Natto Salad Don

Very balanced meal today. With probiotics included too.

It's the September school holidays but poor RM has supplementary classes (what to do? PSLE just round the corner), and he told me that yesterday only the drinks, Malay food and sandwiches stalls were open, so he didn't eat much. So I set my alarm and got my butt up early to make him this bento.

I was reminded of his first day of primary school five years ago, when he was so shy that he didn't dare to go buy food at the canteen till almost everyone else had gone, by which time he only had time to eat only one mouthful of his noodles before the bell rang. That was when I decided to bento.

Caesar Salad and Tuna Mayo Croissant

New bento item - Caesar salad! Consisting of mini Romaine lettuce, some homemade sourdough croutons, tomatoes and cashew nuts.

Salad usually takes up a lot of space even though there's so little actual matter, that I'm glad to have my new Zebra SS bowl to hold a substantial portion for RM's 10 min snack time in school. I put the dressing into a plastic disposable container and snapped the lid on, so even if the plastic container leaks, the dressing will not leak out of the box. Oh how I love my new box.

The Totoro box holds a croissant with tuna mayo and cucumber. That's for his recess.

Buns & Salad Bento

Storebought buns to save the day (for me) and some easy salad.

Omelette and Mash Bento

I am pleased to say that part of today's bento was made by Takoyaki. She wanted to fry the omelette herself (mainly because she doesn't like my omelette haha), and since she was at it, she also agreed to fry one for RM.

So I just packed the mash (dinner leftover) and the salad and that was it. Sweeeet... 

Chicken Rice Forever!!

Unfortunately, it is missing the ginger scallion sauce, as I've fresh run out of ginger (and scallions).

Tamagoyaki Salad With Options

What on earth does that mean? 

Well, it means you get a choice of carb but you have to take the tamagoyaki salad d:)

Takoyaki took rice.

RM chose crackers. He got a little sauce cup of caesar salad dressing as well (not shown in pic).

Chicken Pie from Polar Bento

If it can even be called a bento...

And it's the last day of September?? Takoyaki is smack in the midst of exams while the same are looming on the horizon for RM. I simply cannot imagine my roly poly RM taking PSLE next year.

Clear Your Fridge and Pantry by making Bentos!

Here I am trying to use up all our planned overs and leftovers, so we have two different bentos for two kids.

A chicken liver pate sandwich, Babybel cheese and some salad for RM.

And chicken stew over rice and kimchi for Takoyaki. 

Beat Summer with some Cool Noodle Salad!

June and July have been two months of oppressive heat and sudden, short downpours for Singapore this year. However, high temperatures are the norm so I decided to toss up some cold udon salad for both my critters. 

First, I cooked some dried udon, washed it well, then added julienned Japanese cucumber, halved cherry tomatoes, sesame oil, a dash of homemade mentsuyu (Japanese dipping sauce) and natto, and mixed them well into a big bowl of slime. Next, I portioned it out into each critter's box.

Takoyaki's has Japanese seasoned jellyfish (chuka kurage) on top.

While Roast Meat has shredded surimi crabsticks.

And hey! There's some slimy noodle salad left for me to devour today. Yay!

Monday already...

Aaaand I've run out of rice and bread. So it's down to instant noodles aka yakisoba. To go with some roast chicken chunky salad.

I'm probably feeling a little guilty but I daresay these two jokers will be in seventh heaven when they open their boxes.

Last Burst of Energy

Something came over me last night (maybe it's the presence of ham in my fridge) which spurred me up to put a little more effort into this last couple of bentos for this term.

Takoyaki's

RM's

Bangers and Spaghetti

Actually we had mash for dinner but he preferred to bring spag today instead so I indulged him. Cooking angel hair spaghetti is a snap anyway.

Terrific Tuesday - Mini Quiche

After the half-success of the Bacon & Egg Cups, here's my next "mini" challenge to myself - mini quiches. Inspired by my friend Yee-fun Lee who made them recently for her daughters' bentos, I finally took the plunge on the weekend.

Mini quiches cooling

The verdict is "yummy" by all, so we're good to put this into bento rotation.

Two Quiches And A Salad

Cold Asian Noodle Salad Bento

Made with:

Boiled fresh udon noodles (rinsed under tap water till cool)

Mesclun salad

Boiled crabsticks and prawns

Dressing - soy sauce, sesame oil, freshly ground black pepper, pinch of stevia (you can use fine white sugar)

All mixed up and topped with roasted sesame seeds.

Wainy Wednesday

What a great day to sleep in. It's usually hot and hazy this time of the year in Singapore but these past couple of months have been mostly rainy and breezy. I'm thankful.

Planned over from last night's dinner - Panfried Cajun Chicken Chop over rice, with spinach salad and grapes. There's some homemade vinaigrette dressing in a separate sauce cup. Roast Meat's favourite dressing.

Finally Friday - Fly Lice and Fruit-Veg Salad

For Roast Meat. 

Finally Friday - Mediterranean Rice Salad

Made of cooked rice, cuke cubes, red capsicum squres, carrot slices, olives and shredded crabstick tossed with a squeeze of lime juice, pinch of salt and drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Today's fruits are longans.

He did not like the raw carrot slices.

Fancy Thursday - Two Completely Different Bentos

First up was Roast Meat's recess bento - leftover chicken raisin rice from dinner last night, with Basil Grilled Chicken and a veg salad.

I was pleased to have a chance again to deliver a hot lunch to Takoyaki in school. Hot somen in soup with pork slices and 菜心 (cai4 xin1) or choy sum or yu choy.

Store bought pastries can be such lifesavers

Especially when I have to pack three meals for two kids.

RM's recess and lunch

Consisting of mini chicken pies, veggie sticks and grapes, Roast Meat's recess is simpler since he often has to stay back in class and ends up having a shorter recess. Lunch is a square onigiri with seaweed chicken, some cucumber and crabstick salad, and cherry tomatoes.

Takoyaki's recess

A hotdog pastry for Takoyaki, to enjoy with her veg sticks and mayo dip.