayer for children session in my house. I didn't get to check the photo because everyone was running late. * Big Drama this morning! *

Simple bento today!
Left Bento: More sprouts!! #2 has requested for this everyday! She loves it and is raving about being able to eat it 7 days a week! This morning I fried them with some mushrooms and tomatoes. There is a soft dinner roll filled with egg, tuna mayo and some yellow zucchini.

The other box has a green kiwi, half a banana and an individually packed Japanese sponge cake.

#2 keeps telling me to drop the 'carbo' but I really don't know what else to pack! No rice is fine, but no breads is near impossible! Any ideas??


Back in the home ground, I prepared a large bowl of fruit salad. Forgot to take the picture! I only managed to snap these below just before the mummies arrived.

Below is the two plates of canapes which I prepared this morning for breakfast.

This is rosemary chicken sitting on yellow zucchini and crisp buttered baguette, topped with mayo and a dot of tomato sauce and a dash of freshly ground pepper.


This is a plate of egg, tuna mayo on top of green zucchini and crisp buttered baguette. For some added visual effect, I placed a tomato bit on it!

There was coffee and my favorite Green tea and lots of conversation and fellowship!!
Thank God for another day!