Last official bento day for 2012!

So it's their last day of school, and it's a combined session (meaning both AM and PM sessions function together in the morning) so again the bentos were made last night and kept overnight in the fridge.

The contents are almost exactly the same, with minor differences - the filling in the bread and the treats. Here's Takoyaki's, featuring jam-filled bunny buns, sausage pineapples, kiwi and a Kinder Bueno.

Mr Roast Meat's having Nutella sandwiches cut into jigsaw puzzle pieces, sausage pineapples, cherry tomatoes and a Happy Hippo.

Each child also brought a bottle of yogurt drink to school, as a celebration for the last day of school. I can foresee that next year on, all my photos will be this kind - yellow and dark, since Mr RM will also be in the morning session and I have to either pack the night before or on the morning itself. Natural daylight always looks better.

Fuss free and count down to end of term

The kids are in a joyous mood since this is the last week of term, especially since they only have to officially attend school on TWO days, there being a public holiday yesterday and home-based learning taking up one day, AND Friday being Speech Day (prize presentation) so there're no lessons.

So today is my second last bento day, tomorrow being the very last. Both Takoyaki and Roast Meat went to school early in the morning, the former for interclass netball tournament (and refused to bring a proper bento), and the latter for lessons.

I told Takoyaki she would definitely be hungry and made her bring a box of cheese crackers as well as some Choclairs, and RM will be having bread logs (rolled up with Nutella and kaya), a cheese wedge, grapes and a chocolate.

Bunnies and carrots

Takoyaki went to the zoo today with her class, and they were going to split into groups for a picnic, so her contribution was to be fruits. So she brought grapes, six bunnies and six carrots, one for each bunny.

Mr Roast Meat will also be having a bunny and carrot, fried multigrains with prawns and Taiwanese sausage, and some cuke sticks.

And here's one more lunch bento for Takoyaki when she gets home (so I can take a nap with the little one), made of the same fried multigrains, Japanese-style pickles and rose apple.

The secret lives of fruits and vegetables

Takoyaki wanted to buy food today but agreed to bring a box of fruits (which she shared with her clique). There's a cherry tomato masquerading as a grape which is masquerading as a balloon.

Mr Roast Meat got some fish nuggets, grapes, more masquerading cherry tomatoes, and a Nutella sandwich with a smiling striped cheese bear (I still have about 3 striped cheese slices left).

Tired. 'Nuff said.

Takoyaki's box: sandwiches, hambaagaa, fruits and fruit juice.

 Roast Meat's: cheese crackers, Happy Hippo snack, cuke shurikens and grapes.

Cold weather, hot food

It's been cool and rainy in Singapore for the last couple of weeks, which translates to cold nights (cold by our standards, that is).  This is the time to pack hot soups and stews for the kids!

Takoyaki's having her favourite meesua 面线 (Chinese wheat vermicelli) soup again. I made her some french bean stuffed tamagoyaki (one of the few ways I can get her to eat french beans). My pan's working fine again, after I realised that it must be hot before pouring in the egg so that the egg mixture cooks instantly, instead of cooling the pan down so that it sticks. In the panda container are some fried ikan bilis from my mother-in-law.

Roast Meat will be having the hambaagaa I made on Sunday, with some moulded kaya ship buns and grapes. And oh-ho! He's so delighted. Yogurt drink.

Mini Hambaagaa or Beef patties Recipe

I just made a batch of these for bentos this week (but they will probably be obliterated by Tuesday). I have previously featured these patties in this post and this one too.

Ingredients:

500g ground beef

1.5 1 cup breadcrumbs

1/2 a medium onion, finely diced

1 tsp parsley (fresh or dried, up to you)

1 tsp salt

ground black pepper to taste

2 shakes of paprika

1 medium to large egg

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix really well with clean hands.

Shape into equal sized patties about 2 inches across and 1/3 inch thick.

Gently press the centre of each patty in (makes them cook more evenly) and lay patties in a single layer on a large flat plate or tray.

Heat a frying pan on medium heat and add 1 tbsp oil.

Once oil is hot, reduce heat to low and fry patties about 1min on the first side.

Flip patties and cover pan, leave to cook about 3-4min.

Remove from heat and drain on paper towels.

Let cool before storing in an airtight container in the fridge.

What would I do without leftovers?

Takoyaki loves it when we have kimchi soup for dinner, because she knows there will usually be some leftover which she can bring to school the next day.

This time there are pork ribs in the soup (I usually do shabu shabu pork), an omusubi/onigiri with beef soboro filling (another favourite), and of course, fruits. My daughter is the fruit queen!

Here's my video on how to use an onigiri wrapper.

Mr Roast Meat says he loved the ketchup prawns from the other day, so I cooked up another batch for him (and me and the tot). And the rest of the food are two moulded bear buns with Nutella filling, some nuts and grapes.

Back to Simplicity

I shall take a really long break before charabening again. The kids seem tired of all the Halloween themes, but it was nice to rise up to the challenge!

Today's bento for Mr Roast Meat is simply yachaejeon, some lovely organic dark chocolate cookie sandwiches and grapes.